© Maximilian Orlowsky・Pexels License

France

Paris

The art capital along the Seine. With 300-odd stations, a métro stop is rarely more than a short walk away.

Bus (RATP) / Noctilien at night

Buses use a separate fare from the metro - one Bus-Tram ticket gives 90 minutes of bus-tram transfers. No ticket? Tap a bank card on board for a dearer single, no transfers. Validate every time - fare-dodging is €70.

Updated on July 30, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Sort your ticket before boarding
    Buy in the IDFM app and tap your phone, or load a Navigo Easy card at a metro station machine first.
  2. 2
    Check the destination and flag the bus down
    Check the route number and destination on the front, then raise a hand - drivers skip stops when nobody signals.
  3. 3
    Board at the front and validate right away
    Board at the front door and tap the validator right away. No ticket? Tap a bank card on the on-board terminal to buy one.
  4. 4
    Press the button for your stop
    Watch the next-stop display and press a red button - "arrêt demandé" lights up. No tap-out needed.
  5. 5
    Exit through the middle or rear doors
    Exit through the middle or rear doors. A Bus-Tram ticket gives free bus-tram transfers for 90 minutes - validate again each time.
  6. 6
    After midnight, it's Noctilien
    From about 0:30 to 5:30 Noctilien night buses are all that runs, fanning out from hubs like Châtelet - Bus-Tram tickets work.

Fares

Single fares2

Bus-Tram ticket (buy ahead)
Reduced (4-9) €1.05. Includes 90-min transfers (no round trips or re-boarding). Not valid on metro/RER
2.05 EUR ≈ $2
On-board contactless card fare
Your tapped card becomes the ticket - one direct ride on that bus only, no transfers. Up to 4 riders per card
2.55 EUR ≈ $3

Passes & multi-ride2

Navigo Jour day pass
Unlimited metro, RER, bus and tram across all five zones (flat-rate since 2026). Worth it for a busy day.
12.3 EUR ≈ $14
Paris Visite (1-5 day pass)
All five zones incl. airports. 1 day €30.60, 2 days €45.40, 3 days €63.80, 5 days €78
30.6〜78 EUR ≈ $34–87

Card itself1

Navigo Easy card (card cost)
A non-nominative smart card you load tickets onto. Sold at metro station machines.
2 EUR ≈ $2

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
VISAMastercardDiscoverDinersJCBAmex銀聯
All Paris + inner-suburb buses equipped by 1 Nov 2026. French CB cards work too
IC card
Navigo Easy (€2) loaded with tickets or day passes
App tickets
Buy in the IDFM app and tap your phone on the validator
Paper tickets
Cardboard tickets no longer accepted on buses and trams since 1 May 2026
Cash Unverified
Driver ticket sales ended Nov 2025 - don't count on cash

Quick facts

Hours
05:30–00:30 + night N-lines
Frequency
Every 5-15 min daytime
Fares from
2.05 EUR+

Heads-up

  • Skipping validation is fined even with a valid ticket

    Tap the validator every time you board - even with a valid ticket, skipping validation means a €15 fine on buses and trams.

Timetable

Operating hours 05:30–00:30 + night N-lines
Typical duration Slower in traffic, but you get the city views. In a hurry? Take the metro
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
The shelter panel — a local map on top, then a route diagram and printed timetable for each line; this stop is served by routes 67 and 72. Taken Feb 2026 © Chabe01・CC BY-SA 4.0
Editor Naotaka