Stations and secrets of Paris metro line 1
Line 1 was part of the Paris metro’s initial network when work began on October 4, 1898, and which entered into service less than two years later, marking Paris’s entry into the 20th century. Discover the line1, one of the busiest lines of the Paris Metro that lets hundreds of thousands of passengers move around every day: Local residents who commute to work, tourists passing through...
The stations of line 1
We invite you to discover all the stations of Paris metro line 1, which crosses Paris from west to east from La Défense to Château de Vincennes.
- La Défense (Grande Arche) : this station has handicapped access. Transfer to the tramway (line 2) and the RER (line A)
- Esplanade de la Défense : handicapped access
- Pont de Neuilly
- Les Sablons
- Porte Maillot (Palais des Congrès) : transfer to RER C
- Argentine
- Charles de Gaulle - Étoile : transfer to metro lines 2 and 6, as well as RER A
- George V
- Franklin D. Roosevelt : transfer to line 9
- Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau (Grand Palais) : transfer to line 13
- Concorde : transfer to lines 8 and 12
- Tuileries
- Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre : transfer to line 7
- Louvre - Rivoli
- Châtelet : transfer to lines 4, 7, 11 and 14 and RER A, B, D
- Hôtel de Ville : transfer to line 11
- Saint-Paul
- Le Marais
- Bastille : transfer to metro line 5 and 8
- Gare de Lyon : transfer to line 14, RER A and D
- Reuilly - Diderot : transfer to line 8
- Nation : transfer to Paris metro lines 2, 6, 9 as well as RER A
- Porte de Vincennes : transfer to tramway lines 3a and 3b
- Saint-Mandé
- Bérault
- Château de Vincennes
The line has been extended several times to support the Paris region’s development. Originally planned between Porte Maillot and Porte de Vincennes, the line was extended from Porte de Vincennes to Château de Vincennes in 1935, then from Porte Maillot to Pont de Neuilly and, finally, from Pont de Neuilly to La Défense.
Tourist sites on metro line 1
Many magnificent monuments and tourist sites are located along Paris metro line 1. Here is a selection of essential visits if you take this line from west to east.
La Défense station takes you to La Défense, Paris’s main business district. This is a great occasion to admire audacious concrete and glass architecture and to visit the Arche de la Défense.
Porte Maillot station serves the Palais des Congrès where cultural expos and trade shows are held throughout the year. It’s also one of the entrances to the Bois de Boulogne.
Paris metro line 1 also stops at the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées. To go directly to the Arc de Triomphe, get off at the station Charles de Gaulle - Etoile. You can also get off at the stations Georges V, Franklin D. Roosevelt or Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau to walk along the Champs Elysées and visit the Palais de la Découverte.
Champs-Elysées - Clémenceau station also serves the Grand Palais, a well-known Parisian expo and event hall.
You can enjoy the magic of the Louvre by getting off at Concorde, Tuileries, or Louvre-Rivoli stations; the first two stations will let you walk through the magnificent Tuileries gardens. The last station will take you direct to the Paris’s most beautiful museum.
Metro line 1 also takes you to Paris city hall at Hôtel de Ville station. From there, you can easily walk to the Ile de la Cité, Notre Dame de Paris and the Conciergerie.
Do you want to discover the picturesque Marais district, with its old homes, shops, restaurants and nightlife? The line 1 takes you there too: just get off at Saint Paul.
The end of the Paris metro line 1 serves one of the most beautiful treasures of France’s heritage: the Château de Vincennes. With its medieval keep and buildings that date from the Renaissance, it is a truly remarkable tourist site. It’s also the ideal station to enjoy the paths and alleyways of the Bois de Vincennes.
Remarkable decorations on the line 1
Several stations on the line 1 have remarkable decors that make them destinations in and of themselves.
If you get off at Argentine station, you can see an exhibit on the country that bears the same name (Argentina).
Completely refurbished in 2011, Franklin D. Roosevelt station is decorated in glass brick with touch screens and designer lamp fixtures.
Champs-Élysées - Clemenceau station highlights the Palais de la Découverte, a neighboring museum, with showcases displaying some remarkable pieces.
Tuileries was decorated on the occasion of the centenary of line 1 and the metro. Large screen-printed panels offer a retrospective Paris Metro.
Our favorite is perhaps Louvre-Rivoli station, one of the best-looking of the line 1. It has been designed as almost a foyer of the Louvre museum it serves, and users can see sculptures and works of art on display.
Bastille is decorated with five original frescoes by Odile Jacquot and Liliane Belembert that describe key moments of the French Revolution.
When you take the line 1 during your trip to Paris, don't just think of it a simple means of transport. It’s more than a subway, it’s a place of culture and life that awaits you!