Great bus route

[mez]

Hmm...that link only works if I have a particular destination in mind so I can plan ahead - and that's not what I'm after.

[gracejoan]

Mez,

Select whatever bus route you want and print it out from this site:

www.ratp.info/picts/plans/gif/bus_paris/69.gif

When you use the above you will receive Bus Route 69...just substitute whatever number and you shall receive!! Do the horizontal printout...be sure you note that the stops are shown for each direction....I print out the ones I am going to use and may stick it in my pocket.

Have fun..

Joan

[mez]

No drama folks...I've seen those maps on the ratp site before. It's not what I'm after.

Having said that I took a closer look at my Paris guide (Michael Middleditch Paris Mapguide) and realised the info I want is right there. It's always the way!

[Anne]

Thank you Gitte and Laidback .
LB, even if the bus is slower than métro, I have found out that there is a direct bus line (number 65) from gare de l'Est to the vicinity of my September B & B, while métro requires a change in République (not a big deal though) .
Gitte, I won't use Navigo : French families with at least 3 children under 18 get a special "Carte famille nombreuse" which entitles them to half-price tickets at the RATP, whether the family travels all together or separately (plus big discounts at the SNCF too, and smaller ones at museums, cinemas, some hotels chains, etc ...) . We will only be allowed to use these tickets until our eldest daughter reach 18 though . So I should come back to you with questions about Navigo in about one year and a half ...

[MaisonMetz]

For those looking for an aide for using the Paris bus system - other that the RATP site, which is great but not helpful if you are wandering in Paris rather than at your computer, I'd recommend the pocket sized Le Bus Parisien, Répertoire des 109 lignes, published by l"Indispensable with ISBN: 978-2-7072-0454-7. I'd suggest buying it in Paris so that you can get the latest edition. It has pages for each bus route in its entirety with all the stops overlaid on a Paris street map for the area, transfer points for other bus, Métro lines, the RER and Tramways, and also indicates when service is available. The print is rather small, so I find it's best to use it with a Paris by Arrondissement map book, my favorite being Le petit parisien - 3 plans par arrondissement, that I mentioned in another thread.

During our initial trips to Paris, we were confirmed users of the Paris Métro system, but as others here have mentioned, we now find the bus system a kinder option for viewing the scenery and for aging knees. My husband commented that when we used only the Métro system, he felt like a gopher, popping up to the surface of Paris in various locations from underground, never quite sure where he was. It wasn't until we started going about by buses, that he began to appreciate how the various neighborhoods are connected.

Jo

[gracejoan]

I recently bought my new Le Petit Parisien..3 Plans from Amazon. It is shipped from Paris. My previous one was several years old. It is a good one to use. I also print out some of the individual RATP bus routes, per my previous post.

It is a guide to carry all the time..very useful.........

[mez]

Jo,

Thanks so much - that's exactly what I was after!

I'll definitely pick up both books when I am in Paris...6 months and 2 days - but who's counting??

[annettecinca]

Hey thanks! I'm going to check my l'Indespensible at home and see if it has map routes (can't remember which version it is), and if not I will order this one so I'm familiar with it before we get there. I found it on Amazon.fr

[Jody]

I ordered mine last Friday from France and it arrived yesterday...really easy to follow. I'm having Darcy pick me up the bus one when she's in Paris.

[Darcy]

I was able to get Le petit parisien - 3 plans par arrondissement, at a Virgin book store in a Paris suburb but neither it nor the fnac store I went to in Paris had Le Bus Parisien, Répertoire des 109 lignes.

So, demarais, we'll both have to get one in Paris in Nov.

[Jody]

I've looked everywhere for Le Bus Parisien, Répertoire des 109 lignes, Amazon US, UK and Fr, Virgin, etc. The closest I've come is Le Bus Parisien, Répertoire des 80 lignes at FNAC. I did order the other , Le Petit Parisien, from Amazon France and got it in less than a week.

[Laidback]

Demarais,
When I 1st started using the buses I bought Autobus de Paris, but after a while it was relegated to my "dusty shelf" as I found that between the Le Petit Parisien 3 Plans Par Arrondissement, and the map available in the metro stations, that I never consulted it any more, so if you can't find it don't grieve.

[Jody]

I don't know why I'm obsessing on getting it since I have Le Petit and Middleditch's Mapguide. Also since I print out itineraries from the RATP site and also the route maps and will have my laptop on the next trip, I should just kick back!!

[gracejoan]

I also use the same bus combination that Laidback mentioned. I found that the one from metro used with the Parisien did the trick.

I do print out some of the individual maps, too..

Joan

[annettecinca]

Okay, I bit the bullet and ignored the 11€ (!) shipping fee...my Le Petit Parisien 3 Plans Par Arrondissement is on it's way Now I'll have time to familiarize myself with it before we arrive, and maybe I can trick my friends into thinking I'm a bus pro! lol

[sandypaws3]

A great little book to help with riding the Paris buses is the Autobus de Paris! I bought ours at a little bookstore on the rue de Rivoli, near the Noctumbus sculpture, but they may be available at other bookstores. I've also seen it on www.amazon.fr.

Sandy