7 Nights in Paris & Need train/metro advice

If you are going Monday to Sunday, there is a pass called a Navigo Decouverte Semaine. That is a one week pass and they always go Monday morning to Sunday night. You will need to bring a 1" by 1 1/4" passport type photo with you. You can get the all-zone variety and there is an initial set up fee of about 5 euro (as I recall). The zone 1-5, which would cover you from Disneyland, CDG airport and all of Paris, including Versailles for 35.40 euro each.
RATP doesn't provide and English translation for the info on this. Use google translate.
http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/c_21137/forfaits-navigo-mois-et-semaine/
You can buy them at the airport train station or any manned Metro or RER ticket window.

Just curious...why stay there?

Thanks Sam for the helpful information. Is it better to buy them there or in advance? Also, are these passes useful on the bus?

Hi Richard,
We are staying there as it is part of our timeshare. Also, they had availability over the smaller units in Paris. My husband is about 7 feet tall and we could not do the really tiny apartments in downtown Paris.

Since metro info is city specific and also doesn't need to be purchased from home, Rick's tips per city are in the guidebooks. The tips under City Transit are more universal.

Yes, you buy them there because the ticket agent has to laminate your photo to the pass (while confirming that it is you). If you bring a properly sized photo with you, it only takes a couple of minutes. You can use a selfie, then use the print sizing function on your computer to get the photo to the proper size, print it, cut it out, stick it in your wallet, and voila, you're ready to go.
They work on Paris buses, and I would presume, the local buses at your lodging location.

Most of the time the agent will just hand you the ND kit and you assemble it with picture and your name yourself. Get it for 5 zones (Disney is in Zone 5) and it will serve on all transport within the region. The Mon-Sun duration is fixed. If your time slops over the weekend, another option is to get Mobilis day passes which cost about the same as a round trip to Disney from Paris but also then allow unlimited travel during your day in Paris -- Or you can get a carnet of RER tickets from your RER station to Paris. By buying ten tickets at once you get about a 20% or so discount on prices; get a carnet of ordinary tickets for use within Paris if you go that way.

While the Paris Visite travel pass which runs up to 5 days (maybe 6) is almost always a real rip off, if the ND does not fit your dates, it might be a good deal for you since you will be making 16 Euro round trips daily. That adds up fast so if the ND doesn't work, this might.

We are arriving from Iceland on Sunday morning and leave on Sunday morning, the following week. So, the ND pass might work and then just travel on regular ticket for Sunday from CDG to resort and anywhere else.
How much are the regular tickets for the day? Are there day passes?

The website parisbytrain.com would help you a lot.

The Mobilis that janettravels referred to is a day pass. You can get them just for Paris (zones 1 and 2) or for larger areas. Since your timeshare is in zone 5, make sure you get a zone 1-5 Mobilis, and this will cover you for the day getting to and from your timeshare as well as within Paris, for unlimited transit that day.

I agree with the rest of the advice you have been given. Bring a small (about 1 inch square) photo from home (printed on plain paper from your computer is fine), and buy a Pass Navigo Decouverte pour la semaine pour cinq zones (i.e. for the week for 5 zones) when you get there. If there is a big line behind you, you will indeed have to put it together yourself (my experience; it's not hard); if not, they may help you (my friend's experience).

Do look at the Paris by Train website, as well as getting Rick's Paris book, for more Metro tips. You'll be coming into Paris from the eastern suburbs on RER line A, shown as thick red on maps. It makes four stops in Paris before heading out to western suburbs; you will get off at one of these four and transfer to the Metro if needed. Again, the book and website have tips on how to figure out your route; the "correspondences" signs in the stations point to other lines. Be aware that Chatelet-Les Halles, where you will be transferring a lot, is said to be the busiest underground station in the world; if it isn't, it sure feels like it. If you're not used to big city mass transit interchanges, you may be overwhelmed at first. It's really three stations that have been connected, so lots of walking is sometimes required.

Note that according to the resort's website, you are 3.1 miles from the Marne-la-Vallee Chessy RER stop (the "Disneyland Paris" stop), but very close to a bus stop. So, you'll probably be taking a bus to the RER - even more reason to use the Mobilis or the Pass Navigo, since that way you won't have to pay a separate bus fare.

I was going to add that there are frequent trains from CDG to Marne La Vallee-Chessy, but it doesn't look like they sell tickets for that anymore. Its only 9 to 10 minutes on the TGV and I guess too many people missed their stops. By the time they found their seats, they were already on the way to Lyon.

Check out one of the free apps for the Paris metro , then you can see where the subways and trains run .get a carnet of tickets for the metro and grab a small map once you are there and you can get around Paris very easily . If you happen to get on a wrong line just go up onto the street and enjoy a beverage on one of the many cafes , then carry on with your adventures

Thanks everyone for the great advice! We are all set to get there and have some fun. Let us know if you have any other quick tips about sites, i.e. any special attire requirements. We are doing dinner at the Eiffel Tower, so we have a nice outfit for that night.

We will definitely get the PMP, ND, and Mobilis.

@Sam - I thought I did see the TGV train from CDG to Chessy, however the rules around it seemed confusing. It seems that it is still running, but it seemed that we could not use it because we have the other passes. Did you get that understanding as well? Or do you think that the site just has not been updated? I will try for both trains and see which ever one we get.