Exploring Paris will be one of the most exhilarating and exhausting trips of your life. Paris is HUGE and the only way to get around to see everything is by using transportation or the Paris Metro.

Paris has an amazing Metro System; it is clean, efficient, and will take you all over the city; from the Eiffel Tower to the Sacre Coeur.

There are 303 metro stations in Paris alone; you don’t have to walk too far to jump on the metro at the next stop.

Things to make your trip easier

There are ticket machines at most metro stations, but not all of them. A few smaller stations don’t have ticket machines. Have a plan of what you are going to see and do throughout the city; plan accordingly so you can purchase and have a few tickets up your sleeve.

Buying a Ticket

Tickets are € 1.90 per ticket for a single ticket, or you can buy a pack of 10 tickets for €16.90. Machines will only accept coins or credit cards (No Notes) so make sure you have the correct form of payment.

These tickets will cover your travel in zones 1 and 2, most of the major attractions are within these zones. However, if you venture too far out you will have to pay more. At the machine’s punch in where you are going/what zone it is located in it will then calculate the price for you.

The paper tickets are valid on multiple forms for transport throughout the city some include

• Paris Metro System
• Tramways
• RATP City Bus
• Montmartre Cable Car

Can I transfer metro lines on the same ticket??

Think of each ticket as a journey; each ticket is valid for 2 hours from when you validate it. If you have to jump on one line then change lines; you can do so as long as it is within the 2 hour period.

Taking the Paris Metro

There will be a turn-style machine at the entrance of the metro; you will need to validate your ticket by putting a puncture hole in it. The machine will then spit out the ticket and open the gate for you to walk through.

THIS IS SO IMPORTANT; You need the SAME ticket that you validated when you started your journey; to get out of the station you are exiting. DO NOT LOOSE OR THROW IT OUT.

Also they do still have officials checking tickets. If you can’t produce a ticket that has been validated you will be fined.

Using the Paris Metro is quite simple, have a look at the map; find where you want to go, then look at the END of that line; this will be the name of the train you need to get on. Just make sure you check it is going in the right direction. I have had to backtrack before don’t feel bad it probably will happen to you.

Metro’s are a fantastic and cost-effective way to get around cities, do a bit of research prior to your trip to get an idea of how it works. Check out our Guide to Using the Amsterdam Trams for your trip to the Netherlands.