The Best Way To Use Paris Public Transit On Your Trip Without Spending All Your Euros

While it might be luxurious and convenient to take a car everywhere on your trip, the best way to get around European cities like a local is to take public transit. In Paris, that means taking the metro. You can still purchase paper tickets, but you'll have to be careful not to make a common, pricey mistake tourists make in Paris. If you throw it away or lose it before you leave the station, ticket inspectors may ask to see it after you get off the train and fine you for not having it. Fortunately, there is a quicker, more convenient, and often cheaper solution: a Navigo Easy Travel Card.

These convenient transit cards only cost about $2, and you can load them up with more rides at any ticket machine. All you need to do is tap it on the big purple circles on the left side of the turnstiles on your way in. Most of the time, you don't even have to tap out at your destination station. You can absolutely load the exact number of tickets that you'll need onto your Navigo, but if you're going to be taking the metro a lot during your trip, it may be worth it to get a pass for unlimited rides.

Believe it or not, the best transportation method for effective sightseeing in European cities like Paris is often the subway. While you might not have a good view from underground, it's a quick, affordable way to get from one stop on your itinerary to the next. If it's convenient for you, you absolutely can buy individual trips and load those tickets onto your Navigo card, but there is a more economical way when you're going to be hopping on and off trains a lot. Instead, choose a pass — either the Navigo weekly or day ticket. Both of these passes will let you tap on and off the metro as often as you like within the timeframe for a flat fee.

You'll need to estimate how many times you'll take the train to see which pass is worth it. If you're planning to travel at least eight times during a single day (or four round trips), you will save money by getting a day pass for around $13. If you're going to be in Paris for a week and plan to take the train at least 20 times (or three times a day), the weekly ticket for around $35 is a good deal. For the right trip, the weekly ticket is the best deal, but you should be aware that it is not a week from the time you purchase. Weekly Navigo passes are good from Monday to Sunday, regardless of when you buy it.

If you are in a station with a ticket booth, all you need to do is walk up and ask for the Navigo Easy Travel Card and then let them know how many trips you need or which pass you would like. However, there are also several ticket machines for you to use. You'll want to look for one with a pink banner that reads, "Ici, vente de passe Navigo Easy." If you can, try to choose a quieter station with less people so that you can spend as long as you want in front of the machine figuring out what you want to buy without people getting antsy waiting in line behind you.

Simply set the machine to English, choose how many passes you want, and then decide whether you want to buy individual trips (called Tickets T+) or a pass. If you don't want to go to a desk or use a ticket machine, you can download the Île-de-France Mobilités app to purchase your tickets and use your phone instead of a physical card. However, some travelers have had trouble making it work, so be prepared to use one of the in-person methods as a backup.