Buying Paris Métro and bus tickets
I have had an apartment in Paris for more than 25 years and spend about 20 weeks a year there, making several visits each year, most recently in September ’09. Lately, as I reported (June ’09, pg. 14 & Aug. ’09, pg. 57), the manned ticket counters for the Métro are being replaced by ticket-dispensing machines which, even for the locals, are difficult to understand.
I thought ITN readers might appreciate being taken, step by step, through the process of purchasing Métro and bus tickets, so I asked my friend Katia Chestopalov to help. Katia was a translator at the UN until last October. After inspecting the instructions on one of the vending machines, here is what she came up with.
Automatic ticket-vending machines are available in all Métro stations. The same tickets can be used for both Métro and bus transportation; each ticket is valid for a single journey.
These vending machines do not take bills. They take coins and give back change, and they take credit cards, but only credit cards with electronic chips are accepted.
When buying tickets, you will find that a series of successive screens appear on which you can select your options. While these machines function in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian, the first and second screens are in French only. The option to select a language is the last option on the second screen.
You select options by rotating upward or downward a horizontal roller, so as to highlight the desired option, and then by pressing a green button at the bottom right to validate the selection. This process is to be followed on each screen.
On the first screen (in French only), this is what you see: Acheter des tickets, coupons. TOURNER LE ROULEAU PUIS APPUYER SUR “VALIDER” (translation: ROTATE ROLLER UP OR DOWN THEN PRESS “VALIDATE”). Recharger un passe Navigo.
Instructions — Rotate the roller upward to highlight “Acheter des tickets, coupons,” then press the green button at the bottom right to validate. A second screen will appear.
On the second screen (in French only), this is what you see: OPTIONS: • Ticket à l’unité • Carnet 10 tickets 2ème classe plein tarif • Billets Ile-de-France, RATP, SNCF, aéroports • Flags (corresponding to language options): UK’s = English, Spain’s = Spanish, Germany’s = German and Italy’s = Italian.
Instructions — Rotate the roller downward to highlight the “UK flag = English language” option, then press the green button to validate. The third screen will appear, in English.
On the third screen (in English), this is what you see: OPTIONS: • Single journey ticket; 2nd class, full fare • Book of 10 tickets; 2nd class, full fare • Tickets for Paris and suburbs, RATP (Métro), SNCF (train), other fares, airports.
Instructions — Rotate roller to highlight your selected option, then validate.
The fourth screen appears if you have selected the option “Single journey ticket.” OPTIONS: •1 •2 •3 •4 •5 •6 •7 •8 •9.
Instructions — Highlight the number of tickets you wish to buy, then validate. The amount you should pay will come up on the screen. The cost of a single-journey ticket is €1.60 (near $2.30).
The fourth screen also appears if you have selected the option “Book of 10 tickets; 2nd class, full fare.” OPTIONS: •1 book • 2 books.
Instructions — Highlight the number of books of tickets you wish to buy, then validate. The amount you should pay will come up on the screen. The cost of a book of 10 tickets is €11.60 ($16.65).
The fourth screen also appears if you have selected the option “Tickets for Paris and suburbs, RATP, SNCF, other fares, airports.”
Instructions — Highlight your choice, then validate. The cost of your option will appear.
I hope Katia’s explanation is helpful.
I should point out that, despite what it says on the third screen, there is no first or second class on Métro trains; it’s all one class.
Also, be sure to have plenty of 2-euro coins. It takes six of them to get a book of 10 tickets. It takes one 2-euro coin for a single-journey (one-way) ticket.
By the way, I have a credit card that does not have an electronic chip. While it works perfectly in ATMs in Paris, it has worked in some Métro ticket machines but not in others! Credit cards with the electronic chip, requiring a PIN, always work in the ticket machines.
ABBIE SALNY
Wayne, NJ