Getting Around Paris: Transport Apps & Your First 48 Hours
Paris is one of the easiest major cities to move around — if you ignore the noise and set up the right few things before you leave the airport. Here's what actually works.
The three apps we recommend in Paris
Short version first. These are the three transport apps worth your phone space in Paris — scroll through to see each one, and what we'd actually do with it.
01 · Install — tickets
Île-de-France Mobilités
Buy and store Metro, RER, bus and tram tickets straight on your phone. Skip the machine queues entirely.
The best default: Metro + RER
The Paris Metro and RER network is fast, dense, and cheap. For nearly every trip inside the city, it beats ride-hailing on both time and money. Trains run roughly every 2–5 minutes on core lines, so you rarely wait.
Don't default to Uber here
Uber works in Paris, but it shouldn't be your first choice. Traffic is heavy, fares are several times the Metro, and you'll often arrive later. Keep it for late nights or heavy luggage.
The cheapest reliable option
A single Métro–Train–RER ticket is about €2.55 (there are no zones for single tickets anymore), and a separate Bus–Tram ticket is about €2.05 — the two don't transfer. If you're staying more than a day or two, a Navigo Jour day pass (~€12.30) beats singles after about five trips. Either way, go digital: load fares onto a reusable €2 Navigo Easy card or your phone, as paper tickets are being phased out through 2026.
You can't tap a bank card yet
Unlike London, you can't tap a contactless bank card to ride the Métro — that's only rolling out on buses during 2026. Set up a Navigo Easy card or phone ticket before you travel.
Apps you can reuse
Good news: you probably don't need to learn anything new for navigation.
- Google Maps — reliable routing and live departures
- Citymapper — excellent for Paris specifically, with clear line changes
Apps worth installing
For tickets and the most accurate local info, install the two official apps:
- Bonjour RATP — live times, routing, service alerts
- Île-de-France Mobilités — buy and store tickets on your phone
Arrived launches soon. Get the right transport setup the moment you land.
Join the waitlistYour first 48 hours
- At the airport, buy the flat €14 airport ticket: from CDG take the RER B (~25–30 min); from Orly take Métro line 14 straight into the centre (~25 min).
- Load a few tickets onto Île-de-France Mobilités, or grab a Navigo Easy card.
- Keep Google Maps or Citymapper for navigation — no new habits required.
- Save ride apps for edge cases only — and if you do hail one, Bolt is often cheapest, while FreeNow and G7 book licensed taxis.
Do those four things and you'll move like a local from the moment you land.
Frequently asked questions
- Which transport app is best in Paris?
- Bonjour RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités are the two local apps worth installing for tickets, live times, and routing. Google Maps and Citymapper both work well for navigation, so you don't need anything exotic.
- Is the Paris Metro cheaper than Uber?
- Almost always. A single Metro–Train–RER ticket is about €2.55, while an equivalent Uber across central Paris typically runs €15–25. Uber is useful late at night or with luggage, but it shouldn't be your default.
- Which ticket do I need in Paris?
- As of 2026 there are no zones for single tickets: one flat Métro–Train–RER ticket (about €2.55) covers the region, and a separate Bus–Tram ticket (about €2.05) covers buses and trams — they don't transfer between each other. For the airport you need the flat €14 Paris Region ↔ Airports ticket. A Navigo Jour day pass (about €12.30) beats singles after roughly five trips.
- How do I get from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to central Paris?
- Take the RER B to Gare du Nord or Châtelet (about 25–30 minutes), using the flat €14 airport ticket. The old Roissybus coach was discontinued in 2025–2026, so ignore older guides. A taxi is a flat €56 to the Right Bank or €65 to the Left Bank.
- How do I get from Orly to central Paris?
- Métro line 14 now runs direct from Orly into the centre (about 25 minutes to Châtelet), using the same flat €14 airport ticket. Flat taxi fares are about €44 to the Right Bank and €36 to the Left Bank.
- Do I need to buy paper tickets in Paris?
- No — and you soon won't be able to. Paper tickets are being phased out through 2026, so load fares onto a reusable €2 Navigo Easy card or buy them on your phone in the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP app. Note you can't yet tap a contactless bank card on the Métro; that's only rolling out on buses during 2026.
- Does the Paris Métro run at night?
- The Métro stops overnight (roughly 1 a.m., later on weekends). Noctilien night buses cover the late hours, or use a ride app.