lyban

I will be in Paris arriving Tuesday morning March 20 and departing Thursday March 29th.

I am trying to find the most econmical modes of transportation. I am thinking of orange card + something else for 3 days.
I would like to do the Batobus, just because it seems like fun. I guess slow but I do not think I am in a hurry.

I will be on Rue Rivoli near to St Paul Metro.Even though I miss the first days use of Orange card, should I get this card or something else. I have been to the site explaining all this many many times but am still a little confused.

Also zones 1 and 2, I finally figured out does not mean arrond. but something else. For example if I wanted to go to Montmartre area, what zone is that.

Thanks for any help

Robespierre

The <i>Carte Orange</i> may or may not be your best buy. Their period of validity runs from Monday to Sunday, inclusive.

For your first six days (Tuesday through Sunday), it would probably be the most economical, because the &euro;16 you pay for it would only buy 14 rides on single tickets. If you ride more than twice a day, you win.

For the following Monday through Thursday, you have several choices: if you don't think you'll ride the M&eacute;tro or bus five times or more per day, buy a <i>carnet</i> of ten <i>tickets 't'</i>. If you need more than 5 rides per day, then a <i>Mobilis</i> each day will be cheaper. If you will need three <i>Mobilis</i> (for Monday-Wednesday), another <i>Carte Orange</i> ticket is economical. This assumes that you will not use any public transport except to get to the airport on Thursday.

You will probably do all your sightseeing in Zones 1 &amp; 2. The Zone map is here: http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan...mp;partenaire=

Three questions: how are you getting to Paris (plane, train, bus, whatever)? If you fly, how will you get to town? Do you plan any trips out of the city (<i>e.g.</i>, Versailles, Disneyland), and if so, what day(s)?

Trudaine

1 and 2 are the tariff zones that essentially cover Paris proper, therefore including the Montmartre area.

Depending on how much travelling you intend to do within these zones, you'll have to check if it is really more economical to buy a Carte orange for only three days, as opposed to simply buying a set or several sets of 10 metro tickets (&quot;carnet&quot.

Christina

What are you confused about -- it's a matter of how much you think you'll use it versus the price, mainly, of comparing various cards. So you figure out what it will cost you per day on the days you'll be able to use it, given you don't have full weeks. I'd use one for your first week as you are only missing one day of use (Monday), not several.

Zones refer to rings of the city that the pass covers. Zone 1 is all of Paris proper inside the main highway ringing it, and that includes any area with an arrondisement number. Zone 2 is the next ring (pretty small, actually) just outside that, and has a few stops a tourist might go to. It really doesn't have many stops, but they always throw that in with zone one. Then the rings just keep going farther out -- CDG airport is in zone 5, Vesailles and Orly in zone 4. All of area referred to by an arrondisement number is in zone one, Paris proper, and that includes Montmartre.

I don't know anything about the Batobus as it doesn't seem a convenient or quick way to travel so I've never used it, so I don't know how that works with various passes or tickets.

TimS

The Carte Orange is good for Monday-Sunday. Even though you are arriving on a Tuesday, the zone 1-2 CO will still be a very good deal for you. Don't forget that you'll need a small headshot photo, passport-sized or smaller. Depending upon what time you'll be leaving Paris on the 29th, you might even benefit from buying a second CO for the following Monday-Thursday. Otherwise buy a carnet of ten single tickets for E10.90 and/or single-day zone 1-2 Mobilis passes (E5.50) for any days you know you'll be taking a lot of rides. The Mobilis pass does not require a photo. You can buy it in advance and use it any day you wish, but it will only be good on the day you first use it.

Think of the transport zones as concentric circles radiating outward from the center of Paris. Zone 1 is the first circle and zone 2 is farther out. You can download and print a map of these zones and a Metro/RER map for central Paris at www.ratp.fr.

Montmartre is in zone 1.

lyban

Thanks guys for such quick replies.

I now understand that all the arrondissments are considered zone 1 so that clears up alot.
We leave early on the Thursday so that day I will not need anything.

We fly in to CDG so I think we will use The yellow or Bee shuttle to and from.
Other than that, I think I agree that 1 week of Carte Orange for us plus maybe carnets after that.
Thank you for the help.

ckenb

I don't think the Carte Orange would be worth it for me because I like to walk instead of taking the metro or bus. Paris is very walkable, and the central arrondissements are pretty small. Montmartre is farther out, as is the Eiffel Tower. But the Latin Quarter, the Marais, the Bastille, Notre Dame, the islands, St-Germain, the Louvre -- all that is pretty close in.

lyban

I have another question re Orange card.
People here have mentioned having a photo to attach. Does anyone know where I can find this info on the ratp.fr site. I have been looking everywhere.
Thanks

Robespierre

The RATP site doesn't define the requirement, and this page mentions it only obliquely: http://www.ratp.info/informer/grand_public.php

What you need is a 1x1&quot; head shot - mono or color. Homemade digital is acceptable.

TimS

Both the Carte Orange and the Mobilis pass cannot be found on the English version of ratp.fr. They are only on the French version. To read about the Carte Orange, go here: http://tinyurl.com/gvbjl. (It's a page on the Paris Tourist site, www.parisinfo.com.)