General Information » Getting Around » Bus

Paris’ RATP bus network is as extensive and efficient as its metro system, most lines running from 07:00 to 20:30, with no Sunday service. Steer clear of the bus at peak travel times, as trip durations can increase greatly. Most bus lines continuously circulate, and waits at covered stops are not unbearable. From after midnight until 05:30, forty-two 'Noctilien' lines run throughout the city.

A bus ticket costs the same as a metro ticket: €1.50 but tickets are not transferable between metro and bus. Tickets can be purchased individually on the bus (no exact change required), but the better and slightly cheaper option is to buy a carnet, a pack of ten tickets which can be used on the metro, tram, RER or bus. Pass Navigo cards are the way to go if one will be making multiple daily trips over a calendar week or month.

Remember, in order to exit a bus, one must signal the driver by pressing the buttons on the grip poles. While waiting at bus stops serving multiple lines, make sure to stand up and make yourself visible to a bus driver as he approaches.

For bus routes and times, the little red book L’Indispensable proves… indispensable. In addition, the RATP website (www.ratp.fr) contains an English-language tool which allows you to enter in start and finish points and reports the best method of transport (metro, bus, tram) to get you to where you need to go, as well as an estimation of time.

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