The Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) (tel: 3246; www.ratp.fr) is an integrated, five-zone system of bus, métro and trains that is both cheap and efficient (except during strikes, which are frequent).

The 14 métro lines extend into zones one and two in central Paris. Métros operate daily 0530-0030, lines are colour-coded and designated by numbers. They are also clearly signposted with the names of the terminus station. The line 14 métro Météor runs from Gare St-Lazare to Bibliothèque François Mitterrand using modern driverless trains. Free transport maps are available at métro stations, bus terminals and the tourist office.

The RER (Réseau Express Régional) suburban express network has five lines (A, B, C, D and E) covering five zones and operating daily 0500-0110 with journey times generally much faster than the métro for distances covered. The system is linked to the métro network and some SNCF trains.

The bus system is easy to use. Bus routes are numbered and stops display the buses that stop there, while a map shows all the stops on the route and the bus times. Most buses run Monday to Saturday 0630-2100; some continue until 0130. Services are reduced by approximately half on Sundays and bank holidays. Night buses (Noctambuses) run on several routes, Monday to Saturday 0100-0530 hourly, with a reduced service on Sunday. The night bus service cuts between place du Châtelet by the Hôtel de Ville and the suburbs.

The same tickets are valid on the bus, métro and RER (within zones one and two only) but not night buses (see below). One ticket is sufficient for a single bus ride, for an RER journey (within zones one and two only) or a métro journey (irrespective of zone). One ticket allows for changes (correspondances) of lines on the RER and the métro, however, separate tickets are required for changes between buses or between bus and métro/RER. Tickets should be validated on entry and kept until the end of the journey to avoid on-the-spot fines. Tickets, carnets and passes are all available for purchase from stations and tabacs; only single tickets may be purchased from the bus driver.

Night buses require separate tickets, which allow one change. Weekly or monthly travel passes (see below) may also be used on night buses. A mobilis day pass is available for central Paris and for five zones including the airports. Paris Visites offer one, two, three and five-day visitors passes for Paris and its immediate suburbs (zones 1-3), which can include transport to the airports, Versailles and Disneyland Paris (zones 1-5). There are reduced prices for children. These are available for purchase at the airports, métro and RER stations and tourist offices.

For longer stays, the Carte Orange, with a weekly coupon (coupon hebdomadaire), for sale at all métro stations, provides good value. It allows a week of travel in zones one and two. There is also a monthly Carte Orange. Tickets covering more zones are also available. The Carte Orange reusable ticket should be validated at the métro turnstile and shown to the bus driver.

Taxis can be hailed in the street or caught at taxi ranks (arrêts taxis) found at airports, stations and close to main road junctions. An available taxi can be difficult to find, especially when most in demand - Friday and Saturday nights. A yellow light displayed on the roof shows that the taxi is available for hire; an orange light shows the taxi is in use. Taxi ranks have telephones, so if there are no cars in the rank you can call one.

Tariff A applies during the day. Journeys after 1900, on Sundays, bank holidays and in the suburbs are more expensive (tariff B). The most expensive rate (tariff C) applies for the suburbs and airports at night and districts outside Paris during the day. There are additional charges for pick-up and various other situations, including extra passengers, luggage and waiting. Tipping is not compulsory but drivers expect around 10%.

Taxi numbers are displayed at the ranks and listed in the yellow pages. These include Alpha Taxis (tel: (01) 4585 8585; www.alphataxis.fr), Taxis Bleus (tel: 0891 701 010; www.taxis-bleus.com) and Taxis G7 (tel: (01) 4739 4739; www.taxisg7.fr).

Driving in central Paris is not advised. Most hotels do not have garages, parking is difficult (illegally parked cars are towed away) and traffic jams (embouteillages) are frequent. While the average speed in the métro is 27kph (17mph), the average road speed is 18kph (11mph) and even slower during the rush hours (Monday to Friday 0730-0900 and 1700-1900).

Parking prices vary throughout the city but are in the region of €2-5 an hour, for a maximum of two hours. Most legal street-side parking spaces are marked ‘payant'; coins of €0.20, €0.50 and €1 may be used for the pay-and-display parking machines (horodateurs). Paris also has numerous underground and covered car parks in the city centre, costing around €2.50 per hour or about €15 for periods of 12-24 hours. These include the Arc de Triomphe, place de la Concorde and near the Forum des Halles. Many municipal garages close at around 2300 and some are closed on Sunday. The only good news is that parking is usually free on weekends and on weekdays before 0900 and after 1900.

The minimum age for car hire varies from 21 to 25 years. Drivers must have held a national driving licence for at least one year. It is usually requested that the cost is paid for with the driver's credit card.

Major car hire companies include Avis (tel: (01) 4418 1054; www.avis.fr), Budget (tel: (01) 4587 08 23; www.budget.com), Europcar (tel: (01) 3044 9384; www.europcar.fr), Hertz (tel: (01) 3938 3000; www.hertz.fr), National Citer (tel: (01) 4438 6045; www.citer.fr), and Sixt (tel: (01) 4438 5552; www.sixt.fr).

There are over 200km (125 miles) of cycle lanes in Paris. Various maps and cycling guides can be found in bookstores and at some cycle shops. Bicycle hire companies include Paris à Vélo C'est Sympa, 37 boulevard Bourdon, 4th (tel: (01) 4887 6001; www.parisvelosympa.com) and Paris Vélo, 4 rue du Fer-à-Moulin, 5th (tel: (01) 4337 5922; www.paris-velo-rent-a-bike.fr).

Vélib is Paris's city-wide bike hire service. The first half hour is free, with low charges thereafter. The 800 stands mean you are never more than 300m (1,000ft) away from picking up one of the 20,000 bikes (tel: (01) 3079 7930; www.velib.paris.fr).