Romantic, refined and full of art, Paris is one of the European capitals most loved by travelers of all ages and backgrounds. Walking through the streets of Paris you will find dreamlike atmospheres, breathtaking views and different cultures that mix to create a dynamic and pleasant environment.
Paris also has a considerable dimension , so it is good to understand how to move to get from one point of interest to another without wasting time, especially if you have planned a short visit. Here is a guide on how to get around Paris : info, costs and tips!
Useful
tips The Parisian metro is very extensive, so the best way to get around is the metro: frequent runs, extended opening hours and zero traffic. The best solution is to get day tickets (from € 12.00).
Walking is a winning choice when it comes to visiting individual neighborhoods . Each district is in fact like a small town, with a history of its own, but also uses, customs and unique identities. For this, I recommend taking tours with local guides to locate the landmarks and fully experience the authentic Parisian atmosphere.
Alternatively, a recommended solution for a first approach to the city (especially if you have little time available) is the evergreen hop-on hop-off bus, which stops near the main attractions and will give you a wonderful panoramic view of the city! For an original perspective, opt for a scenic cruise on the Seine.
- Recommended solutions and means : walking in the neighborhoods, metro, bike sharing, hop-on hop-off bus
- Solutions and means not recommended : cars
- City card and season tickets recommended : day ticket for vehicles (from € 12.00).
How to get from the airport to the center of Paris
Paris has three airports of different sizes, which host from intercontinental flights to low cost. Reaching the French capital from Italy is therefore very simple and also cheap, with many direct flights departing every day!
The reference airports are Paris Charles De Gaulle, Paris Orly Airport and, finally, Paris-Beauvais Airport, the furthest of the three. The distance of the airports from the city center is variable but all are well connected . Let’s see in detail how to reach the city center from each airport!
Paris Charles De Gaulle
- Distance from the center : 25 km / travel time: 30 min;
- By train : RER line B / ticket cost: € 8.00
- By taxi : fixed cost € 60.00 / travel time: 40 min
- By bus : average cost € 7.00 / Roissybus line
- Private Transfer : Private transfer from / to Charles de Gaulles
Orly
- Distance from the center : 15 km / travel time: 25 min;
- By train : Orlyval shuttle + RER B line / cost of bus + train ticket € 12.00
- By taxi : fixed cost € 40.00 / travel time: 25 min
- By bus : average cost € 8.00 / Orlybus line
- Private transfer: shared transfer from Charles de Gaulle and Orly
Beauvais
- Distance from the center : 75 km / travel time: 1 hour and 15 minutes;
- By train : urban bus + RER line towards Paris / ticket cost: € 14.00
- By taxi : fixed cost during the day € 170.00, at night € 210.00 / travel time: 90 min
- By bus : average cost € 15.90 with Beauvais – Port Maillot shuttle / Journey time 75 minutes
- Private Transfer : Private transfer from or to Beauvais Airport
Getting around on foot
The center of Paris is vast , choosing to visit it on foot may not be a winning idea, especially if you have little time available. Consider that from Notre Dame to the Sacred Heart it is about 5 km uphill, from the Louvre to the Eiffel tower it is 3.5 km: it is better to limit the walks to enjoy pleasant moments in certain areas and neighborhoods , such as Rue Montorgueil, Montmartre and the Sacred Heart (perhaps discovering them with a tour with an expert guide), in the Saint German de Pres district, the elegant Galerie Vivienne or the Champs Elysees.
If you are going to Paris for the first time it can be difficult to settle in quickly, so you can opt for a private tour with a local guide. In general, the hop-on hop-off bus can be an excellent solution, if only to allow you to get off and on at each stop: it’s like having a personal taxi driver 24 hours a day!
If, on the other hand, you want to discover a hidden , almost dark side, in the evening various tours are organized to discover the dark secrets of the city!
Getting around by bicycle and scooter
The bicycle is certainly a green and alternative way to visit Paris. The city has extensive cycle pathsand the Velib rental service offers you numerous collection and delivery points around the city, for a total of about 20,000 bicycles. The service is active 24 hours a day, and free for the first 30 minutes, then € 1.00 / hour for the normal bike and € 2.00 / hour for the electric bike. After the first hour the rate becomes € 1.00 / 2.00 every half hour.
In any case, for a first approach it is always recommended to take a guided bike tour first, to familiarize yourself with the routes and cycle paths of the city.
Another means to try is the electric scooter! It is an agile and fun systemto alternative mobility. The companies that offer the sharing service are various, but for all of them very similar profiles and activation costs can be outlined. Like the Velibs, you will find scooters parked all over Paris and you will not have to have a drop off point. The average cost is € 0.15 per minute, while the fixed cost to unlock the scooter is € 1.00.
By public transport
The Paris public transport system is certainly among the safest and most efficient in Europe .
The city is divided into 5 zonesto which different rates correspond: zone 1 includes the center of Paris, zone 2 the neighboring municipalities including Vincennes and Saint-Denis, zone 3 includes La Defense, Versailles and Orly 4, finally in zone 5 we find Charles airport de Gaulle and Disneyland.
An excellent alternative to discover the city, especially if you have little time available , is to move with the open hop-on hop-off bus, which stops near the main attractions and will give you a wonderful panoramic view of the city! Alternatively, you can opt for an all-inclusive bus tour, cruise and lunch on the Eiffel Tower, a truly unique experience! In addition, being on the Seine, in the city you can take part in various panoramic cruises, even in the evening and with audio guide! Definitely a fun and relaxing way to see Paris from another perspective!
Metro
Photo of Ardfern. The Paris metro consists of 16 lines that cover the city in a capillary way. All major tourist attractions are located within zone 1.
Line 1 is the main one , most important for tourists as it serves the main attractions.
Other important lines are the 6 which from Charles de Gaulle square leads to the Eiffel Tower area, the 2 which leads to Montmartre and the 14, ultra modern, which allows you to move quickly between the Bercy area, the Gare de Lyon and the center. .
- Downloadable map: paris-metro-map
- Hours: 5:30 am to 1:20 am, Saturdays until 2:20 am
- Ticket cost / single journey : zone 1 and 2 € 1.90
- Cost of ticket booklet / season ticket : 10 ticket booklet € 14.90, daily € 12.00, 2 days € 19.50, 3 days € 26.65, 5 days € 38.35
RER
To the 16 subway lines, you have to add the 5 lines of high-speed RER trains . They move under Paris and quickly reach the neighboring municipalities, offering a wide choice of stops within the city , often in interchange with the metro.
- Downloadable map: map-rer-paris
- Hours: 4:45 am to 1:30 am
- Ticket cost / single journey : zone 1 and 2 € 1.90
- Cost of ticket booklet / season ticket : 10 ticket booklet € 14.90, daily € 12.00, 2 days € 19.50, 3 days € 26.65, 5 days € 38.35
Bus
Photo by Chabe01. Buses are heavily affected by city traffic , but they also operate when the metro is closed due to works or strikes. In addition to guaranteeing coverage of the whole city, allowing you to enjoy panoramic views, the Parisian buses are equipped with the night line which includes 40 lines marked with an N. The most panoramic lines are 38, 68, 28 and 96 which pass by all the most important places such as Notre-Dame, the Seine, the Louvre, the Latin Quarter, etc.
Then there is the open hop-on hop-off bus, to enjoy Paris especially when you have little time available , being able to get on and off from several strategic stops.
- Downloadable map: day-bus-map and night-bus map
- Hours: from 5:30 to 20:30, then the night line is in operation
- Ticket cost / single journey : zone 1 and 2 € 1.90
- Cost of ticket booklet / season ticket : 10 ticket booklet € 14.90, daily € 12.00, 2 days € 19.50, 3 days € 26.65, 5 days € 38.35
Taxi
Taxis are certainly the most comfortable means of transport to use at night . The Parisienne taxis are all in all cheap, even if the rates vary according to the times and distances.
- Hours: 24 hours a day
- Ticket / single ride cost : basic fare € 2.40 + from € 1.00 to € 1.50 for each km traveled
By car
Driving around Paris is really not recommended . It is a large capital, in fact the city has a very intense and frenetic traffic that tends to confuse tourists.
In addition, the center has limited traffic and the cost of parking can be very high! Much better to move by public transport during the day (with very affordable rates thanks to season tickets) and by taxi at night, while within the neighborhoods you can easily move on foot. Our advice is to choose an accommodation with parking service included for your customers and thus leave the car in a safe place.
ZTL and restricted traffic area
The ZCR covers the entire center of Paris, from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 to 20:00. To drive around the ZCR you will need to have the environmental bulletin, here in France called Crit’Air, a sticker to be applied on the dashboard , and drive a car registered after 2001 . All vehicles must have this bulletin, even mopeds!
Warning: if you do not have a permit to enter the ZCR , you cannot even circulate inside . The Crit’Air sticker is essential for accessing Paris, and more and more French cities are adopting its use to tackle the problems of air pollution.
Stops and parking
Parking on the street in Paris is not easy at all, for this reason the best solution is to leave the car in your hotel or b & b. On the contrary, the center is dotted with private covered parking lots , where you can leave your car in complete safety for longer. Obviously the costs vary according to the area, those close to the main attractions are the most expensive! The cost varies from € 3.00 / hour to € 15.00 / hour.
