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Paris confirms end of paper Metro tickets

Paris confirms end of paper Metro tickets

Local France09-07-2025
From June 1st 2026, the slim rectangular cardboard ticket will no longer be valid for a ride on Paris' Metro, bus, tram or RER train network.
However people who still have tickets will still be able to convert them into an 'Easy' transport pass until September 2026.
The final death knell for the tickets - which measure 6.5cm x 3cm and have existed in the current form with a magnetic strip since 1973 - will be confirmed on Thursday where the Ile de France Mobilités board will vote on the timetable for ending the ticket.
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The network has been gradually replacing the paper tickets with passes or digital tickets since 2018, and already some Metro stations on the network have stopped selling paper versions of the ticket.
The
carnet
of 10 paper tickets was phased out first, while regular passengers were encouraged to switch to passes, travel cards or app payments which offer a lower per-journey fare.
Single-journey tickets are still sold at some stations and are accepted for travel throughout the network.
However
from June 1st 2026 the paper ticket
- some version of which has existed since Paris opened its first Metro line in 1900 - will fade into history.
"A historic ticket for getting around, the
ticket carton
is becoming increasingly obsolete with the digitisation of transport tickets, which facilitates ticket storage, reduces cardboard waste and environmental impact, and makes it possible to avoid queuing at ticket offices thanks to smartphone purchasing,' explained IDFM in a statement.
The cardboard tickers are especially prone to demagnetising if left in a pocket or wallet too long, meaning they can no longer be read by ticket machines.
In addition to the weekly, monthly or yearly Navigo passes, the Paris transport operator has been rolling out passes aimed at visitors or occasional Metro users.
These include the Liberté + - which is charged on a pay-as-you-go rate, charging journeys at €1.99 rather than €2.50 - or the Easy - a card that is loaded up in advance with pre-paid virtual tickets.
The Ile de France Mobilités app also allows people to purchase tickets and passes in a digital format, in which the phone itself becomes the travel pass.
READ ALSO
:
App, Navigo or Easy - What's the best option when buying tickets for the Paris Metro?✎
The Paris Metro ticket has always been rectangular, but over the years it's been many different colours including red, yellow, green, orange and purple.
Advertisement
In 1900, you would pay 15 cents (of France's previous currency, the franc) for a second-class ticket and 25 cents for first-class - first class carriages remained in use on some lines until 1991.
Originally Metro tickets were checked by employees known as a
poinçonneur
(
poinçonneuse
for women) - ticket-punchers. One of singer Serge Gainsbourg's early hits was Le Poinçonneur des Lilas, about the ticket-checker at the Les Lilas station.
In gratitude for the recognition, a new station on the extension of Metro Line 11, which runs through Les Lilas, was named Serge Gainsbourg in 2024 (the new station is actually in the neighbouring suburb of Romainville, but let's not split hairs).
But from the start of the 1970s, the ticket-punchers were replaced with automated barriers for checking tickets and a new Paris sport was invented - athletically vaulting over the barrier in order to fare dodge.
You might think this is shady behaviour, but Jacques Chirac was famously photographed doing it while he was mayor of Paris (or at least he staged a photo that looked like he was doing it).
Composite photos of then mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac jumping a gate of the Paris metro as he came for the inauguration of an exhibition of modern art in the Auber RER station on December 5, 1980. Photo by JEAN-CLAUDE DELMAS / AFP
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How to watch the Tour de France climax in Paris
How to watch the Tour de France climax in Paris

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How to watch the Tour de France climax in Paris

The final stage of the 2025 Tour de France – the first to be wholly contained in France since 2010 – is a 132.3km run from Mantes-la-Ville in Yvelines to the finish line on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. It takes place on Sunday, July 27th. Here's the final stage route. Image: Tour de France / ASO The caravan starts wending its way along the generally flat route at 2.10pm, with the race proper beginning at 4.10pm. Depending on the amount of celebrating and levels of end-of-race leisureliness, riders are due to reach the Côte de Bazemont at around 4.40pm, and the Château de Versailles at 5.20pm. Advertisement Paris then hoves into view shortly after 5.30pm, and the riders hit the Champs-Élysées for the first time around 5.50pm. The first climb of Côte de la Butte Montmartre - which takes them in front of Sacre Coeur cathedral - is due from 6.30pm, and the big finish is expected shortly before 7.30pm. Image: Tour de France / ASO There's usually a bit of a party atmosphere among the riders early on in this closing stage – who can blame them at the end of three weeks of racing? – so, if you're watching on TV, expect to see riders sipping champagne and taking it relatively easily (for an elite athlete value of 'relatively easily') along the mostly flat route. Image: Tour de France / ASO The extra ride through Montmarte was added in an echo of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic cycle races, which attracted tens of thousands of spectators to line the route. The peloton will tackle the climb three times, after a triple lap of the Champs-Élysées, before racing to the finish back on the famous street to mark the 50th anniversary of the grand old race's first-ever finish there. We really recommend heading down if you are in Paris this weekend - even if you have little to no interest in cycling, the atmosphere is likely to be incredible. READ ALSO : 7 reasons to watch the Tour de France (even if you have no interest in cycling)✎ But what's in store for fans lining the route? The caravan Since 1930, la Caravane pulicitaire has been a key part of the day's racing. It's a festive and creative parade that follows the route of the stage a couple of hours before the racers arrive. It takes 30 minutes or so for 10km long la Caravane to pass a particular point. Floats representing 30 different brands, as well as information cars, pass by flinging promotional gifts and treats to roadside fans - expect everything from snacks to hats. Security Some 3,000 police will be on duty in Paris on the day, with a high-security perimeter in place from 7am along the Champs-Élysées and in the Madeleine district. There will be no public access to several streets, including rue Puget and rue Coustou, while some Metro stations will be closed. As well as national police and gendarmes, security will be provided by race organisers ASO, and additional municipal officers will also be on duty. Advertisement Road closures Traffic restrictions will be in place around the perimeter of the Champs-Élysées – police headquarters is urging road users to avoid the area. From Saturday, parking will be prohibited on the route taken by the riders throughout the Yvelines département, while parking will be prohibited on the Paris section of the route and all roads crossing the Avenue des Champs-Élysées from 2pm on the day of the final stage. In the capital, traffic will be prohibited from 9.30am until 11pm on rue de Presbourg, rue de Tilsit, avenue de Friedland, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, rue Saint-Honoré, rue de l'Echelle, rue de Rivol, place du Carrousel, quai des Tuileries, pont Royal, quai Anatole France, quai d'Orsay, pont des Invalides, place du Canada, rue François 1er, avenue George V, and rue Vernet. 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OPINION: Paris the 'new Amsterdam' for cyclists? As a Dutchman, I can tell you it isn't
OPINION: Paris the 'new Amsterdam' for cyclists? As a Dutchman, I can tell you it isn't

Local France

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  • Local France

OPINION: Paris the 'new Amsterdam' for cyclists? As a Dutchman, I can tell you it isn't

As a Dutchman, my bike is half my personality - but I decided against bringing my bike to Paris when I moved here two years ago because I was afraid of Parisian thieves, and also curious about the Vélib' public bicycle system. After two years of commuting across the Seine on two wheels, I've grown so fond of it that it has become a highlight of my day. For someone new to Paris, I believe there is no better and healthier way of familiarizing yourself with the city than to be above ground at all times. I might not know where Metro line 5 meets line 9 but I know how to bike from Gare de l'Est to the Paris Catacombs (20 minutes straight ahead, zero turns). And if you are willing to throw your head over your shoulders a few times, you catch the Eiffel Tower, Sainte-Chapelle, Notre Dame, Pantheon and Jardin du Luxembourg all along the way. 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And the cycle lanes remain pretty damn inconsistent; sometimes they are on the right side of the road, sometimes on the left, sometimes on the sidewalk, on the car lane, the bus lane, they suddenly stop, only go one way or there is none to be found. See, I am not saying Paris should be like Amsterdam. But if it wants to be, I recommend mayor Anne Hidalgo to hop on the next Eurostar to the bicycle capital of the world (sorry Copenhagen), famous for having more fietsen than people. There she will see that every single road in the city is fully accessible by bike, in both directions, free from potholes and confusing intersections. Hidalgo does deserve credit for her ambitions and efforts so far. In the past decade, €250 million euro has been dedicated to bicycle infrastructure as part of le plan vélo , which aims to make Paris 100 percent bicycle-friendly by 2026. As a result, Paris now has over 1,300 kilometres of bike lanes, the Velib' fleet has been expanded to 20,000 bikes and bicycle use increased by 34 percent between 2020 and 2024. Every morning I seem to share my bike lane with more and more Parisians. Advertisement Since 2016, the city hosts Paris Respire (Paris breathes), a bike celebration and environmental day where many roads are exclusively reserved for cyclists. Meanwhile a Vélopolitain network is being developed, which includes the RER V lanes (named after the RER trains and intended to link the city to the suburbs via cycle paths) and a 'green wave' traffic light system, providing a smoother flow of traffic. That being said, the reason why Paris is still nowhere near Amsterdam has less to do with the infrastructure than it has to do with the culture. In Paris, biking still feels semi-political, as if you are making a progressive statement. Or at least it's perceived as a subculture by outsiders. In the Netherlands, we really do breathe biking, no matter if it's in a suit, skirt, with groceries or children. I still remember my mom biking through town with me and my brother on the back and grocery bags hanging from the handlebars. And no, that was no electric bike. Advertisement Last month, my flatmate and I went to our university's graduation ceremony in a suit and he refused to bike to the venue. Very Paris, not very Amsterdam of him. The same goes for my friends who laugh at me for taking the bike while they are waiting on their night bus to come. As long as many Parisians do not bike depending on the outfit, the weather or the occasion, it's not an integral part of the culture and the city won't adapt accordingly. Some other differences are the fact that everybody possesses their own bike in the Netherlands, which makes the mode of transport feel more like yours because you care about your bike. Rental is for tourists. And next to nobody wears a helmet, which for better or for worse indicates how normalised biking is. I would also like to point out that cycling with music in your ears is completely legal in the Netherlands, just like car drivers are allowed to listen to music. The Dutch police trust cyclists to care about their own safety and be careful. I wish the French police would do the same, instead of stopping me every six months. Advertisement Either way, biking in Amsterdam feels much safer, not only because of the infrastructure but also because car drivers are trained to anticipate cyclists, even when they wear no lights at night. What helps is that most Dutch children in primary school, including me, had to pass a theory and practical biking exam around the age of 11, something the French system is now slowly adopting in the form of a permis vélo . Just five years later, when we were 16, three friends and I felt comfortable enough biking to Paris for our first holiday without parents. During this trip we were confronted with a big difference between the Dutch and the French landscape: hills. Where the Netherlands is flat as a pancake, French and Parisian hills can be quite steep – think Montmartre or Belleville – and that makes the city less bike-friendly. Some slopes really require an electric bike which is quite the investment. This explains why Vélib' has 470,000 subscribers by now, because it offers electric bikes relatively cheaply or it allows you to bike downhill and take the metro back up. I sometimes do this too, receiving the occasional ' connard ', when I cross an intersection a little too fast or assertively. I'm pretty proud I only received one ticket over the past two years, which in all honesty was a fair one because I crossed a red light while having my earphones in (which is legal in the Netherlands, as I tried to explain to the police officer). In October 2024, Paris was shocked by an incident in which a motorist drove over a cyclist and killed him after the two had an argument in traffic. According to witnesses, the car was driving on the bike lane and drove over the foot of 27-year old Paul Vassy, who told the motorist off before being deliberately run over. This tragic incident exemplifies the intensifying battle for space in Paris traffic. Historically, the car has always had priority in the city and now it has a hard time coming to terms with the new reality. It's true that Hidalgo is rolling out le plan vélo at a faster rate than many Parisian minds can comprehend. So, is Paris the new Amsterdam? Not quite. I have no doubt that the French capital has the potential of becoming a real biking city, where bike lanes are free from potholes and there is no risk of ending up underneath a car. But in 2025, we are not there yet. What will it take? More bikers to bike more, so that the two-wheeler becomes as socially and culturally accepted as pedestrians. And for any cyclist who still has a free week this summer, I invite you to take the next exit to Amsterdam and come have a look for yourself. Do you cycle in Paris? Share your experiences in the comments section below

Paris confirms end of paper Metro tickets
Paris confirms end of paper Metro tickets

Local France

time09-07-2025

  • Local France

Paris confirms end of paper Metro tickets

From June 1st 2026, the slim rectangular cardboard ticket will no longer be valid for a ride on Paris' Metro, bus, tram or RER train network. However people who still have tickets will still be able to convert them into an 'Easy' transport pass until September 2026. The final death knell for the tickets - which measure 6.5cm x 3cm and have existed in the current form with a magnetic strip since 1973 - will be confirmed on Thursday where the Ile de France Mobilités board will vote on the timetable for ending the ticket. Advertisement The network has been gradually replacing the paper tickets with passes or digital tickets since 2018, and already some Metro stations on the network have stopped selling paper versions of the ticket. The carnet of 10 paper tickets was phased out first, while regular passengers were encouraged to switch to passes, travel cards or app payments which offer a lower per-journey fare. Single-journey tickets are still sold at some stations and are accepted for travel throughout the network. However from June 1st 2026 the paper ticket - some version of which has existed since Paris opened its first Metro line in 1900 - will fade into history. "A historic ticket for getting around, the ticket carton is becoming increasingly obsolete with the digitisation of transport tickets, which facilitates ticket storage, reduces cardboard waste and environmental impact, and makes it possible to avoid queuing at ticket offices thanks to smartphone purchasing,' explained IDFM in a statement. The cardboard tickers are especially prone to demagnetising if left in a pocket or wallet too long, meaning they can no longer be read by ticket machines. In addition to the weekly, monthly or yearly Navigo passes, the Paris transport operator has been rolling out passes aimed at visitors or occasional Metro users. These include the Liberté + - which is charged on a pay-as-you-go rate, charging journeys at €1.99 rather than €2.50 - or the Easy - a card that is loaded up in advance with pre-paid virtual tickets. The Ile de France Mobilités app also allows people to purchase tickets and passes in a digital format, in which the phone itself becomes the travel pass. READ ALSO : App, Navigo or Easy - What's the best option when buying tickets for the Paris Metro?✎ The Paris Metro ticket has always been rectangular, but over the years it's been many different colours including red, yellow, green, orange and purple. Advertisement In 1900, you would pay 15 cents (of France's previous currency, the franc) for a second-class ticket and 25 cents for first-class - first class carriages remained in use on some lines until 1991. Originally Metro tickets were checked by employees known as a poinçonneur ( poinçonneuse for women) - ticket-punchers. One of singer Serge Gainsbourg's early hits was Le Poinçonneur des Lilas, about the ticket-checker at the Les Lilas station. In gratitude for the recognition, a new station on the extension of Metro Line 11, which runs through Les Lilas, was named Serge Gainsbourg in 2024 (the new station is actually in the neighbouring suburb of Romainville, but let's not split hairs). But from the start of the 1970s, the ticket-punchers were replaced with automated barriers for checking tickets and a new Paris sport was invented - athletically vaulting over the barrier in order to fare dodge. You might think this is shady behaviour, but Jacques Chirac was famously photographed doing it while he was mayor of Paris (or at least he staged a photo that looked like he was doing it). Composite photos of then mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac jumping a gate of the Paris metro as he came for the inauguration of an exhibition of modern art in the Auber RER station on December 5, 1980. Photo by JEAN-CLAUDE DELMAS / AFP

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