Paris metro (and that in Barcelona, Rome and London)
 

Hi all,

I'm heading to Europe in a couple of weeks and will be visiting Barcelona, Rome, Paris and London, among other places. I have just discovered I can purchase a Paris Metro pass here in Australia, which offers unlimited access across zones 1-5 (includes Versailles) for five days for AU$120. This includes buses. It obviously works out at between $20 and $25 a day. I am not sure I will go to Versaille (I will if I find I have time but am pretty excited about soaking up as much of Paris as I can in the six nights I am there).

Do Fodorites think the pass is good value/that I will spend that much in a day? I do like to walk and that is preferable but I will be there by myself so after dark public transport would probably be better.

My other question is does anyone know of a similar pass in Barcelona (four nights there), Rome (four nights there) and London (seven nights there, staying in the Clapham South area with friends who live there)?

Thanks,
RT

Paris Metro: just buy a carnet (simply a stack of ten tickets) for around 15 euro or individual tickets for under 2 euro each. We bought one carnet during our week in Paris to share between my husband and myself and had two leftover! You will need to buy your ticket to Versailles but it is still way cheaper doing it this way instead of the Metro Pass for $120!

http://europeforvisitors.com/paris/a...ro-tickets.htm



There is a metro in Rome but it is not really convenient. Walking and buses are the way to go.

http://www.rome.info/metro/




We loaded up an Oyster card in London for our rides. It deducted from the card for each ride. Even got a refund at the end of the unused money.

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payment...what-is-oyster

This time of year in Rome the air conditioned taxis take top prize.

Thanks all, that's very helpful.

And yes I am a little worried about this hot weather early in the season - I won't be in Rome until the end of July, and Paris the beginning of August. But I knew that it was high summer when I booked!

if you are solo -- then in London you want a 7 day zone 1 & 2 travel card loaded on an Oyster card. No 'special' passes needed -- this is the regular 7 day transit ticket that covers everything in central London. You may also need a little pay-as-you-go ££ loaded on the same Oyster (to cover trip outside of zones 1-2 like Heathrow, Hampton Court, etc.

(If you are traveling w/ someone else - let us know and we can explain a different option that would save you sightseeing ££ -- but we don't need to confuse you w/ the details unless you are a couple)

Definitely do NOT order any pass for Paris that costs AUS$ 120! Just buy a book of carnets like micele_d explained.

During our visit to Paris in 2009, it was record high temps. Ughhh! We dealt with it by wearing very light colored/weight clothing and getting out quite early in the mornings. By around 1-2 pm we headed back to our apt, took a cold shower and a short nap, and hung out for a few hours before heading back out again for a few more hours. The heat can drain you so carry a bottle of water. Head to a park and sit in the shade under a tree for a bit. Just take it easy. Don't race from here to there. Enjoy walking in the evening when the cities are lit beautifully and it cools down a tiny bit.

Oh...and most importantly. In very high temps you must sample all the gelato flavors in Rome to help cool you off! Carry your water bottle and fill it up at the various fountains around Rome. One in particular we used a lot was located directly in front of the Pantheon. Fill it up, drink, fill again...repeat as needed!

I prefer a day pass or multi-day pass in Paris. (I think the Mobilis pass is what you want.) That's because I like to hop on and off metro and buses sometimes after only a few stops and get back on in a few minutes (or perhaps I got off at the wrong stop). I have tried carnet a few times but always regretted it.

Still, I too wouldn't buy any pass until I got to Paris. You can buy a pass for the inner zones but maybe not that covers Versailles and/or the airport - buy tickets for just those trips if you need them.

Thank you for those tips janisj and michele_d - especially the gelato!

Re Paris - I am most excited about sitting in parks and cafes and watching the Parisian world around me. I am staying in Republique near the Canal St Martin which looks nice.

I am a little overwhelmed by all the things to do but I have to say that is mostly because I feel a certain obligation of 'must dos', which if I am honest aren't necessarily what I would enjoy - such as museums. I want to go to a couple but not lots.

Here are my ideas:
First night: (arrive Saturday aftrnoon)
Wander around Republique and Le Marai
Pompidou Center, including for a drink up the top
Dinner in Le Marais
Sunday:
Maybe Picasso; Latin Quarter
Walk a lot

Then after that I think I would like to do:
Skip the line ticket to the top of the Eiffel Tower (maybe at sunset);
A fat tire bike tour (maybe on the Monday morning); and
Musee d'Orsay (will I likely have to line up)

The rest of the time I just want to enjoy being in Paris and maybe go to the ballet, shop and relax in parks. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on tours and museums and galleries when I won't want to spend all day walking around in them.

janisj, it is just myself in both Paris and London (in London with my friends who live there).

Thanks Andrew - that sounds like a great option!

>>janisj, it is just myself in both Paris and London (in London with my friends who live there).<<

Then what you need might be a little different -- in what part of London do they live? If outside of zones 1 and 2 you'll need different zones/amount loaded on the Oyster.

It sounds like you are being very sensible about your plans for Paris -- not trying to squeeze in everything. Re the Musee d'Orsay -- you can buy a ticket on-line and not have to wait in line. You aren't stuck w/ a specific date, you'll just have a general ticket. Or you can buy a ticket once you are in Paris at the tourist office, etc -- these also let you jump the queue.

<I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on tours and museums and galleries when I won't want to spend all day walking around in them. >

Then don't! Plain and simple. This is YOUR vacation. It is easier said than done I agree. I have spent a bit more time and energy at times trying to see things just because they are on some list. I felt I must see them in order to have the proper experience in those locations. I have changed my way of thinking. On our upcoming trip to Spain and Portugal we will not spend as much time in museums, and more time just roaming the cities enjoying the atmosphere. It's your time. It's your money. It's your choice! Happy planning!

In Barcelona you can purchase a 10 ride metro ticket for about 10€. At that price, I don't think you need to worry about a pass, assuming that they even have one.
The Canal St. Martin area is a great area for walking.
Paris walking tours are about 12€ and i found them very interesting. their website sets out what tours are given and when.
Enjoy your trip.

You are staying in Republique near the Canal St Martin. We are staying on the Canal St Martin about ten minutes from Republique. You might be interested in a series of posts I am doing about Paris. Click on my name if you are interested. Many of the comments are better than my posts!

Agree with buying the 10-ride pack of tickets for the Barcelona Metro. The biggest issue there might be the pickpockets who used to be prevalent IN the Metro so simply be aware. It gets hot in some of those stations as well.

We didn't use the metro at all during our 5 days in Barcelona. There is so much to see within a relatively small area; we mostly walked everywhere.
For Parc Guell we took a cab there - they are relatively cheap in this city and we got there quickly. Click on my screen name to see the report. Di

I used the metro in Barcelona now and again and did just buy the 10 ticket pack.

AS for Paris, I would think the only pass you can buy in Australia is the Paris Visite tourist pass, not the regular metro tickets/passes, and no, that is definitely not a good deal. And one for zones 1-5 is also unnecessary, don't buy it. Paris doesn't sell its tickets in Australia, so you can only get the tourist passes as they aren't time-coded.

The metro in Rome is convenient for some places, such as the Vatican area, the Colosseum, and the Villa Borghese park area (including Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo). Single tickets are probably best for Rome. The tickets cost €1.50 and are good for 100 minutes, on buses, trams, urband trains, and the metro. (There are unlimited rides allowed on the buses and trams, but only one entrance to the metro system per ticket). This means that if you get off the bus at the wrong stop, you can get back on again using the same ticket. (Is this not the case in Paris? I thought it was.) I've sometimes used a single ticket to go to a museum, visit it, and go to my next destination.

There are also 24-hour, 48-hour, 72-hour, and weekly passes. The weekly tickets are probably a good buy if you'll be in Rome for five or more days, as they are the most discounted. The other passes pay off only if you would use more than four tickets in 24 hours, which, given the very generous terms of the single tickets, is not likely.

Hi RT,

We have never used more than one Carnet/person in Paris.

((I))

We didn't use the metro at all during our 5 days in Barcelona. There is so much to see within a relatively small area; we mostly walked everywhere.>>

it depends where you are staying. our hotel was by the Plaza Espagna so we used it a lot, but beware stations with long "correpondences" between lines - we often wished we'd just walked!

For Paris, unless you are a dedicated walker, getting around from the area where you're staying will likely involve more bus and/or Métro rides than if you were located nearer the river. There's information on this thread about all your options for single tickets and weekly or daily passes:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-418232-2.cfm

You won't need a 1-week pass for zones 1-5 in Paris. Zones 1-2 (€21 I think) will get you pretty-much everywhere you want to go except Versailles and Charles daGaulle. For that buy a single ticket on the RER.

But be warned...a "1 week" pass in Paris covers Mon-Sun, not any 7 consecutive days, so do your math and decided if it is worth it. You'll probably need a carnet to get you through the days not covered, and plan to visit Versailles on a day not covered.

[A 1-week pass in London covers any 7 consecutive days.]

You'll need a Navigo card (€5 and a photo), which is an electronic card upon which you load your 1-week pass ("Navigo Semaine") Bring the photo (passport size or so) and buy the Card and load the 1-week pass at the airport or train station. You can also load the airport RER fare onto the card (at a reduced price if it coincides with your 1-week pass). Then just buy separate tickets to/from Versailles.

Then you just tap the card on the card reader to ride Metro, RER, bus or tram.

Note that some Fodorites say they get by with one carnet; others ride a lot and like the pass...so this is something you need to figure out for yourself.

I know this sounds complicated--and I probably left out details--but it is worth taking the time to learn how the system works.

SS

janisj - I am staying in Clapham South in London.

michele_d - I couldn't agree more. Such liberation in this novel concept of doing what one wants on one's holiday!

giro, ira, di2315m, annhig Christina and Dukey1 - thanks for the Paris and Barca tips (the only thing that will preclude me from walking everywhere is the heat and a foot niggle I still have, eight months after a stress fracture! I am with friends in Barcelona and we are staying in the Barri Gothic so should be pretty central. Looks like I can run (hoping I can walk AND run - will see how the foot goes) from our apartment to the Diagonal Ave easily - without getting lost.

Thanks for the extra Paris info MaineG and ssander. Yes it does seem complicated but some lovely friends have told me they will put me in touch with their friends who live in Paris so I am hoping to spend some time with them when I first arrive and they should be able to simplify it in my mind if I haven't worked it out yet. At the end of the day, I am on holidays, so if I get lost I am sure that won't be the end of the world!

Ackislander - I will definitely look at your posts and I am sure they are wonderful. I just appreciate all the advice and information/experiences of everyone!

bvlenci - thanks. I am with a friend in Rome and we are actually staying a couple of hundred metres from Villa Borghese which looks beautiful.

In London or Venice I can't imagine being without a public transport pass. If Paris had one ditto: but for most of us, a carnet is the closest they offer.

I've honestly never seen the point in Rome. Just keep on buying a few €1.50 tickets from tabacchai. And learn to live with a (by European standards) transport system so mediocre, with a climate so hostile in summer to walking, that you're really forced often to use taxis. Fortunately: just as the reason public transport is so unsatisfactory is that it's unsustainably cheap, its cabs are also ridiculously underpriced.

In London, there's no point, though, in buying before arriving. Search here for the relative merits of Oyster PAYG vs Travelcards - but don't pay the premium for Visitor Oysters.

Thanks flanneruk. I think that I will check with the friends I am staying with about how to buy the Oyster when I arrive at St Pancras on the Friday evening I come over from Paris.

I visit Rome frequently and almost never use a taxi. The buses are fine, no worse than those in London.

In most cities these days, you can use Google Maps to get directions by public transportation. It will tell you which bus to take, and give you walking directions to the bus stop.

Thanks bvlenci. Another terrific app is city mapper - you can plot your route when you have wifi and then access it when out and about and don't have data ... not sure yet if I will have data.

You can also do that with Google Maps. You can even download maps for a 40 km radius when you have wifi, and then you can map your routes even when you're out and about without wifi or data services. (You need GPS but that costs nothing, although it does run your battery down quickly.) However, to use the public transportation feature of Google Maps, you need an internet connection, because it uses up-to-date traffic and detour information.

<B>RT2015:</B> >>janisj - I am staying in Clapham South in London.<<

Then you are good to go w/ what I described up top. (Clapham is in zone 2) Get an Oyster at St Pancras loaded with a zone 1 and 2 seven day travelcard plus some extra PAYG ££ to cover any trips outside of zones 1/2.

Thanks janisj!

bvlenci, for some reason I can never work out how to do that with Google Maps ...

You would want to save the map on your phone (or tablet if you'll be carrying that around on the street). Search for a central address in the city you're staying in. Zoom the map out to include the area you want to save. At the bottom of the map, you'll see the address you searched for. Touch that, and then open the menu at top right and you'll see the option to save it. You can then find it in "my places" under "saved maps".

I think maybe I overstated the capabilities, though. You can use the saved map along with GPS to see where you are, but you can't use the navigation features of Google Maps.

Thanks bvlenci - it seems like you can only save locations of where you are right now? With city mapper I can do it ahead of time ...