The new 14 line  was completed in 1996 and connects the beautifully redesigned and modernized Madeleine station to the brand new Biblioteque Francois Mitterand at the new library.  Be aware that some maps and books published before 1997 will not include this new line.  Be sure to buy an updated map to be sure it has been added.

The RER is a rail system that continues out into the suburbs of Paris, but it does make a few limited stops downtown. Your tickets for the Metro are also good on the RER, but only in zones 1 and 2, which are the areas downtown. You will need to buy a different ticket if you wish to see Versailles, for example, which is further away.

Tickets for the Metro can be bought in singles, but there are ways to save money.

• A carnet of tickets, which is a pack of 10, costs less than buying ten individually.
• The Carte Hebdomadaire which give unlimited travel for one week.
• The Week Carte allows for two trips a day for any 6 consecutive days. Although you will probably be making more than two trips a day if you are planning on seeing lots of sights.
• The Formule 1 allows unlimited travel for one day.
• The Carte Paris Visite gives discounts on some museums also.
• The Carte Orange is a one month card for all zones (suburbs included).

The RATP is the company who runs the transportation services in Paris...buses, trains, and the Metro. For more information on the RATP, go here.
The SNCF is the national company which controls all the rails throughout the country. For more information on the SNCF, go here.
These pages give excellent, up-to-date information on schedules, times, and prices, so please check them first.  In general the trains are very easy to use and I do recommend using them when convenient.

Below is an excellent map of the Metro.

An excellent map of the RER provided by RATP is located here.  (I won't put a link directly to the map because it changes too often.  Look for "Cartes," it is French for maps.)