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Paris has one of the best public transport systems in Europe, covering all the huge city. It relies heavily on the underground, but trains, buses and even boats are also popular.
Chances are you will use the underground mostly, especially as a tourist. It has lots of lines and stations, so you can get virtually anywhere. It runs from early morning to just after midnight, is reliable and frequent. Digital displays in stations will show you how much time to wait for the next train. Underground lines have distinct colors and are identified by numbers, so you will easily learn how to use them. All the passages that go in and out the station are very well marked, so you will easily find the entrance and the exit. There are detailed maps in each station, showing the surrounding area.
Trains complement the underground in Paris. There are several lines identified by letters. You can use the train to get to some places within the city, but also to the suburbs and other towns nearby. You will certainly use the train to get at least to Versailles and Disneyland, as these attractions are farther away from the city center.
With such an excellent underground network, transport by bus is not very popular. There are some bus routes that may be very convenient though, especially outside the city center. You may also use buses during the night, when the underground stops working. These special night buses are called Noctilien. Besides the regular buses, there are also lots of tourist buses. Most of them work on the hop on - hop off system.
The public transport system in Paris uses the same tickets for underground and bus. These tickets can also be used for the trains within the city limits. You can buy a ticket that is valid for only one journey. It is much cheaper to buy a deck of 10 such tickets, you get a discount for this. If you travel frequently, it is recommended that you buy some form of daily, weekly or monthly pass. There are such passes for Parisians, called "Carte Orange". As a tourist, you can also buy these if you have a small picture with you to stick on it. There are also some passes for tourists that are more expensive, but they also include discounts to some attractions. Tickets and passes can be bought from underground stations. All stations have automatic vending machines and only some of them also have employees. Machines use mostly coins and also chip credit cards. If you have bills or a magnetic credit card, you will have to buy the tickets from an employee.
Boats are used mainly by tourists and they provide an excellent alternative to the ground or underground transport. Of course you won't get from any start point to any destination like in Venice, so look for docks and ask there where does the boat take you.
You can find out more on public transport in Paris from the official website www.ratp.info. It provides extensive information and can be used to configure your route within the city.
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