Navigating RATP Transportation in Paris: How to Find Your Way?

Navigo Easy, Discovery, Liberté +, subscriptions… The Navigo pass adapts to the 21st century and is becoming better for the environment!

You may be a bit lost since the disappearance of cardboard tickets, which were discarded and disposable on the Paris metro tracks… Mobiwisy helps you see more clearly! The editorial team has found some handy tips to help you save money while allowing you to get around daily.

You have probably noticed the gradual eclipse of t+ tickets, small symbols of your passage in the Paris metro. They are gradually being replaced by magnetic cards in RATP trains. Depending on your needs, you will choose single tickets, day or week passes, subscriptions, or a reduced fare card… The offer from the Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens is broad and covers all transportation needs. However, it can sometimes be difficult to find your way among all these passes. We will make it easier for you and help you save a few euros!

What Navigo Passes are available for purchase?

The following passes are available for purchase for RATP travelers:

• Navigo
• Navigo Easy
• Navigo Découverte
• Navigo Annuel
• Navigo Imagine R

The Navigo Easy and Discovery passes have a purchase price (2 and 5 euros respectively), and you will need to buy your t+ transport tickets on the card.

The Navigo Easy pass is the only one that is anonymous: it only requires purchasing it at a ticket kiosk or RATP point of sale, or from some authorized merchants. It is perfect for occasional travelers or tourists visiting the capital for a day or two.

The Navigo Découverte pass allows you to customize your card since it contains a cardboard card on which you must fill in your name and first name, stick your photo, and attach the self-adhesive flap on it. The pass comes with a magnetic card that will allow you to travel on the network. Both cards must be kept close together. You can load up to two Navigo Day, Week, or Month passes on them.

The Navigo passes, including Navigo Annuel and Navigo Imagine R, are subject to special rules. The first purchase of the pass is free. It is nominative and available at the following points of sale:

• On the IDF Mobilités website in your personal space (“Order my Navigo card” section)
• At a RATP, SNCF Transilien, or Optile counter or sales outlet
• By mail through the Navigo Agency

You can find all details about Navigo passes via this link.

However, the editorial team reminds you that Navigo passes require the purchase of fare(s) to operate, in addition to the process of obtaining the card.

Which fare should I buy based on my needs?

Before providing a summary table of the main available fare options on the Île-de-France Mobilités network, know that the “Navigo Liberté+” fare exists. It allows you to travel securely on the network for €1.69 per trip. Here’s how the trips work: you pass your card over the reader to validate the trip, and you pay the total of all your trips at the end of the month via automatic debit.

Mobiwisy offers a table to summarize the main available packages, their prices, and our recommendations (in bold) for the Île-de-France Mobilités network. Details of each fare and their conditions can be found on the Île-de-France Mobilités website or by clicking this link.

The prices listed in the table for the Navigo Day, Week, Month, and Year passes are applicable tariffs across all zones of the network. The Île-de-France Mobilités website has set up an interactive map of different zones and available transport modes to help you find your way.

Please note that special rates exist for seniors, youth, students, insecure persons, and people with disabilities. Information about eligibility for reduced or free fares can be found on the Île-de-France Mobilités website.

How to recharge your Navigo pass?

Several methods exist to recharge your Navigo pass, and the editorial team reveals all the secrets. The Paris region transport authority suggests these 4 ways to recharge your pass:

• At ticket counters and vending machines at RATP stations or SNCF stations;
• At local stores equipped with a Navigo recharge terminal;
• Via the “Manage my card” section managed by GIE Comutitres;
• Using your phone through Île-de-France Mobilités app.

Mobiwisy hopes this guide has clarified your journey, and that you will no longer need assistance navigating the Paris network!

Also read: Navigo Pass: refunds to compensate for RER, bus, and metro delays