Paris accommodations left vs right bank with public transport considerations
 

8 day trip to Paris in September with past experience 20 years ago and DH 1st time. Last time Stayed in Latin quarter and used metro mostly with occasional bus. This time have difficulty with stairs and have found a first floor apt near Louvre so don’t have to worry if elevator not working. Having concerns that left bank- 5th, 6th or Latin quarter is a better choice for public transport for seeing a large number of “first time tourist sites” that we would visit. Any feedback re: bus routes between 2 banks greatly appreciated. Nearest metro stop is Palais Royal.

Hi katk,
Take a look at the bus routes on the RATP site or app -- click on "maps" and then "bus." You'll see where all the routes go, and which ones are by your accommodation. It sounds like you are at/near Rue de Rivoli, and bus 69 runs up & down that street, then across the river & over to the 7th. Looks like you are also close to line #27, which will take you to the 5th, and #39, which will take you through the 6th to Montparnasse.

Anyway, take a look at the map, and you'll see all your options.

Have fun as you plan!

s

Although this does not answer your question directly: there are times when just hopping in a taxi is not expensive and so much easier. They know how to quickly get around. I mean, I love using the metro, but saving time and energy can make a world of difference.

We enjoyed staying in a ParisPerfect apartment that was (almost) on the corner of the Ave de la Bourdonnais and Ave Rapp. Aside from a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower from our living room, we also really appreciated having a stop for multiple bus lines across the street. For most of the buses, our stop was either the first or second stop on their route, which meant we seldom had any problem finding seats. Getting on and off was easy. And the selection of routes made crossing the city pretty convenient because at lease one of the lines usually had a stop right by or a short walk away from the places we wanted to go, on either side of the Seine. And much as we like the Metro, we now prefer taking buses if possible. Especially in the evening when riding the bus lets us gaze at the city lights.

As I have recently experienced issues with climbing stairs, I keep using buses and taxes more often.
Many metro stations in European cities don’t have escalators.

I can't imagine why you think that the Left Bank has better transportation options. For one thing, it is only about one third of the city.

Bus 68. No contest. It stops right outside the hotel we've stayed at the last 40 years on Raspail in the 14th, Montparnasse Cemetery, a stop at Palais Royale; stops close to Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre, Opera, and, of course, Blvd. Haussmann if you want to shop at Galleries Lafayette/Au Printemps.

https://www.ratp.fr/en/plans-lignes/busratp/68

Thank you all for your great input! Thanks shelemm as we are looking at more taxi or ride share use than ever before as stairs on metros and getting jostled on buses may not be the best option in the future!

We deleted a snarky post about spelling, and a few responding to it.

That was me, moderator1. It would have been nice if you had corrected the spelling errors in the offending post while you were there.

Apparently the one extra "l" was only offensive to those of a pedantic nature.

You think that was the only error?

Love that you are looking at bus options! Since you're also looking at rideshare options, make sure to download uber, g7, and bolt. Sometimes there is a long wait for one and you may want to try one of the others.