Navigo easy pass, is it available / also metro stairs question

Metros are mostly stairs. There are elevators for the very deep metros like Lamarck Caulaincourt and Cite and there are often escalators here and there, but even where there are escalators there are usually also stairs that must be climbed. On most connections you will have stairs up and down and can count on their being 3 or 4 flights of stairs in many stations. We use Tolbiac a lot and there is one exit escalator but to get there we will have climbed a couple of sets of stairs at least; this is typical.

Note that a LOT of metro stations are undergoing renovation -- one can only hope for more elevator/ escalator service!!
And buses run at ground level with better views - from St. Paul you can catch the 69 to Champs de Mars for the Eiffel Tower and the other way to Pere Lachaise cemetery. Great location!

After just spending two days in Milan riding the metro....and I think think applies in most cities...

While there are lots of entries to metro, and mostly stairs, sometimes requires quite a bit of walking to get to the trains. It’s not obvious which entry takes you directly to trains.

Milan had a lot of escalators (a few not working), but I was searching for the stairs and/or elevators as I wanted to avoid escalators with our dog. If you do have to use stairs, there are a LOT. Especially stations that have two or more lines as they tend to be in different levels. Milan is a flat city and My fit bit shows 75 flights of stairs, and that didn’t include elevators we found (not always easy to locate)

When you walk out the metro, be like a lemming and follow the crowds, that likely with get you above ground quicker. Even then, once above ground you will need to orient your sense of direction. Use google maps with WiFi on/ data off and as you start walking, the blue dot will show which direction you are walking in.

If we're talking about the same thing, the Navigo easy has not yet been introduced. Date was set for this month, April of 2019, but French friends don't think that will happen. There has been no announcement in the press or at the RATP website about an imminent change.

I stayed near the St. Paul Metro station once a couple of years ago, and as I recall that station is not a deep one. I believe just one flight of stairs, and there is an up escalator at one of the exits. As a previous poster said, there are several buses running on Rue St. Antoine/Rue de Rivoli, which make it very easy to get around. My advice is to pick up a free "Plan Deux" map at the Metro station. It has buses on one side and Metro on the other, both showing routes superimposed on a street map, making it great for route planning. It is also big enough to read.

A lot of Paris Metro lines were built with cut-and-cover method, so they generally are not deep under ground. Some lines are actually ELs outside of the the immediate downtown. The No 14 line is newer, deep underground, but all stations have elevators and/or escalators. RER lines vary. The "C" line runs alongside the left bank of the Seine above the normal river level, so it just below street level. The "B" line runs north and south is fairly deep, but has escalators at many stations.

La Cite station on the No 4 Metro line is quite deep, since it is going under the Seine at that point. It has elevators, but you still have to walk up a flight of stairs to get to street level.

If stairs are going to be a problem for you, I'd avoid the Metro in Paris. Take a taxi, Uber, or a bus instead. Be aware that the bus system is changing many of its routes and bus numbers on April 20th, so most of the information you will find in guidebooks or online will be out of date. Here's a link to a bus route update page (in French only): https://www.nouveaureseaubusparisien.fr/fr/

To ensure that the map you use is current, look for the new bus routes #25, #45. #59 #71 and #77, not previously in use.
The RATP likes citymapper so that service will probably update quickly. New paper maps at this date don't seem to be available.

Thank you for very helpful advice.
I have city mapper and doesn’t seem updated as of today
We will be in Paris on May 2 thru 8
And will use a mix of bus and metro. But seems we’ll explore on foot mostly
Glad we chose the area we did around St. Paul metro.
We will have to plan our wandering of Paris
Now we will take a taxi from cdg to our apartment and probably buy Carnets for our trips.
Pass would have been more convenient
I always think I can do more than actually is possible without being exhausted. So we will just pace ourselves and enjoy life sites and food

Don't expect any updates before April 20 midnight. I have had very bad luck with city mapper on the present bus routes. It wants to take me through train stations to make bus transfers there when there are many other better choices. It doesn't show any detours which are commonplace with all the construction going on. So good luck if you're a bus rider. Google has been much easier to use although I still prefer and always will prefer the old paper L' Indispensable 3 plans par arrondissement.

I love the area around St. Paul. Wonderful choice. Yes, one flight to street level. And there is an up escalator but sometimes it's down for repairs. Bastille may be useful for you too (I vaguely remember having only 1 flight of stairs and there are some escalators - depends on which exit) since it's pretty close and there are several train lines. For the Rive Gauche, bus or on foot. On my last visit, I spent 2 weeks there (a tad closer to Bastille than St Paul) and I ended up using buses more than the metro, especially coming home in the evenings.

I took two friends to Paris last Christmas and they complained constantly about how much walking and climbing they had to do for public transportation. It drove me nuts, but I knew what to expect. I told them they should consider doing somewhat of a training before they go and climb stairs at home and at work instead of taking an elevator. My suggestion was in vain! Ha!