But the system is, at least in my experience, much more efficient, frequent and feels very much a part of the Parisian experience (In New York, I think the yellowcabs and not the subway have this role of a NY experience). The web of the metro is such that you are never too far away from a metro station wherever you are in the city. Granted Paris is actually quite small and not spread out compared to many American or Australian cities, let alone Los Angeles. In general, public transport (metro, buses) in Paris is excellent and fast and comfortable.
Paris metro
To use the metro, one can purchase a ticket at windows or automated machines found in stations (Look for the letter M sign in yellow). Individual tickets cost about 1.50 euros (check ratp.fr to get the latest tariff). Or you can save a couple euros by buying a carnet de tickets (10 tickets for which you get a reduction for each individual ticket). A ticket is valid for one time travel only. So, if you have to change lines, do not go out of the station as this will mean that you would have to pay for another ticket. Follow the sign Correspondence (transfer) and the line number that you have to take. Most likely you will have to go through long tunnels and go up and down stairways (if they look old, remem
ber that Paris had its first metro in 1900). So, if you have luggage, taking the metro that involves many changes might not be the best idea. But you might be treated to a very Parisian experience, namely live music or even French music if you’re lucky. These musicians all have permit to do their music in the metro system. You might also notice that many have CDs of their music displayed and for sale.Among the musicians one regularly encouters in Paris metro, I love the accordionist that often plays at the station Franklin Roosevelt, especially when he plays popular old French music. There is also the South American guitarist who sings and make you think of the Andes, and a South American group playing traditional music instrument. You might find them in Châtelet or République stations. Stop and listen, they are great. Another favourite of mine is a young woman who plays guitar and sings songs of Piaf. She has an incredible voice and I often ask myself why she sings in metro stations and not in a concert hall or has a recording contract already. I get goosebumps whenever I listen to her singing Piaf"s Non, je ne regrette rien. In Châtelet we might also find an orchestra composed of young people who look like students playing classical music.
Aside from individual tickets or carnet de tickets, you can also buy a Paris visite tickets for a specific number of days (1, 2, 3 or 5 days priced from around 8 to 28 euros). This ticket allows you to get on and off the metro and the buses as many times as you like within the
validity days. Designed mostly for tourists, you may also get discounts to museums etc.If living in Paris, you can of course take out weekly, monthly or yearly ticket valid for buses and metro. This use to be called Carte Orange. You get a ticket that you use and reuse for the period that it is valid for. This is progressively being replaced by the spiffier looking Passe Navigo. The advantage of this new pass, aside from the stronger plastic compared to the paper coupon for the carte orange, is that it can be optically read by the turnstiles. So, you don’t have to take out your ticket (there is no ticket in the Passe Navigo) and put it through the slot in the turnstile which everyone else with any other types of tickets has to do. With a Pass Navigo, you simply place it near the optic reader and you hear a beep indicating you can pass through the turnstile. Great to avoid the crowd of tourists blocking the turnstiles to put their ticket through the slot in the turnstile as there are now turnstiles that only have the Navigo pass reader in addition to the normal turnstiles.
If using a regular ticket, remember to keep it until you leave the station at your destination. At times there are controllers that would check that you indeed have travelled with a ticket. They often place themselves near exits. And they don’t hesitate to give you a fine (monetary penalty) for not having a ticket. Trying to weasel your way out by speaking English does not work anymore!
Paris bus
The same metro ticket is valid on Paris bus system. Bus travel is now much speedier since many roads have bus lanes, thanks to the Paris socialist gay mayor Bertrand Delanoë. My advic
e though is still: if in a hurry, take the metro. On the other hand, if you have time, travelling by bus means that you can take in the sight of Paris.A bus line that I consider one of the most beautiful is bus no. 72 between Hotel de Ville and Porte de Saint Cloud. Best to take the metro to Saint Cloud and return using the bus. You will be treated to all the major sights of Paris whilst riding on streets just above la Seine. The sights include Pont Neuf (the famous bridge over la Seine in Paris), Trocadéro, Eiffel Tower, Grand Palais, Concorde and of course Hôtel de Ville de Paris (Paris town hall).
Buses are also useful if you miss the last metro when you finally extract yourself from the club, bar or wherever you spend your evening. Once the metro stops, night buses or Noctillien can take you to the center, or from the center to all areas around Paris. They run less frequently than day buses of course, but great money saver. The ticket costs a bit more than day buses and it does not take the regular tickets used for metro and day buses. If in the center, the area around Hôtel de Ville and Châtelet is the terminal for all night buses. Take care though, as there might be drunk passengers (who are usually sweet and fun but you might run into aggressive types too) or worse, those who are sick from too much alcohol. If you start noticing someone’s face turning blue and white or having expressions as if he or she had
just swallowed a frog, better move away or you may have a very disgusting experience as I did once (think Poltergeist).Aside from buses, late nighters can also now use bikes (Velib, see my other entry Paris on bicycle). As Paris is compact, it is possible to traverse Paris on a bike, especially at night when traffic is light. Watch out for Schumacher wannabe drivers that would rev up their machines just because they think the road is empty and thus can be treated as a racing track.
Of course there are taxis too. Watch for the light on top of the car, please. If it is turned on, the taxi is available for hire, when turned off, it is occupied. I have seen too many people flapping their arms about like giant birds trying to stop a passing taxi when the light was off! Of course these taxis would ignore you and not stop. Tarifs differ if your ride within the city limits or if you go out of the limits or beyond the peripheriques.
Your wallet and Mr. Right on public transport
Finally, a word of advice on the public transport in Paris. If you’re hoping that in Paris someone would steal you heart, watch out for your wallet, purse etc. so that you don’t have to cut your holidays short and miss Mr. Right that may be just around the corner or in the next arrondissement. In rush hours in metro especially, wallets should not be in your back pocket, purses should be closed and kept in sight. Funnily, the station and metro agents seem to know who these agile hands are. Often you hear announcement in all possible languages saying that pickpockets have been spotted at the station or on the train and to watch out for your wallet and money!
Happy sightseeing and may you bump into Mr. Right (or Mr Adequate or Mr Right Now, depending on what you're looking for) on your next metro trip ! (Intersting tidbit: Apparently the last car of the train/metro used to be cruisy a long time ago. This is not the case today, from my experience lol!)
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