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The Paris metro : lines, stations and practical guide

Quick, dense and surprisingly elegant, the Paris metro is much more than a means of transport. Behind every line lies a slice of city history, and certain stations have become works of art in their own right. Extime Travel walks you through the network so you can travel the capital with ease and savour the small architectural surprises along the way.

A network on five zones

 

The Île-de-France transport network is divided into 5 zones that extend well beyond the city itself. The Paris metro proper stretches across 3 of these zones. This distinction matters when buying a ticket : the price varies according to the area you wish to reach.

 

The most emblematic lines

Line 1, the historic backbone

The oldest line of the network, line 1 crosses the capital from east to west, from La Défense to Château de Vincennes. It runs through the Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde and the Louvre, and welcomes more than 700 000 travelers every day.

Line 2, along the right bank

Line 2 takes you across zone 1, from Porte Dauphine in the west to Nation in the east. It is the line to choose to reach the Sacré-Cœur basilica, the Arc de Triomphe or the Père-Lachaise cemetery.

Line 4, the first to cross the Seine

Pioneer of the north-south crossings, line 4 required true engineering ingenuity to pass beneath the river. It connects Porte de Clignancourt to Mairie de Montrouge.

Line 5, from Bobigny to Place d'Italie

Starting at Bobigny in zone 3, line 5 reaches Place d'Italie via the east of the city, with stops at Gare du Nord and Gare d'Austerlitz.

Line 6, the panoramic line

Largely elevated, line 6 offers superb glimpses of the city. It links Charles de Gaulle - Étoile to Nation, with stops at the Eiffel Tower and at Denfert-Rochereau, near the Catacombs.

Line 7, towards the Louvre and Châtelet

From La Courneuve in zone 3, line 7 runs to Mairie d'Ivry through the heart of the capital. It serves the Louvre and Châtelet-les Halles, the city's largest station.

Line 8, one of the longest

Line 8 is the second longest in the network. It crosses the city from Balard in the south-west to Pointe du Lac in the south-east.

Stations turned works of art

Far from being purely functional, the Paris metro carries a real aesthetic ambition. From the very first years of the network, the Art Nouveau entrances designed by Hector Guimard brought a poetic touch to the new mode of transport. Today, several stations are worth a visit in their own right : Arts et Métiers and its copper-clad walls, Concorde and its alphabet of letters spelling out the Declaration of the Rights of Man, Louvre - Rivoli and its archaeological displays.

Practical information

  • Trains generally run from around 5.30 am until 1.15 am, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday evenings. 
  • A Navigo Easy card or a smartphone loaded with the relevant tickets gives access to the entire network. 
  • For a stay of several days, the Paris Visite pass offers unlimited travel.
  • 16 lines, more than 300 stations
  • Metro covers 3 zones (out of 5 in Île-de-France)

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