After nearly 120 years Paris is set to phase out its paper Metro tickets with something more convenient.
Paris has introduced a new pass for the Métro. Image by lembi/Shutterstock
On Wednesday, Paris launched “Navigo Easy”, a contactless and reusable plastic card that will replace the single-use cardboard tickets commuters have used to board the Metro for nearly 120 years. The travel pass is similar to London’s Oyster Card, costs €2 and can be topped up with credit at counters and machines in stations throughout the city. It’s aimed at tourists and occasional Metro users as it doesn’t require a photo ID for purchase, unlike the Navigo Decouverte (the city’s multi-use seven-day pass card).
Navigo Easy will cost €2 and can be topped up at stations. Image by Maremagnum/Getty Images
Initially the Navigo Easy card will only be available for the Paris Metro, OrlyBus and RoissyBus services but eventually it will be rolled out to cover the whole public transport network in the Île-de-France region. By the end of the year, commuters will be able to top up their Navigo Easy cards from their smartphones. The fare will remain unchanged: €1.90 (US$2.15) for a single-trip ticket and €14.90 (US$16.86) for ten trips.
Metro sign on corner of Rue Seger with Le Saint Andre in background. Image by Matt Munro/Lonely Planet
Since the opening of the first line of the Paris Metro in 1900, the little white coupon-like paper tickets have been used by commuters using the system. Nearly 550 million of these single-trip tickets are purchased every year but they’ll no longer be distributed after summer 2020.
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