Key transport changes to consider when travelling in Paris this summer:
• Infrastructure works will disrupt several RER, metro, Transilien and tram lines in Paris and the surrounding Île-de-France region, particularly between mid-July and mid-August.
• Journeys to certain tourist attractions such as Disneyland Paris, Versailles, Notre-Dame, Montmartre or Saint-Denis may take longer.
• Access to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport, major Parisian stations and connections between the RER and metro may also be affected.
• Before each journey, it is advisable to check your route using the RATP, SNCF or Île-de-France Mobilités apps.
• To avoid any unexpected delays, it is best to allow for a longer journey time, particularly in the evenings, at weekends and when making connections.
The A to E of disrupted RER services
Commuters were warned of major disruptions across all RER train lines back in April when the Paris regional public transport authority, Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), announced “unprecedented major works” were scheduled over the 2026 summer season.
Visitors traveling to Disneyland from Paris – a popular destination over summer – on the RER A will have to exercise extra patience. Firstly, they won’t be able to get there from Nation as the station will be closed from June 29 to August 30. Secondly, a section of the line – between Vincennes and Noisy-le-Grand Mont d’Est – will be closed from August 8 to 23. Instead, hardcore Mickey Mouse fans will have to opt for a shuttle bus from Nogent-sur-Marne, extending their journey by more than 50 minutes.
Anyone flying into Paris this summer is bound to encounter delays on the RER B line, which connects Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport (CDG) to the capital. Passengers arriving at CDG will likely bear the brunt of the works with the central section of the RER B line between Gare du Nord and the southern end of the line closed from July 25 to August 16, resulting in additional changes and longer journey times. Travellers arriving at Orly Airport, however, will avoid the worst of the changes thanks to metro line 14, which now has a direct link to Paris.
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From July 15 to August 22, the RER C service will be completely suspended between Paris Austerlitz and Versailles Château Rive Gauche due to track upgrades impacting the network. Tourists wishing to visit the Palace of Versailles will have the option of taking either the Transilien N from Montparnasse station to Versailles-Chantiers, or the Transilien L from Saint-Lazare station and alighting at Versailles-Rive Droite.
Travellers using the RER D line between Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon will experience multiple partial closures and restricted services between July 25 and August 16. Connections will be limited at these busy stations and alternative routes are likely to be severely affected: a large number of passengers may have to switch to metro lines 4 and 5. From July 11 to August 7, the RER E will also experience several major disruptions as part of its extension and modernisation works.
Five Paris metro lines affected
Access to top tourist attractions will be just as difficult in central Paris and its inner suburbs as for the outer Île-de-France region this summer with services running at a limited capacity at five of the capital’s arterial metro lines.
Visitors to the capital wishing to visit Notre-Dame Cathedral, usually served by line 4 and the RER C, will need to take alternative routes, as line 4 will be closed from July 6 to 24 between Les Halles and Montparnasse-Bienvenüe stations. Tourists will need to use connecting routes, disembarking at Châtelet (lines 1, 7, 11, 14 and RER A, B or D) and walking for about ten minutes to the cathedral, or use the RER B and C lines when intermittent services are available.
Tourists making the trek to Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica won’t be able to get there on metro line 12 between July 16 and 26. On these days, the section of the line between Jules Joffrin and Concorde will be closed and the entire line will be shut on several occasions after 10pm during summer. For those determined to visit the famed Parisian hill, it will still be possible to get there via bus routes 40 and 80.
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Alternatively, they can get there on line 13, unless it’s a day when that line is completely closed (for half a day). This line, which connects the north and south of Paris and its inner suburbs, will undergo occasional closures from June onwards – with most of the closures taking place on Sunday mornings. The section between Saint-Denis - Université and La Fourche will be completely closed between July 31 and August 17. Tourists heading to the Basilica of Saint-Denis, the famed burial site of many of France’s kings, will have a longer commute on line 14 and then bus 235.
Metro line 8 will be hit by delays and cancelled services, though these will be more localised and scheduled towards the end of summer: no services will operate between Balard and Concorde from August 20 to 27. The metro line will undergo significant works at République, which will be completely shut from July 22 and will not reopen again until April 2027.
Transilien lines limited, trams less so
Transilien lines – H, K, L and P – that link Paris to surrounding suburban towns will be significantly affected by major works on the Île-de-France network, with lengthy service disruptions, night-time closures and limited services on several arterial routes, particularly between mid-July and mid-August. During the most critical period, from July 25 to August 16, services will be suspended on lines H and K or significantly reduced on certain branches of the network, particularly towards the north and east of the Île-de-France region. Tourists who want to visit the town of Chantilly – renowned for its chateau and whipped cream – are advised to plan ahead to avoid being caught up in long delays.
Line P, which connects Paris to the medieval town of Provins, will operate on a restricted basis and replacement buses will fill the gap in services between July 13 and August 23, while Line J, which services Vernon (Giverny) and the Seine Valley, will also be impacted by scheduling changes.
The transport disruptions extend beyond the RER, metro and Transilien services to the tram network. The T1 line will be closed from June 1 to August 31 between Bobigny-Pablo Picasso and Gare de Noisy-le-Sec. No trams will run between Asnières-Quatre Routes and La Courneuve - 8 Mai 1945 between July 13 and August 28. While on the T2 line, no trams will be in service between Puteaux and Charlebourg between July 13 and August 23.
This article has been adapted from the original in French by Nicole Trian.
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