Advice on RATP Zone Tickets
 

Perhaps a newbie question, but I can't seem to find on the RATP site how I should go about getting to an outer zone destination. I will have a Navigo Decoverte pass for Zones 1 and 2, but suppose I want to hop on the metro to St. Denis, which is in Zone 3. Do I buy a separate ticket before I go, or use an additional regular ticket from my Carnet when I want to exit the St. Denis station?

Perhaps I should just get a ND for zones 1 to 3 or 4 to begin with, but I can't see going far out very often on this trip.

Any advice?

The example of St Denis isn't a good one, because you can go anywhere on the Metro map with your zone 1-2 ND. The zone comes into play with RER and local trains, but not the Metro.

If you wanted to go to Versailles, for example, you couldn't use your ND pass with only 2 zones, at least not straight through. You would have to deboard at last covered stop, but an onward ticket to Versailles, and same on return trip. It's easier just to buy a separate ticket from Paris to Versailles, since it is so inexpensive anyway.

Now if you thought you might use your pass for trip to/from CDG or Orly, and a trip to Versailles, then you could add up those costs separately and compare to cost of ND with 5 zones to see if it would be close enough. I like to buy the pass even if it costs a couple € more just for the convenience.

can't you say buy that supplemental ticket for zones 3 and 4 in Versailles case before boarding your metro in central Paris and thereby at least realizing a price reduction off a Paris to Versailles ticket since you are covered for zones 2 and 3.

I guess I am still being dumb, but the Zone Map on the RATP site clearly shows St. Denis in Zone 3. The Navigo Decouverte pass I am going to recharge is only good for Zones 1 and 2. So are the regular T+ Metro tickets one buys. La Defence is also marked as being in "Zone Tarifaire 3".

How can one use a Zone 1 and 2 ticket to go to a station in a higher zone than one paid for?

Is a puzzlement ----

Individual RER tickets for travel outside of zone 1 are actually sold point to point. These tickets are called <b>Billet Origine-Destination</b>. If you are travelling outside of zone 1 on the RER, you must purchase a destination specific ticket. You cannot stack different types of tickets to validate your travel to some outer point.

A <b>Ticket t+</b> (those sold in groups of 10 called a carnet) will allow you to travel anywhere, regardless of zone, on the Métro and anywhere within zone 1 on the RER.

If you hold a pass of some type; <b>Visite</b>, <b>Mobilis</b>, or <b>ND</b>, these allow you to travel freely among the zones specified on the pass. The one exception is that Mobilis passes may not be used for travel to/from CDG or ORY.

The Parisian transportation system is probably one of the best in the world. Unfortunately, purchasing tickets is more complex than it should be. What is really needed is a Onion Card equivalent.

OK, Sarastro, I understand your very clear explanation. Thank you very much.

The point that is still unclear in my befuddled Anglo Saxon brain, is whether I can use a Zone 1 & 2 Navigo Decoverte to go to Zone 3 destinations on the Metro or bus? I know, now, that I can use a T+ ticket to do so, but since my ND is for only Zones 1 & 2, I assume it would not be valid to take me to either St. Denis, La Defense, or other destinations in Zone 3. After all, the Zone 3 ND costs more than a Zone 1 & 2. If I could use it to go to a Zone 3 destination, nobody would ever buy a Zone 3 supplement to their ND, would they?

One nuance I failed to mention is that zone 1-2 pass holders will have access to all stations of zone 1-2 PLUS the entire métro. This is explained within the text of the RATP website. The métro stations in zone 3 are still available to Ticket t+ holders and zone 1-2 pass holders.

For example Ticket t+ and zone 1-2 pass holders may travel to La Défense on the métro (zone 3), but they may not take the RER to the same destination.

Again, I am in your debt, Sarastro. That clears up the last tiny confusion in my tiny mind. I had just pictured me arriving in some Zone 3 Metro destination using my ND, and having some sort of awkwardness in trying to exit the station or trying to explain to an inspector -----

zones are irrelevant for the metro