I will be visiting Paris with my adult son arriving monday Feb 19 and leaving sunday Feb 25. We will visit lots of museums, Versailles and maybe Fountainebleau if the weather isn't too bad to walk alot. We like walking, and travel light - one carry-on each for the week.
We are thinking of getting the Carte Orange zone 5 to cover transportation to and from CDG and all other trips during the week.

My questions - I haven't seen prices for comparing prices for zone 1-2 with 3 or 4 roundtrip tickets to zone 4-5. What are the current prices?

We speak no French other than greetings and a few tourist-book phrases. How do I politely ask for the Carte Orange (rather than just showing up and saying "Bonjour, Madame - carte orange hebdomadaire" which may be to the point but seems rather insufficient.

I've seen some negative comments about signage in the airport. Will it be difficult for non French speaking people to find the way to purchase tickets and then get to the RER to Gard Nord then the metro?

Any suggestions for inexpensive vegetarian places to eat?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

A 2-zone <i>Carte Orange</i> costs &euro;16,00, and a 5-zone costs &euro;31,50.

A round-trip from CDG via RER is 16,20. So if you add that to the 2-zone, you get 32,20 - making the 5-zone the best deal for your situation. Your trip to Versailles via RER C will be essentialy free. And your pass will get you almost to Fontainebleau on the D2 line - just buy a round-trip supplement to get you from Lieusaint-Moissy to your destination station and back to Zone 5.

You will need to communicate the number of cards you want, and the zones you want covered. Write it on a piece of paper, and present it with your ID photos and a &quot;bonjour, madame.&quot;

<b>2 <i>Cartes Oranges</i> 5 Zones, s.v.p.</b>

The way to the RER station is displayed prominently in French and English all over the airport. For an example, go to http://en.parisinfo.com and hit the &quot;Practical Paris&quot; link.

For prices go to http://www.ratp.fr/ and click on Titres de transport.

Just add an &quot;une&quot; in front of &quot;carte&quot; and a &quot;cing zones, s'il vous plait&quot; at the end of your phrase and it will be perfect.

The signs at CDG are discrete and frazzled travelers can miss them. The fundamental choice is whether to take the airport shuttle bus from your arrival terminal or walk. we prefer to walk, but we pack lightly.

The down escalator to the RER station is close by the in-airport Sheraton Hotel. The Aeroport de Paris site has a terminal map.

In February, the lines at the RER ticket counter should not be too long. Have small head-shot photos with you for the Cart Orange.

rather, 'cinq zones.&quot;

<b>Deux <i>Cartes Oranges</i> pour cinq zones, s'il vous pla&icirc;t</b> is more formal, but carries the same information. The French <u>do</u> recognize the numbers 2 and 5 (although the way they make 1 and 7 often baffles newcomers).

For vegetarian restaurants in Paris, this website has assembled a list: http://nwfolk.com/vegparis.html

&quot;just buy a round-trip supplement to get you from Lieusaint-Moissy to your destination station and back to Zone 5.&quot;

I was told you can't just buy a supplement to add to your zone 5, or whichever zone you have. Do you need to get off the RER in Lieusaint-Moissy and then buy the remainer of your ticket?

I would get off the train and buy the ticket if they wouldn't sell me one at my origin RER station.

I think you have to get off the RER at Melun and ride SNCF from there, but I could be wrong. The Transilien lines originate in Paris, after all. I just don't know how the fares on different companies' equipment operates.

Help, I am still confused about the difference between Carte orange and the Paris Visitor pass - is the only difference the price and the fact that the Carte Orange requires a picture. It seems to me that Carte Orange is good for the entire week (Mon-Sun) is that true?

Also, could someone explain the zones to me - we are staying in the 15e and plan on touring only in Paris, will zones 1 &amp; 2 be enough?

Thanks!

You've got the difference nailed. The <i>Paris Visite</i> starts any time, runs for up to 5 days, and costs much more than <i>Carte Orange</i>. Except in very specific circumstances (e.g. a same-day layover from an airport), the <b>Paris Visite is a bad deal</b>.

The zones are defined on this map: http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...nes&amp;fm=pdf

Hi

My wife and I went to Paris in April last year. We got a carte orange and we used the metro a lot to get around.

I have posted a trip report from Paris on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/Paris_France.htm . I have also made an interactive Google map that shows you where the attractions are located http://gardkarlsen.com/paris_france_map.htm . Click on the markers to get more info Hope this helps a little

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Me and a companion will be arriving at CDG on a Saturday and returning to CDG 8 days later on Sunday. We will be traveling throughout Paris (zones 1 and 2), to Versailles (zone 4), to Massay Palaiseau (zone 4 - for rental car pickup) and CDG (zone 5).

If my calculations are correct, our best bet is to pay the E8 fare into the city on Saturday, buy a carnet (to split between the two of us) for E10.50 for travel in the city on Saturday and Sunday, then buy a Carte Orange for zones 1-5 for E31.50 for use Monday through Sunday.

Am I missing a better option here? Thanks.

If the round-trips to Zone 4 and the one-way to CDG add up to more than &euro;15,50*, then you've nailed the most economical way to do it.

But if you buy a <i>Forfait Loisirs</i> for the Versailles expedition, your transport plan might pencil out differently. This is a package sold at SNCF outlets that pays your round-trip from anywhere in Paris, plus admissions to all the sights of Versailles, plus audioguides to most of them. At &euro;19, it's a helluva deal.

http://www.transilien.com/web/site/a...-de-Versailles

* The difference between a 2-zone and 5-zone CO.

What is the best way for travel from CDG, to Orly, travel within Paris and perhaps one day trip outside of Paris to St. Germain-en-Laye? We will arrive on a Wednesday and depart the following Monday.

A 2-zone <i>Carte Orange</i> (valid through Sunday), and single tickets from CDG and to St-Germain-en-Laye. If you make more than one trip outside Zone 2 (to Versailles, for example), then a 5-Zone <i>Carte Orange</i> becomes economical - and you will use it to get from CDG to Paris.

For the Paris-Orly trip, you can either take the M&eacute;tro or bus to Denfert-Rochereau and the Orlybus from there, or the RER B train to Antony and the OrlyVal shuttle train from there. There's a cheaper way, if you pinch pennies: take the RER C to Pont de Rungis and the free shuttle from there to your terminal.

Here's the master transport map for Paris and environs:

http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...eur&amp;fm=pdf

(Adobe.com Reader required.)

Thanks Robespierre.

I've looked at the RATP website and have looked at the timetable feature, but do not see information regarding tariffs. Am I missing it?

Does that site, or another, provide tariff information for the metro and RER, as well as information on supplement pricing for zones outside of those covered by the Carte Orange I've purchased?

Thanks

Pricing for all RATP products is here: http://www.ratp.info/informer/tarif.php

I've looked all over for outside-Paris fare information, but the site that <u>should</u> have them doesn't work. Go to http://www.transilien.com/web/site/a...et-abonnements to see what I mean.

Robespierre- Thank you so much!

How much time should I allot for purchasing the Orlybus ticket and getting to Orly? Can I purchase ahead the ticket to St. Germain-en-Laye?

I also have some &quot;billets&quot; left over from my last trip, 6 years ago. They are green. Are they still valid? If so, could I use them for Zone 1 and 2?

ttt