Last updated on December 5th, 2018
Take a Scenic Bus and Tram Journey
Buses and trams run with the same tickets as the Paris métro and RER. You can change buses once with the same ticket, but you can’t take the métro AND the bus on the same trip using the same ticket…
Of course, Paris buses provide a more scenic journey than the métro (the métro can be a more scenic in a sociological way…). Although buses have their own lanes, traveling usually will take longer by bus, but hey, when you get to see the Seine, or the perspective of the Champs Elysées, it is worth the extra time!
Look up the Name of your Destination Bus Stop
To enjoy your bus journey, make sure you know where you will be getting off. Stops have names, so it helps to know the exact one. If you are visiting a well-known monument, chances are the bus driver or a fellow passenger can tell you the name of the stop (it might be in rapid French though). If you prefer, you can find the names of the stops on the RATP route planner when you enter an address (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens, which runs Paris buses and métros), and plot your move.
Making Sense of the Bus Route Map
Useful : there is a Paris route map at every bus stop and in the bus itself, so you can see the name of the stop just before yours. Inside most buses there is an information signboard that updates the name of the next stop, and the estimated journey time until the last stop. Can come in handy when you don’t think you can ask around.
Just note : unlike the Paris métro which (most often) has both ‘directions’ at the same station, bus stops for opposite ‘directions’ are not always opposite each other on the same road… The map at one of the stops should help you figure out where the other stop is.
Do you have your single tickets, or did you buy a whole carnet? Still confused about navigo and mobilis transport passes? We have a post on which tickets to buy and how to use them in Paris public transport.
If you’re going somewhere far in Paris and need to get there fast, you’re probably better off travelling underground , so check our tips on how to navigate the RER and the métro.
If you find our blog useful, please consider making a hotel or flight booking with our affiliate links. Happy travels!