As an alternative to the "jump on-jump off" commercial tours that cost upwards of $30, you can get a fine one-day overview of Paris by using the public transport (RATP) system for much less money. Besides the monetary savings, doing it yourself gives you much more flexibility than the canned routes of the tour buses.
Although at first glance going it alone may seem overwhelming, it's really nothing to be scared of, because even if you lose track of where you are on a bus route, there is always a Métro station nearby to get you re-oriented.
Bookmark the following site, because we will refer to it repeatedly for all of our mapping needs:
http://www.ratp.info/orienter/tous_plans_pdf.php
Download and print out the Bus Touristique, the Balabus, and the Montmartrobus maps. If you are doing this itinerary on a Sunday and plan to see Montmartre, also print out Bus dimanches et fêtes.
Now press the "Bus" tab at the top of the box. You should see Afficher le plan de la ligne no followed by a blank. Put "42" in the blank, and press OK. You should see a route map of Bus #42. Click the button at the upper-left reading Ouvrir ce plan en PDF and print out the resulting map. Close the window, and repeat the process for buses #54, #67, #69, and #82. (Note that these route maps are not geographical; rather, they unfold each route to a linear representation.)
Almost done. Go back to the original page, and select Plans de quartier de Paris. These are little maps of the neighborhoods surrounding Métro stations. Notice that there are three drop-down boxes with OK next to them. The maps are listed in alphabetical order in three groups; the first and last stations included in each drop-down are shown just above it. For example, the second box ranges from Gaîté to Pigalle. Open the appropriate drop-down, highlight the station, press OK, print out the map, and close the window. Rinse. Repeat.
Print these:
Gare du Nord
Champ de Mars
Porte Maillot
Bastille
Pigalle
... and any others around sights that you may want to stop off at. Ready? Let's go!
You have just arrived at Gare du Nord from London. When you exit the Eurostar gate, turn left and go all the way to the east end of the station. Follow the signs having an M in a circle to the Métro station. There is also an RATP sales office along the main hall, but it may or may not be open when you arrive. If you plan to stop into many sights, get your Carte Musées et Monuments at the same time you buy your pass (the main ones on our tour covered by the card are the Louvre, Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, and Invalides). Check other threads for details.
At the Métro ticket office or RATP bureau, buy a Mobilis pass for Zones 1-2. This entitles you to unlimited transport on Métro, bus, suburban train (RER), and trams within downtown Paris for one calendar day. The zones are shown on Plans des zones tarifaires, and in better detail along the bottom edge of each numbered route map. If you plan to transgress your paid-for zones, learn to say, "Day-soe-lay. Zheh sweez ay-tronh-zhay." (Sorry. I'm a stupid American.)
Time to head out. Refer to your map of Gare du Nord. On the east side of the station outside the north door, you will see the #42 bus stop. (Note that it says Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou. Bus stops and Métro lines are always labeled by the terminus of the line in the direction you will be traveling, as we will see later.) Climb aboard, show the driver your Mobilis ticket (do NOT stamp it with the machine), and find a seat, preferably on the left side. In minutes, you will be off on your great adventure.
Refer to your #42 map. Notice that each stop has a name; the name of the next stop is always displayed on a little readout in the bus. If you want to get off at a stop, wait until its name is displayed, and press the red button on the seat back or hanger pole. Get off anywhere you like, look around, get on the next #42 Direction Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou that comes along. If the stop reads Direction Gare du Nord, you are on the wrong side of the street. Sights of interest along this route (and their bus stop names) include the Opéra, Madeleine, Concorde, and Tour Eiffel, your destination. When you have seen enough of M. Eiffel's creation, you might want to drop in at Napoleon's tomb at Hôtel des Invalides (which is also a military museum). Refer to the #69 map for navigation to the Esplanade des Invalides (note that the return stop is a block south of the outbound).
Now look at your Plan Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel for the location of the stops for #82 Direction Neuilly-Hôpital Américan (there are three of them - pick the nearest one to where you wind up). Get on the next bus and ride to the Porte Maillot stop. You will now get on the Balabus, but you have a choice: if you are interested in seeing the Grand Arche de la Défense close-up, you want the Balabus Direction La Défense; if you'd rather not, then get on the Balabus Direction Gare de Lyon. Refer to your Plan Porte Maillot to locate these stops. Now get out your Balabus map and watch for your next point of interest.
IMPORTANT! The Grand Arch is in Tariff Zone 3, outside the validity of your Mobilis pass. If you don't want a hassle, get off (and back on later) at the Pont de Neuilly - Métro stop. If you want to get closer, you can walk to it in 10 minutes (about a kilometer), or buy a 3-Zone Mobilis for €7 before you start your tour.
In any case, you will next be eastbound on the Balabus Direction Gare de Lyon. The stops on your route will include Charles de Gaulle - Etoile (2 stops), Pont Royal - Quai des Tuileries (walk across the Pont Royal to the Muséee D'Orsay), Musée du Louvre, Louvre - Rivoli, and Cité - Parvis Notre Dame.
Continue on to the Place des Vosges, and Bastille. A little further is the Marais district (off our bus route). If your timetable can tolerate a look, it's certainly worth the trip. If not, get off the bus at Bastille - Rue Saint Antoine.
Next, you will be going to Pigalle stop in Montmartre. The quickest way to get there is by taking the Métro from Bastille station. Get on Ligne 5 Direction Bobigny-Pablo Picasso and ride to the Stalingrad station. Then change to Ligne 2 Direction Porte Dauphine and ride to the Pigalle station. This should take about 22 minutes total.
The other way (which will allow you to see a lot more of Paris above ground, but takes an hour) is on the #69 bus (Sunday: see Bus dimanches et fêtes) Direction Champ de Mars at Bastille - Rue Saint-Antoine, on the west side of the Place de la Bastille. Get off at Rue Veille du Temple-Mairie du IV (third stop), and get on the #67 at the same stop. Ride it to the end of the line (Pigalle). Welcome to Montmartre!
At the Pigalle stop/station, get on the Montmartrobus. It wanders around Montmartre, stopping at Sacre Coeur on the way. The Funiculaire just west of the basilica is included on your Mobilis, in case you're interested. Back at Pigalle, your last bus ride will be #54 Direction Porte d'Aubervilliers to the Lafayette - St-Quentin - Gare du Nord stop.
Note: if you want to see how the whole bus system looks on a geographic map, select Bus Paris (avec rues). This is probably a little large to print out, but if you have a PDA with Adobe Acrobat Reader, it makes a handy little reference source.
Paris Bus Tour for €5.30
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Robespierre--that was a terrific effort.
I use the plans de quartier on
http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/Pla_q/Pla_r/Pla_r_qrt_g/plans_quarters_gif.htm
which I think are different, and which show the bus stops in greater detail. They also show the direction at each stop.
I don't see any difference at all in the content. I tried Champ de Mars and Gare du Nord as examples. Which one do you see more detail in?
The only real difference is that the ones I cited are in .pdf format, which is handy if you want to download them to a laptop or pocket PC. I believe they also print out slightly larger, because Adobe will scale .pdf to the page.
thanks for taking the time to write this... we might do it for a lark, since we've been a number of times...always looking for a new perspective...
Correction to the itinerary -
The bus ride from Bastille to Pigalle doesn't take an hour, as indicated above. Depending on the time of day (frequency of service) and how the connection from #69 to #67 falls, the whole trip can take as little as 20 minutes.
Above ground.
Now I get it. I was going to the plans de quartier on the left side of the page which are less detailed.
Of course none of these buses will have the upper deck, or commentaries provided on the tour buses, but what they heck, Robespierre had some time to burn and it IS a DIYers dream....
Hi,
I will be in Paris for the first time next month, and was feeling a little intimidated by their transportation system. After reading this, I feel much better. Thank you
A tip for anyone that plans to use the bus system in Paris, ask for the large bus map. It is a fairly large fold out map and makes it much easier to locate bus stops.
Wow! Kudos to you for taking the time to do all of this! Way to go!
And it's even less than €5.30 if you're in town for more than two days.
The Mobilis card is good for one day of unlimited travel in Zones 1-2 for €5.30
A better value is the Carte Orange which is good for one week starting on Monday. A Zones 1-2 CO costs €15.40, which breaks down to €2.20 a day if you use it for the whole week. The break-even point is 3 days, where each day costs you €5.13
Cards go on sale Friday for the following Monday-Sunday and are available for purchase through Wednesday. No COs are sold on Thursday.
You need to present a 1" x 1" photo when you buy your first ticket and permanent card. From then on, you just get a new ticket.
http://www.ratp.info/informer/grand_public.php
i need to buy a paris visite pass 1-5 so i can go into paris from cdg and then return to cdg later that same day. for 16.75 euros i can travel to and from cdg and also use the bus and metro all day. i have to store my luggage at gare du nord and then take bus #42 to the eiffel tower. will try to walk to the arc du triumphe and then go down to the louvre. How would i get from the louvre to notre dame? bus or metro i am not sure. any suggestions?
There isn't a very direct metro connection between the two, you might as well just walk, it isn't very far and would probably be just as quick as transferring metro lines. But if you want to, take the no. 1 metro line to Chatelet/Les Halles and transfer to the no. 4 metro line and go one stop to "cite".
There is a bus that goes by near the Louvre that then stops on the island, that would be the best idea (although I'd still probably walk). the bus is no. 21 and you'd have to get it at the stop on a side street to the east of the Louvre (rue de Adm. de Coligny). That stops near the Conciergerie on the island.
The Balabus stops directly in front of the Louvre right opposite the pyramid (the stop is labeled Musée du Louvre), then winds around to the front of Notre Dame at the Cité - Parvis Notre Dame stop.
Go to http://www.ratp.info/orienter/tous_plans_pdf.php and click Balabus.
i think the balabus only runs on sundays. i will be in paris on asaturday.
There are "talking" public buses, though they only talk about where they're going! Tour bus commentary varies -- and sometimes grates. And you're not going to meet many French people on the paid tour.
Robespierre I would just like to thank you for all the great Paris information you give. I'm sure it will come and handy when i'm there.
robespierre, can I buy a carte orange on a Sunday that way I can begin using it Monday morning?
one more thing, where do I buy the "extentions" for versailles and disneyland and how much do they cost
Robespierre I would just like to thank you for all the great Paris information you give.
You're welcome. But mzatzman is correct. The Balabus only runs on Sundays from April to September.
can I buy a carte orange on a Sunday that way I can begin using it Monday morning?
Yes, they go on sale beginning Friday for the following week.
one more thing, where do I buy the "extentions" for versailles and disneyland and how much do they cost
You can buy supplements at any RATP sales locaton (Métro stations, etc.) I think the cost is on a zone-by-zone basis, so if you go out to the limit of your Carte Orange (probably Zone 2), they should be cheaper. I think. Buy a round-trip (aller-retour) and you won't have to stop at the ticket counter on the way back.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, dear Robespierre for your invaluable info on the RATP! I have never taken this bus in all the times in Paris relying only on the Metro system. I never disreguard any info on Paris and print out everything that could possibly help my nexy visit - and believe me there is always a next visit on the cards!
Robespierre: Thank you so much for this valuable information. You went to so much trouble. I'm going back to Paris in September and will use this info for my bus tour.
Ginny
One more thing: If you are under 26 years old, you can save a few bucks on weekends and holidays, because you qualify for a Ticket Jeunes, a daily ticket which costs about half as much as a Mobilis.
Layover at CDG or ORY
The transport recommendations above assume that you're arriving at Gare du Nord (for example, from London or Brussels on a day trip), or are going to be in the city for several days.
If, however, you are coming to town on a layover from CDG or ORY and returning on the same day, your best transportation deal is to buy a one-day Paris Visite pass for Zones 1-5. This will get you unlimited transport between the sights, plus round-trip fare on the RER, Roissybus, or Orlybus from the airport and back.
€5.30 is a steal compared to the €27 for a 2 day ticket on l'Open Tour. Of course, for those first timers or those who only have a week, it sure saves time and trouble.
Robespierre, does a five zone Carte orange or a five zone Paris Visite cover the Roissybus?
Marking to read later
If you will be buying a Carte Orange on a Sunday, and don't speak French, it's best to write down the dates (Monday through Sunday and March 25 is 25/03...). Otherwise, the clerk may believe you don't know what you're doing and want to ride immediately and refuse to sell you one. I've witnessed folks leaving the window thinking they've been refused a Carte Orange when they just weren't able to communicate with the clerk.
The easiest way to find the "Paris Bus (avec rues)" on the ratp website is to just do a web search for same. Page with that map on the list comes right up.
When printed, the full map results in very tiny print. Because the file is locked, you cannot crop, enlarge and print as you can with most pdf files. However, you can zoom in on a particular area. Then, click on the Adobe Reader printer icon (NOT file, print...). When the printer window appears, check "Current View" and just the section you see on the screen will print.
And, a program I prefer for downloading documents to my PDA (even for pdf files) is RepliGo. This program is amazing (and does a better job with pdf files than Adoble Reader for PDA).
For those who feel that searching the RATP web site for maps is a suboptimal solution, there is a link (in boldface type) at the beginning of this thread. And here is another:
http://tinyurl.com/czppl
where all the most useful train and bus maps are referenced by direct links.
On the buying the metro card, you said I needed a 1" X 1" photo. Do you mean a photo id card, or a 1 x 1 photo that they can use for someting. Basically, are you saying take a passport photo for them to use?
John B.
For the Carte Orange id card, a small headshot is needed that will fill a 1x1 inch square area. One can use a digital photo, cut it to size and take it along - no need to pay $$ for a formal photograph.
They glue the photo to the card, it is a permanent part of it for identification of the owner.
Robespierre, terrific info. We often use some of the bus routes for sightseeing but this is very nice. Thanks.
bookmarking for great info.
ditto - I've so far struggled with the Paris buses so this should help next time I go.
thanks, robespierre!
Since Robespierre is no longer with us, and the original post is outdated, here's a link to the new bus interactive bus map:
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/cartebus.php
Simply click on any bus number to highlight the route for that bus, it makes it easier to see the individual stops for the line than the overall map.
two questions:
how did this get resurrected, and
why did i fail to notice that, AGAIN!!!
In English -
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/cartebus.php?lang=uk
It certainly was a shock to see robe's name in the author line
ncounty: when you find a really old thread you want to save--see the gold star at the top of the page? That is how you can save a thread to your favorites/bookmarks. Or you can click the envelope symbol to e-mail it to yourself.
bookmarking
jeeze louise!
Tt
And Where is Ronz and Powell now?
It was a shock to see his name on a post, then sad to know I wouldn't see another current one from him.
thanks for the updates..... I'm sorry if I surprised people but I also think it is a tribute to Robespierre to bring up a very helpful thread he had written. I sure appreciated it and his efforts with this information. I had found it confusing to figure out the bus system in Paris and this was a good start.
I had never noticed that gold star before, janisj. Good to know.
thank you for updating and reposting this great information.
Pat.