Need Help With Bus System in Paris

Absolutely no reason to buy ahead of time. You can get them out of vending machines at Metro entrances as well as direct from the ticket window.

Edit- Bus map with streets.
http://www.ratp.fr/informer/pdf/orienter/f_plan.php?loc=reseaux&nompdf=bus_paris_geo&fm=gif

Your map is most helpful, thank you for your advice as well!

Happy travels,
Diana

The bus is my favorite way to get around Paris.

First, you do not need to buy carnets of tickets prior to arriving in Paris. You can purchase them at most, but not all, tabacs, which are all over Paris, or you can purchase them at the ticket booth in most Metro stations. Unless you have a "chip & pin" credit card, you probably won't be able to buy tickets from machines, unless you use cash.

If you buy your first carnet in a Metro station, ask the cashier for a free "Plan 2" map. It has the bus routes on one side and the Metro lines on the other. It is a large map with lots of detail. For even more detailed bus maps, you can buy a booklet called "Paris Bus - 109 Lines" -- it is blue with white and red lettering. There is a 2-page spread for each bus line which is shown on a detailed street map, showing all stops and transfer points. This can be purchased at news kiosks for about 7 euros, and is well worth the investment, IMO. I find the Plan 2 map helps me see which bus line I need to use to get to a destination, while the booklet provides more detailed information about where the stops are.

Some things to consider when riding the bus:

• Buses can and do get rerouted.
• Buses do get stuck in traffic.
• At some bus stops there is a digital information screen that shows when the next bus is expected to arrive. All stops have a map of the route for each bus line stopping there. On the bus, there is a digital read-out showing the next stop, keeping an eye on that helps you avoid missing your stop.
• Stops for the return trip are often another street, a block or so away from where you got off, and this is where the booklet of maps comes in handy.
• Bus tickets are good for travel in one direction for 90 minutes from the time they are validated. You can transfer from one bus line to another within that 90 minute window, but you have to ride on a different bus line (change from Line to Line), and cannot use it for the return trip. You cannot use the ticket for bus to Metro transfers.
• Parisians use buses for their daily errands and commuting - they are not there for the convenience of tourists - so they do get crowded.

Don't be afraid to ride the Metro, especially for longer trips as it is the fastest way to get from one side of Paris to the other. As long as you don't leave the Metro system, you can transfer from Metro line to Metro line without restriction.

I believe Rick's Paris guidebook does a pretty thorough job of explaining how to ride both buses and the Metro.

Hope this helps. Have a wonderful trip.

Hi Carolyn,

Thank you so much for your detailed reply! We appreciate your suggestions and will definitely ride the Metro as well as the buses. We have chip and pin credit cards and Rick's Paris guidebook and obviously need to re-read the parts he has written about using transportation in Paris.

Happy travels,
Diana

Thanks, Carolyn, for telling us about the booklet with the bus routes. Our last trip would have gone better if we'd had one. We rode mostly buses and had trouble finding the specific stops in busy areas like the Opera, where a lot of lines converge but each line has its own stop around a big circle. That aside, we've enjoyed riding the buses, easy to get on and off, no long stairways like the Metro, and best of all you can see the street scene as you travel. But they can be slow, the Metro is much better for long or hurried trips. And, of course, a valuable Paris experience in itself!

I personally have tried to like the Paris buses but just don't. If you are disabled they are great -- otherwise, the metro is fast, comes frequently, whisks you there. The buses are slow in coming, slow in traffic and are often crowded so you are standing. I almost always get a seat in the metro; I almost never get a seat on a bus unless I board at the very start of the route.

You can buy a bus map booklet at any news stand which is ideal if you are using buses a lot. The stops also have pretty good maps so you can plot your route. I like to notice the stop before the stop I want so I can press the stop button (buses don't stop at every stop unless requested or people are waiting). Most buses have an electric sign on the bus that indicates each stop; if it is broken or they don't have one, figuring out the stop can be a bit tricky.

But the metro is so much faster and you aren't enjoying the scenery when standing on a bus in a crowd.

Hi Janet,

Thank you for your insights into the Paris bus system. You have given us food for thought and made an excellent point about not seeing the scenery while riding on a crowded bus. We will rethink our plans and focus on walking and using The Metro.

Happy travels!
Diana

I would like to add one map option to the many that have already been suggested.

We love the Streetwise laminated city maps. They are compact and detailed, yet readable, and they make it possible to see an overview of the city, including major metro stops and sights. I love the street and sight index.

They accordion fold up into a convenient envelope size, so there's no futzing around with a big square paper map or a tiny screen that can clearly show only a very small area.

I just checked my Paris one and bus routes are not on it, but the other maps mentioned will have that information. It may be too late to get one from the RS store before you go, but I have seen them in the travel section of Barnes & Noble. I know you are asking specifically about online sources and bus routes, but I found my Streetwise Paris map far more useful in 2012 than online sources, as did our son when he used it in 2014.

The last time we were in Paris, we used a combination of feet. metro, bus and taxi to get around. All had their place. Our dinner cruise on the Seine ended with rain, and I must say riding in a taxi back to our apartment with the lights of Paris reflected by the wet conditions was an evocative, magical and atmospheric Parisian experience that I will never forget.

Dear Lo,

Thank you for your response. Believe it or not, a few months ago my husband bought the Paris streetwise map from Rick Steves. My question had been about bus stops and routes, so we did not think to look at this map for that purpose.

Most of the responses to my question favor The Metro, so we will use the streetwise maps for walking around and riding on The Metro.

You have all been so generous with your suggestions and advice, thank you again!

Happy travels,
Diana

I would strongly recommend buying the booklet from a newsagent. The big issue, as Carolyn said, is that bus routes in Paris often run down different streets in different directions, sometimes some distance apart, and this can be very confusing on the large-scale official map.

There are a few trips where the bus can be preferable to the Metro if a Metro trip would require multiple line changes. The main reason to use buses, however, is if any member of your party has mobility issues. The Metro has many unavoidable staircases with no powered alternative, or escalators only in the up direction, while all buses in central Paris are low-floor and wheelchair-accessible.

"The last time we were in Paris, we used a combination of feet. metro, bus and taxi to get around. All had their place. "

Exactly right.

Deemom3, don't overthink this. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to get around Paris, and you'll figure out a lot when you get there. As you can see, people have their preferences, and you will learn yours. Some people prefer the bus even though it's slower, and some people prefer the metro even though it's underground.

One other thing: you describe locations in terms of arrondissements, which is a fine start, but not the whole story. Some of the arrondissements are small, but the higher the number, the larger. So depending on exactly where in an arrondissement you are, you may or may not be close to a particular metro or bus stop, and that will influence your transit decisions.

In Paris I always try and plan an easy pleasant connection between the sights on foot.
My 3 favourite walking routes are ...
1) Notre Dame >> St Michel >> Musee Cluny >> Sorbonne >> Pantheon >> Jardin de Luxembourg >> St Sulpice >> Delacroix Museum >> St Germain de Pres.
2) Pont Neuf >> Saint Chapelle >> Conciergerie >> Hotel de Ville >> Pompidou >> Picasso Museum >> Marais >> Carnavalet Museum >> Place des Vosges >> Ile St Louis.
3) Invalides >> Pont Alexandre III >> Grand+Petit Palais >> Champs Elysees >> Place de la Concorde >> Madeleine >> Opera >> Place Vendome >> Tuileries Gardens >> Orangerie >> Pyramid du Louvre >> Palais Royal.

One thing that some newcomers to Paris transport don't know is that many of the Métro lines are above ground in some areas and provide a completely different view of parts of the city from those on foot or on a bus.

And, in general, and mind your belongings, and don't travel when the commuters are trying to, the Métro and RER can be quite fun.

On the other hand, well organised bus travel with decent connections can sometimes be easier than in the Métro, particularly for reasonably short journeys. I almost always find that my journeys to and from the back side of Montmartre are much faster by bus, and easier, too, once you know the connecting points for the buses.

If you will be in Paris for most of a week, starting at or near a weekend, I love the Navigo Decouverte pass. It, for me, is easier than walking around with pockets full of T+ tickets and keeping the stamped ones clear of the virgins.

I love the buses in Paris even though the metro is faster. I am seldom in a hurry when I am in Paris and the bus allows me to savour every moment. If I have to stand when there are no seats, at least I can look out the window. Standing on the metro is exceedingly boring.

I have tried to enjoy the bus system.. but I just have not managed it yet.. years of visits.. and I still find it baffling.. I must be bus blind.. lol

Unless there are mobility issues, I think the metro is the best and easiest way to get from point A to point B.. Its fast.. and I can easily figure out how to get where ever I want by just following the colored lines on the metro map.. lol

That said.. I do in fact walk most places.. but I stay fairly central ,these past few years I tend to end up in the 5th or 6th more and more often. ( reverse is true for many folks who start in those central areas and then spread out.. but I started staying out and moving in.. lol) so I can walk to most sites and find I can get away with one carnet of tickets every 4-5 days.

I find the easiest way to buy a carnet is to go into any Tabac that has the RATP sign on the window and buy the carnet from the cashier, same price and easy.

Sometimes I love the buses, sometimes I despair of them. Same with the Metro. Sometimes I'd gladly pay 40 Euro just to go somewhere, but there are no taxis.

About the buses-there are times when the bus you are on will just stop, and everyone has to get off. Why? You don't know. Maybe there's a bus right behind that you can get on, but maybe not.

Lesson learned last trip- if no buses are running a route because of a traffic problem, that same problem will affect taxis. It will also affect the return bus trip. If you can't get to your destination by walking or Metro, give it up. Especially if the reason for suspension is "manifestation." That means a demonstration. If the bus can't get to you, it can't bring you back either. And taxis will be more expensive. Change your plans because you can't change the traffic.

I was coming back alone on the Metro from St. Denis Basilica when there was an announcement that I couldn't understand. Suddenly everyone was getting up with their stuff. When we stopped, they all rushed off the train! What was it? A bomb or terrorist threat? No, that train was being replaced by one on the next track, and they all wanted a seat.

A big thank you to all of you for taking the time to answer my questions. Your advice and variety of suggestions are most appreciated as I count down the days till we leave for Paris. This is my first trip to France and Italy, so I have printed out your suggestions to bring along with Rick's tour books. We will have five full days after a late evening arrival to enjoy the city, then we will embark on the Rick Steves Best of Venice, Florence and Rome tour.

Thank you again for your taking the time to share your experiences and suggestions.

Happy Travels!
Diana

The best thing I can recommend-- and there are definitely journeys here that are best/easiest done by bus, just as there are journeys that are best/easiest done by metro or on foot -- is a map BOOK that I still carry with me every day even though I've lived here nearly 10 years. It's called Paris 3 Plans by Arrondissement and is published by l'Indispensable, has a blue cover. You can buy it here and there, but always in the book section /Paris travel section of the BHV store at the Hotel de Ville metro stop.

As the name suggests, it has three separate maps (two-page spread) for each arrondissement:

-- one shows the streets in detail
-- one shows the same but with an overlay of the metro lines
-- and the third shows the overlay of the bus routes on the streets.

This is the book that makes the bus system usable and easy for me. The other books that show the lines only don't help me too much because the lines are out of context. But with this map, I can look at an area and see what bus lines makes the journey that I want to make - then I find out its name/color and where its stops are. And of course you can "put together" a trip across arrondissements by referring back and forth (there's also a Paris-wide bus map in the back of the book to give the big picture.

Sometimes the bus is crowded, and sometimes it's not. Sometimes you're cruising along and it's taking you much more directly on a route that would take you three lines/two changes on the metro. Sometimes it will get you somewhere the metro doesn't go conveniently, and sometimes it will be stuck in traffic (guess what, sometimes the metros get stuck too, as was my experience last night on my way home on the Line 1 from work). But sometimes it's pretty funny to ride the bus around the Etoile at the base of the Arc de Triomphe and be a part of the swirling cacophony of traffic coming in from the 12 different streets that feed into it -- while someone else is doing the driving.

The buses are also a lot more user-friendly now that they have installed all the new bus stops which almost all have the electronic board showing the time until the next bus (it makes a difference often as to whether I want to wait 3 minutes until the next bus or know that I do NOT want to wait 18 minutes for the next one). Also the signs marking the bus stops are much taller and more visible from further away, helping a bit with Dick's issue of finding the stop in the first place. They're simply better sign posted now.

So you see, I'm a big fan of the buses. Would I advocate always riding the bus? No. Do they have their place and are they incredibly useful? Yes. But you need a little help figuring out when/how they will be useful, and the best way I've found for that is the 3 plans map.

Dear Kim,

Thank you for recommending the Paris 3 Plans map, we will definitely follow through on this suggestion. I appreciate that you took the time to share your experiences, your suggestions will most definitely be helpful as we explore Paris.

Happy Travels,
Diana

It was the 3 Plans book that made riding the bus much more sensible for me, and helped me sometimes able to save lots of time.

It is an excellent publication (helps with the Métro, too).