Yearly Archives: 2019

RER Disney

By | July 16, 2019 | in Attractions Disneyland Paris RER RER A

The RER Disney train is the RER A from central Paris to Disneyland Paris at Marne La Vallée station 40km east of the city centre.

Promotions:

This RER Disneyland Paris city train (RER A) can be taken from popular central Paris stations:

  • Charles de Gaulle–Etoile (at Arc de Triomphe)
  • Auber (at Galeries Lafayette & Printemps)
  • Chatelet Les Halles
  • Gare de Lyon
  • Nation

This Paris Metro-RER map shows only central Paris and the five popular RER A stations along the RER Disney line, shown as a thick red line traveling west to east across Paris city centre:

Mini Paris Metro Map

The complete Paris RER Map shows the full RER Disney line from Paris out to Marne La Vallée station, the location of Paris Disneyland:

Ile-de-france RER Train Map

Tickets for the RER Disney train cost 5€ one way ( as of January 4, 2024).  Tickets for the RER A train can be purchased from any of the above RER stations, from any Metro station within Paris, from both ticket windows and from Metro ticket vending machines and RER/Transilien train ticket vending machines (accepting euro coins or smart-chip credit cards).

For a schedule or timetable for the RER Disney train, refer the RER A timetables in direction Marne La Vallée–Chessy.  Travel time along the RER Disney line from Chatelet Les Halles station to Euro Disney is about 40 minutes.

For more information on taking the RER Disney train to Paris Disneyland, see the Paris RER to Euro Disney article.

Paris Metro Tickets – What to Buy?

By | June 29, 2019 | in Passes Tickets

Airport

If you only need a one-way train ride from CDG Airport to Central Paris buy a RER ticket from either of the CDG airport train station ticket offices in Terminal 2 or Terminal 1/3.
CDG airport train ticket to Paris
If you’re arriving at Orly airport, you can buy an Orlybus ticket for a bus from Orly to Paris Denfert Rochereau station or a RER ticket for OrlyVal+RER B trains into Paris.

Single Ride

Single-ride, one-way, inside central Paris using Metro (underground) / Bus / RER / Tram buy a Paris Metro Ticket – Ticket t+
Paris Metro Ticket 2018

One Day

Paris one day pass unlimited ride ticket for Metro / Bus / RER / Tram / Transilien – Ticket Mobilis (not valid for CDG airport and only Tram 7 for Orly airport with 1-4 zone Mobilis)
Ticket Mobilis

Buy a Navigo Day Pass 1-5 zone for use from either CDG Airport (on RER B train or Roissybus) or Orly airport (Tram 7 or Orlybus, but not OrlyVal) into Paris.

Multi Day

Multi-day unlimited ride Paris Metro / Bus / RER / Tram / Transilien (surburban train) /  Montmartre Cable Car tickets – Paris Visite Tickets
Paris Visite 5 day ticket

Week

Monday to Sunday unlimited ride tickets Paris Metro / Bus / RER / Tram / Transilien (suburban train) / Montmartre Cable Car – Navigo Decouverte Pass
Navigo Card

How to Choose a Ticket

What ticket to buy depends on:

  • If you want the simplest, easiest, no-thinking-required solution and saving 20-50 euros per person for the week isn’t an issue
    • Buy a 1-5 Zone Paris Visite ticket for the number of days of your stay, or a 1-5 Zone Navigo Decouverte week pass if you’re arriving Monday-Thursday (covers you till Sunday midnight).  This covers you for all public transport types (Paris Metro, bus, tram, RER, Transilien suburban train) to any destination in the Ile-de-France (Greater Paris Metro area) including Disneyland Paris, CDG/ORY Airports, Versailles, La Defense, Fontainebleau. See the Navigo Decouverte and Paris Visite pages for details & restrictions.
  • How many days in Paris?
  • Day of the week you arrive? (for multi-day tickets)
  • Rides per day?
  • Visiting Versailles, Disneyland Paris, Fontainebleau or other destinations outside central Paris?
    • First decide on your best ticket or pass for visiting central Paris, ignore trips outside for the moment
    • Then look at purchasing single-ride RER/Billet Origine-Destination tickets for your “outside Paris” destination (Versailles & Orly Airport are Zone 4, Disneyland and Fontainebleau, CDG Airport are Zone 5).  Unless you make several return trips from Central Paris to destinations in Zone 4 or 5 during your stay, it doesn’t make sense to add these zones to your multi-use ticket or pass.  Just use Billet Origine-Destination tickets for trips outside of Zone 1-2 (i.e. Central Paris).
    • If traveling as a family or group, consider 10-pack RER/Billet Origine-Destination tickets called “carnet”.  These are discounted about 20%.
    • Have children 9 & under? Consider 10-pack discounted RER/Billet Origine-Destination tickets. These are discounted about 50%.

Paris Metro RER Train Fines

By | June 17, 2019 | in Tickets

Paris Metro RER Train Fines

Here’s a list of common Paris Metro RER train fines you can be hit with by Paris transit ticket inspectors.

Also applies to Paris RER trains which are patrolled by RATP ticket inspectors (contrôleurs).

How to Recognize Official Paris Ticket Inspectors

What do Paris Metro RER ticket inspectors look like?  Paris ticket inspectors or “contrôleur” can be visually recognized by various uniforms and sometimes only a brightly colored arm-band reading: “RATP Contrôle”. 

Paris ticket inspectors will always be carrying a Navigo pass card reader to check validity of zones & dates of coverage such as the one pictured here:
Paris Metro RER Ticket Inspector Pass Reader
By holding your Navigo pass to the purple reader zone, a Paris ticket inspector can read the type of Navigo it holds (week pass, day pass, month pass, annual), the zone coverage and the three most recent validations against the card. This is useful for determining whether the card holder validated for the current ride on which they are being controlled.

Violation All All Navigo pass All All
Examples of violations
(non-exhaustive list)
When paid directly
to the ticket
inspector
When paid within
7 days or within
20 days online
When paid by Navigo user
within 20 days
When paid
within 60 days
When paid after 60 days,
the amount is paid to the
French Treasury
Did not validate pass on tram or bus (i.e. forgetting to validate a valid pass) 5€* 35€ 10€ 55€ 180€
Did not validate ticket or pass on the RER or Metro.
Child ticket used by person older than 9 years of age.
35€ 65€ 45€*** 85€
No ticket or pass.
Use of a travel pass belonging to someone else.
50€ 80€ 60€*** 100€
Smoking in station or on train 68€ 98€ 118€
Jumping turnstiles/gates or entering through exits 60€ 90€ 110€
Littering, abandoning objects
Putting feet on seats
Disturbing the peace
60€ 90€ 110€ 375€
Using a passage in opposite direction to avoid ticket validation 25€ 55€ 75€ 375€

 

* Fine only applies when a Navigo card is not validated on the bus or tram

*** Fine amount due if the Navigo is valid at the time of the ticket inspection, and under certain conditions. This fine can be paid only in person or by phone at +33 (0)1 58 77 18 77.

 

Paris Metro turnstile jumper

“Those who jump over turnstiles can fall upon ticket controllers at the platform. Stay in line.” – Couresty of RATP

Horaires RER Train Paris Marne La Vallée Disneyland® Paris

By | June 16, 2019 | in Disneyland Paris Schedules

Les horaires du RER A entre Paris et Marne La Vallée (Disneyland® Paris) (en format PDF, téléchargable, mis à jour 2019).

Promotions:

En générale, les trains RER A quittent Paris pour Marne La Vallée–Chessy chaque 10 minutes pendant la journée et chaque 30 minutes à partir de 21:18 au soir jusqu’à la fin de service (le dernier train part Châtelet les Halles à 00:36 et il arrive à Marne La Vallée à 01:16).

Le premier train RER A part Paris 05:20 (Châtelet les Halles) et il arrive à Marne La Vallée à 06:00.

Pour plus des infos sur un trajet entre les grandes stations de Paris (Gare de Lyon, Gare du Nord, Châtelet, etc.) et Marne La Vallée – DisneyLand Paris, voir cet article sur RER de Paris à DisneyLand.

Plus des infos sur les prix de billets RER.

Promotions:

Prix RER Marne La Vallée Disneyland® Paris

By | June 16, 2019 | in Disneyland Paris

5€ / 2.50€ (adulte / enfants 4-10) sont les nouveaux prix des billets RER (Billet Ile-de-France) pour un trajet entre n’importe quel station à Paris dans Zone 1 (Chatelet, Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon, etc.) jusqu’à Marne La Vallée–Chessy – Disneyland® Paris (qui est à Zone 5) sur Ligne RER A4. (Tarif tarif en vigueur janvier 2024).

N’achetez pas un ticket de Metro en plus si vous commencez votre trajet hors de la ligne RER A.  Vous pouvez utiliser le même billet Ile-de-France pour tout le trajet, dans les deux, Metro et RER, jusqu’à Marne La Vallée.

Voir un guide détaillé entre Paris et Disneyland par RER.

Voir les horaires de la ligne RER A.

Chercher autres tarifs de train à RATP.fr.

Promotions:

Disneyland® Paris par Train RER A

By | June 16, 2019 | in Disneyland Paris

Cet article explique comment se rendre à Disneyland® Paris par train RER A en provenance de Paris. Si vous voyagez de l’aéroport Charles de Gaulle au Parc Disneyland, vous pouvez aussi prendre un TGV direct de CDG à Disneyland Paris (Marne-La-Vallée) ou prendre d’abord le RER B jusqu’à Paris, puis, à la station Châtelet-Les Halles, faire une correspondance avec la ligne RER A en direction de Marne-La-Vallée.

Promotions:

Aperçu

Fiche Horaire RER A direction Marne La Vallée

Ligne => RER A (rouge)

Direction => Marne-La-Vallée (ligne RER A4)

Stations de départ => Charles De Gaulle-Étoile, Auber, Châtelet-Les Halles, Gare de Lyon, Nation

Gare d’arrivée => Marne-La-Vallée Chessy

Destination => Marne La Vallée–Chessy

Prix => 5€ (Zone 1 – Zone 5, tarif en vigueur janvier 2024)

Abonnements acceptés => Carte Paris Visite (5 zones), Passe Navigo ou Pass Navigo Découverte 5 zones, Ticket Mobilis 5 zones

Temps de Trajet => 39-45 minutes

Premier train / Dernier train (Gare de Lyon – Disney) => 05 h 22 / 00 h 20

Fréquence des trains => environ toutes les 15 min. (de 9 à 30 minutes entre les trains)

Horaires complets => Horaires RER

Détails

Stations RER

Le RER A effectue des trajets de Paris intra-muros à Disneyland pendant toute la journée à environ 15 minutes d’intervalle, à partir de cinq grandes stations RER de Paris intra-muros : Charles De Gaulle-Étoile (sous l’Arc de Triomphe), Auber (au centre commercial des Galeries Lafayette), Châtelet-Les Halles (immense centre commercial souterrain et plus grande station souterraine de métro au monde), Gare de Lyon (la plus grande gare ferroviaire de Paris) et Nation.

Titres de Transports – RER de Paris à Disneyland Paris

Pour un ticket aller-simple, un billet Île-de-France, de Paris intra-muros à Disney, il vous en coûtera 7,50 € (tarif en vigueur en janvier 2014). Vous pouvez acheter ces tickets au guichet de n’importe quelle station de métro ou de RER ou dans des billetteries automatique de tickets (en utilisant des pièces de monnaie ou une carte bancaire à puce) à l’intérieur des stations. Vous pouvez partir de n’importe quelle station de Métro / RER dans Paris intra-muros (zone 1) en utilisant ce ticket et simplement prendre une correspondance avec la ligne A du RER si vous n’êtes pas déjà dessus. Vous n’avez pas besoin d’acheter un billet distinct pour la partie en métro de votre trajet. Le ticket de Métro normal, le Paris Metro ticket t+, ne fonctionne pas pour ce voyage puisque Marne-La-Vallée et le Parc Disney sont dans la zone 5. Les abonnements suivants sont acceptés pour

Les titres de transports ci-dessous sont valable pour le voyage entre Paris et Disneyland:

Dans un gare RER

Dans l’une des stations RER parisiennes mentionnées ci-dessus, il vous faudra prendre le RER A en direction de Marne-La-Vallée, mais soyez conscient que la direction peut également être Boissy-St-Léger, comme le montre la photo ci-dessous.

Vous trouverez des indications et des panneaux de stations semblables à celui ci-dessus dans toutes les stations du RER A mentionnées précédemment. Suivez ces indications pour parvenir au bon quai du RER A. Dans certaines stations, comme Châtelet-Les Halles et Gare de Lyon , ces panneaux et indications du RER vous mèneront à un seul quai central desservi de chaque côté par des RER qui vont dans des directions opposées. Pour éviter toute confusion quant au côté qui dessert la bonne direction, regarder les panneaux de station RER qui sont suspendus au-dessus de chaque côté du quai comme celui montré ici :

RER A Station Panel Direction Poissy, Cergy-Le Haut

Chaque station sur la ligne sera indiquée sur ces panneaux, mais le prochain train ne s’arrêtera qu’aux stations dont les noms sont signalés avec un carré lumineux jaune (la moitié gauche dans la photo précédente). Ainsi, ces panneaux servent à deux choses :

1. vous indiquer que vous êtes du bon côté du quai : si vous voyez votre gare d’arrivée sur le panneau, c’est qu’au moins, vous êtes du bon côté du quai. Dans ce cas, il vous faudra voir Marne-La-Vallée Chessy parmi les stations.

2. vous indiquer si le prochain train s’arrête à la station désirée. Si Marne-La-Vallée Chessy est signalée par un carré jaune, prenez le train qui arrive. Sinon, attendez un train qui s’arrête à Marne-La-Vallée / Parc Disney.

Une fois à bord d’un RER A en direction de Disneyland Paris, pensez à conserver votre ticket à portée de main tout au long de votre trajet : des contrôleurs pourraient vous demander de le leur présenter. Si vous ne pouvez pas présenter un ticket valide, le contrôleur vous fera payer une amende de l’ordre de 40 € payables sur place par carte bancaire. Et, alors que les distributeurs automatiques de tickets n’acceptent pas les cartes de crédit sans puce, les terminaux mobiles qu’utilisent les contrôleurs n’ont vraiment aucun problème de ce genre. À la fin de votre trajet, vous aurez également besoin de votre ticket ou forfait

Voici le quai de Marne-La-Vallée à Disneyland Paris où vous arriverez :

RER A Paris Disneyland train station exit

Une fois que vous aurez quitté le RER A, prenez les escalators ou les escaliers en suivant les panneaux Sortie. Cela vous mènera aux tourniquets de sortie (et entrée) du RER comme le montre la photo suivante :

Paris Disneyland train station turnstiles

Utilisez votre billet Île-de-France dans les tourniquets, ce qui vous permettra de traverser la section principale de la station, qui est équipée d’un stand d’information, de guichets, et de diverses boutiques qui vendent des journaux / magazines et des en-cas.

Une fois sorti de la station Marne-La-Vallée Chessy, vous remarquerez que le motif de la station elle-même est le style de Disney, avec ses flèches qui ressemblent à un château-fort.

Paris Disneyland Train Station Marne La Vallee Chessy

Voici une photo panoramique de la gare RER / TGV de Marne-La-Vallée Chessy au milieu de quelques attractions de Disneyland Paris.

Disneyland Paris and Marne La Vallee-Chessy TGV Station

Au moment de rentrer à Paris, vous ferez ce trajet en sens inverse. Dans la station Marne-La-Vallée Chessy, il faut acheter un nouveau billet Île-de-France vers Paris (5€), dans un distributeur automatique de tickets ou au guichet, puis passer par les tourniquets et descendre vers le quai du RER A. Le quai sera bien signalé avec un panneau indiquant quel train est en partance pour Paris :

Paris Disneyland Train to Central Paris

Bonne visite à Disneyland !

Promotions:

Paris Metro RER Ticket Pass Refund

By | June 7, 2019 | in Tickets

To request a Paris Metro ticket, RER Ticket, bus ticket or pass refund due to double charge/payment when purchasing a Paris Metro RER ticket or pass, via train station ticket window or Paris ticket vending machine, please write the RATP Customer Service team via the following web form with relevant details, image of proof of purchase, where a refund can be sent, etc.:

https://www.ratp.fr/contacts/client

The Paris transit authority customer service team will respond via email normally within 48 hours of your request.

You can also contact Paris train customer service via Twitter although most requests will end up with a request to contact their customer service team via the above form or by letter mail, explained further below.

Paris Train Twitter

Keep in mind that requests for refund from Paris train authorities for Paris train service interruptions that are beyond the control of the RATP will be refused.  Examples of such situations include:

  • Paris train service interruptions / delays due to security concerns such as suspicious packages / luggage abandoned on trains or train stations requiring evacuation and safety procedures
  • accidents involving bodily harm to passengers causing delays to the train service to allow for medical assistance to perform their work
  • delays & interruption of train service due to rail line construction works for which there was notification published online and at the stations and there are replacement bus / shuttle services in place during the service interruption

To get a refund on unused Paris Metro / RER tickets / Orlybus tickets / Roissybus tickets, Paris Visite, Ticket Mobilis, you can mail RATP Customer Service (Service Clientele) at the following address with your unused tickets, the receipt of purchase and explanatory letter with name / return address:

RATP Customer Service
Refund
TSA 81250
75564 PARIS CEDEX 12

Paris RER Ticket Receipt

 

Restrooms & Toilets Paris Metro & RER trains

By | May 18, 2019 | in Metro RER

 

Restrooms & Toilets in the Paris Metro & RER Trains

A question came up recently about whether there are restrooms & toilets in Paris Metro or RER Trains. The answer is: there used to be, but the toilets are now all closed / locked and replaced by toilets at train stations.

Toilets that were available on some RER trains & Transilien trains have been closed & locked since about 2012 due to hygiene and security concerns. To make up for this loss of toilet access, the Paris train authority (RATP) and the national railway (SNCF, which operates some RER trains and all Transilien trains) have installed public restrooms at Metro stations and RER train stations throughout the Paris region.

French Toilet Sign

Here is a list of all public restrooms in Paris Metro stations and Paris RER train stations throughout the Paris region.

Metro and RER stations (In alphabetical order)

Lines

Wheelchair accessible

Location

Antony

 

Yes

Outside the station, in a separate building

Arcueil

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk, and ticket vending machines

Asnières – Gennevilliers –
Les Courtilles

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Auber

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Bercy

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk, and ticket vending machines

Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Bobigny – Pablo Picasso

 

No

Near the information and ticket desk

Bourg-la-Reine

 

Yes

In the middle of the central platform, direction Paris

Charles de Gaulle – Etoile

 

No

From Exit (Sortie) 3 (Avenue Hoche), take the corridor leading to Exit 2 (Av. de Friedland)

Charles de Gaulle – Etoile

 

No

entering the station from the outside

Charles de Gaulle – Etoile

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk located at Exit Avenue des Champs-Elysées, after the ticket gates

Châtelet

 

Yes

On leaving the RER area, direction Place Carrée, near the escalators

Cité Universitaire

 

No

Near the information and ticket desk

Cluny – La Sorbonne*

 

Yes

Exit 2 (Boulevard St-Germain), near the information and ticket desk

Concorde

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Cour Saint-Emilion

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Denfert-Rochereau

 

No

On the RER B platform, direction Saint-Rémy-Lès-Chevreuse

Gare de Lyon

 

Yes

Near the top of the escalator leading towards the platform head (direction Paris)

Gare de Lyon

 

Yes

Direction Exit 13

Gentilly

 

Yes

On the platform (direction Paris)

Gif-sur-Yvette

 

Yes

On the platform (direction Paris)

La Défense (Grande Arche)

 

Yes

Near the SNCF area, opposite the entrance to tramway T2

Laplace

 

Yes

Outside the station, near the information and ticket desk

Les Agnettes

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Madeleine

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Marne-la-Vallée – Chessy

 

Yes

In the middle of the central platform

Massy-Palaiseau

 

Yes

Outside the station, near the information and ticket desk, on the bus side

Nanterre-Préfecture

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Nanterre-Ville

 

Yes

On the platform (direction Paris)

Nanterre-Université

 

Yes

On the left, after the ticket gates

Nation

 

Yes

From the RER platforms, head towards the platforms for lines 1, 2 and 6, at the bottom of the escalators

Nogent-sur-Marne

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Noisy-le-Grand – Mont d’Est

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Noisy-le-Grand – Mont d’Est

 

Yes

Access via the bus station

Olympiades

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Pyramides

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Robinson

 

Yes

On platform 1

Rueil-Malmaison

 

Yes

Near the ticket gates, on the exit side

Saint-Germain-en-Laye

 

Yes

Near the top of the elevator serving platforms 2 and 4

Saint-Germain-en-Laye*

 

Yes

Near the entrance to the car park

Saint-Lazare

 

Yes

Near the information and ticket desk

Saint-Maur – Créteil

 

Yes

Outside the station, on the bus side

Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse

 

Yes

Outside the station, continuing alongside the station

Trocadéro

 

Yes

Exit 1 (Av. du Président Wilson)

Val d’Europe

 

Yes

Across from the information and ticket desk, near the ticket gates

Villejuif – Louis Aragon

 

Yes

In the bus station, take Exit 2 (Maxime GORKI)

* Pay toilets

CDG to Disneyland® Paris

CDG TGV Train Platform

High speed TGV trains from CDG to Disneyland® Paris take just 11 minutes to travel between Charles de Gaulle Airport TGV station and the Disneyland Paris park gates.

Promotions:

TGV train ticket prices vary from 19€ to 47€ each and can be purchased ahead of time from OUI.SNCF.

CDG to Disneyland Paris trains leave from a train station located inside of Terminal 2 at CDG Airport. For instructions on getting to the CDG Terminal 2 train station see the article CDG Terminal 2 to Paris photo guide. (Note that the TGV train station is located opposite of the RER train station, which is described in the previously mentioned article. The picture above is the CDG Terminal 2 TGV train station.)

Terminal 2 TGV Ticket OfficeTicket purchases for the TGV train from CDG to Disneyland Paris can also be made directly at the airport train station from the Grandes Lignes section of the ticket office. CDG to Disneyland Paris train tickets can also be purchased from yellow ticket vending machines available throughout the station. But, keep in mind that most North American credit cards without embedded smart chips nor PIN number protection will not work with these machines. These TGV ticket vending machines will appear similar to the ones shown in the photo below.
SNCF TGV Train Ticket Machines

CDG to Disneyland Paris Schedule

Trains from CDG to Disneyland Paris leave the airport with a frequency anywhere between 15 to 60 minutes apart. The first TGV train leaves CDG at 06:54 and arrives at Disneyland Paris 12 minutes later. The last TGV train from CDG to Disneyland Paris departs at 21:55 in the evening, seven days a week.

Search for exact TGV train times CDG to Disneyland Paris at Oui.sncf.

Notre Dame photo before Fire

By | April 18, 2019 | in Attractions Photos

Here’s a Notre Dame photo before fire tore through the wooden roof and collapsed the spire which was added in 1844 under order of King Louis Phillipe.  The two square towers remain largely undamaged, but the entire oak wooden roof is damaged beyond repair.

Notre Dame before the fire of 2019

Notre Dame of Paris, before the fire, showing the spire and roof intact.

To closest Metro / train stations near Notre Dame cathedral in Paris include: