Paper tickets for the Paris Metro have now been fully phased out – so how do tourists or visitors to the capital travel on the public transport system?
Since Paris phased out its famous cardboard Metro tickets in 2025, the capital’s public transport network has shifted almost entirely to rechargeable passes and smartphone ticketing.
For residents and regular visitors there are now a range of travel passes that will likely save you money on travel – but about tourists or people paying short visits who just want a handful of tickets?
Here’s what you need to know before using public transport in Paris.
Navigo Easy
For tourists and occasional visitors, the easiest physical option is usually the Navigo Easy pass.
The reusable card is available at all Metro and RER stations, either from ticket machines or directly from RATP staff.
You buy the blue plastic credit-card sized pass, and then you add to it as many tickets as you want – a single ticket if you’re only making one journey, or multiple tickets if you are making several trips.
Once purchased, it can be topped up as often as needed at station machines or through your smartphone. You can use it for the Metro, the bus, tram, RER and Transilien trains.
One of its main advantages is flexibility. The pass is not personalised, meaning it can be lent to another traveller for a separate journey. However, one card containing multiple tickets cannot be shared by several passengers travelling together at the same time.
The card also lasts for around 10 years, making it useful for repeat visitors to Paris.
But there are still a few quirks that regularly confuse travellers.
Certain ticket types cannot coexist on the same Navigo Easy card. For example, airport rail tickets and standard Metro-Train-RER tickets cannot be stored simultaneously. If you need to travel to or from the airport, you may need to buy a separate ticket or simply purchase the airport journey directly on your phone instead.
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Paris visite pass
Visitors planning to use public transport heavily over several days may prefer the Paris Visite pass, which is created with tourists in mind.
The pass allows unlimited travel across the greater Paris region (Île de France), including the Metro, buses, trams, RER, suburban trains and the C1 cable car. It also covers journeys to both Paris airports, Disneyland Paris and the Palace of Versailles.
The Paris Visite pass is available for one day (€30.60), two days (€45.40), three days (€63.80) or five days (€78.00).
It can be loaded onto a Navigo Easy pass or directly onto your smartphone. Unlike the Navigo Easy card, however, the Paris Visite pass is personal and non-transferable.
Tickets on your phone
Increasingly, transport authorities are encouraging travellers to skip physical travel cards altogether and use virtual tickets on a phone.
Tickets can now be bought, stored and validated directly through the official Île-de-France Mobilités app or the Bonjour RATP app and compatible wallet systems on Android and iPhone devices.
This removes the need to queue at ticket offices or machines entirely – however visitors will need to prepare in advance by downloading either the Ile de France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP apps and creating an account. Once the account is created and validated, visitors will need to register a credit or debit card on the app, so that the tickets can be paid for – the app accepts non-European bank cards but American Express is not accepted.
The passenger will then have to load up the app with tickets or passes in advance of travel – once purchased, the tickets can still be scanned even if your phone is switched off or the battery has died.
There are, however, a few limits. Each passenger must use their own phone with their own valid ticket. It is not possible to buy several tickets for multiple passengers on a single device.
What about paying directly with your bank card?
The ‘tap in, tap out’ system was first introduced in London in 2012 and allows visitors to the UK capital to simply tap their bank card in order to enter the transport system, eliminating the need for tickets.
This is currently not widely available in Paris, although that may change – Paris authorities say that bus passengers will be able to validate their journeys simply by tapping their bank card, the system is currently available on some buses and is expected to be rolled out across the bus network later this year.
When it comes to the Metro, RER or tram services, a feasibility study was launched in 2025, with the results due to be published on June 11th.
How much do tickets cost?
The standard Metro-Train-RER ticket costs €2.55 and allows travel on the Metro, RER, suburban trains and funiculars for up to two hours without leaving the network. In 2025 Paris scrapped its ‘zones’ system, so that the standard charge applies to any journey within the greater Paris region – excluding airports.
For buses and trams, the Bus-Tram ticket costs €2.05. It is valid for up to 90 minutes, including connections, provided the journey remains continuous and does not include a return trip.
Travellers can also choose the Navigo Jour day pass, which allows unlimited travel throughout the Île-de-France region (excluding airport routes) for €12.30 per day.
Be aware that a standard ticket or pass is not valid for a journey between Paris and either of its two main airports (Charles de Gaulle or Orly), for this you need a special airport ticket.
The Paris Region <> Airports Ticket allows you to travel by rail (including OrlyVal) from any destination in the Paris region to either Orly or Roissy Charles de Gaulle. Travel between the two airports is also possible. It can be loaded onto a Navigo Easy pass or a mobile phone. The price is €14.
Orlyval is an automatic metro that runs every day from 6.00 am to 11.35 pm. It provides free travel between the airport’s various terminals: Orly 1-2-3 and Orly 4 and also connects to Paris via Antony RER B station.
READ ALSO: The best ways to get into Paris from Charles De Gaulle airport
The various types of monthly or annual travel passes give reduced price tickets to locals (€1.99 per journey), but the Navigo Easy does not qualify for this discount.
For the purchase of transport tickets online, payment can be made by credit or debit card (Visa, Visa Electron, V Pay, Mastercard, Maestro). American Express cards are not accepted. You can also pay cash at ticket machines.
Visit the official website to check out all rates and possible discounts.
