Paris Métro

subway, Paris, France

Also known as: Paris Metropolitain

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

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The Paris Métro, or subway system, is a vital part of the city's public transportation. First opened in 1900, it has been significantly modernized and extended over the years, with lines now reaching far into the suburbs. The Métro is known for its fast and frequent trains, making it one of the world's finest urban rail networks.12

In addition to the main Métro lines, Paris also features the RER (Réseau Express Régional), a high-speed express subway system that integrates with the main-line railway network. The Châtelet–Les Halles station serves as the central hub for this extensive system. The city's transportation also includes a comprehensive bus service and tram lines, all part of efforts to reduce traffic congestion.1

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Paris
Transportation of Paris
…lines of the Métropolitain (Métro) subway system, first opened in 1900, are fast and frequent. Over many years, lines have been extended into the suburbs, and in 1998 a new, fully automatic line was opened to serve central areas of the city. The Réseau Express Régional (RER), a high-speed…
Read More
…lines of the Métropolitain (Métro) subway system, first opened in 1900, are fast and frequent. Over many years, lines have been extended into the suburbs, and in 1998 a new, fully automatic line was opened to serve central areas of the city. The Réseau Express Régional (RER), a high-speed…
Read More

Hector Guimard
…entrance structures (1898–1901) for the Paris Métro (subway), of cast iron in plantlike forms, are his best-known works. The Place de la Bastille station suggests Chinese pagoda architecture as well as Art Nouveau. The elevations and decorative ironwork of his apartment houses at 17–21 and 60 rue La Fontaine (1911)…
Read More
…entrance structures (1898–1901) for the Paris Métro (subway), of cast iron in plantlike forms, are his best-known works. The Place de la Bastille station suggests Chinese pagoda architecture as well as Art Nouveau. The elevations and decorative ironwork of his apartment houses at 17–21 and 60 rue La Fontaine (1911)…
Read More