Paris Public Transport
Understanding how our lines are named and numbered
Metro
In Paris, the metro has 14 lines serving 303 stations.
metro symbole metro ligne1 metro ligne2 metro ligne3 metro ligne4 metro ligne5 metro ligne6 metro ligne7 metro ligne7b metro ligne8 metro ligne9 metro ligne10 metro ligne11 metro ligne12 metro ligne13 metro ligne14
Each metro line is designated by a specific colour and number, which you will find on all our information signs, in our stations and platforms, as well as on all of our maps.
Bus
Our bus lines are numbered from 20 to 199.
This numbering system, set up in November 1945, originally followed a logic that is no longer systematically respected today. The first digit corresponds to a downtown district (Saint-Lazare/Opéra for lines 20 through 29; Gare de l’Est for lines 30 to 39). The second digit corresponds to a peripheral district (for example, 3 for west, 7 for southeast). Yet the system has been subject to numerous breaches, since bus routes have evolved a great deal since 1945!
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Bus lines 20 through 99 operate in Paris proper and in nearby suburbs.
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Bus lines 100 through 199 operate in the Paris suburbs. Nevertheless, some of these bus lines, such as the 102, 109, 111, 132 and 169, cross into the Paris city limits.
We also operate special bus lines, such as express airport shuttles (OrlyBus, RoissyBus) and tourist bus routes (Montmartrobus, OpenTour).
RER
The Ile-de-France RER network has 5 lines serving 257 stations and stops, including 33 stations in Paris.
rer ligneA rer ligneB rer ligneC rer ligneD rer ligneE
Each RER line is designated by a specific letter and colour, which you will find on all our maps, as well as on all our information signs, in the stations and platforms.
A notable characteristic of the RER network is that certain segments are operated by RATP and others by SNCF, the French railway. We share operations on RER A and B, while RER C, D and E are operated by SNCF.
Tramway
Our tramway network is comprised of 10 lines, all of which are located on the periphery of the City of Paris or in the closest suburbs.
Each tramway is designated by a specific number and colour, which you will find on all our maps, as well as on information signs, in the stations and platforms. All tramway lines are operated by RATP, with the exception of the T4, which is operated by SNCF.
Noctilien
In Paris, the Noctilien night bus network branches out from five major transfer hubs: Châtelet, Montparnasse, Gare de l’Est, Gare Saint Lazare, and Gare de Lyon. All RER stations are served by the Noctilien network. Altogether, 47 night bus lines operate between 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.
Go to our Noctilien night bus maps
Go to the station maps for our major transfer hubs