By Bus in Paris

By Bus

The Paris bus system is user-friendly and a great way to see the city. Buses are marked with the route number and destination in front and with major stopping places along the sides. The brown bus shelters contain timetables and route maps. Maps are also found on each bus. To get off, press one of the red buttons mounted on the silver poles that run the length of the bus and the arrêt demandé (stop requested) light directly above the driver will light up. Use the rear door to exit (some require you to push a silver button to open the door).

Tickets & Schedules

You can use your métro ticket on buses; if you have individual tickets (as opposed to weekly or monthly tickets), be prepared to punch your ticket in the gray machines on board the bus. Your best bet is to buy a carnet of 10 tickets for EUR 10.70 at any métro station, or you can buy a single ticket on-board (exact change appreciated) for EUR 1.40. You need to show (but not punch) weekly, monthly, and Paris-Visite/Mobilis tickets to the driver.

Tickets can be bought on buses, in the métro, or in any bar/tabac store displaying the lime-green métro symbol above its street sign. Most routes operate from 6 AM to 8:30 PM; some continue until midnight. During weekday rush hours there are usually buses every five minutes, with waits up to 15 minutes on weekends or evenings. Some bus shelters have digital signs indicating the wait time. The newly improved night bus service, called the Noctilien, has 35 routes that operate within Paris every 15-30 minutes (12:30 AM-5:30 AM) between Châtelet, four of the city's five train stations, and various nearby suburbs.

Bus Information

RATP (54 quai de la Rapée, 75012, Paris. 08-92-68-77-14 EUR .35 per min. www.ratp.com).