Transportation passed in Paris

There is a Navigo pass, available for one day, one week (Mon to Sun), or one calendar month. There are coverage areas as well, most tourists select the zone 1 to 5 option.

The pass is loaded onto a Navigo or a Navigo Decouverte card.

www.ratp.fr

I had a lot of difficulty finding a purchase option for the weekly pass as well (I know you can only purchase within a short window for the upcoming week, but i wanted to bookmark the purchase page ahead of time). There are “links” for it that don’t actually take you to a relevant page. I decided we would go to the manned ticket counter at the airport when we arrive and buy it there.

You can load passes onto your ND at machines at the airport or metro -- no need to stand in lines if you already have the pass. It is easy to do and there are English instructions available on the machines if you need help. (don't let some goober hanging around the machines offering help, help you as they will help themselves to your wallet)

If you don't have the ND card, then you will have to get it from a staffed window.

You don't buy them on line -- you buy them at RER or metro stations.

I did the calculations for what trips I know we will make, during the first partial week, and the trip from CDG alone covers half the cost of the week pass, so it makes sense to get it for the first 5 days. I will just load up single fares for the last two days we are there, as the full week cost would be more than we will spend for those days.

Mlw5000 - if you have your itinerary set, its easy to calculate the number of trips at 1,90 € per to compare to the weekly pass

Thank you for your relplies. Ecetera, are you referring to the Mobilis Unlimited or a Navigo pass. Five days is 38.35 euros. The Navigo Descouverte was 22.80 euros for 7 days. I quess that doesn't exist anymore because no one mentions it. Which one are you referring to and how much is it?

Tocard, which Navigo pass is it and how much?
Thank you for your response.

mlw5000 - You can make transportation cost analysis much easier if you are clear on the nomenclature. The Navigo Decouverte is NOT a pass, it is a non-transferrable card costing 5 euros. The Navigo Easy is a transferrable card costing 2 euros.

There are Navigo passes, the duration of which are 1 day, 1 week (M-Sun), or 1 calendar month. I believe the term mobilis is being phased out, replaced with the Navigo daily pass (the Jeune week-end remains unchanged). These passes are loaded onto the non transferrable cards, i.e. the Navigo card or the Navigo Decouverte card.

Tickets or single rides are typically loaded onto the Navigo Easy card. The exception is the point to point tickets sold for the RER which are still only available in paper.

The RATP could have made this a great deal easier for everyone to understand, but clarity and simplicity are not their strengths. Anyone attempting to use their website will easily understand this.

The above is a very simple explanation of the basics, cards vs. their fares.

Tocard,
Thank you. That clears up a lot. What is the disadvantage and advantage of a easy care over a descouverte card. Is there a difference in costs for you trips. It seems like everyone would get the easy card as it's only 2 euros and transferrable. I am going solo so the transferrable makes no difference.

and it's not just cards that are available, you can still buy the little paper tickets that look like a piece of Trident gum. If you buy a carnet you get a discount.

I’m getting the ND card and loading it with a one week pass, then will buy per trip for our last two days as needed

The Easy cannot be loaded with the weekly/monthly passes -- it is an entirely different product which can be loaded with carnet of metro/bus tickets.

The ND is not a tourist product; it was designed for students and workers temporarily in the Ile de France or those who don't want their travel pass registered for privacy reasons. Tourists may buy it, but it tends not to be advertised to them and so may not be showcased on web sites you have visited.

Janettravels, Thank you! Now it's clear. Where do you go to get it?

Ecetera, I just read your replies again. I guess I will do the same. Thank you!

Great idea to reread the above posts. Understand that there are cards and fares with a few of the old style tickets still available. Eventually, there will only be cards and their paired fares.

In review, there are two basic types of cards: transferrable, generally loaded with tickets, and non-transferrable, generally loaded with passes. Transferrable cards, the Navigo Easy, and well as the paper ticket products, are simple to use. It is the non-transferrable cards (the ND) which have special conditions - they are individual specific and require the holder's name and photo. You can be fined for attempting to use an otherwise valid, non-transferrable card, if it lacks an attached photo and a clearly written name.

Any of the various passes are priced according to their zone coverage, options are from 1 to 5 with most tourists simply choosing zone 1 to 5 or all zone coverage.

For example, a popular tourist option is to purchase a Navigo Decouverte card (5 euros), and load it with a weekly, zone 1-5 fare (22.80 euros) which is valid Monday through Sunday and sold only through Thursday of the current week. This card so loaded will take you anywhere within the Ile de France.