The parisian metro is the easiest way to travel around the city, as well as the best value. The Paris metro has around 300 stations, their entrances marked by a big yellow “M”, and 16 lines, numbered from 1 to 14, 3 bis and 7 bis. The metro operates every day including public holidays from around 6am to 0.30am.Trains are less frequent on Sundays and public holidays.
Each line has a colour, which you’ll find on signs in the stations and on all the RATP maps. Connections between lines make your journey easy to plan. Each line has two directions, indicated by the terminus station at each end. The different directions and connections are clearly displayed on blue and white signs on the platforms and in the tunnels. To be sure you’re heading in the right direction, check that your destination is on the list of stations just before you go down onto the platform. Inside the trains, you’ll find network maps and the detail of the line you’re on along with all available connections to other parts of the network. Maps of the public transport network, in all shapes and sizes, are available free of charge at the ticket offices, as well as at the all the information centres of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. Large-scale maps are also displayed on the platforms and at the entrance to each station.
Your white-coloured ticket remains valid for 1,5 hours until you leave the metro by going though the exit barriers. If you then take a bus, you need to use another ticket. If you happen to have kept some old green or yellow tickets from an earlier trip, you can still use them.
Discover and download the metro map in Paris.
