The intricately webbed public transport network of Paris is one of the best ways to explore the city of light. To keep your travels within Paris smooth, hassle free plus economical, the Paris Visite Pass, also known as the Paris Travel Card is efficacious. One can either purchase tickets from the automated machines for every ride or have unlimited access to all transport system in Paris - Metro, Bus, RER, Tramway and SNCF Overground Trains, with Paris Visite Pass.
The Paris Travel Card is available for different periods of 1, 2, 3 or 5 days. Furthermore one can acquire discounts at several museums, restaurants and attractions such as the Ópera or a sightseeing cruise on the Seine or a bus tour around the city with this Travel Card.
Paris Travel Card - 10 Second Summary
Paris Travel Card Variants
The Paris Visite pass is available for two different zones - 1-3 and 1-5, for different durations of 1, 2, 3 or 5 days. The travelers can choose the best suitable variant as per their itinerary.
- Zone 1-3 card: is adequate to explore the center of Paris and the near suburbs.
- Zone 1-5 card: Travels in Paris, the close suburbs and attractions outside Paris such as Chateau de Versailles or Disneyland Paris. It also includes travel to and from Paris' main airports - Orly Airport and Charles de Gaulle Airport
Paris Travel Card Validity
- The Paris Travel Card validity period starts at midnight on the first day and ends at midnight on the last day.
- The pass is activated from the first travel on any transport network and that day is counted in the durations.
- Our tip is to start early on to make the most of your trip.
- Once activated, it is valid to use at any time of day, any day of the week. Remember it works on a consecutive day basis.
Paris Travel Card Acceptability
Depending upon the zones selected by the traveler, the Paris Visite pass card covers:
- Metro
- RER
- Buses (except those circulating on Jetbus, Allobus Roissy CDG, tourist excursion and Air France networks)
- Trams
- SNCF Trains
- Montmartre funicular
- Orlyval
- Montmartrobus
- Noctilien
Paris Travel Card Discounts
The Paris Visite Pass also entails up to €100 in reduction with any of the 14 trade partners of the pass. Below are the discounts you can avail while using the Paris Travel Card.
Paris Travel Card Discounts
Paris Travel Card Zones Deconstructed
Paris Travel Card Zones Map
The Paris metropolitan area fits into zones 1-5
- Zone 1 -3: It covers all of central Paris, inner suburbs including Défense, Stade de France and Bourget. Most popular Paris museums, monuments and landmarks are covered in this zone.
- Zone 1-5: Paris and the whole Ile de France region, including access to Roissy CDG and Orly airports, as well as all the tourist sites of the region: Versailles, Disneyland, Provins, Fontainebleau, etc.
- At night the transport is replaced by the Noctiliens buses.
Paris Visite Pass Price
The Paris Travel Card is very economically priced for both adults and kids. The cost of the Paris Travel Card for kids is 50% the fare for adults but you avail its benefits for free with the purchase of the Paris Pass.
Number of days | Zones 1-3 | Zones 1-5 |
|---|---|---|
1 | €12.00 | €25.25 |
2 | €19.50 | €38.35 |
3 | €26.65 | €50.05 |
4 | €38.35 | €65.80 |
Paris Visite Pass - Where To Buy?
Paris Visite pass can be purchased in person at all Paris Metro, RER, SNCF stations, bus terminal ticket counters, RATP Boutiques, RATP sales desks at Orly and CDG airports, Paris tourist offices and selected tour operators.
The Paris Travel Pass also comes free with the Paris Pass - the most popular sightseeing pass in Paris. You can avail all the benefits of the Paris Visite Travelcard with the Paris Pass while you enjoy free access to some of the most prominent landmarks in the city.
Paris Travel Card
• Free with the Paris Pass
• Access to Zone 1-3 & Zone 1-5
• Discounts to 14 attractions around Paris
• Access to all public transport in Paris
How to use the Paris Travel Card
The Paris Visite Pass has two components – A card and a perma-ticket. Upon receiving the Visite pass, fill in your first name and last name on the card as instructed. On the perma-ticket, write the card serial number along with the date of the first travel. If the pass doesn’t have details, controllers can impose fine.
During the duration of the pass, carry the card and use the perma-ticket like any other transport ticket. Insert the Perma-ticket in the slots, collect it back and pass through. Do remember to collect back your perma-ticket as it is required for every trip.
Your Paris Travel Card will be activated the first time you travel on any transport network. Be aware that the travelcard works on a consecutive day basis, so if you activate your travelcard at 5 PM on the first day, this will count as Day 1 of your travelcard.
Is the Paris Visite Pass Worth It ?
While the lure of travelling without the hassle of stopping for buying a ticket every time is in itself a massive plus, the Paris Travel Card has many other advantages:
- All inclusive travel pass – whether you want to catch a metro or you prefer a bus or you want to do a combination of both to reach your desired destination the pass will allow you without a penny extra. You can choose to ride any mode of transport (according to your zone) any number of times, now isn’t that a god sent deal.
- Easy to buy and easy to use – buying Paris Visite Pass is as easy as buying a single ticket, on the plus side you get unlimited tickets.
- Leisure – You can explore the city of light with full freedom; add faraway places in your itinerary and travel costless from one end to another, while enjoying the cityscapes.
- Savings – If your plan is to explore Paris as much as you can Paris Visite Pass can surely save you some major bugs.
Tips for Using the Paris Travel Card - Know Before You Buy!
- Plan your itinerary in advance
- Start Early
- Avoid commuter hours
- Important lingos
- Take care of your belongings
While this pass will surely support you on your impromptu getaways, a proper planning will save time. Our suggestion is to chalk out the places you want to visit, check out the best routes and plan your travel accordingly to minimize your travel time. In fact you can plan your journey online with RATP, Paris’ transport network association. It will help you select the fastest lines, avoiding certain stops or combine your journey with other modes of transport.
The validity of your pass starts from the midnight of day 1, so we advise you to start your first day early on. Let’s say you start around 6 PM on first day, than you have eventually lost half a day of your cards value.
Paris is a busy city; you will be sharing your journey with fellow tourists and locals going about their respective work. It is advisable to take note of commuter hours, which are from 08.00-10.00 and 17.00-20.00 to experience a smoother and easier journey.
To make things easier, help yourselves by getting familiar to basic lingo and signs in French. It will help you cruise around the city with much ease.
Always try and keep your valuables in a secure bag and take care of that bag. For instance, always remember to recollect you perma-ticket after you insert it in a slot. To reap further benefits of your card you will require it.
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