Bus
Each relatively important city in France has a bus network, dense and frequently served. Buses run from monday to saturday evening and many also on sunday and on public holidays. They run around from 5.30am until 8.30pm and many lines until 00.30. During the night, special Night bus lines take over (until 5.00 o'clock). In particular hours and days, some buses accomplish a limited service by serving only a part of their usual route. Each bus is clearly identified by its number (line indication), its direction and a list of its main stops posted on the sides. Bus stops are indicated on the street by a bus shelter or a post that indicates its name and the number of the bus lines that pass by. The itinerary, the frequency, the hour of the first and the last bus running are clearly mentioned. You'll also find a map of the district that indicates the other bus stops as well as the closest ticket sales outlets. Bus tickets can be bought individually, but if you plan to travel often, it is better to buy a bus card. However, in France buses aren't the means of transport that is used in order to go to from one big town to another.
Tramway
Several cities in France have a tramway: Paris, Bordeaux, Caen, Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon, Grenoble, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Nancy, Nantes, Orleans, Rouen and Strasbourg. The tramway runs every day from 4.50 until 11.40pm. Its frequency varies between 5 and 7 minutes according to the time of the day. Each tramway station has a covered and enlightened stand where you can find the line's plan and the plan of the sector (plan of the local transport). There is as well an automatic ticket machine. You have to validate ticket and show them to the inspector in case of a control. You can follow your route on the line plan that you can find within the tram. The driver marks all the scheduled stops on the line's route. A sound signal gives the name of the next stop and a screen shows it.
Metro
Several French cities have a metro: Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Rennes.The metro runs between 5.30am and 1.30am. The timetable of the first and the last metros per line and per station are posted on the platforms. The average frequency varies between 2 and 8 minutes depending on the time of the day. As soon as you get out of the metro station, your ticket is no longer valid.
On each line the staff ensures ticket sale, people's security and travellers' information. Do not hesitate to ask them for help.
RER (Regional Express Train) The RER crosses Paris in order to connect the geographically opposed suburbs. It establishes fast links from East to West and from North to South in Île-de-France. Today there are 5 RER lines, each one forks into branches. In Paris, the RER runs undergrounds, but most of the time outside. In Paris and in the suburbs, the RER has a metro, bus and tramway connection. The RER runs 7 days per week, from 4.45 until 1.30am. Trains' timetables are available at the stations and on the platforms. Paris stations Paris has 6 train stations. They are accessible by bus, metro and RER. Each station serves a particular region: - Gare Montparnasse: the western region - Gare de l´Est: the eastern region - Gare du Nord: the northern region
- Gare Saint-Lazare: the western region, Rouen...
- Gare du Lyon: the south-eastern region - Gare d´Austerlitz: Limoges, Orleans,... Ticket's fares (bus, metro, tramway) bought individually varies from one city to another, the average price is EUR 1.50. The best is of course to buy a book of tickets (10) or, for the regular users, a weekly or monthly one that gives unlimited access during the particular period. Special rates are often aimed for children and students. There's only one ticket's type, valid for the bus, tramway or the metro. You can buy them at: - the ticket offices or at the automatic ticket machines on the RER or metro stations; - the ticket offices situated on the bus last stop; - the tradesmen indicated by a panel or a RATP visual sign. In the buses you can only buy individual tickets. More information regarding the local transport:
In Île-de-France: www.ratp.fr
In Bordeaux: www.infotbc.com
In Lyon: www.tcl.fr
In Rennes: www.star.fr
In Lille: www.transpole.fr
In Marseille: www.rtm.fr
In Grenoble: www.semitag.com
Sources:
www .franceguide.com www.voyages-sncf.com www.cfl.lu www.wikipédia.fr
