Thx a mint for the reply, ParisAmsterdam!

With all the Fodorite help, I think I'm set now...not sure why this threw me so. I've used other subway systems without angst (including Paris's but that was a while ago now Perhaps I was over-thinking it and got lost in the weeds...LOL!

Enjoy-la!

Just wanted to report back that it went well, thx to the suggestions.

Caught the TGV to CDG, had time to put our luggage into storage (the storage place is very efficient and fabulous), and catch the 8am express RER B. Arrived at Eiffel Tower at 9:15am and the place was a zoo already. The queue for one of the stair tickets was quite short (less than a dozen people) but the other one was very long.

DH said he didn't want to climb and just wanted enjoy the sites from the ground; we had lots of time to walk down the plaza, etc. The sun was shining "the wrong way" so DH did not want to go to the Trocadero. We had a lot of fun and it was wonderful to see the joy of DH seeing the ET for the first time. Left at about 10am.

Was back at CDG by 11:10am, which gave us lots of time to retrieve our luggage, get checked in on Delta's convoluted system, go thru security, have lunch and head to our gate in time for the boarding.

Interestingly, we bought our return RER/Metro tickets for this the day before from a wicket agent. However, the gates would not open when we went to leave the RER stn on the way there. We both tried several different machines. I ended up choosing the exit doors with the biggest gap and just squeezing thru the doors and then pulled DH thru too. We were relieved to see the exit at Bir-Hakeim was just a walkout No probs with the return set.

I agree if you just want to be there and see it, it's very do-able. If you want to climb to level 1/2, it would be very stressful.

Enjoy-la!

Tickets for use outside Paris have a zone limitation on them. If you attempt to leave the RER and the turnstile sees that you're outside the zone(s) you paid for, it will reject the ticket.

Since all of the Métro operates within the same zones, Métro lines do not have exit turnstiles.

Ahhh, that explains why the Bir-Hakeim gates were just a "walkout", AnthonyGA.

Still not sure why it would not let us exit as we asked the agent for tickets from CDG to Bir-Hakeim stn. The tickets she gave us said Paris on one line and underneath Aeroports CDG, and were the correct price (18.2E) from my notes on what they were supposed to cost. Regardless I'm happy that the Metro security didn't bust/delay us!

Enjoy-la!

Well, she should have given you the right ticket, and it sounds like she did. At what station and turnstile were the tickets rejected?

Incidentally, if you insert a ticket and it's rejected, it won't work again on that turnstile for a certain period (I think 15 minutes or so), to prevent fraud.

Tickets were rejected when we tried to leave the RER at Denfert-Rochereau. It may have been just a one-off oddity.

I think she gave us the correct tickets too as the ones for the return trip worked fine. We breathed a sigh of relief when the RER gates at CDG opened for us.

Enjoy-la!

Paris Visite is generally considered a rip-off by many. I've detailed here several times that, depending upon your arrival day, the PV can actually be cheaper, and certainly easier than CO's. If you're only there one day, individual tickets are the only real way to go, especially if its to ET and back to CDG.

With the current pricing structure, individual tickets bought in packs of ten are usually the cheapest option for travel within the city as well, unless you are making many trips each day.

At one time, a Carte Orange was a good deal, but with the current pricing, it's not advantageous unless you are making more than a dozen trips a week or so. As a visitor to the city, you might indeed make that many trips … or you might not, depending on your traveling style. If you don't expect to use the Métro or bus that much, a pack of tickets works best.

If you are wondering why the locals would buy a Carte Orange if they're just going to commute each day, it's because half the cost of a weekly or monthly pass is paid for by their employers, effectively cutting the price in half and making it cost-effective (for the commuter, at the employer's expense). But visitors don't have that subsidy, and they must also pay for a Carte Navigo Découverte and a photo the first time they get a pass, which adds another €10 or so to the total cost.