Take busses, not Metro, in Paris

And busses are also ideal for those who have difficulty traversing the often very long walks connections between metro lines at certain stations.

All a matter of personal opinion. As we age your opinion is correct. Walking up and down the stairs and the distances of some metro stations become a marathon. If you’re looking for speed and navigating longer distance the metro will be the best bet. We’re on the older side but still use the metro.

Even with my mobility problems, I prefer the Metro in general. I'm rarely in the mood to waste time by taking a bus, just because its above ground. I want to get from A to B in the shortest time possible. But I do take the bus or a taxi when it makes sense logistically. In all my trips to Paris, I never found the batobus to be convenient for where I wanted to go. If you want or have a need to ride the buses or boats, then go for it, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking the Metro if that's what works best for you.

The time difference between taking the metro and taking the bus is sometimes minimal (5 minutes). But the bus can be more direct. I just plotted a journey from a favorite hotel to the Eiffel Tower. The “fastest” journey takes 26 minutes and requires 3 transfers on the metro. Ugh. Alternatively, I could take the bus in 29 minutes with no transfers. Uh, yes please.

Of course, you can always argue that buses are subject to traffic whereas metros are not. But having a slightly longer bus ride with no transfers eliminates the possibility of getting turned around in the metro station and missing a connection (or two).

And busses are also ideal for those who have difficulty traversing the often very long walks connections between metro lines at certain stations.

And negotiating often several sets of staircases

It is highly dependent on where you are, vs where you want to go. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. One reason I like an app like Google Maps, gives you the best option, including walk times to the hop on point, and after you get off, for the moment, then you can decide if seeing the sights is worth it.

Traffic of course is a concern, Paris may not be too bad in many areas, but taking the bus in central London as opposed to the Tube, can many times be foolish.

Paris has introduced a lot of segregated bus lanes in recent years, so traffic delays are less of an issue.

I totally agree with taking the bus. The metro paper tickets are valid on buses in Paris. Using a combination of metro line and bus lines you see a good deal of paris. The one advantage to taking the bus is they are far less crowded that your chances on the Metro where sometimes you're packed in like sardines. I've had the experience on the Metro to be sure but never on buses.

Riders on buses are for the most part locals depending on which line.

"Buses are a cheap sightseeing tour" How true. I take buses in obviously non-tourist-frequented areas, which sociologically very revealing and interesting. Everyone knows you're visitor, or at least, an outsider. I don't make efforts tio blend in...not interested in that.

Getting lost is irrelevant since you can always take the bus back or until the next metro station.

Where I stay in Paris Nord, I can take a bus directly to Gare St Lazare, Montparnasse, Gare de Lyon, and Gare d'Austerlitz , plus Chateau de Vincennes , to the Louvre and the Opera Garnier....all very convenient .

No need dealing with a crowded Metro line going from Nord to Gare de Lyon, etc. I figure the odds of getting picked on a bus are much fewer than when being squished in the Metro.

The bus line are a lot easier to navigate than in years past. But then I was hung up on the possibility of getting lost...not any more, total waste of concern. It's not going to happen.

"Can't get lost." How true. No need at all for Google apps and the like. Just be sure to have several Metro tickets on you. I carry 10 of them in case one doesn't work for whatever reason when it's supposed to.