Bonjour
Will be leaving in 2-days for Paris (1st ime) ... too many things to finish . To save time, some instruction will be much appreciated. I might have some difficulty getting the carte orange due to language barrier. I don%26#39;t speak English well so let alone French (really a tongue twister to me). But I have armed myself with a French handbook. Now if I approach the ticket counter and I see the lady/man, I should say :
Bonjour. Excusez-moi... (then what do I do? i want to buy a carte orange for zone 1-5 from Monday to Friday. I also need to ask for the metro map in French).
Next, after getting the ticket, how do I get out from the Gare de-lyon station to transfer via metro to Rue de L%26#39;Arbalete. This is taken from the website instruction : Getting There. Metro : Censier Daubenton, line 7
Bus : from Saint Lazare n��21, Chatelet n��27, Gare de Lyon et Montparnasse n��91, Champs Elys��es n��83
Are the Metro direction signs only indicated in French?
If the above has already been answered in previous thread, will appreciate if can point/link me to that particular page.
Merci.
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Loast Traveler,
I am not sure why you want the carte for zones 1-5... unless you are staying in zone 5 and need to commute in each day, it will be a waste of money.
There are signs at the metro stations and between your guidebooks and using your hands to communicate you will have absolutely NO PROBLEMS. Remember, this is the most visited city on the planet.
The signs are mostly in French, but if you know your destination it will be no problem, Sortie is exit and Correspondence is for connecting trains.
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If you are not confident speaking French, your best plan is to get a copy of the Metro and bus maps beforehand - either use the ones in your guidebook or print the ones on the RATP website and then work out for yourself where you need to go. The metro lines will be indicated by number and terminus destination, and provided you know which line/direction you require, you can just follow the signs.
Remember that if you are using the metro you put the %26#39;ticket%26#39; part of your Carte Orange through the slot at the barrier, remembering to retrieve it afterwards, but on buses you just show the complete pass to the driver and DO NOT put your ticket through the machine because if you do, it will become invalid!
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Bonjour
phread : this is because on the last day of Paris - I will need to take the train to CDG to connect to my flight to London. I read from previous thread that only with zone 5 is applicable for this route to CDG? Not correct?
Sussexgirl : thank you for this info. but what is the ticket part - is this detachable from the main ticket. sorry for this dumb question - never take a metro before.
Merci
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Hi Lostraveler. Just wanted to tell you we%26#39;re in Paris til this evening when we head south, and like you, we were very worried about getting around yet found that once you%26#39;re here, it%26#39;s much easier than you think. In our case we decided to hire a private guide who took us in hand the first half-day, and part of the service was to show us the ropes so when we were on our own we%26#39;d be fine, and we were. She made sure we had a small passport-like photo for our weeklong Carte Orange (it%26#39;s good for unlimited use of buses and metros), because if you%26#39;re checked and don%26#39;t have a photo you%26#39;ll have to shell out 50 euros cash on the spot. She also told us that a card for 2 zones would be enough. It was - and to get to the airport she said we should buy a direct ticket there, which we did, and it saved us $$ when we did the math. Good luck, have a great trip, and I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll be just fine!
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You DO NOT need a carte orange zone 1-5 if you are staying in Paris center, it would be a WASTE of money. Buy the separate ticket from airport to city center, and when in Paris ask for the Carte ornage zone 1%26amp;2 hebdomadaire, it will be much cheaper, otherwise you will be paying for so many zones, just using it for the return to the airport. Look at the prices of a carte orange zone1-5 and you will thank us for saving you the money! If you are not sure about the french pronunciation, write down on a paper what you want and show it at the counter. %26quot;Correspondance%26quot; means connection to another line, Sortie means exit.
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The Carte Orange comes in two parts: It%26#39;s basically a little wallet containing a card with your name and photo on it(you need to provide a passport-sized photo for this) and there is a slot containing a small ticket which is the bit you put through the metro turnstiles. As I say, on buses, you leave the ticket in its pocket and just show the whole thing to the driver.
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Yes, it%26#39;s really nerve racking just trying to figure out which is the best way to go about all these uncertainties.
raphy, europhil, Sussexgirl : Thank you so much for your valuable advice ... save money ... buy for zone 1-2, dont leave ticket in turnstile. LOL
BTW do you know if I can purchase the 1-way ticket to CDG in advance from any station in Paris centre? I only leave on the 6th day after arrival. I come in by train and leave by flight.
Europhil : if you are still there - where did you get your guide from? After you arrive or arrange beforehand?
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Hi Lostraveler! - Got our guide from www.thefrenchside.com. She%26#39;d given friends of ours a 2-hour orientation to France over drinks last January, then referred us on to www.parisphototours.com. BON VOYAGE, and DONT WORRY!
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PS - We made contact and set everything up before leaving.
All the best, Europhil
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Yes when you are at the airport you can just buy the return ticket for when you will leave Paris 6 days later, or buy it from a metro counter in the city center. Just don%26#39;t get confused putting in the machine your airport ticket before the day you leave, otherwise it will not be valid anymore.
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