Tips for using French public transport

Use our tips to travel around France by public transport and save yourself time and money

1. When travelling by TGV or TER in France, be sure to validate or ‘composter’ your ticket. Failure to stamp your ticket in one of the yellow machines could lead to a hefty fine.

2. You can buy your Paris métro tickets on board the Eurostar and save yourself from queuing with all the other arrivals at the Gare du Nord station.

3. If you’re on the Côte d’Azur and fancy visiting a number of coastal gems in one day consider purchasing a Carte Isabelle. The day-long rail pass allows unlimited travel on any of the half-hourly trains and costs a bargain €12.

4. If you plan on being in Paris for a while and want to use the métro regularly, purchase a weekly navigo découverte pass, which costs from €21.25. 5. If you are using public transport in the former Languedoc-Roussillon region then buy your tickets in advance as you could get train and bus tickets for just €1! You will have to pay full price if you are buying at the station though.

6. If you want to see Paris from a different perspective or beat the rush-hour traffic while you’re there, consider hiring a scooter. Cityscooter.fr lets you hire them for as little as 15 minutes and offers numerous drop-off points around the city centre.

7. When parking up in France, pay close attention to the signs surrounding the parking meter. In many small towns the maximum time you can park for and the fee can differ wildly from street to street.

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