Oh, I also forgot to add in the 5 euro one-time fee for the navigo pass mentioned in Tims post above. That makes the math a little different. A carte orange @ 16.50 + 5.00 for the navigo pass for a total of 21.50 euro + and the photo cost. When you add in the two mobilis one-day passes, that converts to 32.70 Euro or $52.07 for the Carte Orange vs. $45.07 for the Visite.

apersuader 65,

I guess the debate goes on!

A five-day, zone 1-3 Paris Visite pass costs 27.50€. It could be a good choice for someone who arrives Thursday-Sunday and departs Monday-Thursday respectively. But for someone who arrives Monday-Wednesday and departs Friday-Sunday respectively, a zone 1-2 Carte Orange (16.30€) plus the passe Navigo Decouverte card (5€) is a better deal even for only five days--unless you go to the expense of getting additional passport photos. Cut out a headshot from any old photo you have at home (free). Or scan your passport photo and print a copy (cost: one piece of paper).

Yes as TimS says all you need is a head shot. You can cut it out of an existing photo or if you have a camera take one of yourself. The additional cost of a photo should be minimal if not 0. Unless you are arriving really late in the week the CO is going to be cheaper.

I usually try to make my vacation flight out on Friday, with a Saturday or Sunday return. That gives me a longer time off work - 9 vs. 7 days. That's why my post came to mind, since you can't use the C.O. on fri-sun.

>since you can't use the C.O. on fri-sun.

I don't think that is accurate!

I think it was meant the Fri-Sat-Sun at the beginning of a visit; the C.O. starts on Mondays.

As a New Yorker, I consider myself a master of public transportation and was just about to purchase 3 5 day 5 zone Visite passes for our trip to Paris next month. We arrive early Saturday morning and leave Thursday. We planned at least two trips in zone 5 (Tues & Wed) and planned to explore Paris Sat thru Mon with our passes. We also thought at least one of hte CDG Airport transfers would be via the Visite pass. I found the passes are now $92 (59 euros)for the 5 day 5 zone Visite! The Carte Orange is not an option, obviously. A little math and I have realized the appropriate Mobilis for each day will probably be cheaper. Are they easy to purchase? Anything we need to know?

I don't know where you're getting your pricing from.

A Mobilis day ticket for zones 1-5 is 12.50€, so for 5 days' worth, that comes to 62.50€

A 5-day Paris Visite for zones 1-6 (your only choice other than zones 1-3) is 46.60€

You cannot use a Mobilis for trip to/from CDG, but you can use the PV.

http://www.transport-idf.com/frontal...p;titre=visite

I don't want to get involved in the math of all the options, but I did want to say that you can still get a free plastic CO holder for the ticket.

My husband did this on Sunday (can't remember which station). I though he would have to get the new Navigo Decouverte (I already have the old holder), but the Metro clerk told it me it wasn't necessary.

Travelnut, I found the prices on the internet today -- we only need zones 1-2 for the first three days. The cost I found for that was 5,60 euros. The 59 euro cost for the 5 day 5 zone Visite Pass was on the only site I've ever been able to find it listed on -- le Conciergerie -- every link seems to bring me to this same site. Any better sources?

Don't buy the passes online - you are being charged a surcharge and/or a shipping fee. That is probably what Concierge is doing. The website I provided and the prices I quoted show the actual costs. You can buy everything you need at the RER station ticket window at CDG before you take the train to Paris.

Thanks Travelnut!

I've been using the internet as a tool for research but planned to purchase passes when we arrive although I had heard though that the Visite Pass is only available purchased ahead of time. Two college students and an overspent mom are on a tight budget no matter how bad the dollar is!

Here is the official website for Paris transportation, and where to buy the PV pass..

http://www.ratp.info/touristes/index...e=paris-visite

I have a question, I am planning to get the carte orange since i will be in Paris for 2.5 weeks and it works well in my schedule. I will be needing only Zone 1 and 2, but one day I actually need to go all the way to Zone 4. Would I have to buy a separate ticket for this? Is there a different way to do this?

so do we need to pay the 5E one time fee for the carte orange? am a bit confused...thanks

If you want to exceed the zones for your particular C.O. you must buy a separate ticket for that train.

If you can still get a paper C.O. there is not an extra fee. If you can only find/buy the new Navigo Decouverte plastic card to load the C.O., then there is a one-time fee of 5€ for the plastic card. (+ the cost of the C.O. pass).

Travelnut, so how do we know if we can just get the paper one and avoid the extra fee? We will just be traveling local. We leave next Fri. Thanks

bmk.

The paper ticket is being phased out and some stations will no longer have any stock to sell you. The electronic card is the updated version that is taking over for the paper ticket. So you may not have a say in which one you get. You can try printing an image from Google showing the orange ID card and the paper ticket, so the clerk knows what you're looking for.
Example:
http://www.paris.org/Expos/ParisTick...arteorange.gif

My wife (Claudia Bear) and I have our old Cartes Oranges (the actual orange cards and gray folders) with still-accurate photos. As the "paper ticket" is being phased out, I would think RATP must decide whether or not to print each week's (or month's) coupons to be used with the ID card part even if they stop offering new ID cards.

Will all Metro stations still have the coupon mensuel for May? In particular, will we be able to buy the Zones 1-2 coupons at the CDG RER station when we arrive 30 April? at metros Gare d'Austerlitz or Censier-Daubenton or St. Marcel (all three are near our apartment)?

Also, in terms of going through the turnstiles at Metro/RER stations, is there a generalization as to whether the "paper ticket" or the Navigo (Decouverte, for us) is easier/faster? Would I wave my wallet (with the ND inside it) in front of the sensor, or would it read the info from a wallet in my pocket?

Many thanks for advice from people who have "been there."