3,994
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
== Paris public transport ==
Public transport in Paris consists of a metro (lines from number 1 to 14), RER (fast trains serving the suburbs with relatively few inner city stops, lines from letter A to E), buses (lines from number 20 to ...?) and trams (lines from T1 to T4). If you want to make a few voyages, the cheapest option is to buy a carnet of 10 single tickets (11,60 euros instead of 1,60 each). You can travel to the end of RER lines for about 15 euros. If you stay in Paris for several days and will use transport often you can also buy a pass "Mobilis" for one or several days (5,9 € for one day inside Paris) - it is valid on metro, RER and ground transportation. If you stay for a week or more - consider geting a "passe Navigo découverte", which is a chargeable card with picture (5 euros to make). You can then buy a weekly ticket for 17.2 €. Note that this replaces the former "Carte Orange". All prices as of Winter 2010.
=== Metro system ===
Ticket checks never occur on actual metro trains, and ticket controllers seem to employ 1 of 2 approaches: first one includes ticket controllers forming a line inside a metro tunnel or station exit and checking all the exiting travelers (since they are uniformed it is easy to see them from a distance unless they decide to hide around the corner); second one involves civil-dressed controllers watching the gates and busting those jumping over - they'll either stop them directly themselves, or radio-report to uniformed controllers who then will ask a stopped person to show a valid ticket.
Checks are said never to occur during rush hours; peak times for these controls are evenings, weekends and the beginning of a new month. Except for the major stations, it is pretty easy to jump over the barriers, or pass through following other people passing to the ticket-zone. Only on major stations one is required to have a validated ticket when exiting. As in some other countries, one can be relax about the ticket booth staff since they have nothing to do with ticket checks.
=== RER system ===
Uniformed controllers will ask for validated tickets on trains, and since the RER shares the metro infrastructure, you might be a subject to the checks in similar order mentioned above. It is possible to travel for free, even though you stand a higher chance of being busted. It seems that checks can occur at any time, so the best time to travel for free is a rush hour when controls are impossible due to congestion. The highest risk of being checked seems to occur on transfer stations from RER to metro stations.
You often need your ticket to get out of the stations, as price varies according to the distance. Make sure not to lose it as it can be tricky to get out otherwise.
=== Buses ===
Like in most cities of France, you can walk onto the bus without showing or validating a ticket. Checks are said to be rare, and occur mainly late at night.
=== Fines and punishments ===
French transport police won't make any exceptions for foreigners. Although it is said it might be possible to talk them out of fining a "dumb tourist" they are mainly hostile. Most commonly they will ask for a 40 euro fine which can be paid directly in cash or by credit card. Alternatively you can plead poverty, and if you show a valid ID they will post a fine to the address and the name written on ID.
=== Going to ''Charles de Gaulle''/''Roissy'' airport ===
Bus line 350 goes to ''Gare de l'Est'', and line 351 - to ''Place de la Nation''. You're supposed to validate 3 tickets (which is a lot cheaper than travelling by RER); checks are said rare to occur.
no edit summary
Note that there is an "outer ring road" to the Paris suburb area, motorway A86 (or ''super-périphérique'') and another wider ring called "la Francillienne" which isn't completed but still used to connect . If your ride is not going to Paris itself, you might want to clarify which ring they are going to take as it may affect the place where you'd want to be dropped.
__TOC__
== Hitching In ==
# The petrol station at ''Briis-sous-Forges''. Look at the A10 section's options.
# Take the train from ''Paris-Montparnasse'' to ''Chartres'' (12€) and start hitching from there. You might want to go to the service station ''Chartres-Gasville'' on the A11 east of ''Chartres'' (bus plus one hour walk!). From the train station, take one of many [http://www.filibus.fr/pages/55 buses] that stop at the ''Morard'' station. Here starts bus 12, take it and get off at ''N.Conté'' - some minutes before you arrive there, memorize the route: the bus croses the motorway, and comes to a big roundabout where it turns right and continues to a second small roundabout to turn right again to arrive at ''N.Conté''. Now comes 1 hour of walk: go back to the big roundabout and turn right (east) to follow the N10 until you come to a small city. There you encounter the next roundabout, where you turn left. Follow the street, it bends to the right and ends on the ''Rue du Bois Paris'' where you turn left (north). After 500 meters comes the motorway, continue until you have crossed it. The service station is 400 meters east, so try to pass through the trees on your right and follow the street to the service station.
== Paris public transport ==
Public transport in Paris consists of a metro (lines from number 1 to 14), RER (fast trains serving the suburbs with relatively few inner city stops, lines from letter A to E), buses (lines from number 20 to ...?) and trams (lines from T1 to T4). If you want to make a few voyages, the cheapest option is to buy a carnet of 10 single tickets (11,60 euros instead of 1,60 each). You can travel to the end of RER lines for about 15 euros. If you stay in Paris for several days and will use transport often you can also buy a pass "Mobilis" for one or several days (5,9 € for one day inside Paris) - it is valid on metro, RER and ground transportation. If you stay for a week or more - consider geting a "passe Navigo découverte", which is a chargeable card with picture (5 euros to make). You can then buy a weekly ticket for 17.2 €. Note that this replaces the former "Carte Orange". All prices as of Winter 2010.
=== Metro system ===
Ticket checks never occur on actual metro trains, and ticket controllers seem to employ 1 of 2 approaches: first one includes ticket controllers forming a line inside a metro tunnel or station exit and checking all the exiting travelers (since they are uniformed it is easy to see them from a distance unless they decide to hide around the corner); second one involves civil-dressed controllers watching the gates and busting those jumping over - they'll either stop them directly themselves, or radio-report to uniformed controllers who then will ask a stopped person to show a valid ticket.
Checks are said never to occur during rush hours; peak times for these controls are evenings, weekends and the beginning of a new month. Except for the major stations, it is pretty easy to jump over the barriers, or pass through following other people passing to the ticket-zone. Only on major stations one is required to have a validated ticket when exiting. As in some other countries, one can be relax about the ticket booth staff since they have nothing to do with ticket checks.
=== RER system ===
Uniformed controllers will ask for validated tickets on trains, and since the RER shares the metro infrastructure, you might be a subject to the checks in similar order mentioned above. It is possible to travel for free, even though you stand a higher chance of being busted. It seems that checks can occur at any time, so the best time to travel for free is a rush hour when controls are impossible due to congestion. The highest risk of being checked seems to occur on transfer stations from RER to metro stations.
You often need your ticket to get out of the stations, as price varies according to the distance. Make sure not to lose it as it can be tricky to get out otherwise.
=== Buses ===
Like in most cities of France, you can walk onto the bus without showing or validating a ticket. Checks are said to be rare, and occur mainly late at night.
=== Fines and punishments ===
French transport police won't make any exceptions for foreigners. Although it is said it might be possible to talk them out of fining a "dumb tourist" they are mainly hostile. Most commonly they will ask for a 40 euro fine which can be paid directly in cash or by credit card. Alternatively you can plead poverty, and if you show a valid ID they will post a fine to the address and the name written on ID.
=== Going to ''Charles de Gaulle''/''Roissy'' airport ===
Bus line 350 goes to ''Gare de l'Est'', and line 351 - to ''Place de la Nation''. You're supposed to validate 3 tickets (which is a lot cheaper than travelling by RER); checks are said rare to occur.
== Sleeping in Paris ==
