On this web page: http://www.citefutee.com/informer/an...ris_visite.php
it says "With the Paris Visite pass travel freely within the zone area of
your choice."

It appears that the link to the "zone map" is about "train" zones, not Metro
zones.

My question: If one buys this Visite pass, does one have the right to use
the complete Metro system, or are there zone restrictions on the Metro?

Is there a better ticket/pass one can buy for 2 or 3 adults traveling
together around Paris for 10 sequential days? Thanks.

On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 10:34:19 -0700, "Greg Klipstein"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On this web page: http://www.citefutee.com/informer/an...ris_visite.php
    >it says "With the Paris Visite pass travel freely within the zone area of
    >your choice."
    >It appears that the link to the "zone map" is about "train" zones, not Metro
    >zones.
    >My question: If one buys this Visite pass, does one have the right to use
    >the complete Metro system, or are there zone restrictions on the Metro?
    >Is there a better ticket/pass one can buy for 2 or 3 adults traveling
    >together around Paris for 10 sequential days? Thanks.

For all practical purposes, there are no zones on the Metro.

The passes are also good on RER, though, and zones are a serious
consideration on the RER.

In general, though, many inhabitants of this group do not
consider the Visite pass a very good buy.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

"Hatunen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > For all practical purposes, there are no zones on the Metro.
    > The passes are also good on RER, though, and zones are a serious
    > consideration on the RER.
    > In general, though, many inhabitants of this group do not
    > consider the Visite pass a very good buy.

OK, so the Metro has no zones. I have noticed in various discussions that
the Carte Orange is the "preferred local" pass that is also available to
visitors but run Monday-Sunday. Here are my main considerations for what to
buy for 3 adults 29 Dec-8 Jan. Arrive CDG (NWA-Terminal 1?) on a Wednesday
noon and probably just want to go CDG-->Gare du Nord neighborhood and rest
that day. Thursday thru the following Saturday (10 days) in and about
Paris. Need Metro passes for Thurs-Sunday. Then, maybe Carte Orange Monday,
3 Jan-Saturday 8 Jan when we depart via CDG. Is the Carte Orange
legal/valid to go Gare du Nord-->CDG? Or, Saturday 8 Jan, Gare du Nord to
CDG (other half of a return ticket?). Thank you for any suggestions.

On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 10:51:48 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 10:34:19 -0700, "Greg Klipstein"
    ><[email protected]> wrote:
    >>On this web page: http://www.citefutee.com/informer/an...ris_visite.php
    >>it says "With the Paris Visite pass travel freely within the zone area of
    >>your choice."
    >>It appears that the link to the "zone map" is about "train" zones, not Metro
    >>zones.
    >>My question: If one buys this Visite pass, does one have the right to use
    >>the complete Metro system, or are there zone restrictions on the Metro?
    >>Is there a better ticket/pass one can buy for 2 or 3 adults traveling
    >>together around Paris for 10 sequential days? Thanks.
    >For all practical purposes, there are no zones on the Metro.
    >The passes are also good on RER, though, and zones are a serious
    >consideration on the RER.
    >In general, though, many inhabitants of this group do not
    >consider the Visite pass a very good buy.

I seem to remember that it paid off after three or four rides. This
seems like a fairly good buy. It also includes busses, as well as the
RER and the metro. In includes discounts at some museums and
restaurants, although probably not worth buying for these.

There is another pass that covers the metro only and costs less, but
when I was in Paris in August, I heard some American students arguing
with a metro clerk who wouldn't sell it to them, because she said it
was for residents only. They had bought one a few days earlier and
were pissed to be refused this time. I don't know who was right.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

"B Vaughan" <[email protected]> wrote

    > when I was in Paris in August, I heard some American students arguing
    > with a metro clerk who wouldn't sell it to them, because she said it
    > was for residents only. They had bought one a few days earlier and
    > were pissed to be refused this time. I don't know who was right.

Maybe the visitor was right...I found another interesting discussion on this
point here:

http://goeurope.about.com/gi/dynamic...me%3DChristina

One poster put this:
==============
Author: LarryJ
Date: 03/21/2004, 12:08 pm
Message: Regarding the never ending claim that the Carte Orange is only for
residents of Paris:

If you were to visit the French Government Tourist website and request
tourist information on France you would get a large envelope sent to you
containing among several other things a booklet entitled,"The Insider's Good
Value Guide To France" (Travel Tips For the Smart Traveler). On page 17
which deals with Paris you would find a topic headed "Getting Around".
Discussed here is the Paris Metro and the various discount passes available
to tourists. One of them is the "Carte Orange". Obviously the Carte Orange
is available to tourists, so says the French Government Tourist Office
(Maison de la France).

I am in Paris several weeks per year but recently requested this tourist kit
as I like to keep up with any new money saving deals what with the weak US
dollar and strong euro.

Larry J

B Vaughan wrote:

    >
    > There is another pass that covers the metro only and costs less, but
    > when I was in Paris in August, I heard some American students arguing
    > with a metro clerk who wouldn't sell it to them, because she said it
    > was for residents only. They had bought one a few days earlier and
    > were pissed to be refused this time. I don't know who was right.

That would be the carte orange. We (my wife and I) had no trouble
buying them recently, for zones 1 and 2, at Bir-Hakeim Metro station.
We did have the foresight to take along the required passport-size
photos, which are then attached to the carte orange.
I've also heard that story that some clerks still insist they're for
residents only. Rick Steves, in his Paris book, says that's not true
and recommends just going to another station.
Better buy than a Paris Visite? Dunno. Carte orange seems to be
preferred by the guidebook writers.
I think we managed to get our money's worth out of the carte orange.
I'm much less convinced of the merits of the museum and monuments
pass, particularly at this less-touristed time of the year when lineups
are generally small or non-existent. We bought them for three days
(which have to be consecutive) and, looking back, I suspect it would
have been much cheaper just to buy individual admissions for as many
museums as we could tolerate over that period.

-- Ron

Greg Klipstein writes:

    > On this web page: http://www.citefutee.com/informer/an...ris_visite.php
    > it says "With the Paris Visite pass travel freely within the zone area of
    > your choice."
    >
    > It appears that the link to the "zone map" is about "train" zones, not Metro
    > zones.

Train and Métro zones are the same.

    > My question: If one buys this Visite pass, does one have the right to use
    > the complete Metro system, or are there zone restrictions on the Metro?

You can use the complete system ... but Paris Visite is an overpriced
tourist trap. There are virtually no situations in which you save money
by buying Paris Visite pass.

    > Is there a better ticket/pass one can buy for 2 or 3 adults traveling
    > together around Paris for 10 sequential days?

Yes: the standard weekly Carte Orange, a simple 7-day pass that runs
from Monday to Sunday and allows unlimited travel within zones that you
select. The English version of the RATP's Web site seems to overlook
this pass, even though it's the one that everyone uses.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

Greg Klipstein writes:

    > Here are my main considerations for what to
    > buy for 3 adults 29 Dec-8 Jan. Arrive CDG (NWA-Terminal 1?) on a Wednesday
    > noon and probably just want to go CDG-->Gare du Nord neighborhood and rest
    > that day.

The weekly Carte Orange always runs from Monday to Sunday. Still,
depending on how much you travel, it may be economical to get one for a
partial week. Otherwise, you can use something like Mobilis for the odd
days.

    > Is the Carte Orange legal/valid to go Gare du Nord-->CDG?

As long as you buy one that includes enough zones for CDG and Gare du
Nord, yes. If you are only going to or from the airport on arrival and
departure, though, it's not cost-effective to buy a Carte Orange with
that many zones (unless you need the zones for other purposes, like
Versailles or Disneyland or Parc Asterix, etc.).

    > Or, Saturday 8 Jan, Gare du Nord to
    > CDG (other half of a return ticket?). Thank you for any suggestions.

I recommend taxis for getting to and from the airport with luggage,
especially when arriving.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

B Vaughan writes:

    > There is another pass that covers the metro only and costs less, but
    > when I was in Paris in August, I heard some American students arguing
    > with a metro clerk who wouldn't sell it to them, because she said it
    > was for residents only.

If it was a Carte Orange, the clerk was lying. There are some passes
that are available only to residents, such as some of the special
discount passes and the Carte Intégrale (yearly pass).

    > They had bought one a few days earlier and were pissed to be
    > refused this time. I don't know who was right.

The students were right if it was a Carte Orange.

Some Métro employees try to con tourists into believing that the Carte
Orange cannot be sold to non-residents.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

Ronald Hands writes:

    > I'm much less convinced of the merits of the museum and monuments
    > pass, particularly at this less-touristed time of the year when lineups
    > are generally small or non-existent. We bought them for three days
    > (which have to be consecutive) and, looking back, I suspect it would
    > have been much cheaper just to buy individual admissions for as many
    > museums as we could tolerate over that period.

You have to visit quite a few monuments and museums to make the pass
cost-effective. Most visitors don't even come close to visiting that
many. So in most cases, it's really just another tourist trap.

--
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 20:07:36 +0100, B Vaughan<[email protected]>
wrote:

    >On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 10:51:48 -0700, Hatunen <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 10:34:19 -0700, "Greg Klipstein"
    >><[email protected]> wrote:
    >>>On this web page: http://www.citefutee.com/informer/an...ris_visite.php
    >>>it says "With the Paris Visite pass travel freely within the zone area of
    >>>your choice."
    >>>It appears that the link to the "zone map" is about "train" zones, not Metro
    >>>zones.
    >>>My question: If one buys this Visite pass, does one have the right to use
    >>>the complete Metro system, or are there zone restrictions on the Metro?
    >>>Is there a better ticket/pass one can buy for 2 or 3 adults traveling
    >>>together around Paris for 10 sequential days? Thanks.
    >>For all practical purposes, there are no zones on the Metro.
    >>The passes are also good on RER, though, and zones are a serious
    >>consideration on the RER.
    >>In general, though, many inhabitants of this group do not
    >>consider the Visite pass a very good buy.
    >I seem to remember that it paid off after three or four rides.

A one-day Visite is E 8.35. A single ticket is E 1.40. A single
ticket from a carnet is E 1.05. so you would have to take eight
rides in one day to make the Visite pay, and that by only E 0.05.

    >This
    >seems like a fairly good buy. It also includes busses, as well as the
    >RER and the metro.

As do regular tickets. But the Visite referenced above covers
zones 1-3, so it might be useful if one is going outside Metro
coverage.

A five-day Visite is E 26.65, or E 5.33 per day, so if you make
more than five trips per day it will beat out the carnet tickets.

On the ohter hand the weekly Carte orange is E 15.40 for zones
1-2 and E 20.30 for zones 1-3, so even if youy can't usse it for
all seven days it might still be the pass of choice.

But you've got to ride a lot to make a pass much more useful than
a carnet, and the tickets from a carnet can be used by anyone,
not just the purchaser.

    >In includes discounts at some museums and
    >restaurants, although probably not worth buying for these.

Mostly obscure museums.

    >There is another pass that covers the metro only and costs less, but
    >when I was in Paris in August, I heard some American students arguing
    >with a metro clerk who wouldn't sell it to them, because she said it
    >was for residents only. They had bought one a few days earlier and
    >were pissed to be refused this time. I don't know who was right.

There's a student pass that comes in monthly and annual
flavors...

************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 21:42:39 +0100, Mxsmanic
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >Yes: the standard weekly Carte Orange, a simple 7-day pass that runs
    >from Monday to Sunday and allows unlimited travel within zones that you
    >select. The English version of the RATP's Web site seems to overlook
    >this pass, even though it's the one that everyone uses.

That's so English-speakers will buy the more expensive Visite
pass.

************* DAVE HATUNEN ([email protected]) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

"Mxsmanic" <[email protected]> skrev i meddelandet
news:[email protected]...
    > Greg Klipstein writes:
    >> On this web page:
    >> http://www.citefutee.com/informer/an...ris_visite.php
    >> it says "With the Paris Visite pass travel freely within the zone area of
    >> your choice."
    >> It appears that the link to the "zone map" is about "train" zones, not
    >> Metro
    >> zones.
    > Train and Métro zones are the same.
La Defense seem to be in zone 3 with RER but in zone 1 with Metro?

"Lennart Petersen" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

    >
    > "Mxsmanic" <[email protected]> skrev i meddelandet
    > news:[email protected]...
    >> Greg Klipstein writes:
    >>> On this web page:
    >>> http://www.citefutee.com/informer/an...ris_visite.php
    >>> it says "With the Paris Visite pass travel freely within the zone
    >>> area of your choice."
    >>> It appears that the link to the "zone map" is about "train" zones,
    >>> not Metro
    >>> zones.
    >> Train and Métro zones are the same.
    > La Defense seem to be in zone 3 with RER but in zone 1 with Metro?
    >
    >

La Defense is the end of a metro line

"B Vaughan" <[email protected]> skrev i meddelandet
news:[email protected]...
    >>In general, though, many inhabitants of this group do not
    >>consider the Visite pass a very good buy.
    > I seem to remember that it paid off after three or four rides. This
    > seems like a fairly good buy. It also includes busses, as well as the
    > RER and the metro. In includes discounts at some museums and
    > restaurants, although probably not worth buying for these.
    > There is another pass that covers the metro only and costs less, but
    > when I was in Paris in August, I heard some American students arguing
    > with a metro clerk who wouldn't sell it to them, because she said it
    > was for residents only. They had bought one a few days earlier and
    > were pissed to be refused this time. I don't know who was right.
-------------------------------------------
Possibly against EU rules of free trade. I can remember that Russia used
to have different higher rail prices for foreigners but EU forced them to
abolish such rules referring to the treaty of free trade.
Another example is possibly Venice where locals are said to benefit from
lower fares on the vaporetto.