The métro, combined with the RER (Réseau Express Régional) suburban express lines, is the simplest way of moving around the city and also one of the cheapest – €1.30 for a single journey anywhere in the centre. Many of the métro lines follow the streets above; line 1 for example shadows the Champs- Élysées and rue de Rivoli. The métro runs from 5.30am to around 12.30am, RER trains from 5am to 12.30am. Stations (abbreviated: M° Concorde, RER Luxembourg, etc) are evenly spaced and you'll rarely find yourself more than 500m from one in the centre, though the interchanges can involve a lot of legwork, including many stairs. You'll find free maps of varying sizes and details are available at most stations (in descending scale, ask for either a Grand Plan de Paris, a Petit Plan de Paris or a Paris Plan de Poche). The lines are colour-coded and designated by numbers for the métro and by letters for the RER. You also need to know the direction of travel – signposted using the names of the terminus: for example, travelling from Montparnasse to Châtelet, you follow the sign "Direction Porte-de-Clignancourt"; from Gare d'Austerlitz to Grenelle on line 10 you follow "Direction Boulogne–Pont-de-St-Cloud". The numerous interchanges (correspondances) make it possible to cover most of the city in a more or less straight line. For RER journeys beyond the city, make sure that the station you want is illuminated on the platform display board.
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