Paris Buses: 100% Accessible
Every RATP bus in Paris has a low floor and a deployable ramp at the middle door. This makes buses the most reliable accessible public transit option in the city. There are about 64 bus routes within central Paris and many more in the suburbs, all operating with accessible vehicles.
No advance booking is needed. You can board any bus at any stop, on any route, at any time.
How the Ramp Works
- Wait at the bus stop near the middle door of the bus (the door marked with the wheelchair symbol).
- When the bus arrives, make eye contact with the driver or wave to signal that you need the ramp.
- The driver will lower the bus (a hydraulic "kneeling" feature that reduces the step height) and then deploy the ramp from the middle door. On most buses, the driver deploys the ramp using a button from the driver's seat.
- Roll up the ramp into the bus. The wheelchair space is immediately inside the middle door, with fold-up seats that should be cleared for you.
- Position your wheelchair facing backward against the padded backrest and engage your brakes.
- When approaching your stop, press the stop button early. Move toward the middle door. The driver will deploy the ramp again for you to exit.
Practical Tip
If the bus is crowded and the wheelchair space is occupied by standing passengers or strollers, the driver is required to ask them to move. This sometimes takes a moment. If the bus is completely full, you may need to wait for the next one, which typically arrives within 5 to 15 minutes.
Priority Seating
The front section of every Paris bus has priority seats reserved for people with disabilities, pregnant women, and elderly passengers. These seats are marked with pictograms. Passengers in these seats are expected to give them up when needed, though enforcement is informal. If you can sit in a standard seat and fold your wheelchair, you can also use the fold-up seats near the middle door.
Audio and Visual Stop Announcements
All RATP buses announce each upcoming stop with both an audio announcement and a visual display. The audio announcement is in French. The visual display shows the name of the next stop on an LED screen near the front and middle of the bus. Some newer buses also show the stop name on screens above the doors.
This system is helpful for visually impaired passengers (audio) and hearing-impaired passengers (visual display). The RATP app also tracks your bus in real time and can vibrate when you approach your stop.
Useful Bus Routes for Tourists
| Route | Key Stops | Good For |
|---|---|---|
| Bus 69 | Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Louvre, Bastille, Pere Lachaise | East-west sightseeing |
| Bus 72 | Hotel de Ville, Louvre, Concorde, Trocadero | Right Bank landmarks |
| Bus 87 | Champ de Mars, Saint-Germain, Bastille, Nation | Left Bank to eastern Paris |
| Bus 63 | Gare de Lyon, Jardin des Plantes, Saint-Germain, Trocadero | South Paris sightseeing |
| Bus 73 | La Defense, Arc de Triomphe, Concorde, Musee d'Orsay | Champs-Elysees corridor |
| Bus 24 | Gare Saint-Lazare, Madeleine, Concorde, Saint-Michel | North-south central Paris |
Night Buses (Noctilien)
The Noctilien night bus network operates from 12:30 AM to 5:30 AM, when the metro and regular buses stop running. Noctilien routes are numbered N01, N02, and so on, and radiate from five central hubs: Chatelet, Gare de l'Est, Gare Saint-Lazare, Gare Montparnasse, and Gare de Lyon.
All Noctilien buses are low-floor and accessible, with the same ramp system as daytime buses. However, keep in mind:
- Noctilien buses run less frequently (every 15 to 60 minutes depending on the route).
- The routes are longer, covering both central Paris and the suburbs.
- Bus stops are less well-lit at night. The RATP app can help you identify the correct stop.
- Use the same Navigo card or t+ ticket as for daytime buses.
Tram Accessibility
Paris has 13 tram lines, numbered T1 through T13. All tram lines are fully accessible. Every tram stop has a raised platform at the same height as the tram floor, so boarding is level with no ramp needed. The gap between the platform and the tram is minimal (under 3 cm).
Tram Accessibility Features
- Level boarding: No ramp needed. Roll directly from the platform onto the tram.
- Wheelchair space: Each tram has at least two designated wheelchair spaces with fold-up seats and grab rails.
- Audio and visual announcements: Every stop is announced by voice and shown on an LED display inside the tram.
- Push-button doors: Tram doors do not open automatically at every stop. Press the green button (on the door or on the platform) to open the door.
- Tactile guidance: Many tram stops have tactile paving to guide visually impaired passengers to the boarding area.
Key Tram Lines
| Line | Route | Useful For |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | Asnieres to Noisy-le-Sec (north) | Basilique de Saint-Denis |
| T2 | La Defense to Porte de Versailles | La Defense business district |
| T3a | Pont du Garigliano to Porte de Vincennes | Southern Paris ring (left bank) |
| T3b | Porte de Vincennes to Porte d'Asnieres | Eastern and northern Paris ring |
| T7 | Villejuif to Orly Airport | Orly Airport connection |
| T11 | Epinay-sur-Seine to Le Bourget | Northern suburbs, Le Bourget |
Tickets and Fares
Buses and trams use the same tickets as the metro:
- Single t+ ticket: 2.15 euros. Valid for one bus or tram journey, including transfers between bus routes within 90 minutes. A bus/tram t+ ticket does not transfer to the metro.
- Navigo Easy card: Reloadable card (2 euros for the card itself), load t+ tickets or day passes onto it. Tap the card on the reader when boarding.
- Navigo Decouverte weekly pass: 30.75 euros for unlimited bus, tram, metro, and RER travel in zones 1 to 5 for one week (Monday to Sunday).
On buses, you can also buy a single ticket from the driver in cash (exact change required), but this costs 2.50 euros instead of 2.15 euros.
Validation
When boarding a bus, tap your Navigo card or validate your paper ticket at the reader near the door. On trams, validate at the reader on the platform before boarding. Inspectors check tickets regularly, and fines for traveling without a valid ticket are 50 euros.
Tips for Bus and Tram Travel
- Buses in Paris do not always run on schedule, especially during rush hour. Use the RATP app for real-time arrival times at each stop.
- Bus stops have a sign showing the route map and schedule. Stops with a shelter usually have a digital screen showing real-time arrival information.
- If the ramp is not working on a particular bus, the driver should call for the next bus. This is rare, but it does happen. You have the right to request another vehicle.
- During summer, buses can be very hot. Newer buses have air conditioning, but older ones do not. Trams are air-conditioned on all lines.
- Dogs, including service dogs, are allowed on all buses and trams at no extra charge.
- Folding bicycles and small mobility scooters are allowed on buses, but large scooters may not fit in the wheelchair space. See our Mobility Scooters guide for dimension limits.