Key Information Guide
INTRODUCTION
Paris is compact for a capital. The 20 arrondissements spiral out from the Seine like a snail shell. The core is walkable end to end in under two hours. A single morning can hold a museum, a market, and a riverside lunch. The Métro reaches almost everything in minutes, so you rarely lose time between plans. The city suits first-timers who want clear logistics, and repeat visitors who explore by neighbourhood.
Plan your days by district cluster. Use the central arrondissements (1st to 8th) for landmarks, museums, and grand boulevards. Use the Marais (3rd, 4th) and Saint-Germain (6th) for galleries, boutiques, and café stops. Use Montmartre (18th) and Canal Saint-Martin (10th) for slower, local mornings. The Métro and RER connect these in 10 to 20 minutes, so you can stack experiences without long transfers.
Getting There
Local Transport
- Métro
The 16-line Métro is the backbone of city travel. Trains run roughly 5:30am to 1:15am, later on Friday and Saturday nights. A single Métro-Train-RER ticket costs €2.55 and covers unlimited rail transfers for two hours. - RER
Five RER lines cross the city and reach the suburbs, including Versailles and Disneyland. They are faster than the Métro for long hops. The same €2.55 ticket works within Paris; airport trips need the €14 ticket. - Buses
Buses fill gaps between rail lines and offer street-level views. A Bus-Tram ticket costs €2.05 for 90 minutes of transfers. Rail and bus tickets are separate, so switching from Métro to bus needs a second ticket. - Trams
Tram lines circle the city edge and serve outer districts. They suit specific routes rather than central sightseeing. They use the €2.05 Bus-Tram ticket. - Batobus
The Batobus is a hop-on river shuttle along the Seine, stopping near the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Notre-Dame. It runs on its own day pass, separate from Métro tickets. Treat it as sightseeing, not core transport.
