Paris Metro Tickets Decoded: Single Rides, Passes and Phone Payments

Paris now divides single tickets by transport family

Old advice about a universal paper ticket can be misleading. The current Île-de-France system has a Metro-Train-RER ticket for the rail family and a separate Bus-Tram ticket for the surface family.

As checked on 12 September 2026, the full-price Metro-Train-RER ticket is €2.55 and the Bus-Tram ticket is €2.05. The rail ticket is valid throughout the Île-de-France region on eligible Metro, RER and train services, rather than rising through ordinary fare zones, but airport stations are excluded. The Bus-Tram ticket permits connections within its own surface network under its time rules.

The important boundary is between the two families. A standard Metro-Train-RER ticket does not continue onto a bus or tram, and a Bus-Tram ticket does not become a Metro ticket. If your route planner tells you to leave a Metro station and board a bus, expect the second product unless you are using a service such as Navigo Liberté+ whose terms explicitly integrate that connection.

Navigo Easy or your phone

Navigo Easy is the simplest physical carrier for an occasional visitor. It is anonymous, reusable and currently costs €2. You can buy it at carrier ticket offices or counters, then load Metro-Train-RER tickets, Bus-Tram tickets and certain short passes. Because it is not personal, it can be lent to someone else later, but each person traveling in a group needs a separate pass.

A compatible iPhone or Android phone can replace the card for supported products. Buy through the Île-de-France Mobilités app and validate by presenting that phone. This is convenient only while the phone is available: a flat battery or forgotten device leaves you without the ticket carrier, so travelers who ration battery during long days may prefer Navigo Easy.

The controlled area matters

The rail ticket allows Metro-Metro, Metro-RER/train and RER/train connections for up to two hours from entry, provided you remain within the permitted network and follow the signed connection. Leaving through an exit gate normally ends that journey. Re-entering can consume another ticket even if the stations look like one interchange on a map.

Large stations make this easier to get wrong because several corridors lead toward streets, shopping areas and other lines. Follow signs marked for the connecting line rather than the nearest sortie. On the bus and tram side, the published transfer window is 90 minutes, with exclusions for a return or interrupted journey.

When a pass deserves the extra calculation

Single tickets are sensible when you will walk extensively and make only a few rides. A Navigo 1-Day pass removes the need to count journeys during one transit-heavy day. Navigo Week can be strong value for a stay aligned with its calendar validity, but it is not simply “seven days from purchase.” Check the actual start and end rules against your arrival date before buying.

Paris Visite is designed for visitors and includes a broader package, but its value depends on whether you need those conditions. Do not compare only the headline price: include airport coverage, the dates of validity, and whether your itinerary actually requires unlimited travel.

The official 2026 fare table is the right place to redo the calculation because prices and product rules can change independently.

A useful default for a short stay

For a two- or three-day central Paris visit with substantial walking, start with a Navigo Easy pass or phone-loaded single tickets. Add the correct rail or surface ticket as each route requires. Move to a day or weekly pass only after counting a genuinely transit-heavy itinerary, not because a pass sounds simpler in the abstract.