We are two seniors who are visiting Paris for five days in May. What is our best option for metro passes? Thanks
What are the days of the week of your visit, please ? (Paris is annoying because it doesn’t have, say, a three-day or five-day or seven-day pass - it has a weekly pass that runs strictly from Monday through Sunday,)
We are staying Monday through Friday.
Paris does in fact have a 3 or 5 day pass good any day; the problem is it is the hose the tourist Paris Visite and is rarely sensible economically..
If your trip falls between Mon-Sun of one week then get a Navigo Decouvert at the airport and use it to get into town and for all your travel. If that doesn't work then get a Navigo Easy and load it with MTR tickets for 2.50 a piece which will take you on the metro/RER anywhere in the ile de France except the airports.
I missed your dates. Absolutely no question you need a Navigo Decouverte and you can use it in from the airport although if you h ave luggage, I'd take a cab as the metro is no fun with luggage when you are old. The rER into town is fine, but then you probably have to transfer to the metro to get to where you are going. but the ND lets you hop a bus or take the trains anywhere in the Ile de France any time. You won't have to give transport a thought or run the risk of fines. One purchase and your are done.
If you intend to get around by metro or bus, your best bet is the Navigo Decouverte, for convenience if for no other reason. The ND always runs from Monday through Sunday, so you’ll be covered for unlimited travel, including to and from the airport, for the week.
The ND is a plastic card kit you purchase for 5 euros. You’ll need a head shot photo a bit smaller than your passport picture, although if you have extras from your passport, you can crop them to fit. You affix the photo to the pass, print your name on it, insert it into the plastic case and then load it with the 7-day pass.
And fyi, you buy the kit at a machine, which has an English option. You take the receipt to the manned window and the clerk gives you the kit. After you assemble it, you load it with the pass at another machine. Once in a while, if the clerk has time, they’ll assemble the kit for you, but don’t count on it.
Hi there. I'm chiming in on this discussion because we are going to Paris next week.
Could you clarify what you mean by the requirement of having a head shot photo. Is this mandatory? Could we just come prepared with any photo or does it have to be a passport style headshot?
Also, we just have a small carry on and small backpack each. How is that amount of luggage to manage on the metro? We are in our 60's.
Passport style head shot 1" by 1 1/4". But you can take a selfie on a plain background and reduce the size on your computer to the proper dimensions. Or you could make a scan of your passport photo and resize that the same way. They are not quite as fussy as the passport people.
PS I have always used the RER from the airport into Paris with carry-on luggage. It does not phase me, but it phases some people.
@Michelle, will you have to change from the RER to the metro to get to your lodging? If so, do you know if that is a connection with a lot of walking or unassisted elevation changes? How long is the walk from the final station to your accommodations? I find that it is the walking to make connections and the exiting up flights of stairs that faze a lot of people when dealing with luggage on the train trip from CDG to accommodations in Paris. I don't think that your age is the gating factor if you are in good/decent shape. I'm 61 (going on 62) and I can do it but I have a friend who is about 20 years younger than me and she cannot manage it.
Could we just come prepared with any photo or does it have to be a passport style headshot?
Yes, you may bring a photo which must be similar to a passport photo, but the space on an ND card for the photo is just a bit smaller (25mm x 30mm) than the standard passport photo.
Is this mandatory?
Yes, using a Navigo Découverte card, which is non transferable, without a photo to identify the bearer carries a 35€ fine.
you could make a scan of your passport photo and resize that the same way. They are not quite as fussy as the passport people.
I am not saying not to do this, but scanned copies of photos are not technically acceptable. To avoid a fine, make sure that any photo scan results in a very good likeness.
The RER B is the fastest, and usually the cheapest way into Paris, but if this is your first time in Paris, or you are carrying several bags, consider taking a taxi from the official taxi queue: 56€/65€ fixed fare to the Right/Left Bank respectively.
If you can get to your hotel by RER then use that -- if you will have to transfer to the metro then expect many stairs so the question is can you easily care the luggage you have ups and down stairs -- perhaps many stairs.
I just print a head shot sized to 25/30mm on my computer for the picture. It needs to be a straight on head shot; it is smaller than the passport photo. It will be covered by a plastic film on the card so the quality of the paper is not an issue -- the quality of the image is. The ND kit needs to be full assembled with picture and your printed name before use or it is not a valid pass. The card once assembled is good for 10 years and can be loaded with daily, weekly or monthly passes. You load them on machines and the machines can be set to English.
I photocopied my driver's license photo and cut it out. It was exactly the right size.