Line 8 · Paris

Line 8 opened on July 13, 1913, between Beaugrenelle and Opéra. It was pushed north to Richelieu - Drouot in 1928 and on to Porte de Charenton in 1931, and in 1937 it was rerouted from La Motte-Picquet - Grenelle to a new terminus at Balard. It crossed the Marne into the suburbs and reached Créteil - Préfecture in 1974, then Pointe du Lac in 2011. The route runs from the southwest of Paris under the Grands Boulevards and out to the southeast.

At a glance

Stations: 38
From: Balard
To: Pointe du Lac
Interchanges: 12
Difficulty: Lv 6 of 7
Keystrokes: ~593

Line 8 runs from Balard to Pointe du Lac, 38 stops in the order you type them. Measured in straight lines between the station coordinates, the run is about 22.5 km, an average of 610 m between stops. The longest gap is Créteil - Université to Créteil - Préfecture, about 1.3 km, and the shortest is Filles du Calvaire to Saint-Sébastien - Froissart, about 240 m. The real track is a little longer than these straight lines.

Typing every station name once takes about 593 keystrokes, which is difficulty level 6 of 7 among Paris's lines. The level only compares lines within one city, so use the keystroke count to compare across cities. At the Balard end the game shows A building on rue Balard, and at the Pointe du Lac end, Île Brise-Pain.

You can change to 12 other lines: Line 6, Line 10, Line 13, Line 1, Line 12, Line 14, Line 3, Line 7, Line 9, Line 4, Line 5, Line 11. The busiest interchange is République, where 4 other lines meet this one. The interchange stations are La Motte-Picquet - Grenelle, Invalides, Concorde, Madeleine, Opéra, Richelieu - Drouot, Grands Boulevards, Bonne Nouvelle, and 4 more.

Ride Line 8 now →

Along the way

The game shows a nearby place at each station. Some of the ones on Line 8:

A building on rue Balard at Balard. The pale brick front of a building on rue Balard, with wrought-iron balconies and the words « Propriété de la Société La Française » above the door.Photo: Guilhem Vellut · CC BY 2.0
Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Grenelle church at Félix Faure. The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Grenelle, with its slim bell tower and neoclassical front, on place Étienne-Pernet.Photo: This illustration was made by Peter Potrowl. Please credit this with : © Peter Potrowl in the immediate vicinity of the image. A link to my website sitemai.eu would be much appreciated but isn't mandatory. An email to Peter Potrowl would be appreciated too. Do not copy this image illegally by ignoring the terms of the license below, as it is not in the public domain. If you would like special permission to use, license, or purchase the image please contact me Peter Potrowl to negotiate terms. More free pictures in my website. Donations are accepted here and here. (talk) · CC BY 3.0
The dome of the École Militaire at École Militaire. The central pavilion of the École Militaire, founded by Louis XV, with its sculpted pediment and dome.Photo: Jebulon · CC0
The obelisk and a Hittorff fountain at Concorde. The Luxor Obelisk, given to France by Egypt in 1829, was raised in Place de la Concorde in 1836. It is flanked by two fountains designed by Hittorff, one of which fills the foreground.Photo: JLZIMMERMANN · CC BY-SA 4.0
Rue Drouot at Richelieu - Drouot. Rue Drouot, which runs down to the Grands Boulevards and leads to the famous auction house.Photo: Mbzt · CC BY 3.0
The Porte Saint-Denis at Strasbourg - Saint-Denis. The triumphal arch of the Porte Saint-Denis, built in 1672 to the glory of Louis XIV, with its carved obelisks, about a hundred metres from the station.Photo: Coyau · CC BY-SA 3.0
Rue du Chemin-Vert at Chemin Vert. Rue du Chemin-Vert, a long street in the 11th arrondissement lined with plane trees and shops.Photo: Mbzt · CC BY 4.0
The Marché d'Aligre at Faidherbe - Chaligny. The Marché d'Aligre, a lively street market in the 12th arrondissement, here among crowded fruit and vegetable stalls.Photo: Jesús Gorriti · CC BY-SA 2.0
Lac Daumesnil at Daumesnil. Lac Daumesnil in the Bois de Vincennes, with wooded banks and a boat on the water.Photo: Julien Magne · CC BY 2.0
Avenue de la Porte de Charenton at Porte de Charenton. Avenue de la Porte de Charenton, a wide avenue lined with parked cars and apartment buildings, heading out of Paris.Photo: Mbzt · CC BY-SA 3.0
Fragonard's flayed horseman at École Vétérinaire de Maisons-Alfort. Fragonard's flayed horseman, an eighteenth-century anatomical preparation kept at the museum of the Alfort veterinary school.Photo: Jebulon. · CC0
Saint-Christophe church at Créteil - L'Échat (Hôpital Henri Mondor). The church of Saint-Christophe in Créteil, with its tall stone bell tower, in the heart of the old village.Photo: Chabe01 · CC BY-SA 4.0