I%26#39;m trying to decide between a Carte Orange or carnets of 10 tickets for our February trip.... we will arrive in Paris Wednesday afternoon and leave sometime the following Wednesday. We are staying in the 14th and are purchasing a Carte Mus��es et Monuments to see most of the touristy sites, so we will need to travel to central Paris frequently.
What do you think is the most economical way to do the Metro: the carte orange or buying carnets of 10 tickets? (the fact that we aren%26#39;t arriving until a Weds. makes me unsure of the carte orange, that%26#39;s why I%26#39;m asking)
Thanks!
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I just got back from a Wednesday to Wednesday trip (today!) and opted not to get the Carte Orange and load up on carnets instead. Definitely a regret -- I love walking, but often ended up walking the same routes over and over or along rather long and mundane streets. I would definitely recommend the pass for Wed-Sun at least.
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To me, the primary reason for getting the Museum Pass is to avoid waiting in line. For instance, last February there was a line that was 1.5 HOURS to get into the Orsay - I just skipped it with my pass.
The problem is deciding on how many days to get the pass for. If you are arriving on Wednesday, that day is pretty much shot. You want to use it on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But some attractions are closed on Monday and Tuesday. So you have to do some planning on what you want to see and make sure you know when the attractions will be open.
It%26#39;s all part of the fun of planning the trip.
What exactly is the Carte Orange?
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This really isn%26#39;t %26#39;..rocket science..%26#39; You can do the math yourself using readily available information....take into account one or two intangilbe benefits/details and make your own INFORMED decision. Begin at the PATP web site:
http://www.ratp.fr/ --Select-- TITRES de TRANSPORT form the menu to the Left of your screen. Then Select each of the options/alternatives to consider and jot down the details from the TARIFS.
The details you need to consider is the number of trips per day you are likely to make on the Metro or buses. You need to bear in mind that you can transfer FREE between different Metro ligns at the same station, you need a NEW TICKET every time you board a bus. You also need to take into accont what the weather will be. If its warm and sunny, you%26#39;ll probably walk more. If it%26#39;c cold and damp, you%26#39;ll probably ride more (but you already know that you can%26#39;t predict what the weather will be). If you have any sort of personal mobility problem you will tend to ride more with or without weather factors. An intangible benefit to the CARTE ORANGE PASS is that you have simple hop-on/hop-off convenience. All you need to do to board any public bus is flash your pass at the driver when you board. You do not need any tickets. It may sound silly, but a CARTE ORANGE, with your photo laminated onto, in its litle plastic carry case, also makes a great %26#39;..personalized souvenir..%26#39; of your visit.
It is possible that CARNETs of reduced price , individual tickets may save you a couple of EURO---but that%26#39;s all ya%26#39; get. Make the choice that suits YOUR preferences, priorities and budget best.
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I bought a Paris Visite pass for the metro at AAA before leaving for Paris. It might be worth it if you%26#39;re doing a lot of travel or simply don%26#39;t want to hassle with more than one ticket. It basically is a metro ticket that you can reuse for 1, 3 or 5 days. You can buy it for zones 1-3 (most of Paris) or zones 1-5 (almost anything in or near Paris including Versailles). Here%26#39;s a place online you can check them out:
http://www.conciergerie.com/main.htm?O=CC
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If you are considering pre-purchase of a PARIS VISITE transportation pass, it%26#39;s worth noting that all pre-purchase offers are from third-party agents who usually add anywhere from a 25%-to-35% premium (fees %26amp; charges) to the actual price of the pass. It is also worth noting that these passes may be conveniently and very easily purchased in Paris at ANY Metro station ticket kiosk for less.
PARIS VISITE--Zones 1-3 (all you need for central Paris)
1 DAY----8,35 Euro Adult / 4,55 Euro Children 4-11
2 DAYS--13,70 / 6,85
3 DAYS--18,25 / 9,15
5 DAYS--26,65 / 13,70
PARIS VISITE--Zone 1-5 (includes CDG, Versailles, Disney)
1 DAY----16,75 /8,35
2 DAYS--26,65 / 12,95
3 DAYS--37,35 / 18,25
5 DAYS--45,70 / 22,85
Give the relative convenience and ease with which these passes (Museum %26amp; Monuments passes as well) may be purchased in Paris for regular price, the %26#39;premiums%26#39; charged by pre-purchase agents aren%26#39;t really worth it.
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The Paris Visite was very easy to purchase at the metro station. I used my VISA card. I was a little intimidated at the thought of completing the transaction since I don%26#39;t speak French, so I printed the page off the metro web site www.ratp.fr and highlighted the pass I wanted. It made the transaction much smoother although the clerk was very polite and spoke some English.
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