From airport transfers to general public transit, Paris transport is of very high quality. If you’re a traveler not overburdened with luggage, Paris offers excellent, easy and inexpensive public transportation. (If you are traveling with a lot of luggage, Part-I of this info shows you more convenient Paris transport options).

RATP is the organization behind all Paris public transport, such as the RER (Reseau Express Regional) regional express trains network, city buses and the Paris Metro. The Metro and RER are the close-knit (mostly) underground systems. Aboveground, the views of city bus lines are supplemented by the new Paris tramway.

RER:

From either of the two main Paris airports, The RER line “B” connects you to the Greater Paris transport system.

From Charles de Gaulle Airport, a free airport shuttle will take you to the RER station. (Note: Going into the airport from Paris, there are two RER stations at CDG Airport: The Paris CDG-I stop and the Paris CDG-II stop. Check or ask which stop services your airline. There is usually a list of airlines inside the train car). A sample RER trip to Paris center costs €8.70 (€6.10 for children 4 to 10 years old or eligible reduced fare recipients).

From Paris-Orly Airport, the Orlyval automatic metro will take you to the Antony RER connection for €8.30 (€4.15 for kids). The Orly to Paris ride costs €10.75 (€5.35 for kids).

RER fares vary because they are based on distance traveled and “zone fares” crossed. I’ll further explain “zones” below. Either way, this is comparatively, still some of the cheapest (and fastest) Paris transport options.

RER tickets can be purchased like metro tickets, cash or charge, and either from the ticket window or from machines with the sign saying “Billetterie Automatique”.

When you purchase a RER ticket, you have to specify your destination, and getting the appropriate ticket is important. So, until you are more familiar with Paris transport, it would probably be easier to buy from the ticket window attendant. Most of them speak at least rudimentary English and as long as you can indicate where you want to go, they’ll get you the proper ticket.

If you are carrying a lot of luggage and your Paris transport of choice is the RER regardless, most major stations offer special luggage-friendly turnstiles for getting in and out. If your station happens not to, just show your ticket and ask the station attendant to let you through using the side door. That ought to save you from pulling a muscle…

To guide you in the RER, a sign on the platform will light up and specify all the stops the next train is scheduled to make. Pay attention to it and you will not end up 5 miles away from where you’re going. Lol!

(In the Metro or RER, always make sure you are on the correct platform so you don’t take off in the wrong direction. Sounds like trivial advice, but we’ve all made that mistake at times, just by being a little distracted…)

The Metro and RER are the nuts and bolts of Paris transport and are intertwined inside the city. However, note that a regular metro ticket is only valid within Paris city and the immediate area surrounding it. The transit authority has designated the areas by zone number, Zone-1 being inside Paris city, and as you venture further out into the suburbs, numbers to these concentric zones increasing to 2, 3, 4, etc…

Within Zone 1 and 2, the regular metro ticket is typically all you need whether you’re on a Metro or RER train. But, only the appropriate RER ticket will “release” you from a station outside Zone 1 and 2. Also, you must keep your Metro/RER ticket until the exit, as in some stations you’ll have to insert it into an exit turnstile to get out.

In addition, controlleurs (transit authority cops) could check for tickets at any time and give you a hefty fine payable on the spot, or else they’ll show you a really bad time if you don’t have one. That is sure to ruin a perfectly fine day!

Travel time for all airport transfers to Paris Center by RER is 35 to 45 minutes tops.

Before we review bus options, keep in mind that I strongly recommend airport shuttles over public buses for airport transfers. It's a good idea to pre-book your Airport Transfer with Paris-Shuttle.com and save upto30%. That's what I use.