tomboy

Planning ahead for a (third) trip to France, including 3 days Paris.
Unsure whether just to buy carnets, or Paris Visite, or Mobilis, or ??? The latter two seem more economical if we ride 3 or more times one way each day.

Spouse is feeling aged (73, knee replacement), says we should take bus/metro short distances rather than walk. e.g., gare de Lyon to Isle de Cite, or Louvre to Rue Cler.
Seems reasonable, but the down side is we could spend a lot of time waiting for bus and riding on bus.

Anyone with experience with this, i.e., numerous rides/day?

greg

Rather than number of rides which may not have connections to your desire of reducing walking, why not look at proposed itineraries? Mega stations like Châtelet, Montparnasse, etc, to nearby stations actually require more walking inside the stations than walking on the streets. Not only that, metro stations require going up/down stairs. If there is a convenient bus reducing your walk, take it. Same for metro if you know the amount of walking needed inside the stations is less than walking on streets. Use taxi if walking/bus/metro are not good options.

adrienne

A three-day Paris Visite is E24.10.
Mobilis is E6.80 per day (E20.40 for 3 days).
A Carnet is E13.70 (3 rides/day for 3 days plus 1 extra ticket)

Perhaps I'm not looking at this correctly. Why do you think the Mobilis or Visite are less expensive for 3 rides per day (approx.).

<< Anyone with experience with this, i.e., numerous rides/day? >>

The answer totally depends on where you're staying and where you'll be going each day. Some of the metro connections require lots of stairs. I don't usually use more than 4 tickets in a day and some days do not use any metro/bus tickets.

Dukey1

Take a taxi

Seamus

Mobilis gives you option to jump off and on at will, is best overall option IMO.
Visite is rarely if ever I good idea.

tomboy

Good ideas, all.
About how much is a taxi from, say, the Louvre, to Gare de Lyon?

And is the Mobilis really unlimited usage?
Is it interchangeable, bus and metro?

Lastly, the on-line map I looked at for the bus system had zones 1-5. The shading of the zones, and the delineation of the city, was not adequate for our needs. We thought we'd visit the Marmottan Musee--is it within zones 1 & 2? How about Montmarte? How about Bercy?

danon

We are in Paris right now and have been taking taxis a lot ( not for mobility reasons, but for convenience)
Louvre to Gare de Lyon would be 10 euros max. ( the two regular metro tickets are over 3 euros,
If you buy ten , less)
As mentioned, many metro stations require a lot of walking underground and have no elevators or escalators.
If you are not on a budget, take a taxi if you have to change lines to your destination.

Judy

If you have wifi in your hotel or apartment you can download and use the RATP app. You can plan a route using metro, buses, walking or just buses. It will tell you how long the walk is to bus stop, length of trip on the bus, where to get off and how long a walk to your destination with maps.

This might help you avoid lots of metro steps. I find it really helpful to find the correct bus stop. If you need to transfer buses to get to your destination, you can use the same ticket but it must be within a certain amount of time.

If it were me, I'd probably buy the carnet and use taxis depending on weather and time of day and knee discomfort.

Gretchen

Get the really good guide to Paris metro and bus--Michael middleditch?
Riding the bus is a lot of fun and you get to actually see things in Paris.
I also have knee issues and enjoy the bus much more than the Metro. I avoid Metro stops like chatelet/Les Halles.
Be aware that you can't always just hail a taxi in Paris--you need to know where the taxi stands are.
The buses also work on carnet tickets and you can transfer

kerouac

Frankly, it is pretty easy to calculate what is the most cost effective way to get around Paris. If you prefer to take only the metro, carnets will almost certainly suffice. If you have graduated to the idea of jumping on the buses as well, some of the unlimited tickets are probably a better option.

I find taxis annoying.

danon

We have been hailing taxes several times a day all over Paris.
( here for a week)
NOT true you have to go to a taxi stand

Gretchen

Have it your way since you are there and doing it. There are rules, and maybe when you get ignored over and over, as I was one time, you will be glad to know the rules (as I didn't then). so glad you are enjoying the taxis.

http://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/how-...-taxi-in-paris

adrienne

Were the taxis Taxi Parisien or gypsies? I've not tried to hail cabs since I've read that they don't stop and I've seen quite a few people ignored by empty cabs with lighted signs. Of course, these cabs could have been on dispatch and not available.

rachelnyc

Montmartre, Musee Marmottan & Bercy are all in zone 1.

You would have to ride the metro or bus 5 times/day to make the mobilis more cost effective than a carnet which is a lot but with mobility issues, having the option to take a bus for short distances without feeling you are "wasting" a billet may be a good idea.

I've generally had good luck hailing taxis in Paris but officially, drivers are not supposed to pick up fares if they are within 50 meters of a taxi stand. If you intend to use taxis, having a good map that identifies where the stands are is a good idea.

julia_t

I always buy a Mobilis pass, but also use a carnet for part days.

I have foot and ankle problems, so I tend to use the buses a lot, often for short journeys of a stop or two. The Mobilis suits me perfectly.

I buy as many at one time as I think I will need for the duration of my visit, you just have to remember to write the date on them each day before you start using them.

danon

There is a taxi stand not far from our apt. , to our surprise several cabs are often there
but drivers are nowhere in sight and the lights are off.
Whatever the rules are, we have been asked only once ( near the Gare de Lyon) to go to a taxi stand,
The rest of the time ( 2-3 times a day ) no problem .
Actually, the only problem has been
spotting one available ( green light). Reminds me of New York.

Christina

I find taxis annoying also and would never use them in Paris for around the city, but I don't have physical issues.

I don't think anyone can answer the question, it depends on the person as to how many are too many and how you feel, that's all. You can just decide for yourself each day, if you are running out of steam, stop racing around. Try her method and adapt if you don't like it and feel you can do more. It doesn't really matter what we think are too many for us if your wife is tired or hurting and wants to stop. The metro is very taxing with all the stairs and long walks. Bus not as much (but can be extremely crowded at some times) but you may wait longer or not find one going directly where you want to go.

Gretchen

Ah, but a crowded bus and gray hair will often get you the offer of a seat!! it happened to me (an amazing thing after all the years I lived in NYC and saw little old ladies hanging onto the strap!!), and I did say "non, merci" with a smile, but it was encouraging. LOL
We love the buses, as I said, and if you get a good guide, you will be on the correct side of the street to get the bus in the direction you are going. One time we found a great route that ran from Porte Vanves, where we did the flea market, back to a block from our hotel. And many of the routes are sightseeing routes all on their own. I think it is #42 that especially good. And there is one that runs right down the Champs if you must see that street.

Nikki

Some neighborhoods are much better for taxis than others. There are taxi stands near metro stops, so if you are near a metro stop and would rather take a taxi anyway, look around for the stand. If you are not near a metro stop, you are probably far enough from a taxi stand to hail one on the street. Some streets have taxis going by all the time, some not so much. In case you can't get a taxi, you should always have a backup plan and know where the bus stop is or the metro station. But unlike New York, I have not had to use the backup plan more than once or twice.

The bus is a good option as people have said to avoid stairs and long walks inside metro stations. Most bus stops have lighted signs showing the time till the next bus arrives. I have issues with my feet and two knee replacements, and when I look unsteady standing on the bus, someone has always offered me a seat. But during rush hour the bus can be extremely crowded and difficult to negotiate, as can the metro.

I have only used carnets during my stays in Paris. They are inexpensive enough per ticket that I haven't sought out the other options.

Sue4

I was in Paris for two weeks in May, and bought the Mobilis pass, plus had some leftover carnet tickets to use.
The Mobilis is so convenient and gets you practically everywhere you want to go, by bus or Metro.
That being said, the Metro stairs are a killer if you are older and/or have knee or back problems. I took buses whenever it was convenient. But, as others have said, can be very crowded. I am pretty old, but wasn't offered a seat often. Guess I don't look decrepit enough!

Once, when I was on a crowded bus clutching the strap, a French woman got on (not as old as I and definitely not disabled) and immediately said "Monsieur, s'il vous plait!" to a young man seated holding his TWO little dogs. Of course he got up, struggling to hold the dogs. I guess what it takes is gall!