Question is: Carnet, Mobilis, Paris Visite pass I'd like to try to buy one pass and just get on and off as we'd like. I'm wondering if the Paris Visite pass include the train our to Versailles or is that seperate anyway. I'd like to purchase a pass at the Gare du Nord Station and then take buses/subway, etc. The Carnet only has 10 tickets and this won't allow a hop on hop off type idea that I have. Also, I was hoping that something would include a trip down the Seine or reduced rate. What are your ideas? Thanks all.
Posted by
Green Bay
21150 posts
Depends on your timing. Navigo Decouverte goes Monday morning to Sunday night. Its the most cost effective if you're spending a week. See this site: www.Parisbytrain.com for the rundown.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
If Navigo doesn't work for you (and it never has for me because of the timing), you best bet is probably to just buy those 10-ticket carnets as needed. You can use them on buses (get a transfer to change buses on the same trip) or metro. The carnet is a little less per ticket than buying one ticket at a time and a lot more convenient. When you get close to the end of your visit you may want to buy individual tickets to avoiding having leftovers, though you could bring them on the next trip I suppose. They're pretty cheap for what you can get for them. And consider walking instead of riding just one or two metro stops, Paris is easy for walking. I've never used Paris Visite and people on this board seem to think it's not a good value. There are hop-on-hop-off buses in Paris, they cost a lot more than metro but can be a good way to get familiar with the city and focus on sites of most interest. I've never done one in Paris, but we did get all-day Batobus passes one visit, for unlimited Seine travel in either direction (without narration or food).
Posted by
2081 posts
hi, i was only in Paris for 4.5 days so i used their Carnets. I didnt think it was a big deal, not as nice as an Oyster card, but they got me to point A an B. happy trails.
Posted by
Fontainebleau, France
893 posts
In order to pick the best option for you, you need to consider the following: Arrival day of the week (for considering a Navigo) Where your lodging is and where you'll be going to (for deciding which zones to purchase) If you have kids - what are their ages (under 10 for demi-tarif, 10-12 Paris Visite usually best, over 12 - same as an adult) What you are going to do while you're in Paris (try to do/see it all, or spend hours at cafes?)
*Your mobility/health/desire to walk Without all that info, it's hard for someone here to make recommendations.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
7885 posts
Paris Visite is zones 1-3, so it does not include Versailles. I would comment that a day at Versailles is not advisable while holding a short-duration admission pass because it's such a large part of the day. I have used Visite on some trips to Paris, when my schedule and the places I wanted to see worked well together. You have to look over the list of included attractions and decide. It is impossible to make a blanket recommendation for any given traveller. I have bought the Museum Pass more often, but many of my trips have been long enough to use a Navigo (formerly Carte Orange) for transportation.