Abbesses Metro Stop

The work on the elevators is not scheduled to end until the 15th of September: https://www.ratp.fr/decouvrir/coulisses/modernisation-du-reseau/les-ascenseurs-de-votre-station-abbesses

But you can get off at the stop before or after Abbesses and you'll be fine.

When you suggest getting off one stop before or one stop later, does this mean that I will be facing a climb? I assume that is what the elevator is for.

The elevator is there because the Abbesses station is the deepest station in the metro system. Pigalle and Lamarck-Caulaincourt stations are not as far below ground but of course you will have to climb stairs to leave the underground system. If you can't manage any stairs, you may want to consider taking the bus. The majority of metro stations in Paris have stairs that can't be avoided.

Thanks. I see that I confused the elevator at the Abbesses with the funicular up the mountain to Sacré-Cœur. This forum is terrific, especially for a newbie traveller like myself.

Lamarck Caulaincourt is on the other side of the hill from Abesses and it as deep or nearly as deep. It also uses an elevator from the platform to the surface. If you get off at LC, you have to climb over the hill to Abesses. If you get off at Pigalle or Anvers you either you have to climb up the hill or take the bus or funicular. If course strolling up Rue Lepic and then by Abbesses is a pretty walk.

If you get off one stop before or after Abbesses, you will have to climb some stairs, but that's typical of all Metro stations.
Abbesses is the "killer station" - that's why there's an elevator.
You don't want to climb the stairs in Abbesses.

The funicular is another thing altogether, and you will need another Metro ticket to access that.

I'm a victim of those stairs at Abbesses last May! I think I counted 100 steps as I huffed and puffed my way up. Had no idea the elevator is out of order for such a long time. I think a couple of elderly Parisians may have passed me lol.

We did have some good karma though. The ticket taking machine for the funicular must've been broken because we didn't have to use a ticket to descend. Unless you only need a ticket to ascend and the descent is always free? We had taken a Walks of Paris tour so we wound our way up to Sacre Coeur so didn't use the funicular on the way up.

Just note that if you board something that requires a ticket without one that you can be facing a 35 Euro fine if ticket checked as you emerge at the bottom.

Janettravels, we looked at what everyone was doing and no one was putting their ticket in the machine. There was a metro worker that let everyone in which is why I was wondering if the funnicular ride was free on the way down.

The last time I rode it, it was not free down. I would have done the same as you of course if a metro worker was passing people through like that. We have a couple of time found metro stations with non functioning stiles open. I always write down the name of the station and the exact time on the ticket, in case I get caught out later or with a navigo, note it on scrap paper.

I wouldn't take the time to do that.
If there are agents watching the turnstyles and people are going through, that's good enough for me.

And so Chexbrex is you enter a metro where the gates are broken and yet half an hour later and clear across town after a transfer, get ticket checked and you havn't validated then what do you do? Now I realize you are an expat who presumably speaks French well enough to explain the situation and where you enter the system, but a tourist whose French is limited may not be able to explain themselves adequately. You think everyone in the system knows that one of the gates is not functioning? There are generally not staff motioning people through in these instances, the gates are just open and not working. I have encountered this several times.

It's Chexbres, janet...

No, I wouldn't take the time to scribble on a scrap of paper, even though I am fluent in French and English.
If the turnstyles are well and truly broken, and more importantly open, and people are going through them, there isn't anything else to do but follow the herd.

The agents know they are broken, so there isn't much else to do but keep them open.

If the turnstyles are broken, you won't be able to validate your ticket.
So if you find yourself 30 minutes away at another station, all you have to do is validate your ticket.

If you are referring to a Metro ticket which might have expired during the 90 minute period, I don't think most people think that far ahead. They just use another ticket.

If you want to try to fight the transit system over a fine, go ahead - if you are fluent in French.
In my opinion, you are overly-cautious.

I've been in Paris twice in the past 18 months, and both times rode the funicular at Sacre Coeur down the way for free,
The gates were open, and there were no attendants at either end.