3 things to remember when riding the Paris Metro

Okay, one of the things I experience every time I take the Metro subway here in Paris are tourists asking for directions. When friends and family from the U.S. and Philippines travel here, their first concern is how to go about commuting. Getting from point “A” to point “B” can be easy but sometimes can also be overwhelming. Let’s face it, the Metro is a complex network that can cause some stress even for the locals. So if you’re planning to visit Paris here is a guide and some tips for you to prepare and make it easier for you to get around the city

1. Download an app for the Paris Metro.

Before going to Paris, I highly suggest that you download an app for the Paris Metro to your phone. There are a lot of good apps out there but I personally use the RATP app which you can download by clicking on App Store here or Google Play here. This app has a lot of tools that can really help you navigate around Paris.

In the menu you will find arrival times of trains at the platform. It also has line maps where you can see all the stations a train-line has. The Metro has 14 lines and you can browse all of the. Each line has it’s own color code and number. But the most useful tool for me is the “itinerary”.

Just input you start point in the departure section and then you put in your destination and it will give you options on what mode of transportation you can take. Then the route map will pop-up showing you a map and how to proceed.

2. Buying tickets and riding the Metro.

Once you know which line to take go to that station. Buying which ticket is important depending on how many destinations you are going that day. You can save a lot if you choose the right kind of tickets to buy. If your planning to go to 3 or more tourist spots, then I suggest you buy the “Mobilis” 1 day ticket which is good from zone 1 to 5 (Paris is only zone 1 and 2), keeping in mind not to lose it.

The ticket machines/dispensers are quite easy to use, there are options to choose languages (English, Dutch, Spanish, Italian). After choosing your language, it will take you to the ticket options and from there you can buy the “mobilis 1 day ticket” or what you prefer. The “mobilis” cost 7.50€ and the regular 1 use tickect is 1.90€.

And when you have the tickets just feed it to the turnstile machine and DON’T forget to take it again to use the ticket for the rest of the day or when there are Metro agents that check tickets inside the Metro. When inside be mindful of where you are going and in which direction the rain is going. we don’t want you going the opposite direction.

3. Tourists spots and which Metro Line to take.

The Metro lines are numbered from 1 to 14 and are color coded (e.g. line 1 is yellow, line 2 is blue etc). So I’m going to give you a list of some of the popular tour sites in Paris and corresponding lines to take. Enjoy your stay at Paris and Bonne Chance!

• Eiffle Tower (Tour Eiffle) – Line 9 (Trocadero station) Line 6 (Bir-Hakeim station)
• Arc of Triumph (Arc de Triomphe) – Line 2 (Charles de Gaulle Etoile) Line 6 (Charles de Gaulle Etoile)
• Louvre Museum (Musee de Louvre) – Line 1 (Palais Royal Musee de Louvre or Louvre Rivoli)
• Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris) – Line 4 (Cite station)
• Sacre Coeur – Line 2 (Anvers station)
• Tulleries Garden – Line 1 (Tulleries station)
• Moulin Rouge – Line 2 (Pigalle station)
• Pere Lachaise Cemetery – Line 2 (Pere Lachaise station)
• Champs-Elysées – Line 1 (George V) Line 2 (Charles de Gaulle)