Paris public transport: tickets, passes and apps

Match the ticket to how many times you will actually board, not to how many days you are in Paris. A short break with two or three rides a day is usually cheapest on single tickets bought in a pack of ten. A day with five or more rides is usually cheaper on a day pass. A stay that runs Monday to Sunday is often cheapest on the weekly pass — but confirm its current validity period and fare before you commit, because both are revised regularly (check).

Buy singles in a pack of ten rather than one at a time: the per-ride price is lower and unused tickets normally stay valid until you use them (check). Day passes are calendar-day products, so buy one on the morning you will use it, not the night before. If the weekly pass runs Monday to Sunday, a Wednesday arrival gets only five days of value; check the current terms and price at a machine or on the operator's site.

Children and teenagers usually travel at a reduced fare, and very young children ride free. Ask at the ticket window or check the operator's site for the current age bands, because they change.

Fares are set by the regional transport authority and change most years, so treat every figure below as a 2026 estimate and confirm at a machine or on the operator's site before you buy. The pattern matters more than the exact number: singles cost most per ride, packs of ten less, day and weekly passes least per ride if you use them enough.

Three ways usually work in Paris: a paper or card ticket loaded at a machine, a contactless bank card or phone tapped at the gate, and the official app for passes and top-ups. Machines at metro stations have English menus and take chip cards; older cards with only a magnetic stripe often fail, so carry a chip card or coins as backup (check).

Contactless is the fastest option when it works, but acceptance and daily fare capping vary by gate, line and card issuer, so verify with Île-de-France Mobilités before you rely on it (check). Two rules matter if it does work. Use one card per traveller, because a single card tapped twice is treated as one person. And keep the same card for the whole day, or any daily cap will not apply.

For passes, load a Navigo Easy card at a machine or use the official app on a phone with a compatible wallet. The app is also where you check whether your phone model is supported before you fly.

Paris is ringed by fare zones. The centre, including most sights, main stations and the inner arrondissements, sits in the innermost zone. The airports, Disneyland Paris and the outer suburbs sit further out, which is why an airport ticket costs several times a city ride. Zone boundaries and which ticket covers what are revised from time to time, so check the current zone map before you buy (check).

If you stay inside the city and ride only the metro, an innermost-zone ticket normally covers you. If your trip includes Versailles, the airports or Disneyland, price the all-zone day or weekly pass against separate point-to-point tickets before deciding. A weekly all-zone pass often wins for a Monday-to-Sunday stay that includes one airport run, provided its current terms confirm that coverage (check).

From Charles de Gaulle, the RER B train runs into central Paris and connects with the metro; it is the default for most travellers with light luggage. A taxi is a fixed-price option to the Right Bank or Left Bank, and the fare is set by zone rather than the meter, so agree the price or use the official rank rather than a driver who approaches you inside the terminal. Confirm current RER B service and taxi zone fares before you fly (check).

From Orly, the Orlyval shuttle links the terminals to the RER B at Antony, and tram or bus routes also reach the city. Both airports sell a dedicated ticket into Paris that costs more than a normal city ride, so buy the right one at the machine rather than a plain single. Which routes and airport tickets are running changes with works, so check the operator's site (check).

Allow extra time on the RER B: it is a commuter line, and engineering works on weekends can add a bus replacement leg. Check the operator's site the day before you fly.

Keep your ticket until you leave the system. Inspectors work plain-clothes on buses and at metro exits, and an unvalidated or discarded ticket carries a fine. On buses, validate or tap as you board.

Avoid buying from anyone who offers tickets on the street or inside stations; buy at machines, windows or official apps only. Pickpocketing is the other practical risk on busy lines and at big stations, so keep bags zipped in front of you.

If you plan several day trips, compare the all-zone weekly pass with separate train tickets, since regional trains to places like Versailles or Fontainebleau are priced separately from the metro. For a car-based trip outside the city, see the car rental page.