First let me say that I know this may not be the least expensive way for us to travel around the city. However, we've been to Paris before and with three people (myself, DH, and DD) have found juggling all those little tickets to be a petite hassle. We walk a lot, but also love the buses.

I know about the Carte Orange as well, but we are there from a Friday - Thursday, so I don't think it works for us.

My question is this: if we have the Visite pass, zones 1-3, what happens if once during our trip we want to venture to zone 5? Will they offer any kind of reduced ticket for the extra zones? Or will we end up just buying the full zone ticket for that day?

If anyone has had experience with the Visite, I'd love to know about it.

Merci

My understanding is you either:
- buy the ticket for the trip to zone 5
or
- use the PV pass to the last covered station, get off and buy a ticket from there to the destination in zone 5

There are no 'supplement' tickets.

Be sure to cost out a combination of Mobilis day tickets for Thurs-Sun, + Carte Orange for Mon-Thurs, in comparison to however many PV passes you were going to buy.

If you try to extend beyond the zone you paid for on the RER system you will be stopped at the exit turnstile and made to pay (at least) the fare difference for the trip, possibly (but not necessarily, especially if you convincingly play "dumb tourist&quot a fine. That's what happened to us several years ago (and the dumb tourist bit was no act at that point!)

You can also ride to the last stop in Zone 3 along the route you are taking, exit and purchase a ticket from there to your destination.

Is there a specific place in Zone 5 you plan to visit?

I'm going to get banned from Fodor's for this, but the zone 5 stop we'd go to is Marne La Vallee aka Disneyland Paris!

Do you think that makes a difference?

Thanks all...

Melissa19:

We are taking our children to Disneyland Paris in April, then on to Paris proper. It's the children's spring break, and, there's a good chance they'll enjoy the Disneyland leg as much as any other.

We've used the Visite on previous trips and found it very convenient. Also used the Carte Musee without any compunction. And, we'll do it this coming trip.

You are already in trouble for admitting you don't want to hassle with clipping coupons to ride the Metro. Don't compound it by asking if you should buy the Visite cards in the states (if you have the urge to do so).

Enjoy your trip.

bookmarking

If your visit to Disney will be an all day affair you may be better off just buying RT RER tickets that day, using 1-3 zone passes for the other days.

I thought the Paris Visite had to be consecutive days, though, so once you initiate it, the other days are the following ones, you can't skip one. At least, as far as I know. So the only way it would work to buy a separate ticket for that day would be if it were your first or last day.

Even if there is a slight different in ticket purchase price to different points in zone 5, from zone 3, it couldn't be much, so I sure wouldn't worry about that.

The <i>Paris Visite</i> is only economical in the one-day version (such as a round-trip from an airport layover).

A combination of day passes (no ticket juggling) might work for you on Saturday and Sunday.

<i>Mobilis</i> Zones 1-2 - 5,80&euro;
<i>Mobilis</i> Zones 1-5 - 12,90&euro;

If you're flying in and out, you probably will only need an airport RER ticket for Friday and Thursday.

hmmm - for students under 26 Sat or Sun:

<i>Ticket Jeunes</i> Zones 1-3 - 3,20&euro;
<i>Ticket Jeunes</i> Zones 1-5 - 6,40&euro;

Neither <i>Mobilis</i> nor <i>Ticket Jeunes</i> requires an ID photo or a deposit for the card. If you buy them all at once, make it a point to write the dates of validity in the spaces provided dd.mm.yy right away - so you don't accidentally use the wrong day's ticket, which will void it for any other day.

Seamus, I was coming to the same conclusion that we buy separate tickets for the Disney day. We plan to go early, and be back by late afternoon.

Christine, if we don't use the Visite during one of the five consecutive days, you're saying it could become inactive? Wonder how I would find that out?

Our schedule may look something like:
Friday - arrive early, taxi in from CDG.
Fri. thru Mon. - travel within Paris
Tues. - Disney (flexible day, but looking for least crowded)
Weds. - more Paris
Thurs. - taxi back to airport

I have a few purple tickets left over from our last trip... I should see how many. Perhaps the one-day Mobilis each day might be the thing.

Thanks everyone for your advice!

<i>Christine, if we don't use the Visite during one of the five consecutive days, you're saying it could become inactive? </i>

It won't become inactive - you'll just waste an outrageously priced pass day. It will expire the fifth day after you activate it, regardless of how much you use it.

Looks like you could switch Disney to the last full day, allowing you Fri-Tues to utilize the PV pass, buy a r/t ticket to Disney + carnet for getting around Paris for whatever time you have left.

No, your Visite will not die if you do not use it on one of the covered days. Validity starts when you first use it and runs from then through the number of days you purchased, regardless of how many times you use it.

You said you were looking to avoid having to look after a passel of tickets as with a carnet. Since the Mobilis is a daily ticket you would still need to have a fresh one each day. You could buy then all at once (again, the clock starts ticking when you first use it, not when you purchase it) but would need to make sure you keep straight which is the one you are using that day.
With your schedule it would work out something like this:

Mobilis - One for each adult for Fri-Monday plus Wed; for DD one each for Friday, Monday and Wed = 13 x 5.80 = 75.40 (zone 1-2) or 13 x 7.70 = 100.10 (zone 1-3)
PLUS
Ticket jeune weekend (covers Sat &amp; Sun, zone 1-3) for DD = 3.20

Total = 78.60 (zone 1-2) or 103.30 (zone 1-3)

(If you do not go for the ticket jeune and just buy regular Mobilis for DD on the weekend the total would be 87.00 (zone 1-2) or 115.50 (zone 1-3)

In terms of zones, most things are in 1-2, but La Defense is in Zone 3 if you plan to go there. You could always buy Mobilis with different zones on different days but that level of calculation is beyond even me!

Paris Visite 5 day (zone 1-3) covers Fri-Monday @ 28.30 x3 = 84.90
PLUS
Mobilis for Wednesday x3 = 18.40 (zone 1-2) or 23.20 (zone 1-3)
Total = 103.30 (zone 1-2) or 112.70 (zone 1-3)

So, if you want to minimize ticket handling the Visite + one Mobilis may be your best option - as always you pay a bit extra for convenience.

BTW there are some specials running for Disneyland Paris if your visit will be soon. As usual, the english language RATP web pages do not include links but the French ones do - check out he &lt;billet francilien&gt; at http://tinyurl.com/5jghyp

<i>...make sure you keep straight which is the one you are using that day.</i>

Which is why at 2:04 I recommended writing the day of use on each one as soon as you acquire. In fact, today's date <u>must</u> be written on the ticket you're using, and if the RATP <i>flics</i> stop you, it had better be there. I leave my supply at the hotel so I only have today's ticket to keep track of.

<i>Ticket Jeunes</i> is a one-day pass, so - Saturday OR Sunday OR holiday.

You all are great! Thank you so much for working this out for me. I think we can manage the Mobilis pass, especially since we can buy them all at once. I'm sure I can keep track.

Will check out the Dland specials as well, though our trip is next March. Soon!

Thanks again....