How to use public transport in France

Paris is one transport region, not the French standard

The Paris-region authority coordinates Metro, RER, suburban trains, buses and trams across the capital and surrounding area. Its tickets stop being the answer when you travel in Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux or another city. There, the local operator defines both the fare and the proof of payment.39

SNCF Connect covers regional TER and longer rail journeys, not a universal city pass. Each French region manages its TER offer, so refund, bicycle and ticket rules can differ even when the purchase happens in the same app.10

Paris now has two simple single-ticket families

In 2026, Metro-Train-RER tickets cost €2.55 and cover those rail modes across Île-de-France except the airport stations. Bus-Tram tickets cost €2.05. A rail ticket does not create a free connection to bus or tram, so a mixed journey can consume two different tickets.14

Tickets can be stored on a compatible Android or iPhone or loaded onto Navigo Easy. One phone or pass is for one passenger at a time. Keep the same medium until the journey and any inspection are complete.34

Navigo Week is a calendar week, not seven flexible days

The all-zone Navigo Weekly Pass costs €32.40 in 2026 and runs from Monday through Sunday. A current-week pass bought on Thursday ends that Sunday; it does not run for seven days through the following Wednesday. Sales for the following week open on Friday. You can load the pass on a compatible phone or a €5 Navigo Discovery pass. The physical Discovery pass requires a first and last name plus a photo; Navigo Easy cannot hold the weekly product.678

The all-zone weekly pass includes the ordinary rail and Metro routes to CDG and Orly, but not Orlyval. The €12.30 Navigo Day pass excludes airports. Compare the actual dates and airport route rather than choosing a pass from its name alone.615

Airport rail needs a dedicated ticket unless a pass covers it

The Paris Region Airports Ticket costs €14 in 2026. It covers RER B to Charles de Gaulle and Metro line 14 or Orlyval to Orly, with eligible rail and Metro connections inside the network. It does not cover buses, trams or the separate airport coaches.5

A Navigo Easy pass cannot hold an airport ticket at the same time as certain ordinary rail products. The app explains the coexistence rule, so check the pass contents before approaching the gate instead of buying two fares that cannot sit together.5

Do not assume Paris has London-style bank-card tapping

Île-de-France began a limited bank-card validation rollout in 2026, including buses in Paris and the inner suburbs, the Montmartre funicular and a specific exit solution at Orly. The authority calls it a troubleshooting option, charges more than a normal ticket in many cases and does not include normal connections. It is not yet a universal tap-in system for Metro and RER.2

Other French cities can be different. Lyon, for example, accepts a contactless bank card on most of zones 1 and 2, with one-hour transfers and a daily cap. That local rule says nothing about Marseille, Nice or Paris, so verify the operator for the city you are in.9

Check the final service in the operator app

Route planners can combine several operators and still miss a late engineering change, strike notice or replacement bus detail. For an airport departure, last train or tight TER connection, open the responsible operator's disruption notice on the day and leave a buffer.