Paris Visite – A Retrospective Review Of The Obsolete Metro Pass

The Paris Metro is the best way to get around the city. Fact. It's part of the overall city transportation system that also includes the buses, the tramways, the RER commuter trains, and even the funicular up to Montmartre. What used to involve paper tickets and turnstiles has now been superseded by the new Navigo Easy card.

As you know, we have a tendency to wax nostalgic about Old Paris. This was our review and explanation of the old Metro pass that was geared to visitors — Paris Visite. These days, buy your Navigo Easy at any Metro station, but first of all, come on a short stroll down memory lane. Be sure to mentally changed everything into the past tense!

What is Paris Visite ? A Retrospective Review.

Paris Visite is the transportation card designed specifically for visitors. It's valid for the Metro, of course, and for the buses and the RER commuter trains and the other forms of transportation we mentioned above. The most common version of the pass includes transportation zones 1, 2 and 3. That covers all of central Paris and is exactly what you will need.(It's not often that visitors venture outside the three zones, but if you wanted to go out to La Défense or take the RER to Versailles, for instance, it's simple to buy a ticket for that one trip.)

The three-zone Paris Visite is the version that included as part of the Paris Insiders Pass package. Based on our experience, that's our recommendation for you — get the Paris Insiders Pass for a complete transportation package plus free entry to over 60 museums, monuments, and attractions.

How Do I Use the Paris Visite Metro Pass?

There are two parts to the Paris Visite — the card itself, and a perma-ticket you use for every transportation ride for the duration of your pass. As soon as you receive the Visite write your name on the card as instructed. Then write the card serial number on the perma-ticket and the date of the first time you use the ticket. That's it — it's very easy to use.

Now, every time you enter the Metro or step on a bus, simply have the card with you and use the perma-ticket like any other Metro ticket. You put the perma-ticket in the slot and retrieve it when it comes out again, and you're free to pass through! The only thing to remember is don't forget to grab your Visite ticket from the machine, because you'll need to use it again and again.

How Do I Get a Paris Metro Pass?

As we concluded in our review, buying a Paris Insiders Pass is the best way to get the Metro Pass since it's included as part of the package. And, since the Paris Insiders Pass package also includes the Paris Museum Pass, ou won't have to stand in ticket lines at museums and Metro stations, plus you'll save money on Metro tickets and museum entrance costs. Trust us, the cost of those single Metro tickets add up.

If for some reason you want to buy only the Metro pass, that's pretty easy to do. You can order up a 2-day, 3-day, or 5-day pass online. A free Seine River cruise is thrown in for good measure.