Paris Metro

[ItllBeLonelymumThisChristmas]

Does anybody know at what age children need to pay to use the Paris Metro? I am going to Paris tomorrow with four children aged 22 months to 8 years and I will need to use the Metro immediately, so I would like to know before I go. Thanks.

Found this:

Fares vary according to number of days and travel zones selected; children 4 to 11 years old are half-price (kids under 4 ride free of charge).

and

Please Note: Children age 4-11 are half the adult fare.

All sites seem to agree on the child age and far eprices.

So if you buy a carnet of tickets, the children can't use them? I think we will only be in Zone 1. Oh God why does everything have to be so complicated? Hulababy, what sites did you find?

Ooh not sure. I just Googled for Paris metro child fare

Try this \link{http://www.cityorganiser.com/Paris/getting_around/info1.htm\one{ maybe?

I except you could use the same cards - but your child would then be paying full fare, rather than half. However it may still work out cheaper if buying a bok of tickets. Can't imagine they will bother about you paying more for your child - they'd only be bothered if you tried to pay less!

Thanks. I'll try too. Sorry about last post. Getting a bit stressed here as I am the only one in my family who has any knowledge of French at all and that is minimal and I am becoming very worried about us all in a foreign city not being able to communicate at all.

You'll be fne I am sure I only have GCSE French (from years ago) and DH has no French at all. But so long as you make an effort with the language we have found everyone to be lovely and tp help out lots. They loved it when our 2yo DD tried to speak French too!

Yes I am hoping ds2 will try the odd word in French to melt the Parisians's hearts - he is the most language orientated of my children. I wish he had gone to French classes now. I was offered them by a friend who teaches French to ds's ex nursery friends, but I thought it was pretentious to teach a four year old French! He is now 7 and might have been quite good.

By the way, I see what you mean about the websites. Not very clear are they?

I had a look in the Lonely Planet guide, couldn't see anything specific to Paris metro about fare prices. As I recall, the information is given in English as well as French in the metro stations, certainly the tourist ones, if in doubt for your first journey I would buy a carnet and stamp one for each of you, they're not very expensive. The ticket machines certainly can be made to 'speak' English to you but I think you have to have change for them.

Try not to worry too much about the language problem, in Paris I've found generally people will respond if you make an effort to speak French to them if you can think of the words. If not, a bit of handwaving and looking apologetic at having to speak in English to them does the trick too! A lot of cafes and restaurants in the tourist places have menus in English, which will simplify your life greatly.

Have a bon voyage!

You can be 'carnets' for children too, they have their own tickets their own fare. The tickets do look identical though, but have 'enfant' marked on them, so you need to keep them separately.

Merci! I feel I hardly remember a word of French now (haven't studied it for 24 years and learnt German after it which tended to eradicate any French I managed to remember) but I will probably spend the journey there with my nose in a dictionary and I may be surprised at what I know.

My kids particularly loved the meteor - the driverless train. You can sit at the front and 'pretend' to be the driver and watch the onrushing tunnels!

Have fun!

I'm the same lonelymum - I speak fluent German and rusty French. One tip - DO NOT speak German in Paris! I once did this by accident a few years ago, and it did not go down well at all!

I've taken a look on www.ratp.fr but can't find the answer re babies (either I'm stupid or the paris metro is). Children are half price and have their own carnet (ask for a carnet enfant)I'm sure you won't have to pay for the 22 mth-old. If you say bonjour before launching into English the metro staff are usually able to help you out in English.

Roisin, somewhere (I forget where) I went once with dh, the people were really intolerant of Americans and kept asking if we were American. Being British (me) seemed to go down OK, but being Australian (dh) was a positive bonus. Australians were regarded as affable fools, all their failings were forgiveable (like not speaking any other language). You were OK if you were Australian. The more I think about it, the more I think it was in France so maybe we should emphasise dh's origins rather than my own.

We generally felt very welcome in Paris. Interestingly dh got an even warmer response than me to his (feeble!) attempts at French - I suppose just because he was making an effort.

Thanks everyone for the messages. We got back last night, an hour later than scheduled as the Eurostar stopped a few miles outside Paris and we had to wait an hour for them to check something which was wrong with the engine! Not good with four small children but all well in the end. Thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Children loved Eiffel Tower especially and I can thoroughly recommend going away on your 40th birthday - I was hardly aware I had turned that dreaded corner at all!

Hi I know lonely mum has been but if any one else is interested. There are tickets for a set number of days, you can choose which zone includes the central RER lines also. I think it is 3, 4, 5 and 7 days. very easy to buy at the kiosk, there is a sticker on the window showing the different options just point and say please in french. I even managed to buy a combined train ticket and disney pass at the metro kiosk and I speak no french apart from please and thankyou.

Can I ask.. is your 22mo in a pushchair? Because when we went with our then 18mo dd, we found the Metro not pushchair friendly at all. I agree with the others, our dd at 2.5 could speak french, learned through the Muzzy series, and they (french) loved it. Sorry I don't know about the fares. We didn't pay for her either time though.
Enjoy the trip!!

I have 2004 details here'

Paris Visite valid for RER, metro and buses. Also includes money off vouchers for science centre, boat tours, open top buses, shops etc.

{zone 1-3} 1day E8.35 (E4.55), 2day E13.70 (E6.85), 3day E18.35 (E9.15), 4day E16.65 (E13.70). This covers city centre.

{zone 1-5} 1day E16.75 (E8.35), 2 day E26.65, (E12.95), 3day E37.35 (E12.25, 4 day E45.70 (E22.85. This covers airports and disney.

Zone 1-8 also availible. Outskirsts.

You can get a seperate ticket for transport and entry to disney.

I have the Metro, RER and bus maps here if any questions about connections etc. Plus details of airport buses. I have travel by Ryan air into Paris so questions on that also welcome.

www.ratp.fr