Hello, I'm from Slovakia and I'm planning a trip to Paris with my family at the beginning of July. They recommended me to buy Navigo Decouverte for all family members. I was quite surprised that there is no discounted weekly ticket for children, so I tried to save a little by making a card on my mobile. I want to ask a few things, I can't find it elsewhere, they are rather practical questions, so that I can prepare well and not make a chaos on the spot :) Thank you very much in advance.
- is it possible to buy a card with a pre-prepared photo also at such places? https://bit.ly/3KM6ijH In the Ile de France Mobilites application, I found these kiosks marked on the map as a point of sale
- if I decide to have each member of the family install the application on their mobiles, upload a photo and pay for the weekly Navigo Decouverte Card, will it also work for the children?
- when entering the subway, do I put my mobile phone with the card open on the display only on the purple or blue loading surface of the tourniqet and will it let them into the subway?
- does Navigo also work when traveling by cable car to Sacre Coeur?
Thank you very much :) Dominik
1 answer
Hi Dominik,
- Although these tobacconists sell blank Navigo Easy / Navigo Découverte cards (when they have stock of them, they may run out), they don't necessarily have a coin-operated photo booth in store for you to use. (There are no pre-prepared photo Navigo cards except for residents of Ile-de-France who order these online and have them delivered to their local Paris-area address after 2 week processing period.) I'd highly recommend taking/making your own face photos prior to leaving Slovakia, to a) reduce risk of unforeseen issues (broken/unavailable photobooths), b) save money. These photobooths cost at least 5€ per set of photos per person. The photos you bring don't have to be professional level photos. Just basic color inkjet or color laser printed photos printed at home or at an office supply store are perfectly acceptable.
- Yes, children can use the Paris transport mobile phone apps for their Navigo week passes.
- To use/validate your Navigo pass on your mobile phone to open Paris Metro, RER gates or aboard Trams/Buses, you only need to have your phone switched on and it helps to have the screen lit (potentially faster response) and hold the phone near the purple/blue reading area on the top of the gate on your right hand side and wait till you hear a "ding" chime / green forward arrow lights on the gate display signaling the acceptance of the pass. The phone doesn't need to be unlocked, nor do you need the app open to your Navigo fare. Here's an example of someone using their Android phone to pass a Paris Metro turnstile/gate. Ile-de-France Mobilites also has a short promo video for using their iPhone app to open Paris transport gates using tap.
- Yes the Navigo Week pass covers the funiculare/cable car of Sacre Coeur in Montmartre.
Have a great trip.