bornintheusa

Will be visiting Paris for a week (including a day trip to Versailles)--we arrive on a Thursday afternoon into CDG and leave early morning on a Thursday out of Gare du Nord...we are staying near the Charonne metro station....I am trying to comprehend the different choices for Metro/bus/train passes or carnets....we enjoy walking but being our first time in Paris we have lots to see so may like to quicken our pace via metro and bus or use them when we are tired. I have been reading that one pass ends Sunday and restarts Monday but we would need 2 different ones for our stay..it would be nice to use a pass out of CDG into the city when we arrive as well as to get to Versailles. Any help would be appreciated....

PalenQ

You would need a multi-zone pass to cover CDG and Versailles - put those on one pass and not on just in Paris pass. But for most people in Paris whose time there does not comport to the Monday-Sunday week for passes bying carnets - group of ten tickets that can be shared by anyone (costing same as about 6 individual metro/bus tickets) is the best deal. Many sights in Paris are walkable if grouped together - I rarely take metro in Paris as with walking what's in between mega tourist sights for me is often as nice as they site itself.

https://www.ratp.fr/en/titres-et-tar...-travel-passes

https://www.ratp.fr/en/titres-et-tarifs/t-tickets

PalenQ

The Paris Museum Pass is something more likely to want - covers dozens of major museums and many lesser ones - also good at Versailles and skip ticket lines at places like Louvre:

http://en.parismuseumpass.com/

Buy at any paticipating museum (go to a lesser one like Conciergerie = old jail near Notre-Dame where Marie-Antoinette and other luminaries were held until they were guillotined= to avoid long waits in line at places like Louvre to buy pass.

No need to pre-purchase. Do not get mixed up with Paris Pass whose efficacy is much harder to tell:

https://www.parispass.com/

Note many museums are closed on Monday and half-price on Sundays and free on first Sunday of month including Louvre. Louvre is closed Tuesday instead of Monday. Take these into consideration when buying what days you want to use museum passes on.

Christina

I don't think the OP is asking about the product called Paris Pass, which bundled a bunch of things. I think they are talking about the Navigo pass which can be filled for one week, and it's true that is only Monday-Sunday. And that will cover 5 zones and includes both CDG and Versailles. It's up to you to decide if it is too expensive for 3 days use or not. You also have to have a passport-sized ID photo for that card, of course, so if you don't have one, that's another cost.

If you go to Versailles on Sat-Sun, I would probably buy it for Fri-Sunday anyway as I think it would be worth it for 23 euro to include both those big trips.

There aren't really that many ticket choices. There is that one, single tickets of course for which you get a ticket if you buy 10 (carnet) and then an one day ticket (Mobilis). Bus versus metro etc doesn't matter, they all use the same ticket. There are some subtleties with transfers but I can't remember them.


for the second week, you could just use a carnet probably. You can load your Navigo card for the one day unlimited passes also, they are same price as a Mobilis (7.50 per day for zones 1-2). Since you are not going outside zones 1-2 those days (unless you go to Versailles Mon-Wed), that would be fine.

PalenQ

I don't think the OP is asking about the product called Paris Pass,>

Me either but mentioned it as some mix up Museum Pass with Paris Pass which does contain a Travel Card for unlimited metro and bus and tram and funicular use in central Paris.

bornintheusa

Great advice....so train to Versailles is 6E and RER from CDG to Paris is 10E...Navigo is 23E for all zones..if I get it Thursday at the airport to get me to Paris and go to Versailles one day that will still leave me 2 full days unlimited usage to see parts of Paris that are the farthest from my hotel. Then the next week I can just get a 10 pack of tickets to last the next 3 days sightseeing closer to my hotel. Already have photos so no cost there....am I missing anything in my calculations??

Seamus

Your calculations are bang on.
Another advantage of the Navigo pass is that you can use it to hop on and off buses at whim. After several trips using only Metro I tried buses and found them terrific - you get to see the city as you move, and can hop off when something strikes your fancy.

apersuader65

Zones Navigo Weekly
All zones 22,80€ 75,20€
2-3 20,85€ 68,60€
3-4 20,20€ 66,80€
4-5 19,85€ 65,20€

PalenQ

Wish they would just make it a week period but I guess by Monday-Sunday they try to make it harder for tourists to use?

Sarastro

The Navigo fares are designed for commuters which is why the weekly period begins on a Monday. The fares are heavily subsidized by other taxpayer money so you must forgive the RATP for not making them more convenient for tourists. There are those who believe that subsidized fares should not be sold to tourists at all.

The RATP does offer other options custom made for tourists such as the Paris Visite Pass. The PVP does cost more than do the Navigo options but it is much easier to use and more flexible to tourist needs. When compared what tourists pay for public transportation in other large cities, the Paris Visite Pass is probably a relative bargain.

PalenQ

I agree with Sarastro - heavily subsidized fares should be only available to residents of the taxpaying area.

ssander

We love the 1-week passes loaded onto our Navigo cards. We also sympathize with those who feel they should be limited to locals...they are a great deal, especially now that they include all five zones. As stated by seamus, one real advantage for a tourist is convenience, even when the cost-analysis comes out a little negative...hopping on and off buses without counting pennies or keeping track of how many tix are left in your carnet. And riding the bus in Paris is a great way to see the city.

ssander

Sarastro

Navigo fares have always included zone 5 if that is what you want. The only recent change was that the fare prices dropped and dropped dramatically. apersuader65 has listed the weekly/monthly prices above and it should be noted that if you want zone 1-5 coverage, you must specify zone 1-5 when purchasing a fare.

One day fares may now also be loaded onto a Navigo or a Navigo Découverte card. It is the RATP´s objective to move all fares to the Navigo card so it´s more important than ever to use correct terminology when referring to the Navigo card to preclude possible confusion.

apersuader65

IF you are planning on public transport from CDG into Paris and NOT a 50€ taxi, and you are adding Versailles to the trip as well, I agree with Christina. Buy the Five zone Navigo for 22,80€ plus an additional 5€ for the card holder (bring picture) at CDG. While it expires Sunday at midnight, it covers the cost from CDG in to Paris - over 10€ - and the Versailles trip of about the same price, plus you have full access to metro, tram and buses on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well. Top up for the next week with an additional week (have to buy them AFTER Thursday) for the additional 22,80€. That is a 6,51€ per day cost for all transport, and it includes the CDG trip (10,30€) and Versailles (7,10€ r/t). IF you subtract those out, its about 4€ per day for just regular transport - as much or as little as you need.

ssander

Sarastro...

Sorry about the imprecision. It's just that for years, we always loaded the Zone 1-2 week passes for 20+ Euros (going back to the Carte Orange days), and were pleasantly surprised when they expanded it to include all five zones. I tend to forget that a 5-zone pass was always available...albeit for a significantly higher price and, therefore, not so useful for us as tourists who spend most of our time in zones 1-2. Is the pass itself still called a forfait semaines?

ssander

bornintheusa

Yes, having the Navigo card at 27E for just Thursday through Sunday will work out very well seeing as it will include the CDG to paris trip, the Versailles trip and then we plan to use it the rest of Friday after versailles as well as Saturday and Sunday to visit the sights farthest from the center of paris near Eiffel Tour and Sacre Coeur. Thanks all for your helpful advice....

Sarastro

A forfait just means a fixed or a set price. When you take a taxi from CDG to the Right Bank, you pay a forfait of 50€.

A forfait semaine would be a weekly, fixed price fare. In the case of Navigo fares, a week is defined as from any given Monday to the following Sunday.

As the ticket t+ will also migrate to the Navigo card, it is not clear how the term pass might accurately be used. I´ll need to go check the English language menus at the ticket kiosks. My guess is that the word pass, just like the word carnet, never appears.