Super bad 1st day in paris metro experience LONG

You need a picture on the weekly passes. If not, it's the same fine as travelling without a ticket. Lots of photo booths in the metro, cost 6€/person.

We got the pictures. Maybe I was the one who misunderstood then 😆 not surprising.

It sounds like you have loaded a weekly pass to the Navigo Decouverte card. You do not need to be a resident to purchase/use this card. This is what I use when I'm in Paris. In addition to your photo, you need to print your name on the card if you are using the physical card.

Yes, you must comply with the controllers. If you get stopped again, show the controller your card with your photo and name on it.

Never ever jump the gate. Find a transit employee and request assistance. Otherwise, you could receive a steep fine

I hope things start looking up for you and your daughter.

The weekly pass you got is not a permanent resident card as long as you put your pictures on it. You will be fine. I’ve been using mine since they came out.

And yes, you technically have to stop and comply with those people. They are official - they have ability to fine you. It’s not a scam. It’s how they keep people from riding the metro for free. Had they seen your daughter jump the gate it would have been a very expensive fine. No, they don’t get a commission. That’s an Internet myth made up by people who feel like they only target tourists. I normally stay in the 14th which is not a tourist hotspot and I can tell you I see them checking tickets there. I also saw them one day at rush-hour at the la defense station, which is pretty much business commuters.

It’s possible they weren’t letting people into the metro station because there may have been unattended baggage, a medical emergency etc. It’s generally a safety reason not just to irritate you and it can be actually at other stations on the line but the "stoppage" has created a crowding issue at your station.

parisbytrain.com is a great resource for the paris train.

Leslie: NO JUDGEMENT! :-)

I adore Paris and we visit often, and I can tell you that the metro ticketing/Navigo pass/get your picture taken palaver is super annoying and VERY easy to mess up.

I'm a big city gal - have lived in San Francisco, Seattle, NYC, New Orleans, and now in London - I visit big European cities often - and Paris (for me, IMHO) is the most finicky and annoying metro system I have encountered.

Anyone who has navigated it successfully will, in retrospect, probably think it's pretty easy and straightforward. But it's really not. It does work just fine once you figure it out - but add to the complicated features a new wrinkle involving apps and phones that are "too old" and you really have a doozy of a situation that can trip up the most experienced traveller.

Hope the rest of your visit goes swimmingly, now that you have conquered le Metro! :-)

You were lucky they didn't fine you for using the ND without a photo. It has nothing to do with being a resident. The ND was designed for temporary workers and for people who didn't want their travel tracked. Tourists may use them but they are not a tourist product. The card clearly has a spot for a photo and it is too bad the person who sold it to you didn't point that out. Once you have the photo on it, your name printed and the plastic flap over the photo card, you are good to go for 10 years with that card. You can load day passes, weekly passes and monthly passes on it.

You are also super lucky not to have received an enormous fine for not having a ticket that worked for the airport trip -- so instead of feeling put upon you should be rejoicing that you evaded TWO hefty fines that would have totaled well over 100 Euro because you got away with it once and were given grace by the controller the second time. You have been blessed by the metro fairy. Mostly these days the controllers don't accept any excuses even ignorance of the rules and fine you anyway.

You are not being 'targeted' or cheated or abused because you don't learn the basic rules of public transport in the city where you are. They are all a little different but not all that hard to learn. You had a great day not a terrible one -- you didn't get fined 140 Euro.

I have read a couple of places that there is a few day grace period on the weekly/monthly pass to add the photos. Now, I would not want to push that and I have no idea how you prove it, do you just carry your receipt around for a couple of days?

I am sorry for your experience, and I agree with Volva, paying for the Paris metro is uniquely confusing. I will just recommend what I do, which is I have a Navigo card loaded into my Apple Wallet and I can refill it from there. It shouldn't matter how old your phone is (altho I don't know how it works with an Android).

I've had instances where I've been caught in the barriers transiting within a station because my ticket wasn't read properly, and another time we thought we had bought tickets that covered the zone to Versailles but then wound up unable to get out and had to signal to a cleaner to come and help us. So do not feel bad!

1. What happens when we get stopped again? Are the going to ask for verification we are residents?

You do not need to be residents to use a Navigo Découverte card. The card is non-transferable and must contain the name and photo of the user, but anyone may use it.

1. Do we technically have to stop and comply with these people as they are only pushy so they get their commission?

Absolutely yes, you must comply with the requests of any inspector/controller. Tourist are treated no differently than anyone else.

I might make the following suggestions:

1. Use cards, not your phone to hold tickets/passes. Apps add unnecessary complexity, fine if you take the time to understand the rules, but for those who are in a hurry, cards are much easier to use.

2. No one should ever jump the gate. If there is a problem with a ticket/pass, go to the service desk and find out why. If you enter public transportation without a valid fare, the fine is 70€.

3. There is not sufficient detail in the narrative to be able to offer explanations for the various questions. However, public transportation is actually very easy to use. People get into trouble because they make assumptions.

I agree 100% with Tocard that using the metro or bus with a phone app adds unnecessary complexity. I use the physical card and don’t run into problems. Why use an expensive phone for this when a simple cheap plastic card does the job?

Thank you everyone!! So far today is better. We have our name and pictures on our card. Thank you for the help and explanations!

So glad that today is better.

I am quite sure there is no "grace period" before your photo has to be on a nominative Navigo card. So to anyone reading this thread later, be sure to affix your photo to the card when you buy it and add the weekly or daily pass!! (Again, this applies to nominative cards only, not the two-euro Navigo Easy card that can have individual tickets loaded on to it.)

I won't comment on the whole metro situation because I'm just not as familiar with it as others here, but I will say that it really pays to check your phone ahead of time. Make sure the apps are going to work, and make sure that your phone is new and stable enough to support it. If your phone is old, I would assume that there are going to be apps that will not work very well, and plan accordingly.

As Elizabeth said, you always have an option to use the cards, not the phone, and with an older phone, I would definitely choose the physical card option.

I realized that you did download the app at home and then found out at the airport that your daughter's app did not work, but just assume in the future that if a phone is old, you might want to think about getting a newer one before taking a trip where you plan to rely on technology. Or at the very least, make sure that you have the most recent software update. Even that can make a difference.

And for what it's worth, I agree with Janet in that you should consider yourself very lucky that you did not get stuck with a huge fine. Always ask for help if you have a problem. 😊

When it comes to tickets, I never use the phone app. It is always the paper or plastic ticket. Too often I have seen in Paris that when one expects it to work it does not re the phone being scanned and the line is held up.

I buy and carry three Navigo Easy cards, all loaded up paying by credit card at a ticket machine. When they run low, I add more money so that an empty card does not catch me unawares in front of the turn stile scanner. They always work with the scanner.

I agree with Fred and Elizabeth..
Apart from the fact that my phone is too old to support all the apps and wallets to pay for things, it seems that most if not all problems with Paris transport methods result from trying to use phones and apps.
Go to the ticket machine or desk.
Buy a Navigo Easy.
Load it with metro and bus tickets.
If you want the weekly one (it’ll pay for itself in no time and it’s good for ten years) bring along a photo (sizes found by googling) , attach the photo and away you go.
Couldn’t be simpler.
I don’t know why people make it so difficult for themselves when it really is very easy with actual cards.

Glad to hear your problem appears to be resolved. We all get messed up at times. Please don’t let it ruin your trip…put it behind you and carry on. These events make great stories for years after you get home. : )
I like to think that a bad start means a good finish. Have a wonderful time. You are in the most beautiful city on earth!

Don't let it get you. This is small potatoes, I find Paris the be the easiest, most expansive metro system that I have ever used. It helps to research these things before you purchase something like that. Be grateful that they gave you mercy and didn't charge you. Honestly, in the end you won.

We too had problems with the app on the phone. So, my advice is to have a glass of wine, go for a walk, have a nice dinner, and enjoy yourself.

I'm going to disagree with this slightly: "it seems that most if not all problems with Paris transport methods result from trying to use phones and apps."

When we had the issues I mentioned above, both times were when we were using the old little paper tickets. Since I switched to a Navigo card in my Apple wallet the experience has been seamless. I am able to do it all on my phone, and I can easily track how many trips I have on there and top up when needed. There can be barriers to getting cards- often you may go to a metro entrance that is unmanned and only has machines. Other times, like at Gare du Nord, you arrive to an extremely long queue at the metro ticket counter. Plus the additional hassle of finding a photo booth etc.

Everyone should use the method they are most comfortable with, so I'm not trying to convert people to using the Apple wallet if they prefer a card, but if people are curious about it they should know it can be very simple and straightforward.

If you have checked that you have the requisite updated operating system and hardware !

If you have the newest tech off the shelf - great ! If you don't - you will probably want to wander in the weeds for a while on the website to ensure you have their minimum required operating system and hardware.