The Common And Pricey Mistake Tourists Need To Avoid When Taking The Metro In Paris

Paris is known for a lot of things, like the iconic monument that is the Eiffel Tower, which everyone takes a million photos of, and the Palace of Versailles, where you'll be trampled by tourists if you visit during certain days of the week. Let's not forget the Parisian macaron, the sweet treat that doubles as a tourist trap. There are the world-famous paper metro and bus tickets, too, also known as billets. While most modern cities have ditched paper for sleek digital systems, Paris clings to these cardboard relics, especially for one-off journeys. And if you find yourself with one during your trip, don't think about tossing it right away, unless you're eager to donate to the French government via a hefty fine.

The billets have been around since the 1900s, dating back to the launch of Paris' metro system. They've become a charming keepsake of sorts, a little souvenir of the City of Love. But despite their vintage appeal, these little paper tickets can cause you a lot of trouble if you're caught without one during a random inspection. If luck isn't on your side and you can't produce your used ticket, be prepared to cough up a fine. It could set you back as little as €35 (roughly $39), but in the worst-case scenario, you might find yourself slapped with a €180 penalty (around $201). So much for that fancy Parisian food tour you've been dreaming about!

You might think your single-use paper ticket for the Paris Metro is pointless once you've made it through the gates, but don't be too quick to toss it — inspectors are lurking, ready to pounce with a fine if you can't produce that flimsy piece of cardboard. The internet is full of tales from unlucky tourists who learned this lesson the hard way, finding themselves out of pocket because they didn't think twice before trashing their tickets.

In a piece for the Gotham Gazette, journalist Carol Kellermann recounted how she had to fork over €35 ($39) for not being able to show her ticket — after the fine had already been "settled" (read: reduced). Over on Reddit, one user griped about being fined €40 ($44), while another got hit with a €50 ($55) fine despite offering to fish their ticket out of a garbage can. And it can get worse. According to the official RATP website, the fine for not being able to show a valid ticket can soar up to €180 ($201) if you stall on your payment. The site, too, makes it crystal clear that passengers must keep their tickets with them throughout the trip. "Please keep your ticket until you leave the station, as ticket inspectors can ask to check it at any time," it reads.

So why do so many tourists fall into this trap? It might be because there are no giant signs explicitly telling you to hang onto your ticket. But as one TripAdvisor user pointed out, "They don't announce it because it is truly just typical of transport in Europe — you have to have a validated ticket and spot checks are how they enforce it."

Here's another reason to hold onto those Paris Metro paper tickets: they're on the brink of extinction — at least in the city itself. In 2022, Ile-de-France Mobilités, the folks behind the Paris ticketing system, announced they were phasing out carnets (those handy packs of 10 billets) to push people towards digital options. Some turnstiles have already stopped accepting paper tickets, marking the beginning of the end for these legendary little slips. This transition has been in the works for a while, but progress hit a few speed bumps due to the pandemic and the microchip shortage.

"We were in a hurry, but the chip crisis slowed us down," Laurent Probst, director-general at Ile-de-France Mobilites explained to AFP at the time (via France24), adding that they were optimistic that the switch to smartcards and digital tickets on smartphones will catch on quickly. "I'm enthusiastic about this development. This is a sea change in the quality of our customer service." The replacement? The Navigo Easy plastic card, which debuted in 2019. It's a reloadable option that you can top up at ticket machines, offices, or even via smartphone.

But before you start bidding farewell to the famed paper tickets, know this: they're not disappearing entirely — at least not yet. RATP noted in 2023 that it had no plans to "completely eliminate" paper tickets for single journeys or trips to the suburbs. And if you happen to have a stash of tickets bought before 2022, you can still use them. According to The Guardian, though, paper tickets will only be valid in the Paris Metro until 2025. So, if you're feeling nostalgic, you better hold on to those little souvenirs — they're on borrowed time.