METRO PASSES FOR PARIS
 

I'M GOING TO BE IN PARIS FROM OCT 1 THRU THE 17TH AND HAVE HEAR THE THE 10 DAY BUS/METRO PASS IS A BIG SAVINGS. IS THERE ANY WAY TO PURCHASE THIS BEFORE I LEAVE HOME?

I've never heard of a 10-day pass. There are
weekly and monthly passes (called Carte Orange),
and tourist passes called Paris Visite for 1, 3
or 5 days. The weekly Carte Orange works from
Mon. morning thru Sun., whereas the Paris Visite
passes start with the day you begin using them.
They are very expensive and a rip-off, however,
and only tourists use them. For your dates,
if you really intend to use the bus/metro
system a lot, it might make sense to buy two weekly
passes (for 10/6-10/17) and then a packet of 10
tickets (called a carnet) for the other days --you
get a discount when you buy the carnet. However,
there is no reason to buy one of these passes
before you get there, if you even can. I think
some travel agents might sell the Paris Visite,
but it's a rip-off and they will charge you a fee
on top of it, no doubt-- it only takes a few min.
to buy one at any metro station when you get
there and you'll be better able to decide which one
is best for your needs. You need a passport-sized
photo for the Carte Orange passes.

Yes, definitely go with the Carte Orange. With this, you get unlimited travel on the metro, RER and the busses. Just take an extra passport photo and go to one of the larger (where two or more lines intersect) station to buy it. If you don't speak French, write down what you need on paper and show it to the clerk. Not only is it a real bargain, you never have to worry about having or receiving correct change or the fares from here to there. Recommend that you try the busses. Most tour guides claim the busses are much slower than the metro, but we did not find that to be so. The metro is full of stairways and long hallways and usually you have to change lines at least once to get to your destination. Depending on where you are staying, there are probably bus routes that go directly to your destination without having to change routes. The bus stops are much more conveniently located. Best of all, you get to enjoy the scenery all along the way. And, you can hop off in an appealing neighborhood, then hop back on. In Paris, busses do not stop at the bus stops unless someone is getting off or you flag them down. So, don't just stand there!

THANK YOU DONNA AND CHRISTINA FOR REPLYING. THE INFORMATION WILL BE HELPFUL. BARBARA

Agree with others, and especially recommend the buses. Perhaps a little more difficult to work out the routes, but being able to see Paris from the window makes up for it.