10 Reasons Why Tourists Keep Getting FINED in the Paris Metro
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- 10 ways to avoid being fined in the Paris Metro
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Why can't the user interface be like 1) Are you a local or foreigner/tourist 2) select a destination 3) select ticket type and quantity 4) pay the amount
Because it's french. Even for french tourist from countryside, buying those tickets is a pain in the ass.
Why? Because fines are profitable. It’s so profitable that the train operator has no incentive to simplify the system like using one universal ticket card that can be upgraded with an App that download money.
Bullshit. I'm Swiss and I find it very simple and logical how to buy Paris Metro tickets. They work by zones, like almost every public transport ticket in almost every European city, it isn't rocket science. The Metro isn't a tourist attraction, it's for the people who live there. As a tourist you need to take the time to inform yourself how things work.
@@adrianguggisberg3656😂😂😂😂 tourists pay paris’s bills tho so…
@@hoppingrabbit9849 Paris is the greatest industrial hub in Europe and among the top 10 in the world. Tourism is paying bills in Paris, but it's only one of many contributors, even tho it is the most visited place on earth.
As a Frenchman I am APPALLED at how user-unfriendly our system is. In Japan or China, if you get lost on the subway and ride too far, all you have to do is to add some money on your ticket before leaving the station.
In France, taking the wrong train will cost you 25 euros and three minutes of berating by a rude officer like you are a vulgar criminal. Hell, I've seen them give tickets to tourists for WALKING the wrong way !
In Japan, you wouldn't get fined (maybe) for walking the wrong way, or using the wrong line in an escalator, but what you would get... would possibly be worse. Especially if you do understand japanese.
In China, the system is so ridiculously cheap that nobody would want to cheat it anyways. And that is how PUBLIC transportation should be.
That's not true on the RER. If you're travelling too far for the booked zones there's a ticket/Navigo machine before the exit turnstiles to pay the additional fare
@@308_Negra_Arroyo_Lane It's Communist China. That explains why it is "cheap". You pay far more than the fare for it.
It's designed by bureaucrats to create a system of complexity they and only they understand. Plus, it gets the added benefit of creating a hefty list of fines to scam tourists and unwitting locals. It's a revenue generator.
Another reason not to throw your ticket away as soon as you get into the train area is that at many stops, you need that ticket to get out at the destination! I keep my ticket until I arrive at my destination, then throw it in the first available trash can so that I can't get confused later.
Or just fold it once you’ve exited, if there isn’t a trash can handy. Folded ticket -> no value.
good point!
I like to keep my tickets for the scrapbook, but make them distinct by putting them mag-stripe out in my tobacco pouch. This means they're kept away from unused ones (Which live in the wallet) and can be identified as used by the validation stamps on the reverse. 👍
France version just needs to be less complicated. Would it kill them to install exit ticket machines? Like yeah I accidentally bought the wrong zone for the length i travel. On exit, I buy a compass exit ticket as an addon fare because I went from zone 1 to 3 here in Vancouver. French just likes to nickel and dime travellers
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Save yourself the hassle and get the reloadable Navigo card with the photo and put the weekly unlimited plan. It covers all the zones (even the airports, Versailles and Disney). Even if you don't use the full value (EUR 30-35), it's great insurance against getting a fine. On my last trip, there was a lot of metro police at a particular stop. Everyone with tickets got pulled over to get checked while I just flashed my Navigo card and they allowed me to proceed. It's definitely worth the money. Just walk with a passport photo to put on it.
Thanks, that’s very helpful!
Yes that is very helpful. Now I’m not as scared .
And the price is certainly less than most of the fines. Good advice.
Actually it's smaller than the passport photo. I reduced mine on my copier and make three copies to take with me. We got to Gare de Nord, went downstairs and immediately got the passes on our arrival in the city. A very nice man at the window did it all for my friend and I.
I got one last week when in Paris, it worked once, thereafter not at all waste of money in my case!!
The system is bureaucratically complicated and overwhelming. It sets tourists up to make mistakes.
Don't travel to Europe..I'm European and I beg people not to visit Europe..I'm in Uzbekistan and a metro ticket costs 0.17€ . Yes you read well
Exactly, this is madness, especially those stupid gates everywhere. In Central Europe, most of countries have honest system where you have just random checks, no annoying gates everywhere. These gate systems cost more then you earn on tickets, it makes no sense, public transportation is heavily donated everywhere and investing that much money to gates and ticket infrastructure is pointless. Our German/Czech/Austrian/Polish....honest systems are the best for easy using of public transportation.
@@Pidalin wait until your government imports more diversity and honest system goes away. Paris put those up out of necessity
@@user-bz1cl5uq1b lol, Uzbekistan is not exactly France, I wouldn't go there if I got paid money to ride the metro
@@rainyoctober4683 its a very safe place I'm sure you don't know much about places. Just because it ends with I Stan you seem to be scared or not attracted. Did you ever hear of Samarkand, the silk road, Bukhara? Very civilised , very clean, very low crime.
In Japan, South Korea, even Indonesia, riding metro is as easy as "buy a pre-paid ticket (you only need once and you can use it up-to 5 years unless the card is broken), top up the card balance, and tap to get in"
no "Zoning" , no "special price for kids / elderly / disabled", just tap and hop, even if you get lost or stop at the wrong station, you can simply go back to another train and get to your designation, no need to worry about getting heavy finest or scolded by police officer simply because you board a wrong train.
Same closer to home, at least here in The Netherlands.
Realistically, you can only go wrong two ways here. 1. On small stations, there may not be ticket gates, but rather only ticket poles. This means you could forget to check in or out. 2. When transferring between trains from different companies, you might forget or not realize that you must check out using the earlier company's pole and then check in at the normally adjacent new company's pole.
So what to do if any of that happens?
If you forget to check in, get off ASAP, check in and get back onto the train/metro. You may be able to get into the same one again if you're quick.
If you've forgotten to check out, and have a personal card (one which has your picture on it and can be automatically topped up), you can log into your account and request a chargeback for the extra costs you incurred. I don't know if you have any options with an anonymous card.
There is a special price for kids under 12 in Japan, it's around half price. You can get them a rechargeable card too, like a SUICA or similar, but you have to get it done by the station staff (you need to show ID and the card will be to their name). When you pass the gate, a white light and a beep will signal if you used a child ticket, so adults doing that can be spotted.
Gosh, I wish we had zoning or unlimited travel in Rio de Janeiro, our system is "simple", but it can cost a lot to get around, coz there may only be one option to go somewhere, but more options to get somewhere with more buses..
You can use it longer than five years; the card only stops working ten years after its last use - not ten years from its time of purchase. Yes, it's "ten", not "five".
There is something like that in Paris too, it's called the Navigo Liberté +.
This ticketing system is ridiculously complicated for these days.
There is a reason : underlying complexity and cost. Īle de France transportation system is a conglomerate of multiple transport company some state owned some provate. Having a single T+ ticket set up id quite a miracle 🎉
No! We’ve been going to Paris for over 30 years - METRO tickets are easy!
10 tickets = 10 journeys!
@@dianafromaustralia3244 But the tickets come with all sorts of caveats as does the Navigo. These tickets cannot be used without restriction on the RER. If you get it wrong, you can be fined. Furthermore, you actually have to purchase a ticket or a pass in the first place. Many other cities allow you to use a contactless credit card.
I have been there several times with school classes ... no problem
Maybe us americans just dont understand rules apply to them as well
@@elmwalt162 I am not American and have travelled extensively using public transport in many European countries over many years. Many cities these days either have a single transport card covering all lublic tramsport where you just tap on and off and the fare is automatically calculated and/or the ability to do this with a credit card. You do not heed to prepurchase tickets, you don’t have to worry about whether it is a bus, tram, metro or regional rail or even worry about having the correct fare in advance. It seems that Paris is still stuck in the past in some respects when it comes to ticketing.
I recommend everyone to get informed about tickets being demagnetised when close to a mobile phone. This will make you waste loads of time trying to access, or trying to exchange them for working ones at the ticket offices (long queues), etc. It happens much too easily and you waste several tickets until you realise what's happening. No one tells you.
Magsafe has caused me so many headaches...
These e-tickets are absolute nonsense, I hate it, you don't even see what is loaded in that stupid ticket, you can have more of them in your pocket and you don't know which one is active, completely stupid system. When I look for example to Warsaw, I see that even when you want gates, you can make it that it can read normal paper tickets, it works, so I don't understand why so many cities are switching to those stupid e-tickets. Also, idea of loading them again is nice in theory, but in practice, nobody does that, local people have their year pass and tourists just throw it away after one use and that partly plastic card with chip inside is definitely worse for nature then simple paper tickets. These systems are pointless.
Here in Czechia, we already buy tickets in phone apps, but you can't do that with your stupid gates. 😀
So annoying! I kept mine separated from my phone but still had trouble with it.
Thats just a crap and outdated design then, not the responsibility of a traveler.
@@PidalinYou can - just it may need to use different sensors. I mean, even if gates are installed tomorrow, there could be an update to Lítačka, that'll display ticket as QR code - similarly to train tickets in MůjVlak
Quite frankly if it is a rare occurrence it is the tourists fault. If it is a common occurrence then it is the systems fault and should be fixed rather than fining people for booking on zone 5 and confusing it with line 5 for example.
Something like "not signing your pass" could be fixed quite easily by printing the passes with peoples name on it.
Personally, I've never heard of anyone making 'Zone 5, Line 5' type of mistake.
@@aquilegus Yeah, it is like buying 5 carrots instead of 5 tomatoes.
Or by having plastic cards with no names or photos as they do in Sydney, Brisbane, London, etc.
Or learning not to be stupid.
@@brentsummers7377or just pop ur bankcard (debit) in the scanner like u can do in the netherlands and london. You don’t even really need a ticket anymore. Every time I take the bus in Sloterdijk (amsterdam) there’s toursists at one specific stop and they ALWAYS bought the wrong tickets. It’s those ppl that think that 15 year olds count as a small child. I’m not saying every tourist thinks that, its just the ones at that stop.
There’s so many fixes available but the tourist still needs to have basic reading comprehension.
Even people from Paris forget about RER zoning sometimes, especially when the station is really close to Paris. Stade de France RER exit is gonna be fun during the Olympics xD xD
No they don’t, bcuz they have a personal navigo card with all 5 zones included.
No, see, I think its probably NOT going to be "fun" at all.
@@Obeox corret! Even tourists can by one, we visit Paris last year and get one in airport for 5eur plus 30eur for 6 or 7 days i think, and we use it every day in all zones multiple times, this is the best chois for everyone!! Just note, you need to have a small foto, like IDsize foto to place on travel card
There are international events such as football, rugby world cup happening in stade de France since 20 years...
It's really a weird system you have in Paris, in Prague, all tickets are valid for whole city (4 zones), so you don't have to care about some zones inside of city, that's important only for commuters who live on edge of the city and commut out of the city or vice versa, they can buy cheaper pass becuase of more zones, but all basic tickets are for 4 zones, so if you buy random time ticket for 30 or 90 minutes, you don't have to care about that. And when you are leaving the city, you recognize it easily - in train, stations don't have Prague in front of local station name and only buses 300+ go out of the city and you have to go around driver in them, which should stop you from going there accidentaly.
But our zone system is also mess, there are I think 13 zones around Prague, but for trains, you still can buy oldschool ticket from place A to B, but it can be more expensive.
My metropolis, Los Angeles, has a prepaid card that automatically calculates everything between three dozen local agencies, including transfers and discounts. We have our share of problems, but the pricing structure is as tourist-friendly as can be.
Tourist friendly pricing. But not so tourist friendly frequency of service. You can wait up to 25 minutes for a train going from Union Station to Hollywood. Bus lines can be looooonnnngggg in LA.
@@Canleaf08 I'm not sure what you're saying. The Union Station to Hollywood subway headways slow down late at night, yes. But aren't the long distance busses a good thing?
The busses and street cars are slow in New Orleans but you can buy a three dollar "day pass" and it's good for 24 hours of unlimited riding.
With regards to making sure that you show the right ticket when controlled: when I lived in Paris, I used to keep my unused tickets in my right jacket pocket, and the used ones in the left. When I was controlled, I'd pull out a wad of used tickets, sometimes as many as 15 or 20, and tell the controller that is must be one of these. They'd always laugh a bit, and help me find the right one. I've always found the controllers to be remarkably friendly and helpful. But it might not be the same if you don't speak French.
No, it's not as now they get to keep part of the fine. I did not know about having to show it at the end, and had a receipt, but was quickly surrounded, asked for my ID and a fine was demanded. It was traumatic.
Our first time in Paris we did the same. The attendants were not sympathetic, We were fined.
It is the same. I speak very, very little French and the controllers have always been very nice to me.
@@honeypath What will they do If you just won't pay, call the police, write you a ticket then call the INTERPOL to enforce it?
We found a number of gates were open that were tempting to go through as it was easy, very glad we didn't now! Thank you
Glad I could help!
If by chance all the doors are open and you have no way to validate your ticket, controllers will usually be receptive if you explain the situation by being as descriptive as possible ("all the turnstiles at this specific entrance at station xxx were not functional"). At least, I've managed to get out of a pickle more than once.
Last summer my partner, Andy, and I were on the train to Versailles. Andy, despite his efforts, ended up buying us the wrong tickets. He ended up have to pay a fine. The woman sitting across the row from us was a tour guide at Versailles. She said what a scam it was and the same happened to tourists all the time. You can’t be careful enough.
Feels like the tour guide was pretty entitled. Was she french? It may be unpractical for some, but there is weight behind calling such a thing a scam. That is what rude people are like. Did she never take public transportations? Makes no sense. It makes even less sense since the transportation service went out of his way to translate all the shebang in several languages to make sure foreigners had the all the same informations as us (10 languages it seems). While the system may be convoluted at times, it is the same system for everyone.
@@nox8730 We were on the RER, which is public transportation, so, yes, obviously she takes public transportation to work. She was French if her accent was an indicator. Her job is guiding tours of Versailles. She seemed to see tourists ticketed often. So you’re wrong on all those counts.
@@joanreynolds955 I asked questions, i didn't assume things. I don't care who is right or wrong, this is not a debate of opinions. I am not interested in playing along.
Calling it a scam implies that it is designed this way intentionally with the goal of trapping people. But, at the risk of repeating myself, the fact that rules are translated in 10 languages, and other factors make the idea of it being an intentional scam pretty unlikely. Nobody should claim such things without anything to back it up. And while we french may say that kind of thing lightly at times, it is generally a "manner of speech" that foreigners won't necessarily identify as such. A tour operator should pay attention to such things.
@@nox8730it's a scam
We just finished a 5 day stay in Paris and your videos are great .. made the trip much less stressful and offers super advice. We also always purchase weekly unlimited transit passes no matter our original plans .. especially in complicated systems like Paris, Prague and Budapest.
Have seen countless Transit Police interactions with tourists trying to explain why they didn't have the proper fare .. and the cost of the fine always exceeds the weekly unlimited cost. It also allows you total flexibility when your plans change and you are covered no matter what.
On our trip to Versailles on the RER two young 20 years old girls were sitting with their feet up on the seats .. this caught the eye of a controller at the end of the car and he approached them and... yep, you guessed it .. they had the wrong ticket. I saw this coming and had our Navajo passes out and the controllers partner glanced at them and smiled. To the controllers credit, the girls were polite, embarrassed but totally lost ...and he allowed them to get off at the next stop and correct their error .. with a reminder to not put your feet on the seats!
Your guides to Paris are a must have to really enjoy all the city has to offer Thank You
Thanks for info. We found the Paris metro very useful and one of the best subway systems around.
I am glad you did because for me the experience with the Paris Metro was never positive. Comparisons are odious but in contrast to London's Tube, the Parisian Metro seemed like a cavernous warren of multiple entrances/exits, innumerable turnstiles, poor directions, non-functioning toilets and unrecognizable street level signs
@@Sharad20072008 I like the London Underground also.
Um not really. They don't have exit ticket machines installed in case people buy the wrong zone worth of fare.
Because your ticket only for Paris metro won't work in rer
The Metro trains & frequency are excellent. But the ticket systems....
Thank you all for making these videos! One of your videos helped me ride the metro when I was there in December. I found it fairly easy to navigate even easier than New York. And the €60 fine for putting your feet on the seat makes sense because I noticed that Paris subways are a lot cleaner than New York too.
Recently visited Versailles from central Paris and watched DOZENS of people get fined as the RER pulled into the station.
Honestly the whole thing felt so scammy and mean-spirited. The control agents were borderline gleeful about fining all the clueless tourists. They make commission on fines, right? That route must be the golden goose.
The ticketing system in Paris is so so so so unnecessarily complicated and feels deliberately set up to confuse and then fine tourists. I live in London and TFL do such a better job creating a simple, customer-friendly system.
Thanks for making these videos
"TFL do such a better job creating a simple, customer-friendly system" I like the fact that I can use contactless Visa cards on TfL routes. It means that I don't have to queue at ticket machines at rush hour or worry about paying the correct fare for the zone I'm travelling to.
Yes, they have a commission on fines. But it is negligible. And it is not "per controller". But "per group of controllers".
Interesting. Over 20 years ago we took the (RER?) train from Paris to Versailles and return. Just recalled a smooth, not too crowded journey - don't even remember anyone checking tickers. Definitely no fines.
I think the Swiss have the simplest app that I’ve used in Europe. Type you destination and you get options for departures, pick the departure, pick the ticket fare, and you’re done. The ticket is automatically validated - usually it is valid for 24 hours to the destination because things happen.
I don't know about this app, but when you buy a ticket for the streetcar in Geneva, it's complicated.
I am always helping people.
I guess it's the same in any big city !
Where I live you buy a ticket for the entire county and there are no zones so it’s valid everywhere but only for 90 minutes.
Validation systems often confuse us British because (Oyster aside) we don't normally have to validate anything before travelling on it - It's usually valid for travel from point of issue, or the date printed on it (Whichever's later).
I still remember my first time using _Un Obliterateur_ on a Parisian bus in 1996. That was something many in this country will never experience today... 🙃
@@jakob7116 France would never use that system unless the ticket prices were raised to match. Do you know _just _*_how_*_ far_ a TGV can travel in 90 minutes? 🚄🇫🇷💨💨💨💯❤🔥👍
(Certainly a lot further than British trains can manage. 🚈🇬🇧🐌 And in the U.S. such tickets would need to be valid for 90 _days,_ not minutes... 🐌💨🚂🇺🇸😉)
We use app here in Czechia too, but it's not that simple, not all regions with their integrated systems have good app + some places are not integrated at all, so you have to buy oldschool train tickets (but you can use app too). But in Prague and surroundings (which is already like half of the country, because PID system is constantly growing), it's super simple, app will show you what ticket you need, or you can select other ticket that you want and validate it later or now as you need.
The best tourist ticket is full PID ticket for all zones for 24 hours, as I already said, PID system (Prague integrated transporation) already covers almost half of the country and all zone 24 hours ticket is for like 10 eur, which is a really good price for unlimited traveling in buses, trains + whole Prague ofcourse. A lot of people don't know about this ticket, or they are lazy to find informations and then buy classic train tickets and pay several times more than they have to.
BTW, in PID app, it's always better to buy tickets when you are at home and then just validate them later, that prevents some problem with paying outside, it can happen that google pay has a siesta for now or something. 😀
I am really glad that they didn't install some stupid gates here like it was trend like 10-20 years ago (and they were really talking about it in Prague) because our today apps would not work with that, maybe it could work somehow with NFC chip in your phone or maybe not......
I'm a french fan of the Paris transport system, and I honestly still find the ticket system so confusing. It should really get simplified !
that's the truth but I'm not very optimistic
I’m parisian and still got my rer destination wrong the other day.
Swiped my easy pass and forgot that my exit was outside of zone 1.
When you have the annual navigo pass you don’t tend to think much,
So… when you don’t have it anymore, it’s a struggle.
@@LesFrenchiesTravel I have a hope that with the Grand Paris Express metro project they change the ticketing options and make it easier to nvigate the region
@@RD-tu7tp Unlikely...
I think that the metro 15-16-17-18 which are only in the suburbs will have the same fare specifications as the RER and Transilien trains.
Line 14 will even have a special price for its opening at Orly airport.
Absolutely. I found the metro as a whole very confusing and unclear. It does not compare favourably with the Barcelona metro, which is really easy to to get to grips with.
I was told that as a foreign senior citizen I could not buy a senior ticket. Why is that? Last year we rode the 94 bus quite a lot. At least four times the ticket checkers boarded our bus checking everyone’s ticket. Once I had given my ticket to my friend to scan for me. She had her own ticket. Before she could get it back to me they boarded the bus. I was trying to explain to a lady that my friend had my ticket. She didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak French. Luckily, one of them did speak English. Whew. It was all good when she showed him two tickets.
It can be very stressful. The reason the tickets are just available for locals is that they are supplemented by taxes (paid by locals)
We almost got fined when my wife and I both shoved through the turnstiles on her one ticket, because mine stopped working. The métro cops made me get my paper ticket fixed at the booth. I only later realized I'd been wiping the magnetic strip by keeping it in my magnetic-clasp wallet. Oops!
yes they do de-magnetize all the time!!
@@LesFrenchiesTravel I didn't put 2 and 2 together until after I'd wiped a second ticket and had to get it replaced. I no longer use that wallet!
@@LesFrenchiesTravelHow are Controllers identified? Badge? Clothing?
@@cavgrey8clothing, they have a vest and identification
@@cavgrey8 Hello from Turkey. I traveled in and around Paris for about 16 days using the navigo découverte. During that period only once did I come across Controllers while I was changing the metro lines (M6 to M13) They wore dark blue uniforms as far as I can remember but I identified them not by their looks but by their saying "here you won't be using the turnstyles, you will swipe your card over here" They were holding portable ticket reading devices in their hands.
I’m Parisian. Never have I ever heard about getting fined for putting your feet on a seat. But I guess yes that is an unspoken rule (that is an overt one as you demonstrated). Nobody does that, in case someone comes and takes a seat. I’m guessing this is also a thing because in the Metro, you car could be empty, and in the next station there comes in a wave of people and you find yourself “serrés comme des sardines”, and therefore seats have to be used by those who need them.
Great video!!!
Than you!!
I have seen it happen a couple of times in the metro during off hours and regularly on the RER. On the RER its aweful as they pretend (or actually) sleeping and there is a huge number of people standing.
Why would people be so rude as to put their dirty feet onto a seat where other people will sit?!
Sadly that happened to me when I went to Paris. But I didn’t put the whole foot in the chair because is ridiculous, y just crossed my legs and support the end of the shoe at another chair, lesson learned, even though the name of the fine is “detriment or damage to property”, they check if the state of the chair and if it’s okay is a 60 euro fine… but if the chair is damaged is a 150 euro fine.
A different souvenir from Paris, definitely
I see it all the time in Toronto. Mostly from young women. And they also put their bags on the seat next to them. Or they go on without paying - the last one is on the streetcar ( tramway).
As a Norwegian, our public transport works like this:
1. Download the app
2. Write where you want to go.
3. Buy the ticket that automatically comes up.
4. Go on the bus/tram/train/ferry indicated by the app - no validation non-sense required
Wow, that's convenient!
Actually, the Navigo app can also be installed on your phone and top up. You can buy the desired ticket and destination and pay on the spot. Just needs to be known...
Quick tip. Don't put your ticket in your phone case, the magnetic field can wipe it. This is a known issue and staff may warn you when you buy your tickets. I've not had the problem on the Paris metro (forewarned is forearmed) but it did once happen to me with a hotel key card here in the UK.
They lie to you to make it your mistake, but it's not your mistake and you didn't wiped it, it just died for no reason. It happened to me also with hotel card several times and I kept it far from my phone and other electronics, so it's not about phones, it's just outdated not realiable technology and they lie to you when they say you wiped it with your phone. BTW, talking about phones, here in Czechia, we already buy tickets in apps, these e-tickets and gates are absolute bizar for me, I saw it in Lisbon and I would buy a car if they installed it here.
When my ticket doesnt work i go to the nearest information booth to check first..to make sure❤
Which is closed for many stations…
My spouse and I just returned from Paris, and our experience with the ticket controllers was very unpleasant. We entered Pigalle station where the turnstiles were undergoing maintenance, and the doors were open for everyone. When the controllers approached us on the trains, we presented a bunch of newly purchased tickets. However, they began to act intimidatingly, as they were swiping our tickets on their machine and repeating that they were all invalid. Our initial confusion stemmed from the fact that we had just bought them. Despite our obvious confusion, the controllers didn't bother to explain the situation, even though it was clear we were tourists who might not fully understand. Instead, they continued to escalate the situation, insisting that this was a serious matter in Europe. Fortunately, my wife mentioned that the station we entered was undergoing maintenance. They then contacted that station and verified our story, proving we were not lying. We thought that persons who perform public service should have a better people's skills and don't embarrase the esteblishment they represent.
The issue here is that your tickets hadn't been *validated* prior to travel, as given in the video and in accordance with the conditions of carriage for the RATP Métro. Even if the gates are open you should validate your tickets by inserting them into any gate that displays the message « _Introducez votre Billet_ » (Insert your ticket) as this will mark the ticket with the date, time and station you entered at. 👍
In many countries the acts of _buying_ and _using_ tickets are legally separate functions so simply _buying_ a ticket from the machine at the station doesn't necessarily mean that you _used_ it from that station, as you might buy a ticket at station A to commence a journey from nearby station B where the ticket machines aren't working (Which is the expected behavior where that situation applies). That's why you need to validate your ticket at the point where you actually _use_ it, and is why non-validated tickets aren't considered valid for travel. 👮
(N.B: The above doesn't usually apply in countries like the UK where validation isn't normally used, but if in any doubt it's always best to check the rules *before* commencing your first journey. Staff at any station will be happy to explain how their system works, whether tickets need to be validated (And how one validates them) before travel, and any other important things you need to know as a first-timer. 😇)
I had the same experience a few weeks ago - the door not working. The controllers behaved like the Gestapo. My son was crying, they threatened us with the police. RATP - disgusting!!!
@@dieseldragon6756 According to your explanation, every tourist should also be a lawyer with a PhD. I UNDERSTAND that they punish people who travel without tickets, and rightly so. However, it is inadmissible and unacceptable that they legally "steal" from people who honestly bought tickets, but due to a confusing and dysfunctional system, they do not find their way and unknowingly and unintentionally commit an offence. There should be a tolerance for these cases. The Gestapo - controller could simply tell us to walk up to the WORKING gate and validate the tickets. That's what I call simple humanity. I hope you understand.
I've had my ticket requested when leaving the metro and these checks used to be (?) quite common so don't discard your validated ticket until you leave the metro (I keep the validated ticket in a separate pocket).
I must admit that I've never written my name on the Paris Visite ticket. The Metro ticket sellers never say anything about writing one's name on the small ticket. Thanks for pointing out this oversight in your video.
Are you sure you're buying tickets from legitimate RATP outlets? I've bought _Paris Visite_ passes both from station windows and machines, and in both cases have received very clear instruction to write my details on the ticket to validate it. ✍
@@dieseldragon6756 Yes, I've always purchased them from the Paris Metro ticket booth and I've never encountered a seller who instructed me to write my name on the Paris Visite ticket.
Bonjour ❤ Thank you for all your amazing and enjoyable videos - you two are inspiring 🎉
Thank you! 😃
Great info for newbies! My first time riding SNCF in the Nord - straight out of college- I didn’t know about compostez le billet and paid 50 FF - cash! When I took my niece to Paris 5 years ago, I reminded her to keep her ticket when we were going back to CDG. When the control came, she couldn’t find it and had so many old tickets in her pocket. She paid a 40€ fine. Poor thing was so embarrassed.
I was fined as well as I could not find the ticket, but only the receipt. They show NO mercy as instead a raises they keep fines. FYI I contacted VISA and they credited me for the fine.
Just for reference: 50FF is about 6€25 when converted at the ECB rate (About 8FF per Euro) and the penalty today is 50 *Euro.* Work that out in Francs, and you got off _pretty darn lightly_ compared to todays penalty rates! 😁
Mind you: I live in a country where the money is still named after non-metric units of weight. Back then it was roughly 10FF to the lb, but thanks to « _Un change petit-peut au l'accords Europeén en 2016-20_ 💩 » one FF is easily worth several kilos of pounds today! 💷📉😉
@@honeypath Err, check they *credited* you for that and didn't *charge back* the fine. If the latter applies, you've potentially committed an offence against a French official body and you might end up with a criminal record in France for it. ⚠
If anyone should be "charged' it's they officials for harassment. I had both the ticket and receipt. I did not have in hard when they came by. They said they had NO TIME for me to look, had another 'offficial' come- they are masters at intimidation.. All to line their pockets. One llady have FIVE gang up on her. A 70+ old woman. Really?
@@dieseldragon6756 the rate was worse back then. It was a lot for a college student. May have been more
Je suis parisien mais j'ai regardé ca comme si j'étais tokyoïte ! Je vous adore !
Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu
@@LesFrenchiesTravel 🤣🤣🤣
I’ve ridden the metro in London, Paris, and Amsterdam. The Paris system just seems willfully confusing at this point.
That's because Paris is far smaller than other capital cities but has a huge surburb and as a consequence, it has a big regional train system that must not be confused with the subway system.
@@thierrydesuNo different to London.
@@barrieshepherd7694 London is much bigger than Paris.
@@thierrydesu That was my point!
London is as big/bigger than Paris but has managed a sensible ticketing system.
We were very satisfied with the Navigo Decouverte weekly pass. We didn't want to worry about reloading tickets and it seemed the best option for us. We took the RoissyBus from the airport and used the metro so much it paid for itself within a couple days. We also like it because it's valid for 10 years and we plan to be back in a few more years and just have to load the weekly pass on it next time!
that's the way to do it
Thank you for all the videos. I’ve been watching them for months. We are currently in Paris having a blast!
I remember in the 80s they had first class and second class tickets. Basically the first class cars were less crowded.
One time the machine did not validate the paper ticket, but the turnstile was released. No one from security at the turnstiles to advise what to do.
I have had such experience. They were literally waiting for the tourists to force them to pay the fine. Legal crime from RATP.
And to make it even worse, you can't even wear a body camera to prove you were following the law because the body camera will pick up copyrighted building designs. And even if you black out the buildings, that won't protect you because the video used to contain the copyrighted designs.
I only met really nice helpful people working at the metro in Paris. They do a magnificent work. Such fun. 😎🖤👍
the Paris ticketing system seems to be insanely complicated, here in Sydney Australia, there are no tickets people "tap on" with a credit card or with an adult transport NSW Opal card or concession card for seniors, disabled or children and "tap off" at the destination. No queuing for tickets etc, and the Opal system works seamlessly for Buses, Trams, Metro rail, Heavy rail and Ferries,
and as long as you're using the same credit card, the total daily fare will max out. I did get on a train from Sydney to Kiama (for that blow hole) and the ticket guy was checking tickets. I told him I did a tap on so he scanned by credit card and said have a nice day.
This video is certainly an eye-opener: you’ve made me appreciate my NYC transit system a bit more, if only for the ease of payment! I’ll be reviewing all of your Metro-related videos before visiting later this year & hopefully I’ll stay out of trouble. Merci Colleen et Antoine for another very helpful video!
You're welcome!!
The new tap & go with CC and automatic maximum each week in NYC is SO GOOD. The MTA did a great job with that!
We were in Paris using the Metro and RER trains. Twice our trains were boarded by ticket controllers. They had only a blue jacket with a small RER logo, not really much of an official looking uniform. We watched a group of Americans refusing to show their tickets and arguing with the controller. We showed them our Navigo decouverte cards, thanks to your advice. They scanned them, no problem. There were 4 RER controllers in our train who converged on the Americans creating a scene. Luckiky, our stop came se we missed what happened. We brought our own postage stamp sizeed photos for our cards. Thanks for you tip on where to buy the card at CDG Paris.
It can certainly be stressful
Goodness this is so complicated.
The Tokyo metro is so much easier to use.
Yes agree, its fantastic
no doubt
Yes, very easy. Railway station signs in romaji (latin letters) as well as Japanese, and the names of stations before and after. The bus systems are not designed for use by foreigners, though. It has been a long time since I was in Japan, but back then there were not a lot of accommodations (e.g. elevators) for disabled people.
It’d be great if the paper tickets worked… we bought a dozen or so, kept them in a pocket away from credit cards and cell phones, and I think maybe 4 of them actually validated properly. Thankfully the info centers were helpful in replacing them but even those ones often failed had to repeat the process again. No one ever gave us any issue about them not being signed or having our names on them tho! Definitely did not know that until this video!
My daughters and I purchased the wrong tickets to Versailles. Unfortunately, we were fined 35€ pp, upon arrival in Versailles. Live & learn!😋
Might be easier and cheaper to walk! How can you keep all of this straight?
I was fined for not having my photo on my 7 day navigate pass. it was so disappointing. please make sure to attach photo right after you get the navigo
I have a feeling it’s going to be crazy on the metro during the Olympics.
Of course it is. It's done on purpose. People have done what it takes to make France look more ridiculous than usually for a few years.
I bet they are already recruiting more ticket inspectors
I have the same feeling
@@garthf9609 « Operation Titre inspection »
This happens so quickly. I went to the counter specifically to buy a ticket, only to have problems at the destination because it was the wrong one. Thank God I didn't have to pay. The Navigo easy card with 10 trips is the best card for visiting Paris (only for trips in the city).
Bonjour Antoine and Colleen. Great info. 😃
The funny thing is that studies done in Europe reveal that in countries/cities where subways don't have any gates to enter, yet still require a valid ticket and where you may still get checked at any time, the number of people who cheat on tickets is lower than in countries/cites that do use gates. There's probably some psychological effect behind that but it's not exactly known which effect that is.
What an absolute pain compared to London.
true
Or even Tokyo.
Not really. Its 31 Euros for an all zone weekly. cheap!
@iamatransporter Not really. You can have a nice time in Paris without being rubbed. Not so in London.
@@TheJase8566 Which must start in a monday. So stupid.
My husband got a 60 Euro fine because his ticket he paid for didn’t open the turnstile so he hopped it. They were right there around the corner waiting and asked for his passport. Told him if ticket not work then should’ve pushed some obscure button for assistance. They gave no mercy even though had a paid ticket.
It's because instead of raises, they get to keep fines. I got one as well even with the receipt and if was terrifying. Treated like a common criminal- So sad as there is no way to know all the rules in advance.
In my country this is called fare dodging.
A hefty fine seems reasonable to me
Not so fast. Many PAY for tickets, but did not realize they had to have it at an exit. There is no way I could have snuck through the barrrier. So this is preying on others. Workers get to keep fines. After spending thousand on airfare and hotel, you think I want to risk sneaking on a train with a ten dollar fare. Don't think so.
We always buy the Paris Visite travel pass for our stay. Granted, we could buy it cheaper, but sometimes, just hopping on the RER and not having to worry about buying another ticket is worth it because we decided to go to Disney. It's about 75 euros now. I always like to warn people about going to Père Lachaise Cemetery. It's cool, but the area is definitely rough. Crazy story. We enjoy how quiet the Metro Cars are. My wife and I are heading to the Paris Opera House, and a guy somehow overhears me whispering to my wife about what stop we need to get off at. He loudly proclaims Americans, I love America and starts loudly talking to us about how, in the '80s and '90s, he worked with various rock bands in Miami, New York, and LA. By this time, everyone is staring at us, and we were trying to be polite to the gentleman, but all I could think is these Parisians are probably thinking, "Damn Loud Ass Americans."
Visiting London and New York, I was impressed that you can simply use your contactless payment method (credit card or Apple Pay, for example), and the system will automatically calculate the correct fare - and they even have fare capping. In other words, you don’t need to worry about buying a day pass or a week pass. If you use the same card/device each time, the system will automatically charge you the price of the unlimited day/week pass at most.
More cities are implementing these systems to take the guesswork out of zones, validation, day passes, etc. which encourages public transportation and is friendly to tourists.
My husband threw away his ticked, got caught and was fined. He was quite angry.
Also, first time we traveled to Paris, we got in a car that was less crowded than the others. Turned out it was ''first class'' car. Someone warned us and we didn't get caught. I wonder if there are still ''first class' 'cars in Paris metro, like on airplanes.
In the country of Égalité, Fraternité, Liberté 😘
No more classes on the subway since August 1st 1991.
@@thierrydesu and 1999 in the RER/Transilien
@@thierrydesu Merci pour cette information
@@Lodai974 Merci beaucoup
I'm probarly really lucky, but I've been to Paris countless times and I've never been checked by control. Didn't even know this was a serious thing. Didn't know about the writing your name on the ticket. So Thank You!
Just think of all the fines collected when the world descends there for the Olympics. 🤑🤑🤑
Yikes! How much is private car service?
If they had a system like in Singapore, there would not be a reason for checking them in the train station. 1 reason for me not to visit Paris anymore.
Saw you today on top of gallery la Fayette..." There's the chap on TH-cam who helped us sort out our metro tickets" Thanks 👍👍👍 from a British tourist 😊
Hello!!
Could you imagine these rules on the NYC subway?
There would be pickets and general outrage! But it's fantastic that you can theoretically get on a train at the tippy top of the Bronx and ride all the way to Coney Island at the south of Brooklyn for one fare.
I hear complaints about the NYC subway, but after using the Paris Metro and London Underground, the metrocard system is great. One price and you can ride 1 mile or 20 miles.
I guess times have changed. Back in the 1980's I recollect they were quite relaxed about who used the Metro and certainly didn't have armies of Inspectors. Nowadays its all about money.
I did get 2 fines in the 80's and my Maman paid the fines, I was a student and not yet adult.
If I’m visiting from the US and get a fine in Paris, why would I pay it if I’m not returning anytime soon?
What you want to do, if you're in charge of a mass transit system, is make the entire process so convoluted that it will entrap ordinary people just trying to do the right thing and get from A to B.
Even in New York, as inept as that train-wreck of a city is, once you hop the turnstile you're in! Done and done.
We are ept!
@@CathyS_Bx 😜
Thankfully only if you jump the turnstile in NY do you get stopped sometimes. Once you are in, that's it. You can go anywhere in the system. Lots of people try the 24 hour race. 462 stations in 24 hours.
That's messed up
Great video
thank you
As a tourist buy a day pass if you are going to take multiple trips.
Either Zone 1-3 or Zone 1-5. Multi-day passes are even cheaper.
Is a senior 65 and older, or, does senior ticket prices start at a different age?
Senior starts at 60 in France. But I would recommend buying your ticket at the booth with an attendant to make sure there are no restrictions on when you can use it.
Thank you all for telling us these rules.
I didn’t know that you could get fined for having your feet in a seat.
I used to take the trains in DFW. I wish there was a hefty fine for putting your feet on the seat!
they don't all get caught
Controllers don't check tickets in metros. They are most of the time posted in one-way tunnels. You would get spotted if you decide to go the other way.
But they will in RER. You will see a complete squad embark and sweep the train.
@@julienboyer Absolutely right.
Airport trains are checked; tourists may get extra scrutiny.
Not true, pascalolivier. They hang around near the exits. They are rare on the quais or in the cars, that's true. But let's not give people the idea that there are no controlleurs in the Metro.
We just have one fare for all of Toronto and it covers the buses, streetcars, subway, and even some trains, over the whole city.
This system I see in Paris is a bureaucratic mess.
07:00 it also applies to La Défense and it's absolutely crazy that they didn't fix it. I think they do it on purpose to trick tourists.
If you go to La Défense with metro line 1, you can use a normal ticket. But if you go to the same place in RER you need a more expensive ticket. This is absolutely infuriating.
To be fair, it isn't (wasn't ?) a mistake. The idea was to allow people travelling in from further afield to use the RER, and encourage those within Paris to use the metro Line 1. But as it was easy to make the mistake, there were suggestion years ago to change it. Not sure that they did though.
@@aquilegus it's way too complicated for anyone who doesn't go there to know. The problem was raised years ago and it's still not fixed because it's a good way to steal money from tourists in the form of fines.
@@aquilegus I don't think they've changed it. I went to La Defense on Metro Ligne 1, no trouble. What, do you want them to make tickets on Line 1 *more* expensive?
I think the rule is that on a Metro line (NOT RER!) a single t+ ticket is valid anywhere even outside Zone 1. On the RER (which runs much further out) a t+ ticket only 'works' to the end of Zone 1 - and a little black line across the RER on the map emphasises where that is! So - at the fringes - you can get further out on the Metro than on RER with the same ticket.
Of course nothing stops you getting on RER in the city with a t+ ticket then riding far out beyond the fare zone limit - except the exit barriers at the RER station gates.
I'm quite familiar with the ticket system in Paris. But last year I was in Mexico City and tried the metro there. Interestingly, the paper tickets and the turnstiles there look very similar to their (old) counterparts in Paris. A major difference, though: the turnstiles "eat" your single-ride ticket upon entering the station, i.e. they don't give it back to you. So once you are inside, you have no ticket anymore to show that you have paid for your ride. This left me quite baffled the first time. But after getting out again without having to show a ticket, I figured out this was normal. And indeed it was the same on all my subsequent rides.
Different cities - different rules.
Yes, and that's way many do not know about keeping the ticket until they learn the hard way. You don't show a ticket when you get off an airplane.
I visited Paris about 30 years ago, and the Metro system was not complicated back then! Never had any problem purchasing the right ticket for where I was going! This new system seems to have been designed by lawyers!!
I was recently in Paris and was surprised by the many staff in almost every station dressed in purple and signs on their shoulder indicating that they are staff of to metro to help the tourists.
After watching this video all i can say is that the french metro ticket system is unnecessarily complicated and unbelievably stupid.
I'm absolutely sure there are way way way easier methods out there.
They've been waiting for your solutions all their life.
I gave a speech at the World Gas Conference in Paris in 2015. I entered one of the subway stations, the name of which I don't remember now, in a stylish suit, I bought a ticket and got on the subway to get off at paris-expo-porte-de-versailles station. According to the custom in Iran, that we easily buy a physical ticket and throw it away after passing through the entrance gate to maintain the cleanliness of the environment, I threw the ticket away.
I was fined thirty and some euros. No matter how much I explained that Mr. ! It's my turn to give a speech in ten minutes. Three officers in their ticket checking uniforms surrounded me and didn't let me go. They took cash from me and gave me a receipt for the fine.
This complicated method is probably because many users of the metro in Paris do not pay in any way and want to ride the metro for free or cheaper, and the metro is so zoned. The purpose of building the subway is to reduce street traffic and as a result waste of energy and time and noise and air pollution. Why is it so complicated and threatening? Design the entrance gates in such a way that no one can cheat and enter for free.
Within the urban area of Tehran, the area of which is about 30 km by 50 km, and we have seven metro lines, by buying a one-way ticket for about 6 cents, you can ride anywhere in Tehran until you get out of any metro station. does not want
Come visit Vienna. Public transport is so simple here!
Bravo for explaining this! I experienced wasting money for buying wrong tickets (dates) on Nice metro as well as accidents buying ZOU train instead of SNCF ticket. 😐. I’m sure not as complex as Paris. I noticed the machines had British flag that I pressed BUT but not all options were in English. 😮
Since I don't speak the language, it seems like taking the Metro would not be a good idea. I would be sure to mess up, get lost and fined
I’ve been to Paris 5 times and don’t speak French. I think the Metro is wonderful and very easy to use. I’ve only had my tickets checked once in all the trips I’ve taken.
Great tips. Thank you so much. Amen
Screw it... I'll take a cab.
that won't help you, taxi drivers are very often scammers
In Paris traffic? Good luck.
It's easy. Just make sure you bought a full-fare ticket (if your destination is in Zone 1 - it's shown on the maps) or a specific ticket from A to B for longer journeys on the RER. A lot quicker than sitting in a taxi.
In civilised countries, you can tap a contactless credit card in&out and it will charge you the correct fee.
You seem so enlightened, i wish you had considered bringing civilisation to us barbarians.
Do you have to be a local to qualify for the senior discount ticket?
Yes, It is DISGRACEFUL that these RATP ticket controllers are targeting tourists because they get some commission per fine given. It is so easy to get confused. They video does not mention that some of the RATP ticket sellers are so UNKIND and UNPLEASANT that they intimidate tourists when selling the tickets and they are selling them the wrong ticket and therefore the FAULT is due to the ticket seller. In other countries, they try to be more relaxed with the mistakes made by tourists but this is Paris where the company responsible for transport is full of unpleasant workers with a MINIMUM or NONE capacity to deal with the PUBLIC. I am a foreigner living in Paris and I have seen many cases. Then, why are they working on something they don´t like? Because they have many advantages as, for example, an exceptional early retirement compared to other companies.
Paris is a socialist city.
So when I’m out in suburbs where I stay and I’m the only tourist getting off the train and they’re checking tickets they are targeting tourists😂. oh, and by the way in your hometown, do y’all get the tourists free transportation? Probably not.
4:19 french are backwards
Bloody hell if you don't get fined you get pickpocketed. Sounds like a great place "not"
You listened to my suggestion! Wish you had done this video before my trip so we didn’t get that 65€ fine but live and learn! Glad others can avoid it! ❤
Paris trying to find every way to fine you. The reduced fare should say kids only-rather tricking people its reduced. The only one that makes sense is putting feet on the seats.
I haven't to Paris in over 20 years, but I certainly don't remember the Métro being so complicated! It makes me appreciate the system in Japan where I live now.
The best way to avoid these fines, is not going to Paris in the first place. Easy.
It’s same thing in Rome. Got to be smart and learn.
@@rafaelrivera9346 I was in Rome for 4 years and never I got fined.
Istructions are clear and put in full display kinda everywhere on Metro station, bus station and trains.
If the avarage tourist is not able to read an english sign then that's their problem..
I’ve seen more issues with us transit cops so Paris wasn’t as bad in my experience. People need to slow down and understand what they’re doing.
Usually, I avoid both by not going there, but I still have friends to visit in the suburbs...
I avoided getting fined in Paris by not going there, thanks but I pass.
The joke is on you.
It is a great city and the metro is super convenient
My 15 year old could buy and sort out the Paris Metro.
It’s pretty easy. Never had a problem.
@@jeffcarrier7435 15 year olds always can :)
In Japan the easiest way to take care of it if you can't figure out the right fare (which is hard if you don't read Japanese) is to buy the least expensive ticket, get off where you want to, go to the fare adjustment window and give them your ticket and some money. They will give you the right ticket to get off at that station and your change. The maps as well as the trains are also color-coded. There are some stations that are built unusually because either they are at the end of the line or have a single track that handles trains going through both ways--but those are easy enough to figure out when you encounter them.
Overly complex fare systems like this smell like a scam against tourists by the government to me!
Many years ago, I was leaving Paris to head to the airport. I asked, in my best broken French, for a ticket to Charles de Gaulle aeroport, but the person on duty offered me a ticket to a similarly named metro station with no surcharge. Fortunately, I realised his error and made sure he sold me the correct, higher fare ticket.
Y'know, I couldn't bear to watch this to the end. "Highway robbery" is what all this is, or maybe "Low-way robbery," considering it's the Metro. Rider-hostile policies and certainly tourist-hostile. Public transport shouldn't be this Byzantine. And paper tickets that you have to sign? 20th C technology, or maybe 19th.
Tourists are expected to approach shop workers and others with a cheery, false "Bon Jour!!!" or they will be given surly service. The French are so pissy. Come to NYC. If you fall, we'll pick you up. If you need directions, you'll get them, and maybe even be escorted (I've done it). A simple metro card will get you on to any subway train or bus--no zones--and you'll be surprised by free transfers too. And you don't have to act deferential, either.
There have been articles in local papers about it. The people who fined me reminding me of Gestapo officers; really terrifying. And I had a receipt. I'm in my 70s and there is no way I could have possibly jumped a turn style or climbed over a barrier.
@@honeypath Awful.