Paris Transportation Options...
 

I'm tempted to get the Paris Visite pass just because I could have it in hand before we take off, and because it's so easy to use each day, but I know it's apparently quite overpriced. Nonetheless, that's option #1. We would get a 5 day, zone 1-3 pass, and then buy tickets individually for the other 2 days we're there.

Option #2 is to buy carnets and use them as we go. I hope to walk a lot, even in January, but you never know how the weather may be.

Option #3 is... ? Any suggestions? I've heard about the carte orange, but I don't know if it would work well for us. (We arrive and leave on Fridays, and it just sounds like a pain-in-the-tush to have to bring a small photo or use a photo booth.)

A weekly Carte Orange is generally the most economical. It is not inconvenient overall, even though you need to spend some time in the photo booth (only once&mdash;the ID card is good forever thereafter). That would cover five of the eight days of your trip. For the rest you could buy Mobilis or Paris Visite, or just buy packs of tickets (<i>carnets</i>, although this is the most expensive of the three options).

The carte orange is your best bet, hands down. It took me a few minutes to figure out the photo booth, but I ended up with a great picture of me with Mickey Mouse ears as a souvenier of my mistake. Then it took about 2 minutes to buy the card. I believe they are only sold in person...not through the machines.

You can cut your face out of any snapshot--nothing more needed. Buy the CO for the following week. Use carnets for your Friday-Sunday trips OR if you think you will use the transport system a lot on a day (5 or more times) buy a daily Mobilis pass-about 5&euro;. The PV is rarely to never a good buy, especially if buying in advance. And remember, the bus system is an excellent way to get around, often faster and easier than the Metro. Plus, you get to actually see something en route. The CO or Mobilis is good for that in particular, since if you transfer on the bus, you need a new ticket for the next leg. CO and Mobilis, not--just hold up the pass--don't put it in the ticket machine.

The Carte Orange tickets are sold both at ticket windows and from machines, but the little ID card that accompanies the Carte Orange is available only at ticket windows (and it is free). You only need to fix up the ID card once; thereafter you only replace the ticket, not the card.

Hi tara,

In all of our visits to Paris, we have never used more than a carnet per person per week.

((I))

I know that most people frown on the Paris Visite, but if I can't use the Carte Orange (due to days I am visiting)I will use a Paris Visite for the ease of use. I am paying a decent sum of money for my vacation and the cost of the Paris Visite is small compared. Yes, it does stamp me as a tourist, but I am. If I am wasting money by buying the Paris Visite, I accept that.

Ira, you've gotta get out more...!

We buy the CO nearly every time, and usually for 4-5 zones. Last time, we used it for the airport trips, and we usually go out to a golf course at least once, and we usually go out to a smaller town / chateau as a 'day trip'. Sometimes we exceed the RER zones (ie. Rouen) and just buy the SNCF ticket for that trip.

Bring a photo from home and then buying a CO is no more troublesome than buying any other pass or ticket(s). You can use a digital camera and print pix yourself if need be. Small shot of face/head, about 1x1&quot;.

I also recommend the Carte Orange. I use it in the Metro and also the bus. I have found that I use the bus or metro 4 or 5 times a day and it seems to be a better value to me than the carnet. Remember the Carte Orange is only good Monday thru Sunday and that means you have to purchase the card on Monday to get the best value.

And if you arriving on certain days, say a Thursday, a Carte Orange won't do you much good because it is valid Monday-Sunday. (You can't buy one that begins on a Thursday). I always end up getting the Visite pass because I always arrive in Paris on Thursday for a 3 or 4 night stay.

A 2-zone <i>Carte Orange</i> for Monday-Friday will cost 15.70&euro;. There is no more economical option if you plan to use public transit more than fourteen times in those five days. If you breeze around hopping on and off buses (which I highly recommend), you can easily make twice that many trips.

For Friday through Sunday, I recommend playing it by ear. The options are <i>carnet</i> tickets at 1.07&euro; each, or a <i>Mobilis</i> pass for 5.40&euro; per day. A 3-day <i>Paris Visite</i> costs 18.25&euro; Besides being less expensive overall, <i>carnet</i> tickets and <i>Mobilis</i> passes offer much greater flexibility.

You may find that your first day on the ground, you will need very little transport, and on one or both of the weekend days you will want to travel to a single destination and back. If this is the case, no pass makes sense and <i>carnet</i> tickets will be economical. Using a <i>Paris Visite</i> in this scenario is extremely wasteful.

For anyone under 26 years of age, a <i>Ticket Jeunes</i> valid for unlimited transport on a single weekend day is the least expensive option, and is especially useful if you want to take a day trip to a destination outside Zone 2, such as Versailles or Disneyland. They are also the cheapest way to get into the city from the airports on the train.

It's a good idea to make a copy of your passport to take along. When doing that, you can make a reduced copy and cut out your picture for the Carte Orange.

I don't recall specifics, but the version of the CO we bought also covered the trip to Versailles. If you intend to go there, take that into account as well when doing your analysis.

DO NOT buy a <i>Carte Orange</i> for beyond Zone 2 unless you're going further out every day.

A 4-zone costs 10&euro; more than a 2-zone, but if you're only going out to Versailles for a day, you can use the 2-zone to get to Issy and pay 2.90&euro; for a round-trip from there to Versailles.

Obviously, if you're using a CO to get in from CDG <u>and</u> going to Versailles <u>and</u> Disneyland, then a 4- or 5-zone makes good sense.

What Ira said.