Hi all, <BR> <BR>I'm 15 days away from my two week vacation which includes 4 nights in Paris. I know Eurail sells a 3 or 5 day metro pass here in the states but, I'm wondering if there's any benefit to purchasing it here. Does anyone know if you can purchase the same pass over there at the same price? <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR>

How much is Eurail quoting you? I'm guessing that it's got to be cheaper to buy some kind of pass in Paris, rather than give RailEurope commission, handling fee, etc. If you haven't done so already, check out the RATP's web site. I don't know the URL for sure (ratp.fr, maybe?) but I know it's been cited here previously, and I have also seen discussions of the relative advantages of various Paris transit options, so you might consider doing search on this Forum.

Don't pay the handling fee for the metro pass; you can buy one at any station; www.ratp.fr will give you the cost (add a few francs as the prices are from 1998) of a pass vs individual tickets. Consider buying, also, a carnet (10 tickets at 60% the cost of buying individual) if your metro travel doesn't warrant a pass. Also, if you're coming in from the airport, don't buy the all-zone pass; you'll pay for 3 or 5 days of zones you don't need. Buy a ticket from airport to Paris, then buy a zone pass (1-3) or carnets for use in the city.

Robin,There are different kinds of passes.There is a monthly pass which is only good if you are staying in Paris a month.There is a weekly pass, which to make the most of, you would have to arrive in Paris on the right day Monday. <BR>There is a Paris Visite card which most people say is a rip off. <BR>The best thing to do is buy a carnet a strip of 10 tickets.It costs 52ff and will take you everywhere except outlying areas such as Versaille and the airports.

<BR>You may already have a map, but just in case, here's the website for the 'Subway Navigator'. Not only can you view the Paris subway system & figure out how to get from point A to point B, but also, they provide subway systems in other major cities of the world. <BR> <BR>http://metro.ratp.fr:10001/bin/cities/english

The best bet for you is to take the weekly pass "Carte orange hebdomadaire". Of course, it lacks flexibility, since it only runs Monday thru Sunday. But it's much cheaper than the tourist passes that are on the edge of being rip-offs. Otherwise, just stick to carnets.

Agree with Vincent. If your dates closely correspond to Monday thru Sunday, one or two weekly passes are a terrific deal, supplemented with carnets if necessary. They are also very convenient. Be advised that you need a passport sized photo to purchase one of these (just for the first one, you can renew it for a second week). My latest notes are that a single ticket costs 8F, a carnet of ten 52F, and the weekly Carte Orange 80F. The Carte Orange is valid on the buses, metro and RER. The Paris Visite and Formula One passes are not a good deal and can be easily purchased at any metro station or tourist office once you're there. Be sure to try the buses.