I've got a morning and afternoon in Paris next week, I've done most of the touristy things there, and have been looking around for interesting public transport stuff there. I've had a walk around parts of the petite ceinture before, but looking for interesting stuff I might not have heard about
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Paris - Interesting public transport?
- Thread starter iknowyeah
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
SHD
Member
- Joined
- 18 Jul 2012
- Messages
- 570
You're a little bit early for the opening of the first cable car between Créteil and Villeneuve saint georges, unfortunately (it should take place sometime this year).
The new RER E stations at La Défense and Porte Maillot are quite impressive.
The new RER E stations at La Défense and Porte Maillot are quite impressive.
Another impressive new station is Saint-Denis–Pleyel at the terminus of the northern extension of Metro Line 14 - currently it looks much too massive for the one line there but in future it'll served by Grand Paris Express Lines 15, 16 & 17.
Also worth visiting is the new extension of Metro Line 11 to Rosny–Bois-Perrier, the contrast between the 1930s original construction and the 2024 lengthening is very remarkable.
Also worth visiting is the new extension of Metro Line 11 to Rosny–Bois-Perrier, the contrast between the 1930s original construction and the 2024 lengthening is very remarkable.
edwin_m
Veteran Member
A couple of the "T" routes are actually the Translohr rubber tyre guided "tram", and another is a tram-train on an SNCF route.
There's Mirabeau station on Métro Line 10, which has two tracks but a platform on only one of them. The other track goes up a ramp within the station and directly facing the platform because the next station (Eglise d'Auteuil) is much closer to the surface than Mirabeau, which is quite deep owing to its proximity to the Seine.
Peter Mugridge
Veteran Member
Metro lines 1, 4 and 14 have full see out fronts like the Docklands Light Railway does - worth a front seat ride.
SHD
Member
- Joined
- 18 Jul 2012
- Messages
- 570
Nothing too unsalubrious about the Line 11 extension or the Line 14 extension for that matter, but not really the best spots for a leisurely drink indeed. Les Lilas, where I live, its quite nice by itself, has bars and places to relax, but probably not the most enticing for a tourist.
Here's a possible itinerary:
- start at Porte Maillot and go west, to Nanterre-la Folie. Backtrack from there and go east to Rosny (30' travel time).
- There is a small railway museum at the Rosny-sous-Bois (not Rosny-bois-Perrier) station, run by an association: http://rosny-rail.fr
It is only open to the general public on Saturday afternoons, though, so if your visit is on a weekday, you won't be able to visit. But their small collection of rolling stock is visible from the RER platforms
- reach Rosny-Bois-Perrier and change there to travel the Line 11 extension back to Châtelet
Here's a possible itinerary:
- start at Porte Maillot and go west, to Nanterre-la Folie. Backtrack from there and go east to Rosny (30' travel time).
- There is a small railway museum at the Rosny-sous-Bois (not Rosny-bois-Perrier) station, run by an association: http://rosny-rail.fr
It is only open to the general public on Saturday afternoons, though, so if your visit is on a weekday, you won't be able to visit. But their small collection of rolling stock is visible from the RER platforms
- reach Rosny-Bois-Perrier and change there to travel the Line 11 extension back to Châtelet
Yes, but if you are doing as long as that, do the math and maybe consider the Day Navigo (loadable on your phone or on a €2 Navigo Easy pass) for €12, as any rail ticket becomes invalid the moment you leave a station.
It's not a transport 5hing but if you like engineering then the sewer museum (musee des egouts) is well worth a visit. Your fellow tourists are likely to be Dutch or Brits, it seems that the French themselves are not impressed by this underground engineering. ( excuse gross generalisations)
I notice that part of line P between Esbly and Crécy la Chapelle is a tram-train which will become T14 in March according to Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org
It is not clear what will change apart from being renamed as it is already a tram-train. I've not been there and I wonder if anyone knows whether that is worth a visit?
Tramways in Île-de-France - Wikipedia
It's very far into the countryside and as you said nothing will change basically
Same thing with the temporary Transillen line V extracted from RER C that will become part of T12 Express once the extension is finished (waiting for some level crossings to be closed and grade-separated)
Last edited:
SHD
Member
- Joined
- 18 Jul 2012
- Messages
- 570
I notice that part of line P between Esbly and Crécy la Chapelle is a tram-train which will become T14 in March according to Wikipedia.
It is not clear what will change apart from being renamed as it is already a tram-train. I've not been there and I wonder if anyone knows whether that is worth a visit?Tramways in Île-de-France - Wikipedia
Between Esbly and Crécy, the line follows a river (the Grand Morin) that has a sheer number of mills and was once a painter’s favorite - Toulouse-Lautrec, Corot, van Gogh…
On a fair spring day, it certainly is a nice getaway from Paris.
johncrossley
Established Member
The Trans-Val-de-Marne (TVM) route, if you are interested in BRT.
riceuten
Member
- Joined
- 23 May 2018
- Messages
- 949
The trams on the outskirts of the centre take you places tourists don't usually frequent. Lots of people don't even know Paris has trams!
en.wikipedia.org
Tramways in Île-de-France - Wikipedia
I think I will do this tomorrow! Had a good evening with my mates enjoying what the evening has to offer so I will enjoy having a more sober afternoon doing this tomorrow before going to the game! I'm staying at Ranelagh so a good day out doing this, then possibly a quick trip on another recommendation before going to my apartment to charge my phone and bring my flag to the stadium!
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
This was something else i was tempted by, the tram that goes along the end of Etoile Royale at Versailles then along past St Germain des Loges, so if I have time after going to Neuilly and Rosny I might do it, I have seen it on maps before and always wondered what it's likeThe trams on the outskirts of the centre take you places tourists don't usually frequent. Lots of people don't even know Paris has trams!
Tramways in Île-de-France - Wikipedia
AlastairFraser
Established Member
- Joined
- 12 Aug 2018
- Messages
- 4,161
Can second the idea of visiting the rail museum if you have time though. Really interesting, not a long visit. Cash only is something to remember though.
Just back from Paris and can recommend trying the electric Alstom Aptis buses on route 56 which passes close to the Gare du Nord. Here is a Wikipedia page (in French) with some photos
fr.wikipedia.org
They look double-ended at first sight although they are not. The driver's cab is fully enclosed and the wheels are at the extreme ends of the bus. The floor is completely flat until at the rear of the bus there are four or five steps up to a raised section with four seats over the rear wheels and (I assume) the battery. All wheels steer and the driver can apparently make it pull in to a bus stop crab-wise.
These are destined to be rare vehicles as Alstom stopped producing them after a very few years. There are a handful in various provincial French towns with the majority in Paris
Alstom Aptis — Wikipédia
They look double-ended at first sight although they are not. The driver's cab is fully enclosed and the wheels are at the extreme ends of the bus. The floor is completely flat until at the rear of the bus there are four or five steps up to a raised section with four seats over the rear wheels and (I assume) the battery. All wheels steer and the driver can apparently make it pull in to a bus stop crab-wise.
These are destined to be rare vehicles as Alstom stopped producing them after a very few years. There are a handful in various provincial French towns with the majority in Paris
Very unusual vehicles. Also from that wikipedia photo it looks like the driver sits in the centre. I suppose because of the design it appears that the only space for a driving position is between the wheels so they had to put it there. I have never seen a bus before with the driving position in the centre rather than the left or right.Just back from Paris and can recommend trying the electric Alstom Aptis buses on route 56 which passes close to the Gare du Nord. Here is a Wikipedia page (in French) with some photos
Alstom Aptis — Wikipédia
They look double-ended at first sight although they are not. The driver's cab is fully enclosed and the wheels are at the extreme ends of the bus. The floor is completely flat until at the rear of the bus there are four or five steps up to a raised section with four seats over the rear wheels and (I assume) the battery. All wheels steer and the driver can apparently make it pull in to a bus stop crab-wise.
These are destined to be rare vehicles as Alstom stopped producing them after a very few years. There are a handful in various provincial French towns with the majority in Paris
It is not Paris but in Mont Saint Michel on the Brittany and Normandy border they actually have some double ended buses. There is a cab at both ends and they can be driven from either end. The most unique vehicles i have ever been on. Worth a trip on them if you ever are in that area.
- Status