Navigo
 

I was hoping to get some advice on the Navigo pass. I am going to be in Paris in July, arriving on a Monday and leaving on a Saturday night and plan to use the metro/buses a lot. The Navigo pass seems to make sense, given the days of the week I'll be there. I've bought a carnet on past visits to Paris, but I think this pass would be more cost-effective for me this time around. I've had a hard time finding information about it in English on the RATP website, though. My French is OK, but I would be more comfortable reading more in English or getting some practical advice from FTers.

Where can I purchase a Navigo pass? Is there anyplace at CDG I can get one? I'm taking the Air France bus in from CDG and transferring to metro at Gare de Lyon, but thought it might be easier to just get the pass before I got to the metro station. I believe I need a photo for it -- is this correct? \

Any advice/help would be appreciated.

Here is some information.

Bobette

Your research is perfect-a one week pass runs from Monday thru Sunday and would seem perfect for your trip. However, getting the pass may be tough to do.

The Navigo is an electronically read pass in a plastic container which is replacing the Carte Orange, which is a small magnetic coupon. Both types of pass conferred the same travel privileges and cost the same.

The Navigo was first introduced a few years ago, and the Carte Orange will evetually be phased out. When we got our Navigos, they had to be mailed in to RATP and we got them back in about 10 days-obviously this won't work for you or anyone without a mailing address in France. I do not know if you can get a pass on a walk-in basis. Here's some info on where agencies are:

https://www.navigo.fr/pages/images/l...es_agences.pdf

Note that only a few are open Sunday ("Dim").

The Carte Orange is still around but to encourage Navigo use, they have stopped selling Carte Orange tickets at many Metro stations. I think the plan is to make it so inconvenient that everyone will go with the Navigo. Metro stations that do not sell the Cartes Oranges have a small sign stating that at the ticket window, but I don't know of any list of which ones do or don't.

If you're up for a little adventure, you could go to one of the agencies listed and see if they'll give you a Navigo right there. If not, chances are good (but far from certain) that they'll sell you a Carte Orange. If not, they might tell you where you can buy one-if they know.

There are two versions of Navigo: The regular one, which is what you have, and the Navigo Découverte which has been recently introduced. The Navigo Découverte costs 5 euros for the pass, which is issued on the spot and is valid for 10 years. Both versions require an ID photo. The main difference between the two is that the Navigo Découverte is not registered to its owner and thus can't be replaced if lost.

I am planning a Paris visit too and found those links:

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archive...r_carte_1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigo_card

http://parisbytrain.com/tag/navigo-decouverte/

Great info! Do you know where one can get a Navigo Decouverte?

Good links, though Lebovitz (who I read and usually like a lot) had bad info on two points at the time it was written:

1. I've been in Paris since Jan 17, 2008 amd they were still selling Carte Orange. They may well have stopped now with the introduction of the Decouverte.

2. Sales of the weekly Carte Orange were not just on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. You could buy the next week's pass as early as Friday and as late as Wednesday-I did both. Anyone know the real restrictions on sale dates for the Decouverte? There may not be any since it's electronic, rather than having coupons with the date on each one.

I believe you can buy it early/late but since it only seems to works from Monday to Saturday I'm not sure it is worth all of the hassle to try to get it before then.

Read post #2. It explains it.

Bobette

Perhaps you'd be kind enough to quote from that webpage where one can buy the Navigo Decouverte. I only saw mention that you could load a week or month's passage onto an established Navigo Decouverte. If indeed you can get the pass itself at any ticket office, that would be great and helpful to know for sure.

Mountain Trader, you can get it at the metro or at any tabac that has the RATP sign. You pay 5 Euros for the navigo and then load or re-load the carte orange fare onto it. The navigo is good for 10 years.

I've heard that some stations are still allowing you to get the carte orange tickets if you have an old carte orange in hand. This was earlier this month so I don't know if it is still happening today.

Bobette

Great to know-and finally an answer for the OP. To repeat your info, you can get the Navigo Decouverte at all Metro stations and at any tabac with the RATP sign.

On other websites there are reports of recent purchases of the Carte Orange, but if the Decouverte is this widely available, I recommend everyone go for that.

I expect to be in Paris over the summer and I'll report back with any other news.

From the page linked in Bobette's post:
This morning I went through the train station in Poissy and they had signs posted that they no longer sell the Carte Orange coupon, only the Navigo passes. Signs urging conversion to the Navigo are more prevalent in the metro, and many stations currently have temporary tables or booths where you can sign up. The definitive end of the Carte Orange coupon seems near.

Thanks, iff. I was hoping that I'd still be able to get by with my old trusty carte orange when I go in a few months. Looks like that won't happen.

Bobette

Well, bring it along and give it a try... perhaps there will still be some available at some stations, and if not, then you can switch over.