Paris: Bus vs. Metro
 

A recent knee injury has us thinking about alternative transportation when we're in Paris over the Christmas holidays. At this point, climbing stairs, though doable, is painful. Has anyone used the bus system recently and found it a satisfactory alternative to the metro? If so, we'd appreciate your feedback. Our hotel is in the 6th, at the intersection of Rue Dauphine and Rue Buci. Thanks so much!

I haven't used the bus in Paris recently but I can't imagine why you couldn't use it instead of the Metro. In some cases it may be more convenient. The trick may be finding your way around.

Here's a helpful website for using Paris's public transit system:

http://www.ratp.fr/itineraires/en/ra...herche-avancee

If by chance you will have a smart phone, laptop, etc. this might make getting around way easier.

I prefer the bus.

Andrew, thanks for the link.

We avoid the metro - almost always taking the bus. Much more to see from the bus. Get the Metro #2 map from a metro station - it has all the bus routes & pick up locations indicated. More & more buses are running at night now.

Stu Dudley

There's also the RATP interactive map (just click on the "Bus" logo:
http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/

We find the buses much more pleasant and convenient than the Metro most of the time. Bus stops are clearly marked as to which buses stop there, and most stops have digital readouts indicating when the next bus will arrive.

If you will have internet access while you're there, in addition to the site provided by Andrew, you will find the RATP interactive map very useful. Here's the English language version:

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

For both these RATP sites, I recommend "playing with" them before your trip so you can use them easily and quickly when needed.

If your trip covers Monday through Sunday, you might consider getting the Navigo Découverte weekly pass. Here's the information on that:

http://www.ratp.fr/fr/ratp/c_21137/f...is-et-semaine/

Unfortunately, this information is available in French only.
For information in English, see:

http://parisbytrain.com/paris-train-...go-decouverte/

This pass requires a small photograph. We took photos of each other with our digital camera, printed them on copy paper, and they were acceptable when trimmed to size.

Agree with bus being more scenic, but adjust your schedule accordingly.

Last trip I took a few Paris Walks guided tours, starting at 10AM. Leaving from the 16th arrondissement at around 9:30, I could make it to St Paul metro stop before 10. By bus...

Similarly, I like to, if possible, go back to my hotel at end of day, drop off stuff, rest, then go for dinner, possible back into centre of city. By bus...

I agree with most of the pro bus posters here. We almost never take the Metro, unless we absolutely must get someplace quickly. The frenetic pace of the crowds in the tunnels and on the stairs just does not suit the pace my aging legs want to travel, nor my travelling style.

I enjoy strolling the streets of Paris; gazing into shop windows and at the passing parade. When approaching a bus stop I almost always give a sigh of relief when the sign says I have eight or nine minutes to wait. Gives me time to look around, drop into a nearby store, or just sit on the bench for a bit.

The bus system is fine for lots of destinations. The metro is better for others. Elevators are being installed in a few stations, but they are not very common except for recent line 14 which is fully accessible from street level to platform level with elevators. Naturally, lots of stations have excellent escalator service, including all the way up to street level, and the RER is even better in this department.

Using buses, you will lose a certain amount of time but will be compensated with the pleasure of the view.

Thanks for all the helpful info. It sounds as if there are others who might prefer the bus. Since we'll be in Paris in late December, who knows what the weather will be? But, in case it's bitterly cold or raining (hope not!), do the bus stops have shelter? Also, what about Hop-On, Hop-Off buses? In general, are buses heated? Thanks again to all.

There are frequent shelters--just not at all. Buses are heated.

Agree that buses are great from some locations to some other locations. Metro sometimes better and sometimes worse--stairs and corrospondances can be a hassle.

Nevertheless, I go on record as hating Hop On Off bus.

Many bus stops are shelters with a bench, if you'd like to sit while you wait. Not sure about HOHO bus stops but don't remember seeing any shelters for them.

I agree that the bus isn't always the most efficient way to get to your destination, but if it's painful to climb stairs, I would avoid the Metro when possible. There are indeed escalators in many stations and elevators in some, but if you don't know, you can arrive in a station where there is neither an escalator nor elevator and have to climb many stairs to reach the street. The most common situation, as I recall, is that there will be an escalator up most of the way, then a flight of stairs to reach the street. We have encountered stations occasionally where the escalator is not working. On the RATP site you can find which stations have elevators.

Buses are slower and more variable in their speed than the subway trains, but they are also more scenic. Their frequency of service and the number of people they carry varies significantly by route and time of day, and they don't operate over as wide a range of hours as the subway. They are all friendly to people with mobility problems, with either one or zero steps to negotiate to get on and off. They accommodate wheelchairs at almost every stop, so a person who is simply avoiding steps can easily get around on the buses with no problem.

The routes tend to be very convoluted, so you have to look carefully at a map to figure out which routes might serve you. Every bus stop with a shelter has a map for every line that serves it, and most also have an electronic display telling you how long you'll have to wait for a bus. Despite the complexity of the routes, they are optimized for traffic, which means that you often find a route that goes right where you want to go, or close to it.

My dear hub found a book with all of the bus routes at a newspaper stand near Pompidou Centre. We used it to get all over. Yes, do look online for the lines near your "home". I think you'll find the bus stop maps to be very user-friendly.

You will still have 2 or 3 steps up and back down on the bus but that's so few less than metro steps and, as others have said above, you see what's going on from bus windows.

When I had breathing problems, we took a taxi to the furtherest point on our day's itinerary then slowly worked our way back. How is your walkring?

Walking is OK. . .it's just multiple steps that are problematic at this point. It sounds like getting a good map with bus routes is a must. Since we're staying in St. Germain, near the Odeon & St. Michel metro stops, we were hoping that a couple of buses might run through there. We notice that from the St. Michel and Odeon stations, there are a few sights we want to reach that are doable without changing metros. So, if it's only one entrance and exit, that might be doable. And then, there are always taxis.

Thanks to all for being so generous with your ideas.

The bus numbers that access a stop are indicated on the outside of the stop. Often, there is a "cluster" of stops in the immediate area and it is sometimes difficult to figure out where your specific stop is located. It may be around the corner & out of sight or across the street. At stops where this is the case, they usually have a "blown up" street map of the area, indicating the location of the other stops.

Stu Dudley

Thanks, Stu. Your explanation is helpful.

I wouldn't worry too much about shelter while you're waiting for a bus. In most of central Paris, most bus stops are rarely more than a few steps from a cafe!

You'll see from the RATP interactive map that if you zoom into the Odeon or St Michel areas, not only are the bus routes shown, but if you click on the area names, you get an option to display a district map showing the bus stops in the area.

Thanks, PatrickLondon. We hope that the temps/weather are fairly pleasant for that time of year. But it's good to know that there are multiple cafes for refuge. If we're concerned about weather, one might wonder why we would choose to visit Paris during winter. We've spent the past few years in New York City during Christmas week. It often gets a little frosty there, but usually no rain. Since we love Paris, and have visited several times in spring or summer, we thought it would be wonderful to experience the city with its Christmas lights and festivities. Frequent flier miles really helped us make the decision!

We usually take the bus but generally try to avoid rush hour....seems that even with dedicated lanes it can take longer. Other option, of course, is cramming into a metro car. Rush hour is just better spent in a cafe with a glass of wine.

Thanks, Judy. The glass of wine in a cafe sounds much better than being part of the rush hour crowd. . .especially when you're on vacation. Glad to hear that you take the bus in Paris. Little by little we're finding out a few more hopeful details. We hoping that there might be a couple of bus lines close to the St. Germaine area.

There is a great publication....I think it is called l'indispensable (?spelling.) My daughter bought it at a news stand and it features each arrondissement on 3 pages, one a map with metro, one map with bus lines and one just a map. It is so helpful. Last trip I bought what I thought was the same thing but it wasn't the same and just doesn't match the detail.
We've been in Paris in December in the past, though not over Christmas, and it was one of our best trips. We've actually rented an apartment for mid-December next year as we'd like to be there during the holiday season again.
We've stayed at the exact location you've described and loved it!

>>We hoping that there might be a couple of bus lines close to the St. Germaine area.<<

There are a couple dozen bus lines. Like I posted earlier, get the #2 metro/bus map at a metro station and spend an hour or two jotting down all the buses that access your area, and where they go.

Here is what we have for the buses that are near our apt in the 7th. The "N" indicates that the bus also runs at night.

Bon Marche 87N
Ile St Louis 87N, 63N
Jacquemart Andre 28, 80N
Louvre 69, 72N
Luxembourg 82
St Germain de Pres 63N, 69, 87N
Pl Madeleine 42N
Opera 42N
Arch de Triomphe 92N
Marais 69, 87N
Montmartre 80, or 80 to 30, 54
Castel Beranger area RER C
Belleville 63 (Odeon or St Michel) 28, 82 (Montparnasse), 69 (St Paul) to 96 OR 69 to 26
Train Bleu 87N, 63N,

Stu Dudley

Just wondering, but isn't climbing stairs part of the recommended physical therapy for recovery?

The book Judy is recommending is indeed "L'Indispensable - 3 Plans Par Arrondissement - Le Petit Parisien". I'm looking at mine now. It has a blue cover, and measures about 5" x 8". We have worn out two of ours, now, and this is our third copy.

My wife & I recently returned from 2 months in Paris. While we primarily used the subway because it's generally must faster, the bus system is a great alternative (particularly if you're not in a rush).

During high-traffic times, just be sure to allow plenty of time to get to your destination.

G7 taxis also has a phone number for English-speakers: 01-41-27-66-99.

Enjoy Paris!

Here in Paris now and using the buses for the first time. Very easy and convenient to use. At times, they are slow but by the time you got into a Metro station and made tourway to the correct time, it probably averages out. There are times when the Metro is a better choice, no question.

The bus has been nice since I recently hurt my knee and putting weight on it, especially going downstairs, is hard.

Get the indispensable map mentioned above and pay attention to where the stops are and you will do quite well. When you first start looking for tue bus stops, they can be a little hard to spot on some streets but you'll get it.

Kerouac - stair climbing can be part of therapy depending on the injury and where you are in recovery/rehab....most likely the constant walking and stair climbing on a Paris vaca could re-inflame the joint setting back the recovery.

I use the bus almost exclusively. Only used the metro once last week. I work ot the routes on the RATP site. Amd ther are 6 bus lines right outside of our apt. door. Seldom have to change more than once. Got everywhere I was going with no problems and always had a seat. Age has it;s advantages. Get a cone if your knee is really bad. I use one because my kinee gives way sometimes and it's handy to lean on when you're tired.

We love the buses for short distances...much more pleasant to see the city as you travel. Metro is best for longer rides.

They work together very well for toursits like myself. I feel I can never get lost in central Paris. If I am not sure how to get someplace or where I am, I just hop on the first bus I see and keep my eye out the window for a Metro station, usually within only a couple of stops. From there, it is always a snap to get where I want to go.

But during rush hour, while both bus and Metro are very crowded, buses MAY have worse delays. Usually you can get a feel for this for your neighborhood in a few days.

One thing about Metro...though there are escaltors in all stations, correspondence (transfer) between lines often requires stairs.

SS

There are most certainly not escalators in all stations in the Metro. Most lines are not deep below the surface - you'd be going up and down no more than the equivalent of a couple of floors in a house - so they all have stairs and most have nothing but. Connections can involve not only stairs but sometimes quite long walks between the different lines.

BTW, what are the "rush hours" for bus/metro?

Am writing with French keyboard so forgive me for rather broken typed English. Am writing from 7th arrondissement, so...

Stu: Nice list of bus routes;

Judy and Nukesafe: Bought "L'Indesponsable" two hours ago on your advice. Study abroad daughter who lives here has demanded I hand over when I leave.

Want to repeat that as long as you do not have to be anywhere on time, buses are great. We had no traffic yesterday on bus from the 16th and we had no traffic today around noon on bus TO the Marais. But the bus back from the Marais took well over an hour, and we regretted not hopping Line 1 to Line 8 for a far easier return. So Nukesafe, this was 4:45 pm on a Sunday. I have no clue as to rush hours!

As to injuries and stairs...six years ago, our oldest daughter had a terrible hip injury that made stairs almost impossible for a year. We quickly learned never to depend on finding an operating escalator or elevator at any Paris Metro stop. Even stops that had them often had inoperable ones. We actually ended up walking miles rather than having to carry her up stairs. The long corrospondances and lack of dependable vertical transport is why I always tell people with too much luggage to take a taxi from the airport.

That said, I still enjoy the Paris Metro and I am enjoying some of the lovely changes.

Many thanks to all for the extremely helpful responses. A special thanks to:
Judy & nukesafe-for the info regarding the publication;
StuDudley-for taking the time to list details for specific bus lines;
Gekko: for the English Speaking phone # for G-7 Taxis;
Denisea: especially meaningful since you were currently using the buses. Sorry about your knee injury. Mutual commiseration! We'll probably do as you did, and use mostly buses, but sometimes the Metro, especially if it's a route without a transfer. We'll be close to the St. Michel metro; I can't remember from past trips whether or not that is a user-friendly stop, but we'll just have to explore it. It sounds as though you had a great trip in spite of your knee issue. Your explanation in response to the idea of stair climbing as good therapy was right on. Just curious, Denisea, did you try Voltaren, and if so, do you know if it's available OTC in Paris? We really enjoy reading your continued posts and have been making our list of restaurants! Thanks again for your generous sharing of ideas!

tomarkot, I'm not Denise but you can buy Voltaren emulgel in Paris OTC at any pharmacy....and it is about 5 Euros/tube! We stock up whenever we're there.

I've also purchased a few prescription eye drops there and the total cost was less than my co-pay at home.

To sort of sum up, it looks to me that the consensus is that getting around the beautiful woman that is Paris, one uses all avenues available to enjoy her loveliness. One does not just stroke a woman's left arm, or kiss only her right earlobe one also ----

But perhaps I have taken the analogy of using both the Metro and the buses far enough for a family forum. You use whatever works best for you.

:-)

Your analogy, Nukesafe,is priceless.

And rather accurate.

Judy, Thanks for the info about OTC Voltaren in Paris! If the cost is anywhere near what you stated, it's MUCH cheaper than here.

I love taking the bus and have been taking it almost annually for decades. There are plenty of buses in the neighborhood where you will be staying as that's also my main neighborhood of over 30 years. Plus, when I took one of my parents with me to Paris a few years ago, after a few hours, it became too much for a near eighty year old, with some leg problems, to do all of the metro stairs. So, I rewrote the entire week stay to do on the bus which was manageable.

Bus #95 is a very good one which stops in front of the Church of St.Germain and across from Cafe Deux Maggots (sp?) and Louis Vuitton. It stops directly in front of the Louvre which is right at the rue Rivoli area. If you continue on it, it goes to the old Opera House (Garnier) which is in front of Galeries Layfayette department store. By the way, there are eating facilities inside of the department stores (there's usually a cafeteria) in case you get tired and just want to sit and have a quick bite or drink. I totally understand the knee situation. I go to the cafeteria at either Printemps or Galeries Lafayette. I can't remember which one. The stores are next door to each other. I have been to two different cafeterias, so I think they each have one.

If you happen to be at the Opera House (Garnier) ,or just in that general area, and need to get back to the 6th on the bus, then the #95 bus stop is across from the Opera House (Garnier) in front of the American/British pharmacy (rue Auber). So, if you're at the Opera house, with your back to it, look for the pharmacy (to your right) and cross the street. I have given this instruction to friends many times as they have had trouble finding that particular bus stop before.

Another good bus is #86. It stops on Blvd. St.Germain, in the 6th. There's a bus stop in front of the Odeon metro station. It goes to the Bastille and from there it's a very easy walk to Place Vosges and all of the browsing in the Marais. When you get off the bus, then you would go to rue St.Antoine and walk out if until you get to rue de Birague and turn right and turn into it and you will come directly to Place Vosges (one short block).

A nice guide to have is; Le Bus Repertoire des 80 lignes by L'Indispensable. I have used this one for many years. They probably have it at the stationery store on the rue Gregoire des Tours, right at rue de Buci. Rue Gregoire des Tours is a half a block east of rue de Seine and a little west of rue Dauphine. It's a very small restaurant street. If they don't have it there, then the department stores have it in their stationery section.

If you want to get to the Palais de Chaillot (sp?) area, across the river from the Eiffel Tower (great view), then just walk south on rue de Seine and cross Blvd. St.Germain and keep walking. When you come to rue St. Suplice, make a right. Walk straight out rue St.Suplice until you come to the Church of St. Suplice. Walk a little past it and there will be a bus stop. The 63 stops there. When you get to Trocadero, you get off and walk west in the direction of Palais de Chaillot. When you come to it, the gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower will be right in front of you. One advantage of being on that side of the river is that if you want to go to the Arch of Triomphe after leaving there, then the metro station (Trocadero) is right there and if you take the metro there, you only have to go three stops to Charles de Gaulle Etoille which is the stop under the Arch of Triomphe. It will also put you at the top of the Champs Elysees so that you will be walking down it, instead of up it. Also, maybe you will be able to do the steps at that metro station. If not, just cross the street and there's a bus (Avenue Kleber) that will take you less than 5 minutes before you get to Charles de Gaulle Etoile and the top of Champs Elysees.

Hope this has helped. Please excuse any possible typos. It's late. Happy Travels!

This is all great information. Thanks everyone. Am just wondering if anyone has taken the Air France bus from CDG into Paris? The Gare de Lyon stop would be very convenient to our apartment and the fare is 12 euro each way.

We get in at 6 am and I think the bus (with the dedicated lanes) may be quicker than taking a taxi since we'll be getting into weekday morning traffic.

I've always used the metro but now that I've heard all the success stories and preference to get around using the bus, we'll definitely get one of the bus directories and try it out.