Has anyone done the city bus 95 tour that RS recommends in his guide book - from ET to the Cemetery? Any shared experiences are appreciated as I weigh doing this as a rainy day idea (in lieu of a standard tourist bus).
TIA!
Posted by
Ohio
2141 posts
Hi, I think you’re looking for the “69” bus. I’ve done the route a few times. It’s a local bus and stops every few blocks. I thought it was interesting to ride along with regular French people running their errands. Not the best option for sightseeing but fine if you want a slow ride around town or transportation to or from the ET and Pere Lachaise Cemetery. Have fun!
Posted by
752 posts
Here is the full route of Bus 69, so you can plan your hop-on, hop-off. Bus 69
Lucky if you’re boarding near the Eiffel Tower, so you’ll be sure to get a seat. Try to do the trip off-peak to avoid all the commuters.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14042 posts
If you actually want to tour the cemetery I’d take the Metro there to the Gambetta stop then work your way downhill thru the cemetery per Rick’s suggestion and take the bus back. The bus stops are near the main entrance which is at the bottom of the hill.
Posted by
OP
Midwest
122 posts
Hi all, yes, thanks for the correction on the number (opps) and great tips! It will be fun to "go local" where I can, and this seems like a good bet.
Great tip about avoiding peak hours, I didn't consider that!
Also, I'm thinking I would do this round trip, as it sounds like different one way streets are taken and the sights will vary based on that.
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
3728 posts
You might enjoy this article on the route: https://www.parisperfect.com/blog/2012/09/the-69-bus-see-all-the-top-sights-in-paris/. I am pretty familiar with this bus route (it passes quite near where I stay when in Paris). Two things to note: (i) it is not a sightseeing bus in the sense that the windows are not designed for sight seeing so you can easily miss things and the bus driver does not drive like a tour bus operator and (ii) even when it is not rush hour it can be very crowded probably because of all the shout outs like the linked story. The first time we took the bus we saw nothing but other passengers because it was so crowded. The second time was okay. We took it from the Eiffel Tower. I do not recommend getting on anywhere but the beginning of the route so you can get a seat. Here is a map of the route so you can see the one way streets. https://www.eutouring.com/paris_bus_69_map_sq_via_eutouring.pdf