Brad

Bonjour! My wife and I will be visiting Paris for the first time in June. What's the best way to get around town? We'll be staying for 4 nights and I was considering ordering either Le Paris Bus tickets or Le Paris Visite tickets, which is best? Also, we must get back to Roissy and were considering taking the Roissy Bus to the airport. Our hotel is in the Opera district. Thanks in advance for the advice!

Donna

I would recommend NOT purchasing passes. Once in Paris, go to any metro station and ask for a Carnet (carnay), which is ten tickets (you and your wife can share them) valid on the RER, metro, and buses. When you run out, just get another. You can find lots of information, routes, maps, etc. at www.ratp.fr - along with all the various fares. If you'd like to travel between with sights with commentary, check out L'Opentour. We prefer the buses to the metro.

Bill Fleites

Brad, <BR>Listen to Donna and get the carnet of tickets, you will save a lot of money that you can put to better use. Also once you've stamped your ticket to get on the metro make sure to hang onto it until you exit the metro at your destination. Officials periodically check to make sure you have a valid stamped ticket, if you don't you will be served with a fine.

Myer

Good choice. A world class city. I agree with Donna. Just buy a carnet (10 tickets) when you get there. Also, taxi cabs are quite inexpensive as long as you don't have luggage with you. There are some great maps you can get that are free. They are available in every hotel lobby. The one from Lafayette department store is particularly good as the Metro map is actually big enough to read. The other side, a city map is also very good.

Bob Brown

I agree with the above posters, most of whom are seasoned Paris visitors, on the use of the bus system. The carnet of 10 tickets can be purchased from a machine if you have the coins for 55 francs (last September's price) or from the ticket window in any major metro station. I recommend the bus over the Metro because you can see where you are going! Also, the Metro is a lot of long tunnels, steps and crowds. Each major bus stop has a little shelter with a map posted somewhere on the shelter so you can trace your route and see which bus you need. We stayed at a hotel in the 6th Arr near Montparnasse. There was one bus that took us to Ste. Chappel, one that took us near the Louvre, and so on. We rode the Metro if the bus was less direct.

Diane

I much preferred the buses over the Metro. The only difficulty we encountered was locating the bus stop when making a connection. Where I come from the bus stop for a bus going north is usually across the street from the same bus line going south. That did not seem to be the case in Paris. We frequently had to search for the stop for a connecting line or for going back the way we came. Maybe it was just my experience. This time around we are arriving on a Monday, so we will buy the weekly pass for convenience.

elaine

Brad, you can do the Roissy bus or the RER: <BR>Roissy-Bus runs round-trip Roissy-Charles de Gaulle <BR>airport from Opera, rue Scribe, near the Opera Garnier, right in front of the American Express building from 5:45 am to 11 pm with a departure <BR>every 15 minutes. The average <BR>trip time is 45 minutes. <BR> <BR>Roissy-Bus pick up points at CDG airport <BR>Aérogare (building) 1 Gate 30, arrivals <BR> Aérogare (building) 2 hall A, gate 10 hall D, gate 12 <BR> Aérogare (building) 9 gate A <BR> <BR>Or, take the RER (train) into Paris: . It is quick and easy as long as your luggage is light, and costs 48F ($8) (1999) At CDG at terminal 2, you follow the signs. <BR>You can get off at Gare de Nord or 3 other stops in Paris. If you plan to use the RER to return to the airport, buy a round-trip ticket. <BR>Roissy Rail runs from 5:30 am until midnight, departure every 15 minutes from the many RER stations on line B. The average trip time between Gare du Nord and Roissy (CDG) airport is 35 minutes. <BR>

Louis

I prefer the Metro. It never gets tied up in traffic, as the buses do, so it gets you where you want to go in minutes instead of half hours, which frequently happens during rush hours. In fact, having driven around in Paris on several occasions, I don't remember there not being traffic congestion. Anyway, on the Metro you also get entertainment that is quintessential Parisian: singers accompanying themselevs with accordions or guitars, puppeteers, actors reciting soliloquis, and the occassional panhandler reciting an oft-practiced tragic story that, if you can understand French, is usually better than the actor's recital. <BR> <BR>As for the Paris Visite card versus the carnet, you can purchase a Visite card valid for as little as 3 days. You have to estimate the total number of rides you will take on the Metro, therefore, and see if it isn't worthwhile buying the card. With the card you get unlimited travel. On the ohter hand, my wife and I have used up the ten carnet tickets in one day. Of course, you can buy another carnet. You also have to consider that the best part about visiting Paris, and I say this as an architect who has studied urban design there, is that Paris is a pedestrian city meant to be walked. take the time, and good shoes, and walk the great paths along the avenues and boulevards to La Madeleine or the Opera, especially from the Louvre all the way to the Arc de Triomphe; walk inside the "quartires" like Le Marais, St Antoine and St Honore. This provides a better understanding about Paris and its urban form than anything else. <BR> <BR>As for getting to Paris from Roissy, the bus is good. Look also to your airline. Air France has bus that drops you off at three or four different locations in Paris. And the TGV isn't bad either. <BR> <BR>

jo

I really disliked the bus the one time <BR>i took it. it was small and crowded and <BR>there was no place to put luggage by the <BR>time we got on so we had to put it in <BR>the aisle and people kept having to <BR>have us move it. i much prefer the <BR>metro and it is quicker.

Vincent

1) CDG to Paris. The best "economical" solution is to take the Roissy bus that'll drop you jsut in front of the American Express building at Opera. Cheaper than the RER, no need to check the stations (it's the last one anyway), and you'll avoid some very rough neighborhood (the French equivalent to the Queens or Bronx) on the way to Gare du Nord. Anyhow, two tickets will cost you around 80 F, whereas a taxi would be in the vicinity of 250 F. 180 F ( $ 30) difference over a whole trip ? <BR> <BR>2) Inside Paris. If your 4 days are included within a Monday and a Sunday, dont't sweat and do as the locals do : buy yourselves a weekly free pass, in French "Carte orange hebdomadaire" (you'll need an ID picture). For 72 F, you won't have to calculate or stop to "refuel" for more tickets. Because, as Louis writes it, you'll be amazed by the number of carnets one can use in Paris !

lin gitterman

Walk everywhere and you will see everything. Buy a "12 Best Walks in Paris" guide and you will see just about everything. Although my answer does sound a little flip - it really is the best way to do it.

kelle

Brad, we just got back from 2 weeks in Europe.. 1 week in London, and 1 week in Paris. We also were staying in the Opera district and found the metro very easy and accessible. We had two children with us as well, (11 and 13). <BR>There is a metro station about every 10 to 15 minutes on foot. Have a wonderful trip!!

lorri

It depends how you travel. We needed a five day pass for the RER. Every time we finished a museaum and wanted to see something else, we would run down to the subway. It is so fast to get around on the trains. We just got the zone 1-3. We must have taken 10 trips a day. It must be less than a minute from station to station. Just check the RER map and make sure you know what stations have what numbered trains and you can get anywhere, within one to ten minutes. Lorri

Lupe

I'm a little confused regarding the Carnet. - It sounds to me like you can use these 10 passes for several modes of transportation. Would I be correct in assuming that one of these could be used to take the metro from CDG into Paris? <BR> <BR>We will only be spending 4 days in Paris and will most likely opt for walking when sightseeing. My main concern is getting to and from the airport.

Caitlin

Lupe, <BR> <BR>The tickets in the carnet are good for the metro, bus, and RER (commuter train) in central Paris. The metro doesn't run from CDG, the RER does. You need a separate ticket for the trip into Paris that you can buy at the station in the airport for 49FF (you can buy a return ticket at the same time if you want). There are several RER line B stations in central Paris; which one you use will depend on where you're headed. You can transfer to the metro too, if that will get you closer to where you're going. <BR> <BR>Look at www.ratp.com for info and maps for the metro, RER and bus lines. There is an English page, indicated by a union jack. <BR> <BR>As for the carnet, you may not want one if you're mostly walking. On the other hand, keep in mind that the tickets can be shared, so if you're with others and between you you'll use ten fares (not counting to/from CDG of course), it'll save you money. Otherwise, you can always buy individual tickets.

Ben Haines

Fodors <BR> <BR>The carnet tickets, and the day cards, cover not just metro and RER high speed metro but also busses. In kiosks in front of each main station (and on top of Gare du Nord) the bus corporation RATP gives away bus maps of all Paris, for free. It takes time to learn how to use bus stands and busses, but when you've done that you'll find as Bob Broewn and Diane say that they run smoothly, with few traffic jams, and give good views of Paris, more interesting than the metro. <BR> <BR>Welcome to Europe. Please write if I can help further <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR> <BR>