Carte orange. Also Louvre-internet
Apr 2nd, 2003, 10:15 AM
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Carte orange. Also Louvre-internet
2 questions for anyone recently returned from Paris: is it true that non-residence can no longer buy the carte orange for the metro? Also, is there still an Internet kiosk in the Louvre shopping area?<BR>Thanks, Kay
Apr 2nd, 2003, 10:27 AM
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While I haven't been to Paris since last March (sob), I read on the Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door Web site recently that tourists are welcome to buy the Carte Orange once again. Rick says if you're refused at one station, ask politely but firmly at another.
Apr 2nd, 2003, 01:31 PM
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This question has been recurring...nobody at RATP has ever given a yes or no answer to the question of whether tourists can buy a Carte Orange. They say round about things such as the Carte Orange is intended for residents of ile de France (the area immediately surrounding Paris) since their taxes subsidize the pass. Well does that mean tourists can't buy Carte Orange? Well the pass is intended etc....<BR><BR>Interestingly enough no mention of the Carte Orange is made on the English version of the RATP web site. <BR><BR>There is also this thing that says that under the rules of EU, what is good for one member should be good for all members so it is questionable that a policy can be set up that applies to French citizens and doesn't apply to Dutch citizens, British citizens etc. Since Dutch people speak almost perfect English with an American accent, just because you speak American English to a clerk in the metro is no sure thing that you are an American....<BR><BR>Some have reported a little difficulty sometimes with clerks refusing to sell Carte Orange to tourists; especially American tourists. They try to steer them to the Paris Visite pass which is a rip off. But as is said, chances are something like 99% that if you are refused by one clerk at one station, if you go to another clerk in the same station or another station, they will gladly sell you the pass because there is really no official policy forbidding sale of the pass to tourists nor has there ever been...
Apr 2nd, 2003, 01:53 PM
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Yes, Paris Visite is a rip-off, and the reason 'carte orange' isn't mentioned anywhere on the English version of ratp.fr is that they stand to make more money on Paris Visite. If you already have the cover and actual carte orange from previous visits (I've been using mine for years; I'm barely recognizable in the photo!), all you need to buy is a coupon (hebdomadaire or mensuel). I'm wondering if it is possible to just buy the coupon from a machine, bypassing the cashier altogether? <BR><BR>Over the years, I've encouraged many fellow travelers to try the carte orange, and no one has ever had problems getting it on the first try (someone just came back 2 weeks ago and reported to me he had had no trouble buying the 'coupon' and setting up his carte orange). <BR><BR>XYZ123 makes a good point--there is really no way to enforce such a law (even if it did exist). What if you just moved to Paris to work for an American company and don't speak a word of French, but need to get around town? What's stopping you from qualifying as a resident then? So I'd go with Rick Steves' advise as well. Vive la carte orange!
Apr 2nd, 2003, 01:54 PM
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I just re-visited the Graffiti Wall bulletin board on Rick Steves' site and found a posting from someone who was in Paris within the past 30 days and who reported having no trouble buying the Carte Orange pass.
Apr 3rd, 2003, 11:28 AM
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As far as I know, Rick Steves is the only one who ever said you couldn't and he was the one who started the rumor that it wasn't allowed. I don't know where he got his info from but I think it was wrong and he or his staff didn't get correct information from someone on that.
Apr 3rd, 2003, 01:39 PM
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Well, I don't know about Rick Steves' experiences, but I do know that I've encountered problems buying the carte orange. For instance, when I was in Paris last fall, a metro clerk did refuse to sell it to me, instead pointing to the Visite pass and saying tourist repeatedly (while certainly not an expert in speaking French, I did smile, say bonjour and politely state my request in French.) However, as other people have noted, when I tried at another station the next day, the person there went ahead and sold it to me. So it can happen (at least from my personal experience), but just try again!
Apr 3rd, 2003, 07:55 PM
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Hello, I am finding conflicting information in regards to the carte orange pass. My family will arrive to Paris on a Saturday night. Can we purchase the Carte Orange pass on Sunday or will we need to wait until Monday?<BR><BR>Also, our children are 17 and 14 years old. Is this the least expensive way for them to ride the metro? <BR><BR>Thank you for your help. Laurie
Apr 3rd, 2003, 08:58 PM
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For Laurie: On our first trip to Paris, we arrived on a Sunday and requested a Carte Orange. At first, the clerk refused to sell us one because he didn't realize that we understood it wouldn't be effective until Monday.<BR><BR>Many people have reported being refused a Carte Orange, though I think perhaps it's more due to mis-communication and mis-understanding, such as those attempting to purchase one on a Thursday (they're not sold after Wednesday for the current week), those who do not have photos, etc.<BR><BR>My recommendation would be to have the Monday through Sunday dates written clearly on a slip of paper (DD Month - DD Month)and have your photos visible, and know how many zones you need (I've witnessed folks waved away when the clerk asks how many zones and they just do not know...)<BR>
Apr 3rd, 2003, 09:24 PM
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Here's how to ask for a week-long carte orange pass in French. I've tried to show the pronounciation but without using the phonetic alphabet it's hard!! I've used "zh" to represent the "j" as in "je", and "nh" to represent the nasal final n sound. <BR><BR>Je voudrais une (deux/trois...) carte orange hebdomadaire, zones une et deux, pour la semaine qui vient. <BR>(zhe voodrayz oon cart oronzhe eb-doh-ma-dare, zohnz oon ay deuh, poor la seh-men ki vyenh) - I would like a weekly carte orange pass, zones one and two, for the coming week.<BR><BR>Il me faudra la carte photo et le coupon. <BR>(eel muh fow-dray la cart photo ay luh cooponh) - I will need the photo card and the coupon.<BR><BR>As an aside, I wouldn't bother paying extra for a 5 zone card (wich will take you to Versailles, etc) unless you plan on making a lot of trips out of Paris itself. All the main sights of Paris and the near suburbs are in zones 1 and 2, with the exception of La Défense (zone 3 I believe)<BR>
Apr 4th, 2003, 11:14 AM
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According to the maps I just looked at on the RATP site (Metro, RER, bus), some of Vincennes is in zone 1 and some is in zone 2. It looks like a zone 1 & 2 Carte Orange will work for you. (Someone more knowledgeable is welcome to contradict me on this.)
