Thought I would give some first hand details regarding the Carte Orange Metro card.
We arrived on a Sunday so we bought a carnet for that 1st day, since the Carte Orange is only good Monday thru Sunday. On Monday I went to the nearest metro station (Temple) to get our 4 cards. I could have bought the CO%26#39;s on Sunday, but I just didn%26#39;t want to deal with it then.
The guy working the only ticket window spoke no English, ok no problem. I said %26quot;Carte Orange%26quot; and held up 4 fingers. He didn%26#39;t understand at first , I had to say %26quot;Carte Orange%26quot; several times trying different pronunciations. He understood and passed me 4 little plastic card holders with the blank orange cards in them. I passed him my credit card, he passed it back and pointed to the ticket machine next to us. So I guess he could not sell me the actual tickets directly.
I was a little confused at this point. I didn%26#39;t quite understand how the Carte Orange system worked. I was wondering about this the day before, when we were using the regular tickets. Since the regular tickets are just one time use, then you toss them. (I threw mine in the garbage but there are lots of them all over the ground).
We had just come from London and used the Oyster card there, you just hold the Oyster card up against the reader at the turnstyle, I was assuming that the %26quot;Carte Orange%26quot; worked the same way. It doesn%26#39;t, you just get a re-useable ticket. It%26#39;s the same size as a regular ticket but different color, with a spiffy shiny rainbow stripe on it.
It was pretty easy to figure out how to buy the Carte Orange tickets from the machine, even though it was all in French. The machine didn%26#39;t want to take my credit card though. The machine doesn%26#39;t show you which way the magnetic stripe is supposed to go, that was a little confusing. I tried it both ways, still didn%26#39;t work. I found I was pulling the card out to quickly, so I left it in for a while, still rejected it. Finally I used cash, and viola! out come the 4 tickets.
Apparently the actual Carte Orange card that your picture goes on, is just so you can prove that the ticket belongs to you.
Regarding the pictures: I took pictures at home, printed them on glossy photo paper, cut them to the size that was suggested by someone here on this forum, 1.35 x 1.6 inches. This turned out to be too big, so I cut them down to about 1 x 1%26quot;.
There are little adhesive pads on the cards that you stick the pictures to. I was expecting that the ticket agent would ask for the photos, but he never did. No one ever asked to see the photo ID cards the whole time we were there. They do make a handy way to carry the actual ticket, help keep it from getting bent up so it can easily go through the reader on the turnstyle. And they make a nice addition to the scrapbook.
So there you go, I hope that helps
|||
Some of the ticket booths are able to take credit cards, other are not. The last time I bought multiple CO%26#39;s, I was told to go to a machine or the next window, because the guy I had couldn%26#39;t take my card...
|||
Thanks Simbot. We are leaving in 2 weeks 3 days and plan on getting the C.O. for 2 weeks. I am a bit apprehensive. I have a little pair of swiss army scissors so I can cut the pics down as needed right there. They are now about 1.3 X 1.3 inches. I plan on cash anyway for it. And I printed out-per KDKSAILS- I think- suggestion the page from the website that has the zones etc and I have circled the one I want. So the agent just gives you the carte orange no the coupon hebromadaire, correct? And you slip the tciket in just like you do a carnet?
|||
I just read today on another forum that RATP is phasing in changes in the sales of the Carte Orange, since it is being replaced by a Navigo pass. Evidently, the ticket agents no longer sell the tickets - they can give the id cartes only. One must then buy the ticket portion from the vending machines. This scenario may vary from one station to another. Will be interesting for us tourists as it will most likely get tougher to buy the C.O. all together then one day it will be gone. (sob).
|||
%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;It was pretty easy to figure out how to buy the Carte Orange tickets from the machine, even though it was all in French. ***The machine didn%26#39;t want to take my credit card though*** The machine doesn%26#39;t show you which way the magnetic stripe is supposed to go, that was a little confusing. I tried it both ways, still didn%26#39;t work. I found I was pulling the card out to quickly, so I left it in for a while, still rejected it. Finally I used cash, and viola! out come the 4 tickets.%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
The automatic ticket vending machines at RER and METRO stations will *** NOT *** accept US %26#39;..magnetic strip read..%26#39; credit cards. They will only accept €uro denomination cash or European-isseued, digital, %26#39;..smart chip..%26#39; embedded credit cards.
Thought he vending machine will most usually simply reject and eject your US credit card without any sort of explanation, it%26#39;s not a good idea to even try to use a US issued card in one of these machines against the possibility that by inserting, rejecting and re-inserting the card inro the machine, the card might be damaged or %26#39;..eaten..%26#39; by the vending machine. As a general-rule-of-prudence, it%26#39;s probably best NOT to try to use US-issued credit cards in foreign vending machines...use cash instead. Even if there%26#39;s only 1-chance-in-10,000 of this happenning...you don%26#39;t want it to happen to you....when your are at least an entire ocean away from a replacement card.
|||
%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;Will be interesting for us tourists as it will most likely get tougher to buy the C.O. all together then one day it will be gone%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;
The CARTE ORANGE pass was always %26quot;..intended..%26#39; to be a %26quot;..resident..%26quot; product by transportation authorities. But since there was never a wholey practicable way of proving %26#39;..residency..%26#39; for these passes...a %26#39;..tourist loophole..%26#39; always existed. The new digital NAVIGO-formatted, CARTE ORANGE passes must be applied for and require a French address for delivery, the weekly and monthly CARTE ORANGE transportation pass will no longer be available to tourists and casual visitors when the old photo-ID card and separate coupon / ticket format is finally phased out (most likely sometime this coming summer..a good guess will be at the end of July, when price changes are often put into effect...on the theory that too many Parisians are %26#39;en vacance%26#39; to muster a decent protest demonstration)
Though I haven%26#39;t seen any announcements for a specific %26#39;..replacement..%26#39; product for tourists and casual visitors(probably a %26#39;re-packaging%26#39; of the old PARIS VISITE pass) one thing seems pretty certain: whatever %26#39;..new..%26#39; product STIF comes up with for tourists; it will be more expensive than the resident CARTE ORANGE.
|||
%26gt;%26gt; Though I haven%26#39;t seen any announcements for a specific %26#39;..replacement..%26#39; product for tourists and casual visitors(probably a %26#39;re-packaging%26#39; of the old PARIS VISITE pass) one thing seems pretty certain: whatever %26#39;..new..%26#39; product STIF comes up with for tourists; it will be more expensive than the resident CARTE ORANGE. %26lt;%26lt;
As far as my information reaches, there WILL be an anonymous, non-resident Navigo pass (the Parisian equivalent of Oyster), and it will be possible to load %26quot;Carte Orange%26quot; weekly/monthly passes on it. But the RATP will charge a fare for this pass.
|||
I purchased the CO last week and found it the purchase procedure to be very straightforward. I simply used a photo from one of the copies of my passport.
The only area which I find the Paris metro to be inferior to my hometown NYC subway system is that in New York, you can purchase a metro card which is much easier to use and more flexible. For instance, you can buy a 7-day metro card that starts on the day that you first use the card, so you can use it in ANY consecutive 7-day period on ANY transit line within the entire city, unlike the CO.
|||
I agree with you to some extent, pixfield. You have to remember though that the CO was never intended as a pass for visitors but as a conveninent pass for residents who use the transport system to commute to and from work. As such it makes sense that it runs from Monday to Sunday.
When we buy a CO rather than a Paris Visite pass that does provide the flexibility you want, we are really %26quot;gaming the system.%26quot;
|||
I see, Irish. Good points.
It seems to me like the Paris metro ticket system is due for some type of overhaul and I have heard rumors to support that. The ticketing system seems to be a little bit outdated to me and not all that flexible.
Otherwise, the Paris public transportation system provides very good service, it is a bargain, and in general, it really enhances one%26#39;s visit to the city.
|||
I really appreciate this post. I was in Paris for the month of October and purchased a Carte Orange and did so through the agent at the window.....she also cut and laminated my photo to my pass...and of course gave me the one month ticket as well. I suppose you are saying that even the one month passes are purchased through the machine. Now I know what to expect next time...thanks !!
No comments:
Post a Comment