I also love the buses, especially the 69. You see so much of the city, and the people. And I was always thrilled when it turned on the rue Rivoli and went throught the courtyard of the Louvre! Then over the Seine and back to our rental apartment near the Ecole Militaire.

bookmark

If you're in town on a summer sunday, check out the <b>Balabus</b>, a service of the RATP that runs up and down the Seine and through historic Paris and on to La D&eacute;fense and Gare de Lyon. Get a 2-zone <i>Mobilis</i> bus pass (3-zone if the Grande Arche holds any interest) and knock yourself out. Here's the map:

http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...&amp;nompdf=17

The Balabus runs between 12:30 and 8PM.

I know, this is an old post, but sounds useful re bus route maps, etc. for my upcoming Paris trip. All those Metro stairs really wear down my aging back!

A very useful guide to Paris City Buses is this little blue book, available in any newsstand or kiosk for around 6 EU:
"Le Bus Parisien - L'Indispensable"

It lists a 2 page spread for each line, with all the stops in order, going in each direction.
There is a map with most of the streets, so you can tell where the stops actually are located.
There is an overall plan of all the bus lines, as well as a Metro map.
Also information given on which days a bus line might not be in service.

Bus stops have been upgraded recently, though do not have as much information and useful signage as one would hope for.

Sue4, thanks for bringing this to the top. I'm just getting to the point of caring that buses have less steps than the Metro, good point.

I didn't look at the age of this when I started reading it. I about crapped when Robespierre's name popped up - then I saw it was 06. I miss his straightforward information.

I know this is a very old thread, but in case someone might find this information useful, I will add to it.

My primary resource for public transportation in Paris is the RATP interactive map:

http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/carteidf.php?lang=uk

Click on the Instructions for Use tab to learn how to use all the functions of the map.

It works very well on my little PC laptop, but does not work on my Nexus 7 Android tablet or Samsung phone. Something about needing Flash. However, I use it almost daily when planning how to get around, mostly by bus. I only wish that the maps of the neighborhoods not only indicated the locations of bus stops, but which bus(es) stopped at each stop. We have spent more than a few minutes in the Hôtel de Ville neighborhood looking for the precise bus stop we needed.

Somebody should put up a same thread for buses in Rome. One sees many beautiful sights from them, and at night when they are lit up, it's very exciting -- maybe especially because Rome bus drivers drive fast. They can also save your feet after long days.

I'm sorry I can't be any help with details and maps or info. But everybody who goes to London is sure to take a double decker bus (I hope) or in Lisbon they take the tram, but people don't think of taking the bus or tram in Rome to see the town, and in Rome, it is how a lot of locals get around, so it's an interesting experience.

All cities have pickpockets, and public transporation is a target for them, as are tourists, so keep that in mind.

for those looking for bus maps: if you have data on your Android or iPhone: try the citymapper app.

It's got Paris and London both (it now even has Amsterdam)

super easy to use: punch in you destination and you get all options you can use from your location: walking, public transport: metro only, bus only, a combination, approximate taxi pricing and the option to use your uber app *cough*

I just go near a bus stop in Paris (many of these now have wifi access points BTW) and fire up City Mapper and hey presto. It will even give you directions to your busstop.

In Paris it's good to remember, that the same bus line often uses different streets for their outgoing and their incoming route: the busstop for the opposite direction may not be across the street, but in a different street altogether. Citymapper takes the guesswork out of that.

We used the bus more often during our trip in December than on previous trips to Paris... Google maps would specify how many stops before the destination, their names, etc. which was very helpful. We now are fans.

I second menachem's recommendation of City Mapper app. It worked relatively well for us this summer (but the train issues and the soccer tournament preparation changes in late May early June wasn't listed yet.

Google Maps is fabulous.

Shows the route, stops along the way, which vanish as you go past, and other nifty features.

For those who like to go above ground and stop whenever they like Velib is a great way. You take a bike which is yours for 30 or 45 min then dock and take another one later.
Bike lanes exist on a lot if streets.

Just an update: Balabus does not exist anymore. A sad loss

Not to be confused with batobus which i believe still does a circular route with 8 stops on the Seine between the jardin des plantes and Eiffel Tower?

http://www.batobus.com

Lots of great information here. We will try using buses more on our next trip.
Does anyone know if you can now transfer to a different bus on the same ticket, within a certain time?

Sorry, but I never take travel advice from anyone who recommends something because it is "cool" or "hip" or "chic." I agree with you about using the bus systems; it is when (and of) they get hung up in traffic (remind me ti tell you about a London story sometime) that they become annoying.

I most definitely agree about the steps and one thing about the bus: when you get there you usually really <B>are</B> "there" and not the Channel Tunnel and the entire stairway to heaven away.

Transfer, yes You Can, only with tickets bought in advance (not possible if bought on board). Bus to bus or tram only (not métro)
Rule of 90 mns: Each time You board, You punch the same ticket, with 90 mns max between 1st and last punch