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Paris Navigo Pass tips

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Fiyero

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I (and possibly a couple of friends) are off to Paris in January for a week (Monday to Friday). A few years back I got a Carte Orange Hebdomodaire to cover that which seems to have been replaced by the Navigo smart card now. I have got as far as seeing that it is much cheaper than the alternatives (I need all zones as arriving by Eurostar and going to Disneyland Paris and possibly CDG Airport) but can't work out if I can actually get one or how.
Any tips or experiences? Thanks
 
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CC 72100

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Navigo Découverte is the one you want - this can be used by people without an address in Paris. http://goeurope.about.com/od/parisdiscountpasses/a/navigo-pass-paris.htm

5€ for the card, and then an all zones is 21.25 euros for the week: http://www.transilien.com/tarifs-et-forfaits/voyager-souvent/la-semaine/home

Since the start of the year, tarifs have been simplified and reduced, hence why it's either zone 1 only or all zones from now on. I'm sure that this nice 'present' to the good people of Ile-de-France is paid for by the taxpayer, but I don't live there anymore so my cynicism isn't important ;)

I can't find the list of where you can get a Navigo at the moment - I did mine at one of the 'le club RATP' travel centres in Gare de Lyon. I'm sure Gare du Nord will have a similar set up, even if SNCF/RATP prove slightly 'reticent' when somebody doesn't just be a good tourist and go for the Paris visite like everyone else :roll: ;)
 

Fiyero

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Navigo Découverte is the one you want - this can be used by people without an address in Paris. http://goeurope.about.com/od/parisdiscountpasses/a/navigo-pass-paris.htm

5€ for the card, and then an all zones is 21.25 euros for the week: http://www.transilien.com/tarifs-et-forfaits/voyager-souvent/la-semaine/home

Since the start of the year, tarifs have been simplified and reduced, hence why it's either zone 1 only or all zones from now on. I'm sure that this nice 'present' to the good people of Ile-de-France is paid for by the taxpayer, but I don't live there anymore so my cynicism isn't important ;)

I can't find the list of where you can get a Navigo at the moment - I did mine at one of the 'le club RATP' travel centres in Gare de Lyon. I'm sure Gare du Nord will have a similar set up, even if SNCF/RATP prove slightly 'reticent' when somebody doesn't just be a good tourist and go for the Paris visite like everyone else :roll: ;)
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. Shame they don't make it as simple as Oyster cards (my French is limited but I did manage to get a carte orange - my friends' French is virtually non-existant!)
 

CC 72100

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Indeed they don't make getting hold of a Navigo easy unless you know about it (namely because you speak French/ live there). Of course, this is done so that everybody pays over the odds for the Paris Visite...
 

Fiyero

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I'll be arriving at Gare Du Nord and then possibly travelling to CDG Airport to meet my friends off the plane. Can I get Navigo cards for all of us if I have their photos? The website also mentions authorised resellers - are there any that are easier than the main ticket office (which is probably sick of tourists!)
 

NicholasNCE

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At Gare du Nord, your best bet may be to buy the Navigo Découverte cards from the Transilien (SNCF suburban service) high level ticket offices instead of the RATP (metro) ones, few tourist attractions are served by these services so I imagine there shouldn't be too much queuing. Gare de l'Est or Magenta (RER E) Transilien ticket offices may be good alternatives close by.
And I don't see why you couldn't buy one for your friend too.
 

AlexNL

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Keep in mind that the Navigo validity period always starts on a Monday and ends at the end of Sunday. Tickets for the next week can be bought from Fridays.
Le forfait est valable une semaine (du lundi au dimanche). Il est en vente à partir du vendredi pour la semaine suivante.

So if you arrive in Paris on a Friday and want to spend a long weekend there, Navigo might not be the best option.

This is in contrast to Paris Visite, which is valid for the number of days purchased.
 
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edwin_m

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You could also look at Mobilis, which is available for single days and still appears to have choices between zone 1 and everything. However Navigo is probably cheaper if you need it for several days in a row.
 

Fiyero

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Keep in mind that the Navigo validity period always starts on a Monday and ends at the end of Sunday. Tickets for the next week can be bought from Fridays.
That's what makes it perfect for me (Monday - Friday trip) and as I will be travelling Monday, Tuesday and Friday I am sure I will get my moneys worth. A useful tip for people planning long weekends though like you say!
 

dutchflyer

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For juniors <26 there is also a very cheap weekendpass, either for zones 1-3 or whole area (I think-this may also have changed).
It is the responsability of the passenger to find the best suited ticket, not from railstaff-thats just the custom here. Maybe has to do with old-style officialdom of state-workers.
 

CC 72100

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Yes - a Ticket jeunes weekend which ie either 1-3 at 3 euros something or 1-5 (all zones) which is 6 euros IIRC. Note that for the purposes of this ticket, CDG is no longer in zone 5 and you have to buy a separate add-on, which in my view is very much a con!
 

Fiyero

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Thanks for all the tips. Has anyone done this recently and can explain the actual process? is it just a case of giving my €5 for the card or do you buy your first pass at the same time? Is there a form to fill in? Any other tips?
Thanks again

Edit to add:
Just reading back through and wanted to confirm some details. It is Monday - Friday so weekend passes no help. My friends are now travelling on Eurostar too (much easier for me!) so no need to visit CDG any more). They are under 25 though if there are any other deals.
 
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AlexNL

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The people from Paris by Train have written all you've ever wanted to know about Navigo Découverte.

This most important bit is this:
How to buy Navigo Découverte pass
You can buy a Navigo Découverte pass at nearly any Metro, RER, Transilien train ticket window that normally sells tickets and passes. (I say “nearly” because a ticket window may run out of blank Navigo passes to sell you.) You’ll need a smaller than passport size photo to be used on the pass (exact Navigo Decouverte photo size is 3cm tall by 2.5cm wide), plus a pen to write your name. There’s nearly always a photo booth nearby ticket windows at major stations, costing 5€ for a set of four pictures, so be sure to get your photo taken before going to the ticket window where they’ll likely have scissors handy for trimming your freshly minted photo on the pass.
 

Fiyero

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Thank you so much everyone and especially AlexNL for that link. I am certain I am going to [try and] get one now. I will also sort out photos for my friends though they might not benefit from it if they don't want the day trip back into Paris.
 

AlexNL

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A comparable Paris Visite (5 days, all zones) will set you back € 67.40 while the Navigo will set you back € 26.25 (€ 5 for the Découverte, € 21.25 for the pass).

You can do a lot of fun stuff for the € 41.15 that you'll save this way.
JFbt5cw.gif
 

CC 72100

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Thank you so much everyone and especially AlexNL for that link. I am certain I am going to [try and] get one now. I will also sort out photos for my friends though they might not benefit from it if they don't want the day trip back into Paris.

As soon as you have the pass, I believe it is live and can have a ticket loaded onto it for 10 years (?).

I certainly remember reading something on the Navigo site that essentially said "don't destroy it, you can use it on your next visit" or similar.
 

Peter Mugridge

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A comparable Paris Visite (5 days, all zones) will set you back € 67.40 while the Navigo will set you back € 26.25 (€ 5 for the Découverte, € 21.25 for the pass).

You can do a lot of fun stuff for the € 41.15 that you'll save this way.
JFbt5cw.gif


Bear in mind if you want to visit any museums etc while you are over there the Visite will get you discounts that the Navigo won't...
 

JaJaWa

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I brought passport photos, a pen, and printed out the word Navigo Découverte and the price. The Metro (RATP) office at Gare du Nord sold me one fine.
 

Fiyero

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I brought passport photos, a pen, and printed out the word Navigo Découverte and the price. The Metro (RATP) office at Gare du Nord sold me one fine.
Cool, my french is good enough to do the verbal equivalent of that! Just got to hope for a friendly agent by the sound of it.
Do I just give them the €5 per person or do they add the first pass too?
 

CC 72100

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Do I just give them the €5 per person or do they add the first pass too?

The 5€ is to buy the pass. This does not go towards any credit to add to the pass.

After this, you will need to 'recharger' your Navigo with the ticket that you want onto it. (In your case: Navigo Semaine Zones 1 - 5)
 

Fiyero

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The 5€ is to buy the pass. This does not go towards any credit to add to the pass.

After this, you will need to 'recharger' your Navigo with the ticket that you want onto it. (In your case: Navigo Semaine Zones 1 - 5)
Hi, What I am trying to clarify is if I just give them the €5 then go to a machine to add my pass or give them the €5 plus the cost of the first pass
 

Fiyero

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Just to report back everything went well. I went to the downstairs office at Gare Du Nord and using my best schoolboy French asked for 3 Navigo passes. I got a quick reply in French which I couldn't process before the lady disappeared out to the back! She came back with a stack of new passes and explained (in French) where to add our photos and then sold them to us after adding the weekly passes on.
All in all easier than I thought and it made travelling around Paris a lot easier and I'm happy I have one for next time
 

CC 72100

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Perfect, pleased that it worked out for you! Indeed you've got it for next time, so just a case of loading the desired ticket on next time. That can be done at any TVM with 'Recharger' or something similar on it... you can set the machines to debateable quality English should you wish!
 

edwin_m

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Just have to find the right kind of ticket machine.

Last week at a small suburban station I was trying to buy a ticket to CDG from the machine obviously positioned just inside the entrance, which turned to be an SNCF long-distance ticket machine despite no such service using that station. I eventually found the Ile de France machine cunningly hidden round the corner.

Just as well I bought it the night before though, as at 0700 the main entrance was still locked and the night entrance had neither machine nor validator that I could see. Had to jump off at the next station to "composter".

Just in case anyone still thinks SNCF is perfect compared to what we have in the UK!
 
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