In Paris, the subway is known as the Metro. It is clean, cheap, safe and fast--and can take you within a few blocks of most everywhere you'd like to be. Tickets can be purchased for one to five days of unlimited travel. For long-term visitors, weekly and monthly passes are also available. Metro maps are posted throughout the subway stations and use a combination of color coding and numbering to help guide bewildered tourists in the right direction.
Many tourists automatically avoid the bus, in part, because of traffic congestion. And, truth be told, the bus does take longer than the subway. However, for those who are tired of wandering through underground tunnels, the bus can provide a refreshing change of pace. Bus riding can also be one of the most economical ways to see the sight, as most routes drive along the banks of the Seine, giving those on board a decent view of Notre-Dame cathedral, Ile-St.-Louis and the Louvre. Metro tickets can be used on bus lines--the fares are similar--or bus tickets can be purchased separately at any Metro station or from the driver as you are boarding the bus.
Unlike other forms of public transportation in Paris, taxis are available 24 hours a day, and with more than 15,000 cabs rolling through the streets, finding one is usually not a problem. However, if you're searching for a cab during lunchtime, dinnertime, within an hour after the Metro has closed for the night, or during a sudden downpour, you may have better luck at a taxi stand than you will have trying to hail one from the street. Fares are more expensive than Metro or bus tickets, but by city standards are not too bad, with the average trip around town running less than 20 euros.
One of the more entertaining ways to travel in Paris is via the Batobus. The boat runs up and down the Seine, stopping at eight locations, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Champs-Elysees, allowing passengers to disembark or board. For one price you can ride all you'd like and with boats departing every 15 minutes, you won't have to wait long at any given location.
Not only is it a good way to walk off all those chocolate croissants, it's an excellent way to see things you might otherwise miss. The main tourist attractions are spread throughout the city, but many of the areas between them are charming to stroll through.
