Getting Around Paris: Metro, RER, Buses and Airports

The short version

Walk inside each sightseeing cluster, and use the Metro or RER to jump between clusters. That is the whole system for most first trips. Paris is dense enough that two or three Metro rides a day, with a lot of walking in between, covers the classic sights without ever needing to understand the full network map.

The one place first-time visitors genuinely go wrong is tickets, not routes. Paris splits its ordinary tickets by type of transport, and airports sit outside the ordinary ticket. Get those two ideas right and the rest is easy.

The Ramavera verdict

• Best default: Metro (and RER inside the city) between areas, walking within them.
• When walking is better: inside the Marais, Saint-Germain, the Latin Quarter, the islands and along the Seine. Many "one stop" Metro hops here are slower than the walk once you count corridors and stairs.
• When bus or tram is the better choice: when a direct bus avoids a Metro change, when you want to see the city on the way, or when stairs are the problem — Paris buses are generally easier to board than most Metro stations, which often involve steps.
• When the RER earns its place: longer cross-city jumps, Versailles-type day trips and, above all, Charles de Gaulle.
• What visitors overcomplicate: passes and zone maps. For a short city-centre stay you rarely need to think about zones at all — think about which ticket type matches the transport you are about to use.

Best option by situation

How tickets work

Paris no longer works the way older guides describe. Forget advice about paper carnets or working out an origin-to-destination ticket for every trip: the current system is built around a small number of ticket products that you load onto a phone or a Navigo Easy card.

Checked with the operator (26 October 2026): Metro, RER and suburban trains use the Metro-Train-RER ticket; buses and trams use a separate Bus-Tram ticket. An ordinary single ticket for one group does not cover a ride on the other. Check current service →

In practice this means: decide what you are about to ride. If it is the Metro, an RER train inside the region or a suburban train, you need the Metro-Train-RER ticket. If it is a bus or a tram, you need the Bus-Tram ticket. If your day mixes both, carry both kinds — a ticket for one group does not cover a ride on the other.

Airports are a separate case. Île-de-France Mobilités sells a dedicated Paris Région–Airports ticket for journeys to and from Charles de Gaulle and Orly, and the ordinary Metro-Train-RER ticket is listed as valid everywhere except the airports. Buy the airport ticket for that one journey rather than trying to make an ordinary ticket stretch.

For longer stays, multi-day or weekly products exist; whether one suits you depends on how many days you are in town and how much of your sightseeing is on foot. Ramavera does not compare ticket costs — the operator owns the prices and they change. Check the current options on the official site before you buy.

Airport to the city

Treat the airport journey as its own decision, separate from getting around once you are in Paris.

Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

Checked with the operator (26 October 2026): RER B connects Paris with Charles de Gaulle Airport. Check current service →

Ramavera's view: for most arrivals heading into central Paris with luggage they can manage on stairs and escalators, rail is the option to start with. It runs through to the city without road traffic, and it connects with the Metro at the main central interchanges. It is a commuter line rather than an airport express, so expect it to be busy at peak times and keep your bags close.

Consider a taxi or another road option instead if you are travelling with a lot of luggage, small children, limited mobility, or arriving late enough that you would rather not change trains. Check the official airport page for the current road options rather than relying on older lists.

Checked with the operator (26 October 2026): RoissyBus ceased operating on 1 March 2026. Check current service →

Orly (ORY)

Checked with the operator (26 October 2026): Metro line 14 serves Orly Airport. Check current service →

Ramavera's view: for arrivals at Orly this is now the simplest way into the city for most visitors, because it joins the Metro network directly and connects with other lines in central Paris. If you are staying near one of its central stations, it can be a single ride.

Accessibility and luggage

Be specific rather than optimistic. The Paris Metro is an old network and many of its stations involve stairs, escalators or long corridors; step-free access is the exception rather than the rule, and it varies station by station.

Buses are usually the more practical choice for wheelchair users and travellers who cannot manage stairs. The RER and some Metro stations do have lifts, but a lift that exists is not the same as a lift that is working today. Check the current status of the stations you need on RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités before you travel — that information changes daily and is not something a guide can promise.

For luggage, the rule of thumb is to minimise changes. One direct ride with a heavy bag is far easier than two shorter rides with a corridor in between.

Common mistakes

• Using the wrong ticket type. Boarding a bus with a Metro-Train-RER ticket, or the Metro with a Bus-Tram ticket. Match the ticket to the transport.
• Using an ordinary ticket for the airport. Airport journeys have their own ticket.
• Following out-of-date airport advice. Older articles still describe airport shuttle buses that no longer run. Use the current official airport page.
• Taking the Metro for one stop in the centre. In the Marais or Saint-Germain, walking is usually as fast and far more pleasant.
• Assuming every station has a lift. Check before relying on one.
• Ignoring weekend works. Sections of lines close for planned works; check RATP live traffic before a tight connection.

Official planning links

• Île-de-France Mobilités — tickets and passes
• RATP — journey planner and live traffic
• Île-de-France Mobilités — getting to the airports

Beyond Paris

Paris's main stations each serve different directions, so check which station your train leaves from before you plan the last morning. If you are still deciding where to base yourself, our Where to Stay in Paris guide compares the main areas by how easy they are to get around from, and 3 Days in Paris shows how the clusters fit into a short trip.