Check my travel plan/Tell me about the pic for Navigo Decourvete

I just took a selfie with a plain white background, loaded on my computer, then printed it out using the print-sizing function to get it to the required 25 mm by 30 mm on plain copy paper. Worked fine.

1) Sounds like a good plan!

2) Plain paper is fine. It's not like a passport picture, where there are very stringent requirements.

Nance,

Sounds great!

I scanned our passports, then resized the photo, and printed it using regular paper.

Since the photos are so small & flimsy, I placed them in a small round plastic container to keep them safe.

Once you've used the Navigo decouverte, you will be spoiled and prefer this method over the individual tickets! ;-)

Have a wonderful trip!

You might find that a second week on the Navigo is worth it too even though you are leaving on Thursday. Don't forget the bus routes, they are great!

Thank you everyone. Adam, I did think about that. I guess we will wait and see what the itinerary is like for that second week portion.

I did love using my ov-chipkaart for travel in Netherlands this winter. One purchase and no more lines until we cashed out the card. Will be reloading those when we arrive there from Paris.

Passport photos are easier to obtain in France. In many metro stations there's a photobooth where you can get passport sized photos. The cost is cheap compared to US passport photos

I would echo Adam's thought -- that the convenience of the pass may well outstrip any few euros' savings achieved by not buying it for the second week. Plus then you don't have to do this strange planning where you think you'll go places by metro and bus the first week and then minimize it the second week.

Sometimes things have value beyond the trips per cost calculation.

No need to pay the money in a French photobooth, nor to take the time. You're saving yourself money and time by doing the photos like you've done them, and just print them on regular paper. One less thing to have to waste time on when you are on vacation that you can take care of ahead of time, at home.

I got my Navigo Card last Fall. I had recently renewed my passport and had a few extra photos.
Even though it was a bit larger than what was specified for the Navigo, the nice young woman at the ticket booth at Gard du Nord just whipped out her scissors, cut the photo to size, and handed me the card with a smile.
And yes, Paris isn't Paris any more -- it's better!

I was just in Paris, and second the fact that the Navigo Dec. card is just the best!
I arrived on a Monday, and reactivated my N.D. pass from last year in the machines at CDG.
I then reloaded it the following Sunday, even though I was leaving on the Thursday; and in those four days it paid for itself, so you might want to think about reloading it even just for a few days.
Then, keep it at home till your next trip to Paris, and reactivate it!
I believe it is good for about five years.
The photo can be on regular paper, it's the size that has to be accurate.
Download the RATP app to your phone or tablet, then you can plan bus, RER, and Metro journeys with it; it's excellent.

When I took the RS Best of Paris I had not noted I needed a photo for the card. Several of us just had the hotel desk person photocopy our passports, then cut the picture down to the sizing template for the card. Very easy. I would just stick a copy of your passport photopage in with your other paperwork and head to Paris. Our guide also picked them up at the Tabac across from the restaurant where we were eating dinner. She picked them up, had us assemble them, ran them back across the street to drop them off so the Tabac guy validated them while we had dinner.

I loved using the ND. It was very quick and easy.

The Navigo is so convenient, you may find it's worth it for the last 3 days too. Trying to figure out if you will have leftovers with a carnet or if one carnet will be enough, and then scrounging around for them . . . not worth it. It's nice to be able to hop on a bus for a short ride sometimes. I don't understand pixels, but the photos are about 1" x 1.25"

I like being ready to hit the streets as much as possible so will print off our pictures here to take with us. The advantages of recharging for a second week do outweigh the expenditure for less than a full week use and we will go ahead and plan on doing that.

Thanks for the advice!