Paris Buses

Page 2
Continued from page 1

ABOVE: An electric Montmartrobus. INSET BELOW: A single-journey ticket for use on the bus or Métro.

Paris bus fares and tickets

A single journey costs €1,60, or the same as a Métro fare. You can use Métro tickets (now called T+ tickets) on the bus, or you can buy a ticket from the driver. (Children from ages 4 to 9 can travel with half-fare tickets; kids under 4 are free.)

Important: T+ tickets allow transfers between bus lines or between buses and trams; tickets sold by bus drivers (which are marked "sans correspondences") do not.

Several money-saving options are available:

• A carnet is a stack of 10 T+ tickets that you can buy at any Métro station and from most tabacs (shops and other locations that sell cigarettes). It costs €11,40, which is almost 30 per cent cheaper than paying 10 single fares.

• The Paris Visite ticket provides unlimited access to RAPT buses, the Métro, RER and SNCF suburban trains, the Montmartre Funicular, trams, and the Optile bus network for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days. Adult fares range from €8.80 to €48,40, depending on the number of days and zones. (Children's Paris Visite tickets are half price.) Paris Visite also entitles you to discounts of 20 cent or more on some Parisian tours and attractions. You can buy Paris Visite online and pick it up at one of several redemption points in Paris, or--more conveniently--you can purchase it at a Métro, RER, or SNCF railway station or at the airport upon your arrival.

Which offers the best value, a carnet or Paris Visite? That's something you'll have to calculate for yourself, based on how frequently you'll use public transportation and where you plan to go in the Paris region. The RATP Web site (see page 4) has a downloadable guide that will help you make a decision.

Next page: How to ride Paris buses

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Inset photo copyright © Patrick Breig.

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