Paris travel - Metro pass?

All of your Paris locations fit in the central zone apart from Versailles. However, day passes are poor value for money in Paris. It is usually better to get the so-called "carnet" which is a packet of ten single-journey tickets at a discount rate. (You still will need to buy tickets to Versailles separately).

The only thing I would say about your proposed agenda in Paris is that there is very little point in walking down the Champs-Elysees - see another recent thread below. After you've seen the Arc de Triomphe, get a bus down the street as far as the beginning of the Tuileries - the view from the bus will show you that it wasn't worth walking.

I agree about walking down the Champs Elysees. I did it when last in Paris for two weeks when I had a lot of time because I had never done it before. All I did was dodge other tourists and wave off petition girls. Couldn't wait to get out of there. It didn't have any of the ambience that walking through the Marais or St. Germain has. If I were in Paris for only a few days, I sure wouldn't waste any time on the Champs Elysees. Seeing it from a bus is enough.

I just spoke with a friend from England who is meeting us in Paris and got their Paris Museum Pass that included the Metro I didn't see that in Rick Steves book or anyone else mention it is this just an English or European deal or can we avail of it to. She got them online and they were mailed to her ??
Anyone else here of this deal

There is no museum pass that includes the metro. There is a marketing scheme where a Paris Visite (which is nearly always a very poor deal) and a Museum Pass are put in an envelope and a huge fee added for the 'convenience'. There is no single pass that does both. The Museum Pass can be worth getting; the Paris Visite is not.

All of Paris is in zone 1. If you are there close to a week falling between Mon-Sun then a Navigo Decouverte transport pass is the way to go. Otherwise you are best off getting a carnet of 10 ordinary tickets for 13.70, sharing them and then if you run out getting another carnet. If you are going to Disney one day then a Mobilis for 5 zones on that day is about the same as the round trip but adds transport back in Paris so it makes sense to get that.

@Margaret, I think your friend was referring to the grossly overpriced Paris Pass. It is a package that includes the RATP Visite Pass, a Museum Pass, and a collection of discount vouchers for various other attractions. You can buy them individually for a lot less.

Forget the Metro. Just get a 2 or 3 day Hop on Hop off bus pass if the weather is decent. Takes you just about everywhere you want to go and gives you a great orientation to the city. AND you are outside enjoying the beauty of Paris from the top deck of a bus instead of spending time trying to read a map and getting shoved around in a hole in the ground!!!

Thanks All for the replies. I think everyone hate the Paris pass unanimously :D so I'll just buy 10 ride tickets as suggested. Is there a way I can return a bunch of them, if they are unused?

Do I ask for 10 Zone 1 tickets? Or is that understood?

The carnet of 10 tickets can be shared by all members of your party -- so two carnets could cover 6 rides for 3 people with two excess tickets No way to sell back excess tickets, but since there's a discount for buying by the carnet you may end up ahead. You can also buy tickets one-at-a-time as needed, but that takes extra time. Ticket machine sells individually or by 10-pack.

Just ask for a carnet (pronounced "carnay"), it costs 13.70 euro. Since the tickets cost 1.70 when purchased individually, you get a 25% discount for buying them 10 at a time.

As you've been told, you can't sell back unused tickets. But they don't expire and can be used by anyone, so you can save them for a future trip, give them to a friend going to Paris, share them with people at your hotel on the day of departure, etc.

In many places, I've given away my unused transit. For instance, if I've bought a 7 day pass and am leaving after 5 days, I'll give it to someone arriving at the train station as I'm departing, explaining that it only has 2 days left.

Great. Thanks a lot guys. I'll check back in here if I run into trouble in France :)

The weekly passes (Navigo) start on Monday and end on Sunday. If that works for your schedule, they are a great deal and easy to use. (Its what we did since we arrived on Monday and left the following Monday.) Otherwise buy the carnet. Enjoy your vacation!