Christina

I plan to go to Meaux when I'm in Paris in a couple months to see the fantastic new WWI museum. It's only about 40 minutes on a Transilien train and Meaux is in zone 5. They say you can use Paris metro/RER tickets for that, as well as for the buses within Meaux. The train leaves from Gare de l'Est. I plan to use a one-day Mobilis for zone 5 which will be about the cost of the separate train fares together, plus I'll have my other transprtaiton that day covered in Paris and Meaux.

I've never taken a Transilien train from a Paris train station, so I'm not sure where you catch these or how to use the single ticket? Can anyone advise. Are these trains in the same area as the RER and you then put the ticket in a turnstile? I just don't remember what the signage is like within a Paris train station re Transilien trains, if they are at the regular quays or what.

thanks

kerouac

Yes, they are the same as the RER, except that when you get far from Paris, as least in the small stations, there are no exit turnstiles so you walk freely out of the station.

Each main Paris station has a special section for Transilien trains, so you have to check the signs for suburban trains and not main line trains.

Christina

okay, thanks a lot. I remember taking one once to some place but I transferred very far out on the RER line so it was just a regular small station.

Do you mean the section for the Transilien trains are in the same direction as the RER trains, not the grande lignes? Because you don't need to go through a turnstile for the grande lignes.

kerouac

No, they just have their own turnstiles.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Gare de l'Est is set up differently than the other train stations. To get to the suburban train to Meaux you'll have to go through a turnstile/barrier, unlike other train stations where you just walk right onto the train from the platform. But the Mobilis ticket is the same size and shape as a métro/RER ticket and works the same in the turnstile/barrier. For your departure look at the blue colored tv monitors for Île-de-France trains. To make sure you've got the right train there are monitors at the beginning of each platform and they will show all the stops that train will make. I use the transilien trains all the time from all the stations so if I wasn't clear or you've got any questions come back and I can advise. I haven't yet been to the WWI museum in Meaux but I really want to go so I hope you enjoy it.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Just because I wasn't sure if I was clear, the trains to Meaux (and all other transilien trains) are in the main hall at Gare de l'Est. So you don't go underground like you would if you were taking the RER.

Christina

Thank you for the info, I appreciate it. I just like to know what to look for to be prepared and not wander around.

kerouac

Actually there are two main line stations that use the turnstiles for suburban trains -- Montparnasse and Gare de l'Est.

FrenchMystiqueTours

I must admit that Gare du Nord also has a turnstile entrance for some of the Transilien trains. It's on the far right side of the station. I've not noticed them at Gare Montparnasse but I only take trains to/from Epernon and Chartres from that station and they have no turnstile.

kerouac

True, Gare du Nord also uses turnstiles for the suburban trains. I should have remembered immediately since I went to Auvers twice this summer!

PalenQ

If you have a railpass or any kind of pass and need to trip the turnstiles to get to a Transilien train you can IME go up to the manned ticket window and ask for a'contremarque de passage' - a ticket that costs nothing - it has to be accompanied by a valid pass - just lets you into the system. I've done this with Eurail Passes for years - them being valid on RER C to Versailles and Etampes and from any RER B metro station out to Roissy Airport (but only going out - not for wome weird reason coming in!)

So ask for a contremarque de passage if tripped up by a turnstile you cannot hop over. If doing a return ask for one going and for one coming back.

FrenchMystiqueTours

I believe the Eurail passes are no longer valid on any of the RER lines.

PalenQ

No they are still valid, according to the Eurail Map/Guide that comes with the pass on the two RER segments I mention - unless very recently changed that is.

kerouac

Well, it wouldn't be valid on the RATP segments of the RER.

PalenQ

No it is only valid on RER lines run in tandem with the SNCF - like RER C - on some of the lines not all run by the SNCF though it used to be valid on all RER lines conjunctly run with RATP and SNCF. Again things may always change quickly.

PalenQ

Yes according to the 2013 Eurail brochure Eurailpasses are not valid on RER to or from the airport but France Railpasses seem to be - ditto perhaps for RER C - now I have to get to the bottom of that as I use a Eurail on RER C a lot - or used to anyway.

Christina

well, I don't buy railpasses and even if I did, wouldn't buy them if my trips were for local day trips. Maybe someone else would have some use for that, I was pleased to note Meaux was in zone 5 and I could use a Mobilis zone 5 and also get use of the buses within Meaux that day, and the cost would be less than buying the R/T ticket to Meaux and using a t+ ticket for the bus, plus I'd get all-day use back in Paris for whatever I'd be doing there that day.

That was actually the news to me, when I was checking Meaux's website for how to get from the gare to the WWI museum, I found the bus lines and they said I could use a t+ ticket.

FrenchMystiqueTours

The ticket t+ are valid on all métro, trams and buses within Île-de-France (out to zone 5) but there are 15 bus lines that will require more than one ticket. They are not valid on the airport shuttle buses, however (RoissyBus etc.).

PalenQ - It was a couple of years ago I called your friend at RailEurope (you gave me his name) to verify that Eurail passes were not valid on RER lines. He was very nice and spent about half an hour on the phone with me as he was having a hard time figuring it out himself.

PalenQ

well, I don't buy railpasses and even if I did, wouldn't buy them if my trips were for local day trips.>

Wellthe Mobilis is a pass is it not? And thus the contramarque de passage reference as I had to do many times with a different type of pass.

Sarastro

<i>Wellthe Mobilis is a pass is it not?</i>

I suppose one could call the Mobilis a one-day pass but it is issued and used as a ticket. You will not need anything else to access turnstiles when using the Mobilis.