It is one of the densest metro systems in the world, with 245 stations within the 86.9 km2 (34 sq mi) of the city of Paris. Châtelet – Les Halles, with 5 Métro lines and three RER commuter rail lines, is the world's largest metro (subway) station. The basic Métro ticket is a small piece of cardboard (formerly mauve, now white) with a magnetic strip that costs €1,90. It's issued by RATP, the transportation authority for the Paris region. You can save money by purchasing a carnet of 10 tickets for €14,50 from vending machines near the turnstiles in Métro stations.
The bus network with its 59 routes perfectly matches and complements that of the metro. The installation of special bus lanes along the main roads has improved journey times. For an idea of your journey time, allow around 5 minutes per stop, sometimes more if the traffic is busy. Buses operate from Monday to Saturday from 7am to 8.30pm or thereabouts. Some bus lines also operate in the evening from 8.30pm until 0.30am, in particular those that begin at train stations or serve major metro and RER links, as well as the 3 circular PC routes. Around half of the buses also run on Sundays and public holidays.
These stations are the terminal stations of major lines (trains going beyond the Île-de-France region), and, except for Bercy, suburban lines that do not belong to the RER. The stations of Austerlitz, Saint-Lazare, Lyon and Nord are also stations of the RER, and are served by the Paris Métro. -- Gare d'Austerlitz, Gare de Bercy, Gare de l'Est, Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse, Gare du Nord and Gare Saint-Lazare.
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