Le Métro and the RER

Paris boasts two efficient subway systems. Many travelers are somewhat acquainted with the famed métro, constructed at the end of the 19th century and easily recognizable with its Art Nouveau porticos marking its underground accesses. While the porticos may be harder to find today, the traveler will be surprised, nonetheless, by the many secondary uses that are derived from the subway stations, such as special exhibits, concerts, brief shows or displays of what lays above ground.

But Paris also offers a second subway system, the RER, an extended network that connects the entire region with the capital. The trains stop at fewer stations, travel at higher speed, interconnect with the métro grid and are fully integrated with the public transportation system. The RER is linked to both the urban underground and the national train network.

Day passes can also be purchased, and offer unlimited travel within a single day on the subway and bus. Other discounts are available to tourists, such as the Paris Visite which buys 1, 2, 3 or 5 dayís unlimited travel on the Paris public transportation system (including the suburban train network), at reasonable rates and in first class. The Paris Visite also offers free or discounted access to a number of sights and attractions.