Paris, the metro, Disney and our Zone 4 Hotel

Posted by Brenda (Ankara) on 07/13/07 02:32 PM

Two poor American teachers will visit Paris next Wednesday to Tuesday (so Carte Orange is out!) We have a zone 4 hotel on the same RER line as CDG (our arrival airport). We hope to see the in-town sites, but want to visit Versailles and Disney.
Until 15 minutes ago, we had planned to just buy a carnet apiece, but I found a link that said it is a 12euro+ ride to Disney on the RER lines, and now after looking at this forum I fear the same for Versailles.
Should we buy a ParisVisite for the two days we plan to visit Versailles and Disney (Sunday/Monday)? Should we buy one for 4 or 5 days because of our suburb hotel, or can we truly ride all the way from city center to zone 4 hotel on one carnet ticket as the ratp site implies. (Apparently they reworked things on July 1, but having never visited Paris, I don't get the system.)

Thanks!

Posted by Tim

Minneapolis, MN, USA

07/13/07 07:00 PM

8700 posts

I'll try to sort things out for you. "T+" tickets, the ones in regular carnets, are good anywhere the Metro goes, but only in zone 1 on the RER. (I believe carnets are also sold that cover more zones, but I can't find a reference on the French version of the RATP site.)

The Transilien site lists a fare of €5.80 for a trip from a RER station in zone 4 near CDG to Versailles and a fare of €9.30 for a fare from that station to Disneyland.

Even though you'll arrive on a Wednesday, you could buy a zone 1-4 Carte Orange that day. It would be good through Sunday. (No sales on Thursdays, and COs sold Friday-Sunday are not good until Monday.) The cost is €26.70. Since Versailles is in zone 4, you could use that CO to go there and back on Sunday.

Disneyland is in zone 5. A one-day zone 1-5 Mobilis pass costs €12.50 which would get you to Disneyland and back on Monday.

A Paris Visite will cost you more than what I've listed above.

Posted by Tim

Minneapolis, MN, USA

07/14/07 05:39 AM

8700 posts

Oops! Since your hotel is on the branch of the RER B that goes to CDG, a Mobilis pass won't work for you on Monday. The branches that go to CDG and Orly are excluded. Buy a one-day zone 1-6 Paris Visite instead.

Posted by Tim

Minneapolis, MN, USA

07/14/07 06:23 AM

8700 posts

One more thought. On the RER B, the line divides after the Aulnay sous-Bois station. B3 goes to CDG and B5 goes to Mitry-Claye. If your hotel happens to be near Aulnay-sous-Bois rather than one of the stations on the B3 branch, a Mobilis pass should work for you on Monday.