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Purchasing Navigo Easy at Metro - machine or manned booth

Now that the metro is migrating over to cards vs paper tickets I have a few questions. We stay at the Renaissance Vendome and our metro stations are either Tuilleries or Concorde. We have always found manned booths at each station where we could buy the paper tickets. Will we still be able to use the manned window/booth to purchase the NE card and load it with what we need, or will we need to use the machines? Also, will the machines accept cash? We prefer not to use the credit card on machines for any possible skimming attempt., plus, we are cash people! If we need to load additional tickets on the NE, will a manned sales window do this for us? I know we can use the Bonjour RATP app, etc. etc. but I prefer not to. (I have read the RATP website, but I have read elsewhere that manned sales windows will not sell cards and add tickets to it. So I do want to clarify the details

Does anyone have any up to date and current/recent experience with this? Our last trip was April 2022 and we did not use the metro during that short (3 day) stay instead we just casually walked around.

Thanks!

Posted by
609 posts

We were in Paris in May 2023. We had no problems buying Navigo Easy cards at a manned ticket booth at the Vavin metro station. The ticket booth agent sold us the two cards (€2 each for a card) and put the requested 10 tickets on each.
Later, we did use the Bonjour RATP app to add more tickets on the card. It was easy. But If you want to use a manned ticket booth to add tickets to your card, you can. I hope your French is adequate to do so. Not every ticket agent speaks fluent English.
I did use my basic French and English to tell the agent what I wanted. "Je Voudrais deux navigo easy Cartes avec dix billets chacon" I want two navigo easy cards with ten tickets each (probably not correct, but it worked)
So your mileage may vary.
The ticket machines will accept euros.

https://www.ratp.fr/en/titres-et-tarifs/pass-navigo-easy

Posted by
20 posts

Thank you for the up to date information. I do speak French so I will be ok on that.
I have consulted the link you provided several weeks ago and I did read that NE cards were able to be purchased at manned counters at the metro, so I was curious to verify that..things do change and websites aren't updated..etc etc.

Thanks!

Posted by
36 posts

We are in Paris currently and purchased ours from a TABAC store. Easy and had a 'Tap" machine.

Posted by
8572 posts

once you have the NE or the ND it is easy to load more tickets or passes on them at the machines for this purpose in every metro station; they can be set to English.

Posted by
20 posts

So, we are good with 'tapping' . (Prefer that to inserting the card! And I know that the machines can be set to English - have done that before.... BUT will the machines accept CASH?

Thanks!

Posted by
14997 posts

This time in Paris (this July and Aug) I only used the machine to buy paper Metro tickets at different Metro stations, Nord, St. Lazare, etc, paid with the credit card, both the "tap" option and the inserting the card option. When out and about, I carry at least 6-8 in one pocket, putting the cancelled tickets in another one.

Buying paper Metro tickets can be done in stations easily using the machine.

Posted by
2710 posts

BUT will the machines accept CASH?

Of course, the machines accept cash, but not all, always will. When you enter a station, look around you. Is there a sales window or a service window? There will be one or the other. Service windows generally do not handle transactions. Purchases are made at the kiosks and some, at least one, will have a separate panel for cash payments.

These sales points may be slightly different from those you are accustomed to. Just take your time. There may now be kiosks that sell cards directly, without having to take your receipt to the Service window. There may also be locations having the option to purchase a Navigo Easy card already loaded with 10 tickets t+. Kiosks are being constantly upgraded, but not every métro station is the same.

Posted by
20 posts

Thank you all for your replies. Between this forum and another one I have my answers. It does appear that manned service windows can and will sell NE cards and will accept cash. We are not opposed to using the machines and tapping our credit card.... we just prefer to use a live person . I do speak French and I have looked at various websites for more information. In any case once we land and refresh ourselves - we will head over to Tuilleries and go from there!

Thank you again.

Posted by
1150 posts

I also speak French and went to a machine at Gare du Nord last visit (within the year) to purchase a Navajo Easy. As I was moving through the screens, I believe I was using the French, not English option, I found a man suddenly standing at my elbow. Obviously, ready to "help". I canceled out the transaction and walked away. I joined the manned booth line where the lovely agent was very helpful in English and French.

Not all sales outlet places are frequented by scammers, but this isn't the first time I have been offered "help" at a train or Metro station.

Not info the OP needs, I'm sure, but perhaps others might want to consider.

Posted by
20 posts

Oh yes..the helpers...we never let anyone who randomly walks up to us 'help us".
We don't even do.that here! And in the past if we were approached we have no problem to tell them to 'take a hike.

Hopefully anyone else reading this thread also understands to not accept random help like that.

Posted by
51 posts

If we buy ten tickets at a manned booth May they be shared by two travelers? I see that each passenger needs their own Navigo card but can they share a pack of ten tickets?

Posted by
10242 posts

To Jane — yes with individual paper tickets you can distribute them as you wish. Heck, you could give each of the ten to a different person !

Posted by
2710 posts

If you want to benefit from the booklet discount of purchasing 10 e tickets for 16.90, they must be purchased 10 per card. Paper tickets are not discounted no matter how many you purchase, they are 2.10 each. At the 2.10 price, you may purchase any combination you like.

Posted by
21 posts

I bought a navigo decouverte at CDG upon arrival for my daughter and I. Best deal ever! 70 Euro total for both of us including the card and includes all zones and RER B transport to and from CDG and RER C which includes Versailles. Is active Monday at 12:01 am until Sunday 12:59 PM , then you have to reload it. Get cash before you get in line to buy your Decouverte. Bring Passport size photos. I think the Decouverte can be reloaded anytime for up to 10 years. So keep it for your next adventure in Paris.

Have been to Paris five times, this is the cheapest way to get around I have ever used. Good on trains, metro and buses.

Posted by
87 posts

We found this summer that we couldn’t buy a card at a machine at all—we needed a staffed booth. (My husband is fluent and asked someone in a metro uniform, after attempting to buy cards at a machine.) This was a little harder to find on a Sunday, but we found one at a larger station.
We were able to top up our Navigo Easy with our iPhones using the RATP app, so only used the machine to buy separate tickets to Versailles.