Paris Metro Ticket System 2023
The Paris metro system is one of the most popular modes of transportation in the city, serving millions of riders daily. As of 2023, the city has transitioned from paper tickets to a modern, electronic system, in an attempt to make it easier for both visitors and locals to navigate the city.
Paper metro ticket books gradually disappeared in 2022! So what now if you want to get a few tickets without worrying about committing to an official pass?
‘t tickets’ (small paper tickets) will remain on sale for single trips, but they have passed from €1.90 to €2.10. These single tickets can be bought in a metro station and can also be used on buses, but you can’t buy one on a bus! Check out this blog to find out how to take the bus like a Parisian and thoroughly become like a local as you navigate the city.
The decision to remove the ‘carnet’ (bulk buying) of paper tickets was approved on Wednesday the 14th of April 2022 by the board of directors of Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM). The sale of these booklets was discontinued in the first half of 2022. They have been replaced largely by the Navigo Easy card.
Paris Metro Navigo Easy Card
The Navigo Easy card allows users to buy tickets individually or in bulk by charging 10 tickets onto the card. When you go for this option, you save 20%, meaning you get 10 tickets for €16.90 or €1.69 per ticket.
You can purchase the Navigo Easy card at the ticket counter or RATP info point of every Metro station. To charge your card, you either can use an app, or the vending machine, or pay at the RATP ticket counter.
The card itself is sold for €2, which pays for itself on the first purchase since books of ten tickets are sold for €2 more.
An Important Note
When you buy a Navigo Easy Card it can’t be used for more than one person, meaning that if you pass the metro turnstiles with it you can’t hand it to your friend to use it as well, even if you have enough tickets charged. The card reader will know that you just passed through and it won’t allow them to pass at the same time. If you ever try to get through the turnstile and it reads the card but you get stuck or the door doesn’t open, be sure to see the person at the information point to tell them what happened. They will be able to see that your card was read and they will open the door for you. Your friends will need to get their own cards.
Do Kids Ride for Free?
Mostly, no. But if you’re traveling with children UNDER 4 years old, then they can ride for free. but 4 – 9-year-olds can get a reduced fare of 50%. So your child will need their own Navigo card and be sure to get the one with a reduced fare!
Paris Metro Passes
If you don’t want to worry about how many tickets you have charged on a card you can also opt for a pass that is valid for unlimited travel for a day or a week.
Paris Metro Day Pass
The day pass is €8.45 for central Paris (zones 1 and 2) and is valid for that particular day starting from midnight to midnight. This means that if you buy a day pass at 4 pm it will expire at midnight, so consider the time before buying to see if it’s worth it for you.
For the day pass to be worth the money, you want to have at least 5 rides scheduled or you may as well go for the Easy Pass for a better price. For the inclusion of trips outside of Paris (e.g. Versailles), you can also expect the pass to be more expensive.
Paris Metro Week Pass
If you’re here for a week in Paris, you might consider the week-long pass and yes it is possible to fully enjoy Paris in under a week!
The ‘Navigo Semaine Carte’ lets you travel in both the center and around Paris (zones 1 – 5, including Disneyland, the airport, and even Versailles).
The cost of this pass is €30 but similar to the day pass you have to be careful WHEN you buy it. For the RATP a week means Monday – Sunday, so if you buy your week pass on Sunday morning you will be disappointed to find it invalid on Monday morning (the following day)!
Paris Metro Navigo Decouverte
For the passes, you need to buy the actual card that you will charge the ‘pass’ onto, this is the Navigo Decouverte. It’s €5 and you may need to stick a little photo of yourself onto it for any ticket controls.
For locals, the Navigo Pass is the best option. This reusable smart card allows for unlimited travel on the metro, RER trains, buses, and trams within the city. The Navigo Pass can be loaded with weekly or monthly passes, or it can be loaded with funds for pay-as-you-go travel.
Paris Metro Visite Card
For visitors, the most convenient option is to purchase a Paris Visite card, which allows for unlimited travel on the metro, RER trains, buses, and trams within the city. The card is available for purchase for 1, 2, 3, or 5 consecutive days and can be purchased online or at metro stations.
But it is quite pricey, at €43.30 for 5 days, 30.10 for 4 days, 22.05 for 2 days, and 13,55 for 1 day. You also get 25% of the entrance fee to the tour Montparnasse observation platform and certain other offers from their partners.
Attention ⚠️ the above prices are for zones 1 – 3 (central Paris), if you want to go further afield to Versailles, Disneyland, etc. it’s close to double the price for each case.
Both the Paris Visite card and the Navigo Pass can be purchased and reloaded at metro stations or through the official Navigo website
The new electronic ticket system has made travel on the Paris metro more convenient and efficient for both visitors and locals. With unlimited travel options and easy purchasing and reloading options, getting around the city has never been easier, but you’ve got to be prudent about which ticket is best for your trip and let’s face it change is never as smooth as we hope it will be. Many locals are still struggling with the changeover!
Picking Your Direction
After you have your ticket pay attention not just to the stop your trying to get to e.g. Jules Joffrin on Line 12 to get to our Cooking School 😉 . On line 12 you have two different directions (terminals), Mairie d’Issy and Mairie d’Abervilliers. Look at the stop that you are currently at and the stop you’re trying to get to, you want to pick the terminal that has your stop between where you are currently.
Example:
You are at Abbesses, you want to get to Jules Joffrin. In this case you need to get the metro train that is heading towards Marie d’Aubervilliers (see below).
If this feels like an overwhelming amount of information to take in, remember that Paris is a beautiful city, and getting around Paris on a bike or by foot is not an impossible task! There are even bike-share options that you can look into during your stay.
So weigh up the options, consider the weather you’ll be experiencing and if you have any questions about the best choice for your particular trip leave a comment!
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