Final Up to date on twenty third Could 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
Small, simple to lose, and oh so Parisian, it’s onerous to think about utilizing the Paris metro system with out these fiddly items of paper which can be so synonymous with the general public transport; i.e. the Paris metro tickets.
Nonetheless, with the introduction of a brand new ‘Passe Navigo simple’ move (which primarily performs the identical perform however received’t turn out to be demagnetised in your pocket), the small billets will quickly be phased out of use. Right here’s a quick compendium on the historical past of the Paris metro ticket!
Editor’s be aware: As of October 2021, Paris metro tickets have begun to be phased out. The beginning of the phasing out includes the halt of gross sales of carnets in lesser-used stations.
The plan is that paper metro tickets will utterly be phased out by 2025. If you wish to purchase a carnet, you’ll now must do it by buying a straightforward Navigo card, after which topping that up with 10 tickets.
With this being stated, it’s possible you’ll nicely nonetheless be utilizing cardboard Parisian metro tickets throughout your subsequent France go to contemplating that the paper tickets received’t be utterly phased out till the top of 2021.
Till a while round mid-2020, it’s going to additionally nonetheless be doable to buy a carnet, i.e. a pack of ten metro tickets which provide a diminished worth per ticket versus shopping for every ticket individually. Editor’s replace: As of August 2021, it’s nonetheless doable to buy paper carnets.
Reality be advised, over 500 million single-use tickets are used every year, that means that the brand new card will definitely have a optimistic impression on the atmosphere! On sale as of the twelfth of June 2019, guests to Paris will be capable of load each single-use tickets, in addition to carnets onto the Passe Navigo simple.
Extra info and costs for the move will be discovered on the RATP web site. Nonetheless, what you primarily must know is that the move is legitimate for ten years and prices €2 to buy!
What are the Paris metro tickets?
When you’ve ever ridden on public transportation in Paris (that’s to say, bus, metro, prepare, or tram) then you definitely’ve possible needed to buy the small white rectangular slip of paper that means that you can verify into the limitations. Up till now, solely residents of the town with a Parisian tackle have been allowed to have Navigo passes, which will be topped up on a weekly or month-to-month foundation.
Although there is just one sort of transport ticket (the Paris metro ticket can be utilized for buses, trams, the métro, and the RER inside zone 1), it can save you a little bit cash by buying the money-saver ‘Carnet,’ which will be bought from merchandising machines and is basically a set of ten single-use metro tickets in a single go.
Slightly than a single ticket costing €1,90 for a journey, it is sensible to buy the carnet if you recognize you’ll be taking loads of journeys whereas within the French capital; which is simple to do if you happen to’re seeking to see a number of Parisian arrondissements!
In spite of everything, a carnet of ten tickets prices €14,90, making every journey simply €1,49. Editor’s be aware: as of November 2019, a worth enhance signifies that a packet of metro tickets now prices €16,90.
Ideas & issues to know earlier than buying Metro Tickets
Metro scams
Apart from these Paris scams, one of many greatest scams vacationers can anticipate to cope with within the French capital is individuals attempting to ‘assist’ them buy their metro tickets on the machines in ticket stations (particularly that of Gare du Nord).
These persons are typically not attempting that will help you however will truly swindle you out of cash by buying you a single-use youngsters’s ticket versus a correct carnet. As such, I’d advocate solely shopping for tickets from the machines themselves, or by asking behind an official counter!
Utilizing the ticket machine
Metro ticket machines will be operated in a number of languages, together with English, and are pretty simple to make use of. Tickets will be purchased utilizing money (solely sure machines settle for financial institution notes, all settle for cash over a sure denomination) or by utilizing a card.
On most machines, it’s not doable to pay by utilizing a mixture of cash and card. It’s a must to pay utilizing one or the opposite. When you’re utilizing a card, then you definitely’ll must have a chip and pin enabled. In Europe, pin numbers are 4 characters lengthy.
Opening the metro doorways
When you’re taking a number of the metro traces, then it’s best to know that, on some traces, the metro door doesn’t open robotically. As a substitute, you’ll must press a button to open the door, or in some instances, you’ll must raise the door deal with to be able to open the door to the metro carriage.
Utilizing the metro tickets
A single metro ticket is legitimate for a whole journey, regardless of what number of modifications you make, as long as you don’t exit the barrier. You should definitely hold your metro ticket till you exit the metro limitations as ticket inspectors function all through the whole lot of the system and may verify your ticket at any given level.
It’s simple to lose your paper ticket or throw it away so hold it in a protected place! Fines will be €30+ when you have an invalid metro ticket on you, and €50 when you have no metro tickets on you, so remember to hold that little rectangle someplace the place you’ll simply discover it once more!
As of June 12 2019, you’ll need to forgo the paper metro tickets and as a substitute go for the Passe Navigo simple. For the time being, these passes will be bought at official ticket machines and from counters in Parisian metro stations. From the top of 2019, it’s going to even be doable to buy the Navigo simple from official distributors throughout the town.
There are two kinds of trains in Paris
In relation to public transport through rail in Paris, in addition to trams and buses, there are two kinds of prepare. There’s the RER (which serves locations each throughout the metropolis limits of Paris, in addition to to different close by cities) and the Paris metro, which solely serves locations inside Paris correct. Whereas Paris metro tickets can be utilized in every single place on the metro, they will solely be used on the RER inside Zone One/ Paris metropolis itself.
Paris metro security
You also needs to know (and I don’t say this to scare you!) that pickpocketing is rife on Parisian transport, significantly within the metro. Test right here for the highest Paris scams to keep away from.
I’ve loads of buddies who’ve had their telephones snatched straight out of their fingers and so control your valuables always and solely use crossbody baggage that zip like these vegan ones. I personally use a crossbody bag by this model and love its form, measurement, and flexibility.
The Paris Cross and public transport
When you’re seeking to go to loads of Paris sights throughout your go to, you would possibly contemplate buying the Paris Metropolis Cross, which incorporates public transportation throughout the validity of the cardboard.
Although a little bit on the dear aspect, to see if it’s value it, I like to recommend including up the worth of the sights you’re going to go to and see if you happen to get monetary savings! Test costs and availability right here.
Keep away from inserting paper Paris metro tickets close to cash
When you’ve bought paper metro tickets, then be aware that they will turn out to be demagnetised pretty simply if positioned close to your cell phone or cash. As such, remember to hold your tickets in a separate place from the remainder of your belongings. In case your metro tickets do turn out to be demagnetised, you may take them to any staffed metro ticket sales space and get them exchanged freed from cost.
A short historical past of Metro tickets in Paris
First launched on the opening of the Parisian metro in 1900 (so nicely over a century in the past), metro tickets have been on the coronary heart of the French transportation expertise.
In 1919, the tickets would have been brown paper and would have value simply 15 cents (in francs, the forex France used earlier than the euro) for a single second class journey (there was a first-class carriage till the early Nineties).
Quickly sufficient, the straightforward paper was changed by cardboard, with a measurement of 57 mm x 30 mm and worth will increase occurred each few years. Although the metro tickets have all the time been a small rectangular form, they’ve modified colors loads of instances all through the years. White since 2007, the tickets have additionally been mauve, purple, yellow, orange, and inexperienced.
In time, the metro system has expanded as quick as the town itself, with ongoing works akin to the road 14 extension. Earlier than the time of social media and modern-day promoting, the Paris metro tickets would have been used for adverts!
The paperbacks would have displayed every part from clothes to alcoholic drinks. Need to discover extra historical past of the Paris Métro? Right here’s a information to probably the most uncommon and delightful Parisian metro stations.
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Sophie Nadeau loves canine, books, journey, pizza, and historical past. A Francophile at coronary heart, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the following sundown shot or consuming one thing candy. She splits her time between Paris and London and travels as a lot as she will! Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.