Paris Zones? Carte Orange...?

Show all answers

Don Adriano

Paris is divided into six concentric rings or zones, like a bulls-eye. You can buy a travel pass for any combination of these zones. All of the familiar attractions of Paris are inside the central zones 1 and 2 (except Versailles and Disneyland).

Tourists used to be able to buy a Carte Orange for one week or one month, just like the locals. However, the transit authority is phasing out the paper Carte Orange and replacing it with a smart card called the Pass Navigo. Tourists can't buy a normal Pass Navigo because you have to have a local address to get one.

However, anyone can buy what's called the Pass Navigo DÃ©couverte for â‚¬5 plus the normal cost of the pass. For zones 1-2 for a week, that normal cost is â‚¬16.30. These run Monday-Sunday, so don't buy them in the middle of the week or you'll lose money.

Tourists sometimes also buy the Paris Visite pass. Like other tickets, you can get them for a certain number of zones and for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days. These come with a book of coupons that can be used at some stores and attractions, but in the end are more expensive than just buying regular tickets or a weekly pass.

ChocoBN

There is only one zone in Paris proper, the whole city is in zone one. The minimum you can buy is a zone 1-2 ticket/pass. You don't need more.

Zones 2 to 6 are outside Paris, covering the suburbs. For instance, CDG airport and Disneyland are in zone 5 whereas Versailles is in zone 4. Here is a map showing the RER zones:
http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan.php?loc=reseaux&nompdf=zones&fm=gif&forced=gifã€ˆ=fr&partenaire=ratp

A zone 1-2 ticket allows you to travel on the entire metro network including the suburbs (and on the RER within zones 1 and 2 only). Here is a map of the Paris metro:
http://www.ideamerge.com/motorhomes/france/paris_metro.gif

Read this to familiarize yourself with the system:
http://www.gisparis.com/paris/paris_subway.htm#3

EDIT: you have many options which will depend on your needs, which day of the week you will be arriving and how long you will be staying. Here are things to consider:
- The weekly pass is valid from Monday morning to Sunday night, so does it fit your schedule?
- How often will you be taking the metro every day? Paris is quite compact and best visited on foot, you'll only need to use the metro to get to sites that are away from the center if you are staying in a central arrondissement, or away from your hotel (where is your hotel?) Look at a map of Paris showing the main attractions: http://www.paris.org/Maps/MM/MMF.html

If you like the convenience of the Monday-Sunday weekly pass, it will cost you 32.10 for 5 zones + 5 euros for the navigo card + the cost of a passport photo if you don't have one at home. A zone 1-2 weekly pass (16.30 euros) along with round-trip tickets from/to CDG airport (2 X 8.20 euros) will end up costing you 60 eurocents more and wouldn't allow you to go to Versailles if you wanted to go. Either way would cost you over 37 euros.

If you don't think you'll need to use the metro that much, won't have to go outside Paris unless from and to the airport (apart from Versailles and Disneyland all international attractions are in Paris) or won't be in Paris from a Monday or Tuesday to Saturday or Sunday, then the round trip from/to CDG will be 16.40 and for the days you will be in Paris you can get a bunch of 10 metro tickets at 11.10 euros (a ticket bought individually costs 1.50). A metro ticket is valid for one trip only including as many connections as you want. If that's all you need, you'll be saving 10 euros as opposed to the cost of a weekly pass. Please check the last link I gave you, it lists and explains all your options.

kernousse

when i went to Paris i took a "Paris Visit" pass. you can have one for as many zones as you want. i paid 27euros for 5 days zone1-3 and could see all major attractions, Arc de Triomphe, eiffel Tower, Louvres, champs Elysee, Opera, Moulin rouge, Sacre Coeur etc...

Also you can get discount on some of these attractions + cruises with this pass.

check on the RATP website or paris.fr

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: