How to Ride RER Trains in Paris, France

		Riding RER Trains in Paris, France
		Paris's RER trains take a bit of learning. Read this page before you ride an RER train in Paris, and you'll save yourself lots of confusion and time.

RER Bike Car Logo, Paris, France

Look for the bike logo to find the bike and luggage room on RER train cars.

Riding the RER trains in Paris is different from the Paris Métro. Here's how to ride the RER:

Buying Your Ticket
Enter a station that serves the RER line you want: A, B, C, D or E. For a short hop of a few stations, a Métro ticket may suffice on the RER, but to be sure, you should buy an RER ticket for your journey. RER fares are based on a zone system:

RER Zones, Paris, France
RER fares are based on zones.

Tell the ticket agent your destination and say "EHR-uh-EHR" (RER). "One-way/single" is Aller simple (AH-ley SAM-pluh); round-trip/return is Aller-retour (AH-leh ruh-TOOR).

Keep your ticket, as you will need it to exit the station at the end of your journey.

Finding Your Platform
Follow signs such as this to your RER train platform:

Reading the Train Schedules
Each RER train has a cryptic, seemingly nonsensical four-letter code (PEPE, KROL, SPAC, EKLI, etc.) based on the stations it serves. The first letter of the code indicates the train's destination. (For example, all trains with codes beginning in "E" go to Aérogare 2 at Charles de Gaulle Airport.)

On the Train Platform
The 4-letter codes (see photo to the right—>) are used on the printed train schedules posted in each station, and monitors and electronic signs show the 4-letter code of the train that will be departing from that platform.

RER B Monitor, Paris, France

This older sort of electronic sign (below) shows the stations served (Gares desservies) by that particular train:

RER Signs, Paris, France

On the sign above, illuminated squares to the left of each station name show that this train stops at GARE DU NORD and six other stations before reaching MITRY-CLAYE, but it does not stop at AEROPORT CH. DE GAULLE 1 or 2 or six other stations.

Note also (lower right corner of the sign) that this is a Train Long, meaning that it will extend the full length of the platform. A Train Court (Short Train) will only extend along part of the platform, up to the Arrière des Trains Courts sign.

TV monitors on the platform display schedules of trains departing soon, and information on delays and cancellations (in French only):

RER Monitor, Paris, France

Remember to keep your RER ticket until you are outside your arrival station—you will need your ticket to exit the station.

RER Trains in Paris

Paris Métro

Paris Train Stations (SNCF)

Paris Airports

Paris Transportation

RER Train Schedule, Paris, France

Above, portion of an RER train schedule. Note the 4-letter codes, and how each train serves a different list of stations. KROL departs CDG Airport seven minutes after PEPE, but arrives at Chatelet Les Halles, in the center of Paris, only 3 minutes after PEPE because it stops less.

Below, sign on the platform giving the 4-letter train code, and sign marking the end of a Train Court (Short Train).

Above, cryptic 4-letter train code sign. The "E" means its destination is Aérogare 2 at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Below, sign marking end of Short Trains.