rjs

My husband and I will be leaving for vacation in a few weeks to spend approximately 5 days in Paris. Can I get some advice on purchasing metro tickets? Can I buy them in groups of 5, 10, etc., or should we buy them as we go day-by-day? Does anyone know what a Paris Visite Pass is and would that be something we may need to buy?

StCirq

The simplest thing to do is purchase a carnet - a packet of 10.

adrienne

The Paris Visite Pass is quite expensive and not worth the money. You're better off buying a carnet, as StCirq stated above. You get the tickets in the metro stations, either from a machine or from a ticket window (depending on whether the station is manned).

The metro tickets are also good on the buses and on the Montmartre funicular.

Gretchen

The Paris Visite is not a good buy. Buy the 10 ticket carnet as you need them. Don't forget the buses. GREAT way to get around.

adrienne

Hold on to your validated tickets until you have exited the metro station.

Christina

YOu can't buy tickets in groups of five, you can only buy a carnet (which is ten tickets) or singly. It is a lot cheaper to buy them in the pack of ten. You and you husband can share them at the end to use them up, anyone can use them. I would also forget the Paris Visite.


If you intend to be moving around a lot on one day, you can buy an unlimited use daily ticket for around 5.3 euro, which is called a Mobilis. YOu have to tell them the zones, but it for zones 1-2 for central Paris. That ticket is good on the RER in central Paris, the metro and the buses. I frequently buy one of those on days I intend to stay in Paris all day and travel around a lot. It pays for itself if you intend to take more than five "trips".

Michel_Paris

1 ticket is 1,70 a carnet is 12,00

Ackislander

Whether you buy a pass or use tickets from a carnet depends very much on where you stay. If you are in a place like the part of the 7th beloved of Rick Steves, i.e., rue Cler and environs, you will need to take public transportation almost everywhere except the Eiffel, the Invalides, and the Rodin Museum. Thus a pass makes sense.

If you are in the 5th or 6th, probably not. We stayed in the 6th last fall and didn't use a whole carnet each in a week.

AnitaMarin

We bought two carnets for my husband and I for 2 weeks in July and did not use them all, but since they don't expire we saved them for the next trip.

Also, the tickets come out of the machine in very small indivdual tickets, so make certain you have something to put them in. I thought they were going to be a booklet, but they weren't so very easy to lose.

Bon Voyage!!!

kristeric

Whenever we got change at a cafe we would put 3.20 in coins in our one of our pockets to hop on the metro with (individual tickets were 1.60). We bought one carnet at the start then individual tickets from then on. It's quite simple to use..you'll get the hang of it in no time and the Parisiennes are very helpful.

k9korps

Anita: Good point about the "lots of little tickets." I, too, was expecting some sort of pass with a magnetic strip (like, for instance, the Washington, DC, system).

In Paris, I was always fishing into my pockets for a ticket.

gaelle

I took students to Paris this summer and several times the tickets did not work....might have been the magnets in their purses...not sure. If that happens, you just go to the window of any metro station and turn them in saying they didn't work. they will give you new ones. i had to do this many times. Personally, i've never had a problem with them not working.

avalon

Depending on your days , a Navigo decouverte might work out cheaper. It is good Monday t Sunday. I find that for trips of 4 days it works out cheaper than carnet, but I use the bus and Metro a lot. No way I'm walking from St Michel to Montmarte or Parc Monceau!Paris is a great walking city but you can take up a lot of time getting place to place walking. I can only look in so many shop windows!

Personally I wish Paris would do away with paper tickets and do as London does with the Oyster that can be loaded with pay as you go reduced fare money!

Christina

I don't know any metro system that refuses to sell anything but electronic cards, that would not be very user-friendly at all nor good for any visitors. It also would not be cost-effective as those electronic cards would cost more than a single ticket, if someone were there and only wanted to buy one or two. I live in Wash DC, an electronic card is not the only way to use the metro here, it's just one way. And it costs to buy it, just like it does in Paris. Besides, you need a photo ID in Paris for an electronic card as they are for multiple use and they don't want it to be shared by people.

I've never had a metro ticket not work, even when I've kept them for a year or so. It is weird they call it a "carnet" (and why the British copied that term is beyond me, they used to have something called that also, not sure if they still do) when it is just giving you ten tickets. I always have small change purses or plastic folders to carry things like that around, like the type you get with business cards or something.

SemiMike

Now in Paris, having bought our first Navigo Decouverte cards. Since we hop all over the city for meals and visits, it's been great - especially since we arrived on Monday, and so get a full week's use. So, a big second to avalon here (and earlier threads) who have recommended this option.

gaelle

I have a Navigo card as well. It is good Monday through Sunday
There is a one time fee for the actual card (5 euros) and then it costs 17.20 euros for a week. (as of summer 2010) You will need a small picture (passport or take a picture in one of those photo machines in the metro) The easiest way to get one is to go to a ticket window where they sell tickets. just ask for a "Navigo hebdomadaire" (weekly Navigo) I had to cut my passport pic to fit the small place for the photo. I filled out the card and was on my way. so easy.