Getting to and around Paris

How to get from Charles de Gaulle to the City Centre

• Airport shuttle
  Le Bus Direct departs daily from all terminals between 5:45 to 23:00 (depending on Line) every 30 minutes. Tickets to the city centre are EUR 17 one way and EUR 29 return and can be purchased directly from the driver, at an automatic ticket machine or online. For more information, please consult http://en.lebusdirect.com/.
  
  As an IAS delegate, you are entitled to a free Bus link from Charles de Gaulle airport to the Conference Venue. Bus Ligne 2 (Le Bus Direct) links Charles de Gaulle airport to Porte Maillot, directly outside Le Palais des Congrès. To facilitate your journey, the bus drops you off or picks you up outside Charles de Gaulle from terminals 2E-2F, terminal 2B-D, terminal 2A-2C and terminal 1. The bus will be running from 5:45-23:00 every day of the week.
  
  For more information and questions please visit Le Bus Direct and find a map of the route here.
• Taxi
  Taxis can be taken from all three terminals at Charles de Gaulle. Four flat-rate fares have been introduced for journeys between Paris and Paris airports since 1 March 2016.
  
  • Paris ‘Rive Droite’ = EUR 50
  • Paris ‘Rive Gauche’ = EUR 55
• Public transport
  Free airport shuttles depart daily every 5 to 8 minutes to RER stations of Roissypole and Terminal 2. RER B is a rail link between Charles de Gaulle Airport Terminal 2 and the city centre, including destinations such as Gare du Nord and Saint-Michel Notre Dame. There are RER B departures every day from 4:56 to 23:56, every 4 to 15 minutes from Roissypole and Terminal 2. Tickets are approximately EUR 8 and travel passes covering zones 1 to 5 can be purchased from the ticket offices and machines in RER stations. More information can be found here: http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/r_61854/rer-b/.

How to get from Paris Orly to the City Centre

• Airport shuttle
  Le Bus Direct departs daily from all terminals between 6:00 to 23:40 every 20 minutes. Tickets to the city centre are EUR 12 one way and EUR 20 return and can be purchased directly from the driver or at an automatic ticket machine. For more information, please consult http://en.lebusdirect.com/.
• Taxi
  Taxis can be taken from all terminals at Paris Orly. Four flat-rate fares have been introduced for journeys between Paris and Paris airports since 1 March 2016.
  
  • Paris ‘Rive Droite’ = EUR 30
  • Paris ‘Rive Gauche’ = EUR 35
• Public transport
  Orlyval departures leave daily every 4 to 8 minutes, from 6:00 to 23:00, to RER station Anthony. RER B is a rail link between Paris Orly to the city centre, including destinations such as Gare du Nord and Saint-Michel Notre Dame. A combined ticket for Orlyval and RER B costs EUR 9.85 (EUR 7.60 for Orlyval only to Anthony) and Paris Visit, zones 1 – 5 is also accepted. Both can be purchased from the ticket offices and machines in the South and West Terminals of Paris Orly. More information can be found here: http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/r_61854/rer-b/.

Public transport

Paris is extremely well connected and getting from A to B is very easy. Whether you take the metro, the bus or the RER suburban trains, the whole city and the Ile-de-France region are well covered.

• Metro
  A quick and easy way to travel around the city, as well as the best value. The Paris metro has around 300 stations, their entrances marked by a big yellow “M”, and 16 lines, numbered from 1 to 14, 3 bis and 7 bis.
  • Each line has a colour, which you’ll find on signs in the stations and on all the RATP ( Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) maps. Connections between lines make your journey easy to plan.
  • For an idea of your journey time, allow an average of 2 minutes per station and add 5 minutes for each connection.
  • Each line has two directions, indicated by the terminus station at each end (for example: Balard/ Créteil). The different directions and connections are clearly displayed on blue and white signs on the platforms and in the tunnels.
  • Maps of the public transport network are available free of charge at the ticket offices, as well as at all the information centres of the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. Large scale maps are also displayed on the platforms and at the entrance to each station.
  A single metro ticket costs EUR 1.80, and can be used for one journey, including all connections. White-coloured tickets can be purchased singly or in a book of 10 (“carnet”) for EUR 14.40, at the ticket offices or machines in metro stations, and also in some tobacconists. Keep hold of your ticket until you have completed your journey, as you may be asked to show it if tickets are being inspected. If you cannot produce proof of payment for the ticket inspectors, you may risk paying a fine. This ticket, valid for zones 1 and 2, allows you to travel anywhere in Paris, and even beyond, since it will take you to the end of each metro line, even if it is located in zone 3 (as for example La Défense on line 1).
  
  The metro operates every day from around 6:00 to 0.30. The times of the first and last trains vary depending on the point along the line that you are departing from. Trains are less frequent on Sundays and public holidays.
  
  

  Please find more information here:
  http://en.parisinfo.com/practical-paris/how-to-get-to-and-around-paris/public-transport-paris/metro
  
  Metro map:
  http://www.ratp.fr/informer/pdf/orienter/f_plan.php

• RER
  The RER is a huge rail network covering most of the Ile-de-France region. It consists of 5 lines referred to by the letters A, B, C, D and E. Within Paris, the RER operates in more or less the same way as the metro, except that you need to put your ticket through the automatic barriers a second time on the way out. If your RER station has a connection with the metro, you can use the same ticket for the whole journey.
  
  Using the RER is faster than the metro because stops are less frequent, you can cross Paris in 15 minutes. It operates every day, including public holidays, from around 6:00 to 0.30. The regularity of the trains is similar to the metro, although you may have to wait longer for trains to certain suburban destinations. Screens on the platforms display the departure times of the next trains, and notice boards indicate the full timetable.
  
  In the RER, as long as you remain within the city limits, tickets and prices are identical to the metro (RER stations also have their own ticket offices and machines). If you are travelling beyond the city limits, you need to ensure that you are in possession of a ticket or a pass which covers your whole journey up to your destination in the Ile-de-France region. If not, you will not be able to go through the automatic barriers on arrival and you may be liable to a fine. The RER ticket also covers your journey and any connections within Paris (zones 1 and 2), on your outward and return journeys.
  
  

  More information can be found here:
  http://en.parisinfo.com/practical-paris/how-to-get-to-and-around-paris/public-transport-paris/rer-transilien
  
  RER map:
  http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/carteidf.php

• Bus
  The bus network with its 59 routes perfectly matches and complements that of the metro. The installation of special bus lanes along the main roads has improved journey times. For an idea of your journey time, allow around 5 minutes per stop, sometimes more if the traffic is busy.
  
  Buses operate from Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 20.30 or thereabouts. Some bus lines also operate in the evening from 20.30 until 0.30, in particular those that begin at train stations or serve major metro and RER links, as well as the 3 circular PC routes. Around half of the buses also run on Sundays and public holidays.
  
  More information on public transport in Paris can be found here:
  http://en.parisinfo.com/practical-paris/how-to-get-to-and-around-paris/public-transport-paris
  http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21879/visiting-paris/
  
  Bus map:
  http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/cartebus.php

• Taxi
  17,000 taxis operate in Paris, day and night. Official taxi drivers should have a specially-equipped vehicle with the following:
  • An illuminated ‘Taxi Parisien’ sign on the roof of the taxi
  • A display meter showing the cost of the journey
  • A display at the rear of the vehicle and visible from the exterior which enables the monitoring of the daily duration of use of the vehicle
  • A plate fixed to the front right-hand wing of the vehicle bearing the license number.
  Anyone claiming to be a taxi who does not have a specially-equipped vehicle is illegal.
  
  The minimum journey charge is fixed at EUR 7.
  
  Main taxi firms in Paris:
  • Taxis G7: https://www.g7.fr
  • Alpha Taxis: http://www.alphataxis.fr
  • Taxis Bleus: https://taxis-bleus.com/fr/
  More information on taxis can be found here:
  http://en.parisinfo.com/practical-paris/info/faq2

• By car
  Just a few reminders: in France you drive on the right; safety belts are compulsory in both the front and back seats; it is prohibited to sound your horn; and remember to come equipped with your international Green Card insurance. For motorbikes and scooters, the wearing of helmets is compulsory for both drivers and passengers. In the city, it is against the law to use the bus lanes.
  
  Speed limits: urban areas: 50 km/h (30mph); ring roads: 70 km/h (43 mph); main roads: 90 km/h (56mph); motorways: 130 km/h (80mph) and 110 km/h (68mph) in wet weather. There are a few service stations within Paris and you will inevitably find some on the way in to the city.
  
  Parking in Paris is rarely easy and can often be quite a headache. To park your car, you have the choice between parking on the street or in an underground car park, between the cheaper peripheral “arrondissements” or the city centre. It is strictly prohibited to double park, to park in no-stopping zones (“axes rouges”), and in spaces reserved for the disabled or for deliveries.
  
  Useful links
  • http://en.parisinfo.com/
  • http://en.parisinfo.com/practical-paris/useful-addresses
  • http://en.visitparisregion.com/practical-info/tourist-information-desks-100180
  City maps
  https://www.parispass.com/paris-tourist-map/
  
  Information services
  Office du Tourisme et des Congrès de Paris
  25 rue des Pyramides - 75001 Paris
  0033 1 49 52 42 63
  http://www.parisinfo.com
  Opening hours: every day from 9:00 – 19:00
  
  More tourist centres can be found here:
  http://en.parisinfo.com/practical-paris/paris-convention-and-visitors-bureau/welcome-centres