kdk1965

Does anyone know how late the CO is sold? We'll arrive in CDG at 2030...Do you think we can purchase the carte before everything shuts down?

I still need to put pen to paper and see if it is worth the investment, but I like the idea of paying up from and then not worrying about each trip.

Also, does anyone know if there is a different price for children? Mine are 7, 7, 10, and 13.

Thanks!

MorganB

you can buy it up until the metro closes or really about 15 mins before it closes depending on when the employee feels like closing their ticket window. The metro closes around 1 am.

Robespierre

You'll have plenty of time. You can buy it at CDG right up to the time the last RER train departs at 23:58 (whether or not you take the train into Paris).

You probably already know that it will be valid through Sunday. Cards for the following Monday-Sunday go on sale Friday. No cards are sold on Thursday.

There are no child discounts on the CO, but the Paris Visite will be cheaper for your 7 & 10-year olds (5 days for €13.70 - or even 3 days for €9.15 if you won't be taking many trips one of your days in Paris). I'd probably buy them single tickets for Wednesday evening's travel and use the PVs for Thursday-Monday.

kdk1965

Thanks for the great info! I will sit down tonight or tomorrow and figure out if it is cheaper to use another option.

Our French is nonexistent beyond Merci, Bonjour, Monsieur, etc. In fact, we are likely to slide into Italian instead. Any suggestions on how best to handle buying the tickets themselves?

Thank you so much!!
Mary in Naples

Robespierre

Learn any of the following words you don't already know:

Bonjour (bonh zhoor) Good morning
Bonsoir (bonh swaar) Good afternoon/evening
Monsieur (muh syoor) Sir
Madame (mah daam) Ma'am
Merci (mair see) Thank you
Parlez-vous anglais? (parlay voo ahn glay) Do you speak Anglish?
S'il vous plait! (seel voo play) Waiter!

ALWAYS (always) greet a person you will be conversing with, such as a store clerk or panini vendor with Bonjour, monsieur or the like. End your contact with merci, monsieur. Coach your kids in doing likewise.

You should be able to communicate your wishes to the RATP ticket agent if you simply print out the web page of the transport pass you decide on, with the specific item(s) circled or highlighted.

kdk1965

I thought that last one was please??

It's good to see the mandatory minimum list is one we know. Last night we began working with the children on those phrases, as well as working with them to tone down their usual exhuberance.

Thanks for the help!
Mary

Gretchen

It will still probably be worth it to you and particularly if you use the bus system, which with your age children might be a) more fun to see above deck and b) go only a few blocks instead of walking.
A carnet,which you probably know, is about 10€ for 10 tickets. That would take your family of 6 (I assume) only one RT.

kdk1965

At CDG, when we buy the CO, which one do you suggest we buy? We will be going from CDG Wednesday night to the center and then coming back to CDG Sunday afternoon. Otherwise the farthest out we will go will be the science museum--maybe.

Thanks!
Mary

PS--I can't seem to find the webpage for the CO. Does anyone have it? Thanks!

Robespierre

CDG is in Zone 5. Most of the sights are in Zones 1 &amp; 2. I haven't tested this theory, but it <i>might</i> be possible to buy a Carte Orange for Zones 1 &amp; 2, plus a supplement to get you from the airport to Zone 2.

If they won't go for that, then you will need a CO for all 5 zones, if you use the RER or Roissybus to get to Paris and back. The CO Z1-5 will also take you out as far as Versailles or Disneyland on the RER.

Here's the Carte Orange page:
http://www.citefutee.com/informer/grand_public.php

and if you need to translate it:
http://babelfish.altavista.com