Paris Metro pass, tickets and travel prices

The RATP run the Metro, RER, buses and trams within Paris and a single ticket can be used on any of the four modes for a single journey.

Note: 'single journey' includes connections between the same types of vehicle (i.e. if you were using the tram you would remain on the tram system), as long as you do not 'exit' the transport system. You are allowed up to two hours for metro and RER after validation and 90 minutes for buses and trams.

Tickets purchased individually or in packages of 10 are permanently valid for single use and are issued without an expiration date.

Single tickets can be purchased from metro/RER stations, some bus terminals, and registered retailers, usually tobacconists and bookshops, displaying the RATP sign.

Save money, go contactless

The cardboard digital packs of 10 have now been entirely replaced. The reasoning is that these types of tickets often get lost, so not all the tickets are used as one is put away somewhere and lost. The cardboard magnetic strip gets easily demagnitised and can no longer work and there are better electronic solutions now available.

From 13 October 2022, cardboard t+ ticket packs were no longer sold from vending machines at 182 stations and bus stations.

As a visitor your alternative is Contactless t+ ticket packs of 10, these are actually €2 cheaper overall than the cardboard version. You can also get a Navigo Easy Pass for €2 which you can top-up at ticket machines and retailers or with your smartphone. Finally, you can still buy a single use ticket on board the bus for €2.10.

The Navigo Day Pass is a single calendar day card that provides unlimited rides on the transport system of the Ile-de-France region for a stated number of calendar days. This covers the Metro, RER (express regional trains), bus, tramway, funiculaire de Montmartre, Montmartrobus, Noctambus (night bus) within a given fare zone. Most visitors will only need zones 1&2, broadly coinciding with the extent of the Metro system. If in doubt about zone coverage the zones are marked on the RER map (above). Single tickets can be purchased from metro/RER stations, some bus terminals, and registered retailers, usually tobacconists and bookshops, displaying the RATP sign.

Navigo Day Pass

The pass covers various zones with prices increasing depending upon which zones you want to travel through. You can use this Navigo Day Pass for central Paris, the greater Paris area and CDG/Orly airports (Orly is by Orlybus not train).

You can buy a Navigo Day Pass at CDG Airport Train Stations, Orly Airport, Paris main trainline stations, Metro stations, RER stations and Transillien Stations. There is also an option to buy the Navigo Day Pass online using the official Navigo apps. The pass is put onto a Navigo Decouverte or Navigo Easy card or use via your app. If you do not have a Navigo Decouverte card you will need to buy one first (€5). You can choose to start your day pass from the moment you buy it or up to 6 days later, you decide this at time of purchase. You can put up to two day passes onto your Navigo Decouverte or Easy card, so you can plan your travel ahead of time.

This is the ticket heavily promoted to tourists and visitors. Lots of people like the convenience of these tickets.

As well as being a travel pass the ticket also provides discounts to tourist attractions though not the main headliners like the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum. Typically a 25% discount on entrance to the Arc de Triomphe and 25% off entrance to the Grévin Museum, which may not be a high priority for you.

This travel pass is valid for 1, 2, 3, or 5 consecutive days, offering unlimited travel throughout Paris and the Île-de-France region. It also includes access to Paris airports, Orlyval, Disneyland Paris, and the Palace of Versailles.

Paris Visite counts calendar days from day of first use, just like other Paris tickets, not 24-hour periods. If you arrive at night and use the pass, that will be counted as one day.

Paris Visite is widely available from outside Paris through agents and online but you will normally pay a premium for this convenience over purchasing in Paris.

The Navigo Découverte card is a contactless smart card utilized for public transportation in the Paris Île-de-France area. It requires a photo and a €5 fee for the card itself. Users can load either weekly or monthly passes onto it, which can be valid for all zones or just specific ones.

The main thing to note about this product is that the week spans from Monday to Sunday, and the final day to purchase for that week is Thursday. Therefore, purchase accordingly if visiting just for the weekend.

The Navigo is an electronic smart card similar to schemes introduced recently worldwide into mass transit systems, allowing you unlimited use of the public transport networks in the zones you have selected. The smart card stores electronically the fare product you choose. Most visitors will go for the weekly fare.

It's reusable so if you return to Paris you can load up fares onto the same card. The first time you buy, you have to pay a €5 for the card itself and then you buy a week or month's worth of transportation that is loaded onto the card.

There are 2 versions of the Navigo monthly travel card available. All Zones - access to all zones 7 days a week. Two Zones - Navigo Mensuel 2-3, 3-4 and 4-5 travel cards, access to the zones selected. Additionally, free unlimited travel at weekends from 12:00am Saturday until 11:59pm Sunday and Public holidays.

For all travel passes (regardless of the duration), the validity period starts at 12am on the first day of the period and ends at 11.59pm on the last day.

You also need to bring along a passport sized portrait photo measuring 25 x 30mm (0.98" x 1.18"). There are plenty of photo machines in the stations that produce such a photo if you need it.

A convenient place to purchase these cards for many visitors is the RER train ticket offices at Charles de Gaulle airport (CDG) or the major train stations in Paris like Gare du Nord.