Like everyone, I got my carnets and used the Metro to get around. Great system.

Then, I discovered the carnet/pass is good on the buses as well.

Recommendation: unless you are in a hurry or need to make an appointment, take a bus instead of the Metro. You are above ground and getting a free driving tour as you go. Great sightseeing (what can you see underground?). There are many bus lines, and the bus stops have good labels and maps showing which buses stop there and their routes.

This goes for London, too.

for sightseeing its great and for certain cross town adventures its also a better idea to take the bus, but in some cases, it seems faster to take the metro because you are constantly in motion. That is, as opposed to sitting in traffic on surface streets. This may also be psychological.

lala

Re: metro v bus--During the day (whatever the weather), walk. Buy a Paris par Arrondisement and walk as much as possible. That is really the way to see Paris. In more than 30 years of travel to Paris , have never taken the bus. But I have come to know Paris so well by walking through nearly all of its neighbohoods. At night, we may use the Metro or taxi .But, the bus does sound like a very good option ( I'm just much more familiar with the Metro system)

RickR (and others) are right about the bus: it's a great way to get around and see Paris when you don't feel like walking. Over the past year, the city has opened several bus/taxi/bike only lanes on main thoroughfares and the police are fairly vigilant about enforcement. This project has helped speed up bus service a bit, though it will never be as fast as the M�tro.

You can now go anywhere on a bus within Paris city limits using just one of the "carnet" tickets, like the M�tro - before, there was a complicated system of zones which often required more than one ticket for a trip.

There is an excellent practical guide to the bus system called "Le Guide Paris Bus" by Editions Prat/Europa ( image ). It costs about $10, is pocket-sized and is in French, English, German and Spanish. I can't find it on line, but I have seen it fairly recently in book stores here. Each bus route is mapped out stop by stop in both directions (a street address is listed for each bus stop). The maps include the various sights/monuments you will pass on your trip.

My favorite route is the number 29 from the Gare Saint-Lazare in the 8th to the Porte de Montempoivre near the Bois de Vincennes in the 12th. It still uses the buses with the open-air platforms at the back: riding through the center of Paris haging out the back of a bus is great fun.

Oh, and the bus is usually clean, safe and friendly.

An excellent topic. I find the bus to be a far nicer way of getting around the city, unless I'm in a hurry.

No stairs to climb, no turnstiles to deal with (important if you're carrying packages), the seats are far more comfortable, it's far nicer waiting for a bus outside than for a train in the bowels of the Metro, and, in my experience at least, the foul odor experiences for buses are way fewer than for the Metro.

As BvH suggests, get a good guide or map (you can get an inexpensive folding map that shows bus routes), and you're on your way.

I am flogging this old thread because I went looking for this book while in Paris this week. However, I could not remember the exact name as I smashed my Palm for the 2nd time on my 2nd trip to Paris.

I did not find this exact book, but something similar: "Guide des Autobus Parisiens", Editions A. Leconte, 3rd edition, ISBN 2-84389-043-8. Was 7� in Samaritaine.

Found a picture here. It is a little bigger than a Streetwise map (which I now ignore in favor of the Paris Mapguide).

Anyway, this publication shows the same maps that you will see at this bus stops across Paris. So it is only those maps, with streets/points of interest in French, of course. Hardly any other text whatsoever, so no street addresses or foreign languages.

I liked it, but I also like good/plain maps. I wish I had found the other one too in order to compare.

BillJ

[This message has been edited by wcj1 (edited 03-15-2003).]

Bill, the guide you bought looks pretty similar to the one I have (which is currently out of print).

I have been thinking about using the bus for my next trip to Paris. In the past, I love the metro, fast convenient and cheap way to get anywhere in Paris. Now, however, I am going to Paris with 2 kids (under 6). Those flights of stair in the metro are going to be a problem. If we want to go by taxi, we will need to take 2 taxi (there are 5 of us). So, what do you think? Is bus our best bet. If anyone has another suggestion for a guide or map for the bus, please let us know.

There is also a seasonal bus c alled the "balabus" which crosses Paris -- and stops at many tourist attractions and photo-ops.

It is a RATP bus and requires a single ticket.

Amazon.fr has something called "Plan de ville: Paris Autobus" with a publication date of Nov, 2000. I'm not familiar with this map -- anyone know about it? It sounds like it would do the trick for those who want info/maps on bus routes before they get to Paris.

I have used amazon.fr before, and they've delivered stuff to me in the US without any particular problem. It took about 2wks to receive the stuff after I ordered it.

Is it this one?:
Grande Arche de la D�fense - Gare de Lyon Sunday and Bank Holidays only
http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/P..._g/balabus.htm
This one goes only on Sundays and Bank Holidays. My French is so bad, but it looks that you need more than one ticket, at least when you go past Porte Maillot?

That is indeed the one.

RATP has recently changed their policy to a single ticket per bus ride/trip.

I believe that single ticket for the entire line will suffice.