Navigating le Metro

try the citymapper app

Old-fashioned me would just enter the St Placide station, look at the wall map and see that I would go direction Porte de Clignancourt to Reaumur-Sebastopol and change to the No 3 direction Gallieni.

Thanks, BG -- I'll check it out.

google maps never. Citymapper is pretty good with this or the system's own ap.

https://www.ratp.fr/en
The Metro system's interactive planner.

I know you can map out your routes, and download maps. But I don't know whether that function depends on a WiFi connection or there is some sort of "app" for a smart phone.

For any journey, looking at the Metro map, I'd try to minimize line changes and then minimize stops within lines. Those are what take time.

I used the RATP app in Paris and it's pretty good. If it tries to put you on the RER look again because there's probably a better metro solution to everywhere except the Musee de Orsay where you can only get really close on the RER C. (And I think it's beyond tacky to have an official agency app feature ads but that's a personal bias.)

Google maps does okay on non-metro above ground transportation but not the metro itself.

This is the "new" metro map of Paris which I like very much and works pretty well on a phone as well:
http://metromap.fr/en

Have a great time - it's an amazing city.
=Tod

Citymapper is a very complete guide to Paris transport. What I like is that it will show you many options...sometimes the bus is better than Metro or RER for a particular destination. To avoid confusion, take the recommended first option. If you are changing Metro lines, it will even suggest which car to sit in to reduce walking time between lines.

On the Metro, knowing the line number is one thing, but you also need to know the name of the direction you’re going. Especially when transferring. For example, on your trip to Père Lachaise, when you change to the Metro Line 3, you need to look for the Gallieni direction to find the right platform. Citymapper lays it all out for you. Download the app and play with it, to see if it’s right for you.

Regarding Google Maps for directions, I use them frequently here in the states for public transit. In some cities they’re the only real choice. The only time they’ve done me wrong in Paris is on a hot Sunday afternoon waiting for a bus that didn’t run on Sundays. Citymapper updates schedules more frequently.

I have the Paris Metro app on my iPhone. It's from Mapway and is adware unless you pay I like it because you can put in a location and it shows you route and time, including any line changes.

We found it worked great and I used it extensively.

If you aren't sure of the end point of the trip, when you enter the hall to the platform, there is always a list of the stops on the wall and you can quickly double check that your stop is on that list and backtrack to the other side if it isn't.

hired man --
Thanks for posting the link to the new metro map.
I had seen it before but not made a note of the link.
It's so easy to read!

Another vote for CityMapper. I have lived in Paris for more than 13 years, and I use CityMapper every day.

Thanks all for the thoughtful replies -- very helpful. :-)