Metro to RER connections?
 

It seems the more I research to more confused I get! I have a basic question that I can't seem to find the answer to ... can you connect from a metro line to an RER line with the same metro ticket? For example, the RATP interactive map shows that the fastest route from my apartment to the Tour Eiffel is Sentier to Opera to Invalides to RER C to Champs de Mars-Tour Eiffel. Can I do this all with one of my tickets from my carnet? I'm trying to figure out which of the many tranporation ticket options will be the best for us.

Just back from Paris here and I can tell you that we connected from the Metro to RER B to go to CDG on one ticket with no issues at all.

Yes, a single ticket is good anywhere the Metro goes (some lines end in zone 3) and on the RER in zone 1 (all of Paris to the edge of the suburbs). You can freely transfer as many times as you wish until you exit the system.

For a list of all your ticket and pass choices with links to detailed explanations of each one, go here: http://tinyurl.com/3bwnp3.

The single ticket to which I was referring is the t+ ticket which currently costs €1.50 and is available as a ten-ticket carnet for €11.10.

The cost of a single ride from central Paris to CDG via the Metro and RER currently costs €8.20.

In Paris, use the same ticket to enter, to pass through, or to exit whenever you encounter a turnstile in the system.

Once you leave the rail system, your ticket is no longer valid.

Thank you so much! This is what I thought, but it's nice to see it in print. I think we'll go with the carnet and maybe Mobilis if we find we're using the metro a lot. My DH doesn't have very good feet, so we're trying to minimize our walking between sights as much as possible.

onto:

We were there for 5.5 days, and rode the Metro several times a day, and all over Paris. For two people, we used two carnets (total of 20 tickets).

...Just to give you an idea of how many you might need.

Enjoy your trip! Wish I was going back! :)

You probably read about it in the link I gave you, but don't forget that the t+ ticket allows for bus transfers for up to 90 minutes after boarding the first bus (no Metro/bus tranfer, however). The bus gives you an above-ground view of Paris without walking, something your DH would appreciate.

When you consult a Paris metro map, you will notice two types of icons for the stops.
- solid color dot: this means it is a single line station; you can board or deboard but no transfers to other lines are available
- white dot or oval: these occur when 2 or more lines 'intersect' and transfers can be made between any of the lines 'passing' through the white circle/oval; this includes metro to metro, metro to RER, RER to metro, and RER to RER.

If you want to minimize walking, use buses! We prefer the buses to the metro/RER, anyway.

The metro stations are full of hallways and stairways, and the connections are long, especially at Invalides between metro/RER.

On our first trip, we thought the Champs de Mars/Invalides station looked convenient. Quite a hike from entrance to track!

You can use a carnet/t+ tickets on the buses. You can transfer as many times as you like up to 90 minutes from first validation of the ticket.

Go to www.ratp.fr

Enter the address of your apartment (, Paris), then click on Plan de Quartier. This will show nearby bus stops and routes. Then, go to

http://www.ratp.info/orienter/tous_plans_pdf.php

Click on "bus avec rues". Then save this to your PC. You can then reopen it, enlarge detail, print neighborhood maps, etc.

You can also use the RATP home page to map routes from one place to another via bus.

From the Sentier area, for example, it would be a LOT easier to take a bus to connect with Bus #69 and ride to the Tour Eiffel.

Entering a metro station, making two connections, then exiting an RER station will involve a LOT of walking and stairs.

And, on the metro/RER, you miss all that scenery all along the way.

Thanks for the great suggestions. I don't know why the metro always comes to mind before the bus. Yes, it will be a good compromise to a leisurely, yet long walk.

Interesting to see all the different ways to make this trip. I will also be staying in the sentier area and figured I could walk to the Eiffel tower in 1/2 hour. Is my perception of distance way off? A

According to viamichelin.com it's 4.5km from Sentier to the Eiffel Tower and the estimated walking time is one hour.

The thing about walking greater distances in Paris is that you often have to recheck your location on the map because most streets don't run straight and may change names several times over the length. So you can count on a long walk taking more time than 'as the crow flies' estimate gives. (not to mention the <i>d&eacute;viations</i> ;) you will encounter).

In May we used the bus several times, primarily for the opportunity to view the sights. Please be aware that some routes in central Paris can be very slow--traffic, construction, frequent abrupt stops, etc.--and even uncomfortable for people who are prone to motion sickness. Many seats face backwards, making sightseeing a bit difficult.

One trip--from Jardin des Plantes to Luxembourg via Jussieu--took longer to ride than it would have taken to walk.