Using Paris Metro/RER Ticket Machines-A Question
 

During our upcoming trip to Europe we will be spending four nights in Paris.

Will probably buy carnets for use on the Metro.

Staying in the 14th for a change which we welcome and will be taking, hopefully, the RER from Denfert-Rochereau back to CDG for the return flight home.

My question: are there separate ticket machines for RER tickets vs. Metro tickets or do you buy both from the same machine?

I know it sounds like a silly question but curious nonetheless.

Thanks very much.

Metro and RER tickets are interchangable

I'm not sure if I understand the comment that RER and Metro tickets are interchangeable.

The RER goes to the outskirts of Paris.

To and from the airport, your RER ticket allows you to board and transfer to/from any Metro line. So you need one RER ticket for the entire trip.

Regarding the ticket machine, what I remember is that you can buy both RER and Metro tickets from the newish looking ticket machines in Metro stations. You'll be asked what you're looking for (I think you can switch the language to English).

At the airport, I think there are separate machines for RER vs. SNCF longer-distance trains, but I can't remember for sure.

Of course if all fails, you can just buy your tickets from the ticket counter. However the lines at the airport are usually quite long.

For the ticket machines you may need (close to) exact change because US credit cards may not be accepted. (That's what I remember, but I don't know if it's been fixed since.)

Thanks for the responses.

Inbound we will use the Air France bus to get from CDG to Gare de Lyon since we are traveling on to Switzerland for the weekend.

Once back in Paris and outbound to the airport I'm planning on having plenty of change for the machines.

The "t+" tickets you buy as a carnet are valid on the RER only within the city of Paris (more specifically, in zones 1 and 2 of the Metro/RER network). These tickets can be used to transfer between the metro and RER, again only within the city.

You will need a separate pont-to-point ticket for transport to the airport.

Yes, and thank you...I understand that aspect of things...

You can buy your RER tickets for trip back to CDG at the Denfert Rochereau RER station ticket window, no lines that I've ever experienced - I usually go by and get them the day before especially if we have to catch an early train. I've not used any machines within Paris. I have bought RER tickets from the machine at CDG - the one I used required Euro coins (no bills and no credit card). I think some of the machines accept different payment methods, but of course, didn't stand there figuring out if that is true or not. Some people have posted that machines may take US cards and that you must not quickly swipe your card like you would in the US, but instead you let it read the stripe a few seconds.

Which part of the 14th are you staying in?

Some of the machines now take banknotes.

Also, the machines are in French, English, German, Italian and Spanish, but some people don't notice how to change the display language.

I was in Paris last month and the RER / Metro /SYCR machines did not take my American credit card. Had nothing to do with swiping fast or not. It's because French credit cards have a chip embedded on the front and a corresponding pin number. It doesn't matter if you have a pin number -- you need the chip thang. I always had to go to an agent or use coins. Be careful and plan ahead though because some stations (eg Luxembourg RER station) had no agents and only credit card machines that didn't take coins. I had to find an English speaking person with a French credit card who was willing to buy me a ticket and take cash from me.

I very much appreciate the additional replies and helpful information.

Travelnut: we ended up booking the Marriott on the Boulevard Saint-Jacques. We had originally booked the Pavillon de la Reine on the Place des Voges (where we have previously stayed) but decided not to pass up the deal we got on the Marriott and since we are big Metro users anyway and have been to Paris before figured we'd try this location instead.

The Mariott has changed names many times over the year (Mercure, PLM, etc.) but one thing that always amused me was that for years (and maybe still now) it was the hotel where American game show contestants systematically won <b>a fabulous one week trip to PARIS, FRANCE!!!!</b> It's a very nice hotel, but I'm sure that some of the winners were disappointed not to see the Seine out of their window but the surface metro tracks instead.

Kerouac:

Yes, I figured Marriott had taken that property over from somebody else.

As to those Metro tracks (which show up VERY prominently on Google Earth)..I, for one, LOVE the fact that the Metro is RIGHT THERE so I don't have far to walk to get ON it. the proximity of public transport is always a factor when I look for a place to stay.

I'll endeavor to post some sort of trip report after we return and will keep an eye out for suspicious looking possible game show winners in the lobby!!! Hey, Paris IS PARIS..what's not to like?