The Paris Metro – Lines (in its image), tickets and everything you wanted to know

The metro is the fastest, most efficient and (in my opinion) most charming means of transport in Paris. There's something magical about going deep underground and emerging a few minutes later in a completely different place (not to mention the wonderful acoustics, which magically transform a street musician's tune into a symphony).

The goal of this article is to provide you with all the information you need about the Paris Metro and the RER. The article includes information on buying tickets, a map of the Metro, and information about each line and where it can take you.

But first, a little history, ladies and gentlemen…

The history of the Paris Metro

Anyone interested in reaching "Tachel's" is invited to skip this section and scroll down to reach the next section.

As early as 1852, Paris had a city train that ran around the city and was therefore called “La petite ceinture”. Initially, this train transported animals to the city’s slaughterhouses, but later people also began to travel on it and it continued to operate until the 30s. For those interested in seeing the remains of the railway tracks, they can still be found in the gardens of Butt Shomon (Butte Chaumont), Montsouris andIn the 12th arrondissement.

During the 19th century, discussions were held lazily about establishing an urban railway network that would connect the major train stations with the city center, and during this time very original engineering ideas were put forward, such as carriages that would float on an underground river beneath Paris (like in an amusement park) or railway tracks that would be mounted above rooftops. Paris And will spare city residents the noise and air pollution of trains (an idea that was ultimately realized in Bangkok).

The origin of the name Metro

The debates continued until the end of the 19th century, only ending with the looming Great Exhibition of 1900, which required a mass transit system. Thus, in 1897, the Paris municipality decided to accept the proposal of a Frenchman with the humorous name Fulgence Bienvenue to build a subway, which would be powered by electricity rather than steam.

In order to prevent a world war between the railway companies of France Regarding the right to build the metro, it was decided to give the role to a Belgian archaeologist named Edouard Empain, who in 1898 founded the Paris Metropolis Railway Company, known by its abbreviated name - Metro.

The work was done with incredible speed, with almost no accidents (except for a crater near the Élysée Palace caused by the collapse of a tunnel), and within two years the first line was ready for use. On July 19 at 13:00 p.m., line 1 opened, taking passengers from the exhibition at Port Maillot to the Olympic Games in the Bois de Vincennes, and the metro became a success story from its very first day.

As a result, the train was quickly forced to expand from 3 cars to 8 in order to cope with the increasing flow of passengers, and additional lines were opened, which required bold engineering developments (for example, a tunnel that runs under the Seine, which was part of Line 4 and claimed the lives of 5 workers).

Guimard creates the famous metro entrances

While the first tunnel was being dug, a competition was held to choose the design for the entrance to the metro. The winner was Hector Guimard, who had not participated in the competition at all (fortunately, the CEO of the metro was a big fan of his). The design, which featured a green metal and glass frame, was very revolutionary and at the time, it sparked fierce debate.

Some people saw the green iron frame in the shape of tree branches in the jungle as something wild and even too erotic, while others claimed that the design was morbid and that the iron frame reminded them of human bones... and so in 1904 an article was published in the newspaper "Le Figaro", which demanded that Guimard's design be discarded and that more classical designs be returned to.

This article led to the cancellation of Guimard's contract and the metro station's The opera, which opened some time later, already featured a more classical entrance, composed of stone columns. Today, Guimard's entrances can be found in a limited number of metro stations, such as Porte Dauphine or Louvre Rivoli, and it is highly recommended to visit them to enjoy the extraordinary Art Nouveau design.

The biggest catastrophe in the history of the Paris Metro

One thing that the Paris Metro engineers failed to take into account when designing the subway was the notoriously stubborn nature of Parisians, and this led to the worst disaster in the history of the metro. It all began on August 1903, XNUMX, when an electrical cable that came loose under a carriage at the Barbès – Rochechouart station caused a fire in one of the carriages.

Fortunately for the passengers, the fire was extinguished and, as the station is above ground, no one was injured. While the train was being towed to the garage at Nation station, the passengers, who were forced to get off the train, boarded the next train, which was following it. However, then, near the Ménilmontant metro station, the fire broke out again and the passengers were asked to evacuate quickly and get above ground at Couronne station.

At that moment, a commotion broke out, as the passengers demanded to know whether they would receive a refund of their fares and, after being denied by the train driver, refused to leave the carriages. The standoff between the train driver and the passengers was only broken when a cloud of black smoke reached the train and the passengers began to flee the train. Tragically, however, the electricity in the metro station, which was powering the lights, was suddenly cut off, in order to prevent the fire from spreading, and all 84 passengers, who were unable to find the exit, suffocated to death in the darkness.

The technical lesson from the accident was learned, the wooden carriages were replaced and the electrical system for lighting was separated from the electrical system that powers the train engines, and some lines now run automatically without a driver. Only one thing has not changed since 1903 – the Parisians were and remain hot-tempered and argumentative.

Useful information about the Paris Metro

What tickets are there and where do you buy them?

There are several types of tickets that you can use to travel on the metro and they are also suitable for all other public transport in Paris. You can find information about them in the article Transportation in Paris.

Paris metro map

The truth is that the Google Maps app does a great job of getting from one metro station to another, but if you want to see the Paris metro map, you can find it below:

And by the way, if you don't like working with Google Maps, you're welcome to come To this site And get an interactive and easy-to-use map that will allow you to see the most convenient route from one point to another on the map.

Metro accessibility

Although the Paris municipality and the railway company have been investing resources in recent years to make the metro stations accessible in preparation for the Olympics, not all stations still have elevators or at least escalators.

Therefore, unfortunately, the metro is not suitable for people who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs. For these people, I recommend the buses, which do not require any climbing of stairs (the bus leans to the side and helps people get on and of course has a ramp for wheelchairs). For more information on the subject of accessibility, I recommend reading the article A trip to Paris without disabilities.

Paris Metro Lines

Currently, Paris has 14 metro lines and 300 stations covering an area of ​​10 square kilometers. Each line has its own color, and of course – its own edges. The lines cover all the central parts of Paris, including nearby suburban cities (but not the trip to the airports, Disneyland or Versailles – for these trips you need a different ticket).

• To get from one point to another in the city, a maximum of 2 transfers are required.
• As long as you haven't exited the metro tunnels, it's a single trip, even if you change metros multiple times (as long as this is done within an hour) - meaning the payment is for a single ticket.
• At night, the frequency of trains is lower, about 15-20 minutes.
• Metro lines operate every day from 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM.
• On the night between Saturday and Sunday, the metro runs until 2:00 AM.

(Thank you for the above information.)Judith Mermelstein(One of the best tour guides in Paris)

Here is a little information about each line and interesting places that are not far away.

Line 1 (La Defense – Chateau de Vincennes)

This is the first line to be built, connecting the eastern and western borders of Paris (in fact, its last stations are already outside Paris). It is a fully automated line, so it operates even during strikes. Also, the fact that there is no driver means that you can sit in the first carriage, watch the tunnel winding and feel like you are in an amusement park (great fun for kids).

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 1

• La Défense district
•  Arc de Triomphe
• Louvre Palace וThe Tutelary Gardens
• Palais Royal
• The Hôtel de Ville (Paris rooftop town hall)
• The Southern Mara, Place de Vosges
• Bastille Square
• Vincennes Forest

Line 2 (Porte Dauphine – Nation)

This is another west-east line like line 1, but it runs through the northern part of Paris and then descends south until it ends at Nation station. When you ride this line you feel like you are riding with the proletariat (or I would even say “the poor”) and that is because a large part of the population that uses it lives in the northern and poorer districts of Paris. At least this line has air conditioning, so that is something.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 2

• Arc de Triomphe
• Monceau Park
• Moulin Rouge And Montmartre
• Pere Lachaise

Line 3 (Pont de Levallois – Gallieni)

This is another line that crosses Paris from west to east and connects the Levallois suburb with the central Gallieni bus station located in eastern Paris.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 3

• Saint Lazare Train Station
• Galeries Lafayette and Prentin, two famous department stores in Paris
• Paris Opera (Palais Garnier)
• Montorgueil Street
• The Northern Mara
• Pere Lachaise

Line 3Bis

A short metro line that runs in northeast Paris. It doesn't pass through any touristy places, so I won't elaborate on it.

Line 4 (Porte de Clignancourt – Mairie de Montrouge)

This is the first north-south line to be built in Paris and it runs through the heart of Paris. Since it connects the north and south of Paris, part of it runs through a tunnel under the Seine River.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 4

• Port de Cliancourt Flea Market
• Montorgueil Street and area La God
• Ile de la Cité, which includes The concierge, theSainte-Chapelle וNotre Dame Church
• Saint Germain Church וSaint-Sulpice Church
• Montparnasse District
• The Catacombs of Paris

Line 5 (Bobigny / Pablo Picasso – Place d'Italie)

This is a line that crosses the eastern part of Paris from north to south. It is one of the least interesting lines in my opinion, but it can be useful for those living in the eastern districts of Paris or if you need to get there.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 5

• Place de la République, from where you can quickly reach the Canal Saint-Martin or the Marais Nord
• Oberkampf station, located near one of the favorite entertainment areas for young people in Paris thanks to the bars and clubs there
• Bastille Square for the many restaurants in the area and the proximity to the southern Marais
• Place d'Italie where you can find a large shopping mall and the Chinatown district not far away

Line 6 (Charles de Gaulle / Étoile – Nation)

This line is remembered by many of us thanks to the fact that it passes over the Bir Hakeim Bridge over the Seine and provides us with a beautiful picture of Eiffel TowerBut beyond that, this is a very important west-east line that passes through quite a few important stations on the Left Bank.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 6

• Arc de Triomphe
• Eiffel Tower
• Montparnasse District
• The Catacombs of Paris
• Place d'Italie where you can find a large shopping mall and the Chinatown district not far away

Line 7 (La Courneuve / 8 Mai 1945 – Villejuif – Louis Aragon / Mairie d'Ivry)

This is one of the longest lines on the Paris Metro, crossing the city from north to south. It is very possible that in the coming years it will be extended even further towards the suburbs, but this does not affect the average tourist.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 7

• Paris Opera (Palais Garnier)
• Palais Royal וThe Louvre Museum
• Von Nef
• Isle Saint Louis
• The Latin Quarter
• Place d'Italie where you can find a large shopping mall and the Chinatown district not far away

Line 7Bis

This is the second shortest line in the Paris Metro and it runs through19th DistrictThe only interesting place that can be reached with this line is Butte Chaumont Park.

Line 8 (Balard – Créteil)

This line connects the southwest of Paris with the southeast, and runs for the most part along the right bank of Paris. It is one of the most popular lines and I believe you will ride it quite a bit.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 8

• Eiffel Tower
• Palais des Invalides
• Place de la Concorde
• Madeleine Square
• Paris Opera (Palais Garnier)
• Place de la République, from where you can quickly reach the Canal Saint-Martin or the Marais Nord
• The eastern part of the Mara
• Bastille Square
• Vincennes Forest

Line 9 (Pont de Sèvres – Mairie de Montreuil)

This line connects the upscale suburb of Sèvres in the west to the less upscale suburb of Montreux in the east of the city. The metro runs through16th District וThe 8rd District Which are considered luxurious and mostly travel on the right bank. Maybe that's why it's one of the only air-conditioned lines in Paris (along with lines 2 and 14)?

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 9

• Eiffel Tower
•  Arc de Triomphe
• The large department stores Galeries Lafayette and Prentaine
• Place de la République, from where you can quickly reach the Canal Saint-Martin or the Marais Nord
• Oberkampf station, which is located near one of the favorite entertainment areas for young people in Paris thanks to the bars and clubs there.

Line 10 (Boulogne / Pont de Saint-Cloud – Gare d'Austerlitz)

This is one of the lines with the fewest passengers in Paris and it runs entirely under the Left Bank and connects the Bois de Boulogne in the west to the Austerlitz train station in the east.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 10

• Boulogne Forest
• Saint-Germain district
• The Latin Quarter

Line 11 (Châtelet – Mairie des Lilas)

This is the shortest metro line in Paris and runs from Châtelet Square in central Paris north to Mairie des Lilas.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 11

• The Hôtel de Ville (Paris rooftop town hall)
• Center Pompidou
• Place de la République, from where you can quickly reach the Canal Saint-Martin or the Marais Nord

Line 12 (Front Populaire – Mairie d'Issy)

This is a line that runs from north to south, starting in the suburb of Aubervilliers near Saint-Denis in the north and ending in the municipality of Issy in the south. Along the way, it passes through some very interesting places.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 12

• Moulin Rouge And Montmartre
• Madeleine Square
•  Place de la Concorde
• Montparnasse District

Line 13 (Saint-Denis / Université – Châtillon / Montrouge)

This is the longest line in Paris, and it crosses the city from north to south. Note that the line splits towards its end (in the northern part), with one part taking you to the town of Asniers and the other taking you to Saint Denis.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 13

• Basilica of Saint-Denis
• Champs Elysees
• Montparnasse District

Line 14 (Saint Lazare – Olympiades)

This is undoubtedly the most advanced line of the Parisian metro, and the first to have a driverless train (following this experiment, it was decided to make Line 1 fully automated as well). The line itself runs from northwest Paris to southeast of the city and is air-conditioned (very relevant toSummer in Paris (which can be hot). In the future, this line is supposed to connect Orly Airport (Orly) to central Paris.

Interesting places that can be reached by Line 14

• Madeleine Square
• The Louvre Museum

RER lines

The RER are the suburban trains, which connect the many suburbs of Paris to its center. Most of the stations on these lines will not interest you, but some play an important role in transporting Israeli tourists, so I decided to dedicate a short chapter to them.

RER A

This is a line that runs from east to west. It starts in Marne la Vallée–Chessy and ends in the charming town of Saint Germain en Laye, where you can find a palace that served the French kings. As a tourist, this line will be responsible for transporting you toEurodisney And back to Paris.

pay attention: When you go to EuroDisney, you have to take the A4 split, otherwise you will end up in a completely different place.

Connoisseurs and history buffs, however, will use this line to reachChateau Chan-sur-Marne The charming (get off at Noisiel station and take bus 220 towards the palace).

RER B

This is the line that will take you from Charles de Gaulle to Paris and back. In addition, it can also take you to the following places:

• Gare du Nord (from there you can take several metro lines that will take you to all corners of Paris).
• Notre Dame Church
• Luxembourg Gardens
• Montparnasse District (Get off at Port Royal station)
• The Catacombs of Paris

RER C

This important line will bring you toPalace of Versailles And will pass through Boulevard Saint-Michel, Orsay Museum, AndEiffel Tower.

pay attention: To get to the Palace of Versailles, you have to take the C5 line. I once didn't notice and got on a different branch of the line, and it took me over an hour to get back to Paris to take the correct line to Versailles.

General tips for using the metro

During the summer months, there is increased enforcement on the metro, due to the tourist traffic. For the French, it's unpleasant to admit, this is a golden opportunity to take advantage of the fact that these are tourists, who don't always know what to do, and give them fines to enrich the public purse.

When you buy a Navigo card, your name must be on the card, and there must be a photo, otherwise you will receive a fine of 35 euros.

If you bought a ticket for a specific zone and you leave the zone, you pay a fine. That is, if you want to go to the stadium, you need a ticket for zones 1-3. If you are not leaving Paris itself, zones 1-2 are usually enough.

A free daily pass (Mobilis) also needs to include your name and the date, otherwise this too may result in a fine. If it is part of Navigo Easy, there is no need.

If the card went through properly and the gate opened, it means the card is valid. The inspectors can see what time the card was used, and at what station. If someone tries to tell you that the card doesn't work, ask to see where it says it when they insert the device into the machine. There are scammers out there, so if you are sure that the card is valid, and they threaten you with the police, tell them there is no problem, and to call the police. Usually scammers will fold and leave the place. If you want to call the police, dial 112, which is the national emergency number. You can also dial 17 for the police only.

Murphy's Laws of the Paris Metro

My dear friend Yoel Tamanlis, who rides the metro quite a bit, discovered a number of important Murphy's Laws that always occur when riding the metro.

• The train on the platform opposite always arrives before yours.
  
• The location of the line you need is always the furthest from the entrance you enter.
  
• Whenever there are two walking paths, your path will be without escalators and the other with.
  
• Whenever there is a malfunction in the metro and service is interrupted, you are inside the stuck train.
  
• When a train arrives with some cars fuller than others, the car that stops in front of you will always be the busiest.
  
• At large stations where there are multiple lines and you need to change trains, the additional line you need will always be located furthest from the point where you got off.
  
• The sortie you need will always be at the farthest point from where you got off the train.
  

And despite everything, I use the metro a lot. Without it, life would be harder and the power would be smaller.
We just have to hope that Murphy calms down a bit 🤣😱😛