'It's a real headache': tourists and day-trippers baffled by new Paris metro ticket

In public transport in the Paris region, cardboard tickets are still holding out . But for how long? The revolution is well underway: transport tickets are becoming paperless, now accessible via a mobile application or a contactless card that you simply hold up to a reader. By the end of the year, paper tickets should disappear from ticket offices. The objective set by Île-de-France Mobilités is clear: " make life easier for Parisians and travellers" , "save time" , "avoid queues at ticket offices" and "preserve the environment" .

"It's the ticketing revolution , " can be read on posters at Gare de Lyon. But for some travelers, this change seems far from being an evolution. At Gare de l'Est, tourists are wondering. "It's not clear," says one of them, lost in front of a machine. For those who do not have a Navigo pass or a Liberté + pass, it is still possible to buy a cardboard ticket, but this option is becoming less and less advantageous. The Navigo pass, intended for regular users, works on a monthly or annual subscription, thus allowing unlimited use of transport for the entire duration of the subscription.

On the other hand, the Liberté + pass offers more flexibility by allowing you to pay on a daily basis, with a monthly payment that groups together all the journeys made. These solutions are therefore more practical and economical for frequent travellers. Conversely, the paper ticket, which is more expensive and harder to find, is now presented as a stopgap solution, reserved for "occasional travellers and tourists", as summarised by Île-de-France Mobilités.

Also read : Understanding the new single metro ticket at 2.50 euros launched on January 1st

Cardboard tickets are still on sale in most train stations, at a price of €2.50 for the metro and RER, €2 for the bus and tram. In fact, buying them has become a real obstacle course. "Yes, you can still use it," confirms an RATP agent at Montparnasse station, before explaining that you have to rummage through the submenus of the machines to find it.

Even in stations where they are still accessible, the instructions are clear. " If you don't ask, you will be directed directly to the Navigo Easy (a contactless card that allows you to buy transport tickets)", admits one agent. Another person behind the counter is more categorical: "There are no more cardboard tickets". However, the latter are still sold in certain stations such as Bercy, Montparnasse, Saint-Lazare, Gare de l'Est or even Gare de Lyon... but well hidden, therefore.

Also read : Understanding the new single metro ticket at 2.50 euros launched on January 1st

Marie, 23, finds the ecological initiative interesting, but regrets that "it costs more" . While passing through the capital, she had to buy a Navigo Easy pass for €2, which she then has to top up with tickets. An additional constraint and an additional cost compared to the traditional cardboard ticket. Julien, 25, an occasional user, shares this feeling. "If I forget my pass, I have to pay another €2... It doesn't make sense" . Isabelle, 46, encountered difficulties when she wanted to buy a ticket to go to the Desnouettes tram stop from Montparnasse. She had to take a ticket for the metro, then another for the tram/bus, but didn't know that two separate tickets were needed. "We need a clearer system, it's a real headache" , she complains.

She is far from being the only one to find the system confusing. At the Gare de Lyon, in the middle of the morning, about twenty people are waiting in front of the machines. Among them, a family with two young children is getting impatient. "It annoys me, I'm wasting time," the mother sighs, disconcerted. When she tries to buy a ticket, the screen shows her a €2 supplement. "I have to ask an agent, I don't understand why I have to pay €4.50 for a one-way ticket," she exasperates. The same confusion at the Gare de Bercy, where two Dutch tourists are desperately looking for a way to get to the Château de Versailles . Tired of the fight, after several minutes of hesitation, they end up going to the RATP ticket office to ask for help.

Before their definitive removal, Île-de-France Mobilités recommends using the last cardboard tickets. No exchange or refund will be offered. In the meantime, day travelers will continue to get lost in the twists and turns of this digital transition.