directions for getting around Paris

Just get a map of the Metro system and relax. Getting around in Paris by Metro couldn't be easier.

As Tom says, relax. It isn't that complicated, and if you make a mistake, so what? You'll see something you did not plan on seeing. Get a bus map as well as a metro map. The buses are a lot more fun than the metros. Bus No. 69 and Bus No. 42 will give you nice tours. The 69 stops right beside the pyramid at the Louvre. Bus No. 74 will take you from the Arc de Triomphe to the Musée d'Orsay, with beautiful sights all the way.

The Transilien site is one of the official transportation sites for Paris and the surrounding area and most definitely is reliable. You can also use the Route Planner at www.ratp.fr, the official Paris transportation site. It will suggest bus routes as well as Metro and RER routes.

For a zoomable map of the Metro and RER system, go here.

Thanks for the responses! I'm assuming the bus and metro maps are available at the metro stops??

Yes, and if you buy a map of Paris before you travel, it should also have a Metro map on the back.

Hi Jodi,
The last itinerary in your list is not good.
"Porte de Versailles" is NOT "Versailles". To get there you need to take RER C to "Versailles Rive Gauche".

And make sure you read the threads about pickpockets in the Paris Metro. As said before, it's super easy to get around, but you do need to take some precautions against pickpockets.

The metro is very easy to use, just make sure you pay attention to the end destination on that line so you know you're going the right direction. If you have several people travelling together, a Taxi might be cheaper. There were three of us and it only cost approx. 10 euro for a taxi ride from the Champs d'Elysses to Gare de Lyon.

Jodi -- I rented an apartment almost across from the Hotel Tiquetonne. You can walk to Notre Dame and the Louvre from this location -- I did it all the time and am not real young! But just get a metro map and navigate to the stop closest to your destination, noting the right direction to go to, and the connections to make. It's pretty easy, after a couple of trips you will be an "expert".
PS be sure to walk down rue Montorgueil, and go into St. Eustache which is nearby.

Adding to Paul's post. The RER C line divides on the west side of Paris. Be sure to get on a train that is going to Versailles-Rive Gauche (all trains with the nameplate VICK).

Here is a logical route for Abbesses to Versailles-Rive Gauche: Take Metro line 12 from Abbesses to Concorde. Take Metro line 8 from Concorde to Invalides. Take the RER C from Concorde to Versailles-Rive Gauche.

The Paris metro was my absolute favorite out of all of the mass-transit systems on Continental Europe - huge, sprawling and relatively easy to use. Lots of ticket machines, several large hubs which make transfers a bit easier to handle (rather than making 3 in one short trip), and buying a Carnet of 10 tickets wasn't too pricey either.

One other option is to buy a 2 day pass (there might be a 3 day pass) for the L'Open Tour Bus (the yellow buses, not red). These are hop on/hop off buses, so you can get off and on as many times as you wish. This tour line has 3 routes and the pass is good for them all. So it pretty much covers all of Paris, plus you get a running commentary of what you're seeing and they stop at or near all major sites. You buy the pass from the bus driver.