Public transport in Paris

Hopefully this will actually be a useful post :) On my way to work and back I take the metro and tram (more interesting than sitting in the bus for the whole journey I think in the morning) AND the bus (on my way back then because it takes me up that stupid freaking hill (although I lose my precious exercise :( about 2 000 steps a day)). So I think I know a fair share of the subject :)

The fastest way to get around is the RER because it has fewer stops than the metro so it moves faster between them. Metro is very frequent :) All the bus stops are equipped with an electronic board to tell you when the next bus is coming :) Very handy I think. The bus might look like it's full when it acutally can fit another 20 people in there because sometimes people are stupid! Happened to me once - I decided not to push myself in and wait for the next one - 8-10 minute intervall, I wasn't in a rush, then I saw that the back of the bus was freaking half empty and the next one is coming in 15 minutes grrr. Should've pushed myself in!!!! To add insult to injury we then were stuck in a traffic jam for god knows how long... The metro is a better option ;)

Tickets

There are different types of tickets available in Paris: single journey, a "carnet", Pass Navigo weekly, Pass Navigo monthly, destination tickets for the RER, Mobilis one day pass and Paris Visite for up to 5 consecutive days. At least for me this is already confusing... :S So I suggest you first think how many times you will actually use the public transport to figure out wich of these options is actually beneficial (there is no point paying 6.80 for a day pass if you're only going to use the metro 3 times that day). I worked out that the best option for me (using the transport three times a day for 5 days) is the Monthly Navigo Decouverte (I had to write my own name and put my picture on it myself - the "real" or "proper" Navigos you are issued your card with everything printed on it already - but that's for the Parisians who actually live there), meaning my weekend travels - sightseeing - would be "for free".

All the ticket machines are in English and Spanish (and in some other languages as well) so don't be afraid to use them. In some stations the manned desk is only for information and can't sell you any tickets!

Zones 1-2 cover the Paris area and metro lines and usually tourists don't wander further than that :)

• A single ticket costs 1.70 and you can use it for one single journey on all the transport types, even if it means changing between them (I think there's an hour limit). Meaning you can first take the metro, then exit and go through the RER (only Paris area, zones 1-2) gates with the same ticket to complete your journey. Cool eh? :) NOTE: It won't work on metro and bus/tram connections (I've tried :(). But you can transfer from bus to a tram or another bus if needed :) (haven't tried it though... but it says you can).
• There's a lot of confusion with the "carnet"  ticket and on forums I've read many stories of people who have been conned because they don't know what it is. It's just ten separate single journey tickets bought together :) for 13.70, making the price of one journey only 1.37 - keep that in mind when calculating the costs :) - we got this for Mr. Special since he mainly travels on the weekends.
• Pass Navigo Decouverte - 20.40 a week and 67.10 a month for zones 1-2. They are useful if you travel more than 2 times a day (2*1,37*7=19.18) every day! NOTE: this is ALWAYS from Monday to Sunday (not 7 consecutive days) or 1st to the last day of the month.
• Destination tickets are used for the RER to get to Versailles, Disneyland etc. They have fixed prices for every destination depending on the zones. If I remember correctly Disneyland was about 7 euros from Les Halles one way, Versailles is cheaper coz it's closer :)
• Mobilis one day Pass is 6.80, that equals 4 normal tickets :)
• Paris Visite (I have no idea what they are or what they look like) is 10.85 for one day (obvs the Mobilis is cheaper but this gives you some discounts when entering certain museums and stuff...), 17.65 for two days etc (you can google the other prices if needed - the official ratp page has this info in English :))

The key is to know roughly how many times you'll be using the public transport and then work out the cheapest single journey option :) When we go sightseeing on weekend we usually don't use more than three tickets - 1st to get to the first location, 2nd to the second location and finally 3rd to get back home :)

I've read some stories when a stranger has offered "help" and then "bought" the tickets himself from the machine (just inserting a random card in the slot or something) and then demanded money for them giving you a worthless ticket (that's either been used or is only a single journey when you wanted a carnet). Don't buy any tickets from random people! You can ask and accept help but think: would a normal person actually buy tickets for you??? I wouldn't... 

When there's an accident or the metro isn't running normally it is always said so on the screens in every station (only in french though :() and there is always someone there to give out information how to get to the place you need to go, if this line isn't working for some reason.

I recently found out that when using the Navigo monthly pass I can go to all zones with it on weekens and during school holidays -.- I'd seen the ads for it on the bus before but never really thought of that for some reason... Could've saved money going to Disneyland and Mr. Special's tickets when we went to Malmaison. pfft I didn't even try using my pass! (coz I knew it was in the third zone and my Pass only covers 1-2).

I think that's about it...

Ttyl ;)
Jazzz...