Hi Ben
Despite reading almost all of the info I could find on the different transport options, I am still confused on what to buy. My plan is to arrive at CDG on a Saturday. I would need to get to Le Marais metro station Reaumur Sébastopol that afternoon. I will also need to cover transport for the Sunday. My itinerary is not set yet, so for safety I would include all zones. From the next Monday to Saturday (departure day) I would have to get a week pass for all zones. What would you suggest I buy to cover all these possibilities? Specifics would be highly appreciated as I am not fluent in French. Thank you in advance for your assistance. Best regards, Nelmaré Laker
1 answer
Hi Nelmaré,
I think two physical fares will cover all your needs: a single RER ticket CDG-Paris and a Navigo Decouverte card (on which we'll put several things).
For a Saturday arrival at CDG to Paris, I would suggest buying a single use RER ticket to Paris for 10.30€ (officially known as a Billet Origin-Destination, but you won't need to elaborate: thousands of these are sold each day and nearly all airport train station ticketing staff now speak English, as designated by the little flag signs at their windows/kiosks). That's the only single-use paper ticket you'll be using to get from CDG to Reamur-Sebastapol on RER & Metro.
The rest of the fares will go onto a Navigo Decouverte card that you will need to purchase (5€ for the card itself, plus the fares).
If you are planning on using Metro/RER inside Paris city center a lot on Saturday, then put two Navigo Day passes 1-2 zone onto the Navigo card: one for Saturday and one for Sunday (7.50€ each day). This will cover you for the weekend.
For full coverage of Monday - Saturday throughout all 5 zones, put a Navigo 1-5 zone (the default zone choice) week pass onto your Navigo Decouverte. This will cover all of greater Paris area and back to CDG airport on Saturday for 22.80€.
If you plan to visit places outside of central Paris, it would make sense to do that Monday-Saturday since it will be included in your Navigo week pass which covers all zones.
In summary:
- 1 RER ticket CDG to Paris
- 1 Navigo Decouverte card with:
- 1-2 zone day pass for Saturday
- 1-2 zone day pass for Sunday
- 1-5 zone week pass
All of this can be purchased at CDG Airport train station ticket office/windows on your day of arrival.
If you have further questions, feel free to post another question.
Have a good trip,
Ben