METRO MAP: aka get with it

Paris is great by foot, but damn is it big, your feet might fall off eventually. Metro is by far the best means of getting around.
Taxis are always ok but believe me on weekend nights, early mornings or rush hour traffic in the afternoons, they are not so fun, and most importantly, no where to be found. I remember once thinking that'll be better off taking a cab and then having to get out of the cab which was totally stuck in traffic, and running down to the metro to make it to my appointment on time.
To make the short story long, you'll need the metro at some point so might as well get acquainted with it, plus it really is one of the best systems in the world. There is a stop practically on every other street.

The metro runs roughly from 5 am to about 1 am, some lines very by a few minutes.
At nights and weekends it does not come as often, but it's still pretty reliable.
You always have to look at the last stop on the line you are going to be taking as that will be the direction you'll have to take.
If you can avoid changing at large stops such as Chatelet, Montparnasse, Republique or Bastille, because sometimes the tunnels are very long and crowded. But you probably will have to do it at some point. Just for reference, when changing lines look for the sign "CORRESPONDANCE" with your lines number on it (they run by numbers, just like the arrondissements)




You can buy a number of different metro passes depending on what you need. There is a one time ticket that comes solo or is sold by ten, a day ticket, as well as an array of special tourist passes ranging from 1 - 5 days (the 5 day pass is 27€, so just get a regular week pass).
The weekly and monthly passes are called la "Carte Orange" and they are the most economical way to get around. The card is purchased from Sunday to Monday in most Metro stations and costs 16.00€/week and 52.50€/mo.
They will ask you which zones? If you are not living outside of Paris, you'll need zones 1 & 2.




You'll also need a wallet size photo for this card but some bigger stations have a booth in which to take it. Un "Carnet" which contains 10 tickets is also available for 10.50€ but less convenient. If you are moving to Paris for a longer period of time you might try their yearly ticket called Intégrale. Your choice will depend on how often you plan to use the RATP system. By all means keep your validated ticket until you get off the bus or metro. There is a fine for those caught without a ticket!
Finally the RER, is the train that will take you outside of Paris, including the Airport.
The RER lines are thicker on the map and they are not numbered, but rather have letter names such as A, B, and C

Here is the web site in English:


http://www.ratp.info/informer/anglais/index.php

Finally, if you need help figuring out all the connections as well as the time it will take you to get to your destination you may use the web site to map out your itinerary.