ParisByTrain.com

[judita]

Hi, Ben!

I'm planning a trip to Paris in August. I have 11 years old daughter and I don't know about the Navigo Decouverte ticket for her. Are there also child tickets (Navigou..). I've reed, that this sort of ticket is cheaper then Paris visit card.Can I by Navigo tickets at CDG airport - this is where are we going to land. Thanks

[ben]

Hi Judita,

Unfortunately there isn't a child version of the Navigo Decouverte pass, so there is no discount for children.

On the other hand, the Paris Visite card does have child prices for kids 11 and under, which is half the adult price. For example, 3 days, 6 zones (all of them, including CDG in zone 5) is €19,25 for kids, €38,50 for adults. Here's the full list of prices and zones for the Paris Visite card.

You can buy the Paris Visite card and the Pass Navigo Decouverte at CDG Airport from the ticket windows at the train stations in Terminal 1 or 2. In the CDG Terminal 2 train station, the ticket booths are right at the bottom (3rd level down). Use the left hand side entrance, which is for Paris bound travelers (other side is for "Grande Ligne" tickets going to other cities.

Remember to bring little ID photos of yourselves if you decide to buy the Pass Navigo Decouverte. 3cm tall by 2.5cm wide (about half-wallet size). There will be photo booths close by the ticket window but it's 4 euros a pop, not exactly "cheap", in my opinion. The employees generally have scissors handy.

Have a great trip!

Ben

[Guest]

Hi, Ben!

Thank you for your reply - it was very helpful. I need some more advice. We (2 adults and 11 years old daughter) are planing to stay in Paris from sunday till next saturday, so I think it's best for us to take Navigo ticket. But I don't know, for how many zones. We'll be staying in 1.zone, and planing to spend most off our time within zones 1 and 2. But we are planing to visit Disneyland and Versailes. And going from CDG to Paris and from Paris to CDG on saturday. So I'm in doubt - Navigo for 6 zones or navigo for 2 zones and going with carnet. I'm totaly confused, because there are so many options.
Can go with Navigo back to CDG on Saturday? Are carnet ticket ok if yo want to go to Disneyland?
Please, I'll be so greatfull for you reply. As you can see, we want to see as much as possible during our stay in paris, so we want to be prepared.

Thanks, Judita

[ben]

Hi Judita,

Are you arriving by plane on Sunday?

The unfortunate thing with Navigo passes is that they aren't valid until Monday morning. So, if you're arriving by CDG on Sunday, you'll need to buy a single billet Ile-de-France ticket for you and each of your party to get from CDG into Paris, in addition to the Navigo for the week. The tickets will be €8,40 for adults, €5,90 for kids 10 and under.

Either way, I think the Pass Navigo Découverte, 5 zone (covers EuroDisney & CDG, both in Zone 5, and Versailles in Zone 4) is the best option for you guys. It'll be €33/each for the week for 5 zones. Don't forget to bring 3cm x 2.5cm photos (or even photocopies of headshot photos) for the cards.

You can use the first Sunday as a decompression day, stroll around the hotel/local area, then the next day go crazy with the sightseeing all over using the pass navigo. You'll love it. It's so easy to use and so convenient.

I do recommend taking the bus around Paris when you can. You see a lot more than on the metro, although their routes are very difficult to understand. Taking the bus is best when you're randomly sightseeing, rather than having a particular place you want to get to in the quickest time possible.

[judita]

HI!
Thanks, Ben! You've been very helpful. I have another question (as you can imagine). What about paying with credit cards around Paris? Is it better to have more cash or is it possible to pay with Mastercard? What about all the passes (Navigo, museum pass) - can I pay them with credit card or cash only?

Thank you, Judita

[ben]

Hi Judita,

Credit cards (Visa/Mastercard) are well received around Paris in regular stores and shops. Shopkeepers and cashiers sometimes scratch their heads a bit when their till asks for a signature, but most know the drill pretty well. All local credit cards here use PIN number security, rather than signatures, so cashiers aren't used to asking for people to sign a credit slip.

But, the train stations for buying passes/tickets will not accept most North American credit cards. This is really odd, I realize, but for whatever reason, SNCF/STIF, the parent corporation of the public transportation services in Paris, is using credit card reader/swipe systems that do not accept non-smart-chip credit cards with pin number protection. Thus, have euro bills ready when you're buying your Navigo passes/tickets at SNCF train stations. Best way to do this is simply withdraw cash from a nearby ATM, from a bank preferably. Keep in mind that some American/Canadian banks charge hefty fees for withdrawals from overseas ATMs. My bank in Canada (TD Canada Trust) charges $5 per withdrawal here. My American bank, charges me nothing.

~ Ben

[judita]

Hi, Ben

Thank you for all your explanations. You've been very helpfull. I hope, Paris is going to be a wondeful experience for us.

By, judita