Getting Around

Paris is a city for strollers who enjoy rambling through unexpected alleyways and squares. Only when you're dead tired and can't walk another step, or have to go all the way across town in a hurry, should you consider using the Métro, a swift but dull means of urban transport.

By Metro (Subway)

The Métro (tel. 08-92-68-77-14; www.ratp.fr) is the most efficient and fastest way to get around Paris. All lines are numbered, and the final destination of each line is clearly marked on subway maps, in the system's underground passageways, and on the train cars. The Métro runs daily from 5:30am to 1:15am. It's reasonably safe at any hour, but beware of pickpockets.

To familiarize yourself with the Métro, check out the color map on the inside back cover of this book. Most stations display a map of the Métro at the entrance. To locate your correct train on a map, find your destination, follow the line to the end of its route, and note the name of the final stop, which is that line's direction. In the station, follow the signs for your direction in the passageways until you see the label on a train. Many larger stations have maps with push-button indicators that light up your route when you press the button for your destination.

Transfer stations are correspondances -- some require long walks; Châtelet is the most difficult -- but most trips require only one transfer. When transferring, follow the orange CORRESPONDANCE signs to the proper platform. Don't follow a SORTIE (exit) sign, or you'll have to pay again to get back on the train.

On the urban lines, one ticket for 1.40€ ($1.80) lets you travel to any point. On the Sceaux, Boissy-St-Léger, and St-Germain-en-Laye lines to the suburbs, fares are based on distance. A carnet is the best buy -- 10 tickets for about 11€ ($14).

At the turnstile entrances to the station, insert your ticket and pass through. At some exits, tickets are also checked, so hold onto yours. There are occasional ticket checks on trains and platforms and in passageways, too.

Discount Transit Passes -- The Paris-Visite (tel. 08-92-68-77-14) is valid for 1, 2, 3, or 5 days on public transport, including the Métro, buses, the funicular ride to Montmartre, and RER trains. For access to zones 1 to 3, which includes central Paris and its nearby suburbs, its cost ranges from 8.50€ ($11) for 1 day to 27€ ($35) for 5 days. Get it at RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) offices, the tourist office, and Métro stations.

Another discount pass is Carte Mobilis, which allows unlimited travel on bus, subway, and RER lines during a 1-day period for 5.50€ to 19€ ($7.15-$25), depending on the zone. Ask for it at any Métro station.

Most economical, for anyone who arrives in Paris early in the week, is a Carte Orange. Sold at large Métro stations, it allows 1 week of unlimited Métro or bus transit within central Paris and its immediate outskirts for 16€ to 44€ ($21-$57). The pass is valid from any Monday to the following Sunday, and it's sold only on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. You'll have to submit a passport-size photo.

RER Trains

A suburban train system, RER (Réseau Express Regional) passes through the heart of Paris, traveling faster than the Métro and running daily from 5:30am to 12:30am. This system works like the Métro and requires the same tickets. The major stops within central Paris, linking the RER to the Métro, are Nation, Gare de Lyon, Charles de Gaulle-Etoile, and Gare-Etoile, and Gare du Nord as well as Châtelet-Les-Halles. All of these stops are on the Right Bank. On the Left Bank, RER stops include Denfert-Rochereau and St-Michel. The five RER lines are marked A through E. Different branches are labeled by a number, the C5 Line serving Versailles-Rive Gauche, for example. Electric signboards next to each track outline all the possible stops along the way. Make sure that the little square next to your intended stop is lit.

By Bus

Buses are much slower than the Métro. The majority run from 6:30am to 9:30pm (a few operate until 12:30am, and 10 operate during early morning hours). Service is limited on Sundays and holidays. Bus and Métro fares are the same; you can use the same tickets on both. Most bus rides require one ticket, but some destinations require two (never more than two within the city limits).

At certain stops, signs list destinations and bus numbers serving that point. Destinations are usually listed north to south and east to west. Most stops are also posted on the sides of the buses. During rush hours, you may have to take a ticket from a dispensing machine, indicating your position in the line at the stop.

If you intend to use the buses a lot, pick up an RATP bus map at the office on place de la Madeleine, 8e, or at the tourist offices at RATP headquarters, 54 Quai de La Rapée, 12e. For detailed recorded information (in English) on bus and Métro routes, call tel. 01-58-76-16-16. Open Monday to Friday 7am to 9pm.

The RATP also operates the Balabus, big-windowed orange-and-white motor coaches that run only during limited hours: Sunday and national holidays from noon to 8:30pm, from April 15 to the end of September. Itineraries run in both directions between Gare de Lyon and the Grande Arche de La Défense, encompassing some of the city's most beautiful vistas. It's a great deal -- three Métro tickets, for 1.40€ ($1.80) each, will carry you the entire route. You'll recognize the bus and the route it follows by the Bb symbol emblazoned on each bus's side and on signs posted beside the route it follows.

By Taxi

It's virtually impossible to get a taxi at rush hour, so don't even try. Taxi drivers are organized into a lobby that limits their number to 15,000.

Watch out for common rip-offs: Always check the meter to make sure you're not paying the previous passenger's fare; beware of cabs without meters, which often wait outside nightclubs for tipsy patrons; or settle the tab in advance.

You can hail regular cabs on the street when their signs read LIBRE. Taxis are easier to find at the many stands near Métro stations. The flag drops at 5.50€ ($7.15), and from 10am to 5pm you pay .77€ ($1) per kilometer. From 5pm to 10am, you pay 1.09€ ($1.40) per kilometer. On airport trips, you're not required to pay for the driver's empty return ride.

You're allowed several pieces of luggage free if they're transported inside and are less than 5kg (11 lb.). Heavier suitcases carried in the trunk cost 1€ to 1.50€ ($1.30-$1.95) apiece. Tip 12% to 15% -- the latter usually elicits a merci. For radio cabs, call Les Taxis Bleus (tel. 08-25-16-10-10) or Taxi G7 (tel. 01-47-39-47-39) -- but note that you'll be charged from the point where the taxi begins the drive to pick you up.

By Boat

The Batobus (tel. 08-25-05-01-01; www.batobus.com) is a 150-passenger ferry with big windows. Every day between April and December, the boats operate along the Seine, stopping at such points of interest as the Eiffel Tower, Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre, Notre-Dame, and the Hôtel de Ville. Unlike the Bateaux-Mouche, the Batobus does not provide recorded commentary. The only fare option available is a day pass valid for either 1, 2, or 5 days, each allowing as many entrances and exits as you want. A 1-day pass costs 11€ ($14) for adults, 5€ ($6.50) for students and children under 16; a 2-day pass costs 13€ ($17) for adults, 6€ ($7.80) for students and children under 16; a 5-day pass costs 16€ ($21) for adults, 7€ ($9.10) for students and children under 16. Boats operate daily (closed most of Jan) every 25 to 30 minutes, starting between 10 and 10:30am and ending between 4:30 and 10:30pm, depending on the season of the year.

By Bicycle

Bicycling through the streets and parks of Paris, perhaps with a baguette tucked under your arm, might have become your fantasy after seeing your first Maurice Chevalier film. In recent years, the city has added many miles of right-hand lanes designated for cyclists, as well as hundreds of bike racks. (When these aren't available, many Parisians simply chain their bikes to fences or lampposts.) Cycling is especially popular in the larger parks and gardens.

Fat Tire Bike Tours, 24 rue Edgar Faure, 15e (tel. 01-56-58-10-54; www.fattirebiketours.com; Métro: Grenelle), rents bicycles hourly, by the day, week, or month, charging 2€ ($2.60) per hour; 15€ ($20) per day/24 hours; 25€ ($33) 2 consecutive days/48 hours; 50€ ($65) weekly; and 65€ ($85) monthly. You must leave a 250€ ($325) deposit. This company (formerly Mike's Bike Tours) also provides bike tours. A day tour costs 24€ ($31), with a night tour going for 28€ ($36).

By Car

Don't even think about driving in Paris. The streets are narrow, with confusing one-way designations, and parking is next to impossible. Besides, most visitors don't have the ruthlessness required to survive in Parisian traffic. Think about renting a car only if you plan to explore the Ile de France and beyond.

To rent a car, you'll need to present a passport, a driver's license, and a credit card. You also have to meet the company's minimum-age requirement. (For the least expensive cars, this is 21 at Hertz, 23 at Avis, and 25 at Budget. More expensive cars may require that you be at least 25.) It usually isn't obligatory within France, but certain companies have asked for the presentation of an International Driver's License, even though this is becoming increasingly superfluous in western Europe.

Note: The best deal is usually a weekly rental with unlimited mileage. All car-rental bills in France are subject to a 19.6% government tax. Though the rental company won't usually mind if you drive your car into, say, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, or Spain, it's often forbidden to transport your car by ferry, including across the Channel to England.

In France, a collision damage waiver (CDW) is usually factored into the overall rate quoted, but you should always verify this, of course, before taking a car on the road. At most companies, the CDW waiver provision won't protect you against theft, so if this is the case, ask about purchasing extra theft protection.

Automatic transmission is a luxury in Europe, so if you want it, you'll pay dearly.

Budget (tel. 800/472-3325 in the U.S., or 800/268-8900 in Canada; www.budget.com) has about 30 locations in Paris and at Orly (tel. 01-49-75-56-05) and Charles de Gaulle (tel. 01-48-62-70-22). For rentals of more than 7 days, you can usually pick up a car in one French city and drop it off in another, but there are extra charges. Drop-offs in cities within an easy drive of the French border (including Geneva and Frankfurt) incur no extra charge; you can arrange drop-offs in other non-French cities for a reasonable surcharge.

Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131 in the U.S. and Canada; www.hertz.com) maintains about 15 locations in Paris, including offices at the city's airports. The main office is at 27 place St-Ferdinand, 17e (tel. 01-45-74-97-39; Métro: Argentine). Be sure to ask about promotional discounts.

Avis (tel. 800/331-1212 in the U.S. and Canada; www.avis.com) has offices at both Paris airports and an inner-city headquarters at 5 rue Bixio, 7e (tel. 01-44-18-10-50; Métro: Ecole Militaire), near the Eiffel Tower.

National (tel. 800/CAR-RENT in the U.S. and Canada; www.nationalcar.com) is represented in Paris by Europcar; one office is at 48 rue de Berri, 8e (tel. 01-53-93-73-40; Métro: St. Philippe du Roule). It has offices at both Paris airports and at about a dozen other locations. For the lowest rates, reserve in advance from North America.

Two U.S.-based agencies that don't have Paris offices, but act as booking agents for Paris-based agencies, are Kemwel Holiday Auto (tel. 800/678-0678; www.kemwel.com) and Auto Europe (tel. 800/223-5555; www.autoeurope.com). They can make bookings in the United States only, so call before your trip.