Public transport fares in the Île-de-France
Encyclopedia
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and are implemented with a mixture of paper and electronic tickets. Prices are determined by the regional autorité organisatrice de transports
Autorité organisatrice de transports
In France, an , usually abbreviated , is one of the local government bodies implementing the 1982 law for the organisation of transportation in France....
("Regional Transport Organisational Authority"), which for Île-de-France is the Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France (STIF).
History
In 1900, a second-class Paris MétroParis Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
ticket cost 15 centimes of the old franc, and a first-class ticket 25 centimes. In 1960, it cost 37 centimes of the new franc.In January 1960 the French franc was rebased so that 1 new franc equalled 100 old francs. Six hundred million Métro tickets were sold that year, an average of around a minute.
First class was abolished in 1991 on the Métro, and in 1999 on the rest of the railway network in the Île-de-France.
The zonal system
The fare zones were put in place after the ticket fare structure had been decided. These concentric zones, numbered 1 to 8 (until 1 July 2007), are centred on Paris, with zone 1, the most central, covering the commune of ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, zone 2 surrounding it, and so on. Zone 8 is the most distant from the centre, and was only used in the south-east of the Île-de-France.
On 1 July 2007 the zones were reduced to six, with zones 7 and 8 being absorbed into zone 6. At its board meeting of 8 December 2010, the STIF voted to remove Zone 6, absorbing it into zone 5 from 1 July 2011.
Towards a flat fare?
The reduction in the number of fare zones is a preamble to a potential flat rateFlat rate
A flat fee, also referred to as a flat rate or a linear rate, refers to a pricing structure that charges a single fixed fee for a service, regardless of usage. Rarely, it may refer to a rate that does not vary with usage or time of use...
fare from June 2012, a manifesto commitment following negoitations between the Socialists and Green parties during the 2010 regional elections
French regional elections, 2010
Regional elections were held in France on 14 and 21 March 2010. At stake were the presidencies of each of France's 26 régions, which, though they do not have legislative autonomy, manage sizable budgets....
. However, a fare of , announced by the Greens during their campaign, would have the STIF lose , which cannot be done while continuing with necessary infrastructure investment. The STIF thus suggested possible fares of or , which would balance the books.
But according to a study by the think-tank Mentras, published in January 2011, although ticket-holders for zones 1-5 and 1-6Zone 6 was folded into zone 5 on 1 July 2011, after this study was published. would see their travel costs reduce, a flat fare would harshly hit season ticket holders in Paris and its inner suburbs, and even in the outer suburbs would suffer, as well as others who use a two-zone ticket.
Implementation
Inclusive tickets (daily, weekly and monthly) are valid for a given set of zones, and may be used on all modes of transport within them. For example, a passenger having a ticket for zones 2 to 4 can travel freely within those zones, but must purchase a separate ticket covering the portion of any journey that goes outside these zones, for example into zone 1 or zone 5.Paper tickets (with magnetic strips) must be validated by inserting them into a machine whereby a date and time is punched onto the strip. Some tickets have limited validity thereafter, so that a journey must be completed within a certain time after validation. Navigo passes are contactless smart card
Contactless smart card
A contactless smart card is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits that can process and store data, and communicate with a terminal via radio waves. There are two broad categories of contactless smart cards. Memory cards contain non-volatile memory storage components, and perhaps...
s and are validated by presenting them near to an RFID reader. Fines are issued for those travelling without a valid ticket.
Over six million paper tickets are sold each week, an average of a minute. Each ticket weighs 0.5 gram (0.017636981052556 oz).
Demagnetisation
According to the RATP, ticket demagnetisation affects 0.5% of tickets sold. Such tickets can be exchanged free of charge at a point of sale. Even with the small failure rate, this figure means at least tickets are exchanged just by the RATP. To reduce this figure, the RATP has started issuing newer, stronger tickets with a better-protected magnetic strip, replacing the magnetic tapeMagnetic tape
Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back audio and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders...
with iron bands. This ticket will come into general use by the end of 2011.
Ticket types
The STIF sells several kinds of ticketTicket
Ticket may refer to:* Ticket , a card or slip of paper used to gain admission to a location or event* Ticket , a card or slip of paper that designates one's position in a queue or ownership of an item to be picked up...
. Single tickets are intended for occasional passengers. Combination and season tickets are aimed at regular travellers and those touring the region, and can be bought for various periods of validity.
Single tickets
For occasional journeys, tickets for one journey may be purchased singly or, slightly more cheaply, in booklets ("") of ten.Ticket "t"
The Paris ticket "t" is the most basic ticket in the Île-de-France. It is a paper ticket that allows one journey on the MétroParis Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
, the tramways, the bus network and services run by Optile
Optile
Optile is a public transport organisation, created in October 2000 from a merger between several private bus companies serving suburban Paris...
, a conglomerate of suburban bus operators. As of July 2011 it costs or in a of 10 for and can be used on several modes of transport, with one or more surface interchanges. The time from the first validation of the ticket to the last must not exceed 90 minutes. However, it cannot be used to interchange between a Métro or RER
RER
The RER is a rapid transit system in France serving Paris and its suburbs. The RER is an integration of a modern city-centre underground rail and a pre-existing set of commuter rail lines. It has several connections with the Paris Métro within the city of Paris. Within the city, the RER...
line and the bus or tramway, nor between a Métro line and the Montmartre funicular
Montmartre funicular
The Montmartre funicular is an automatic funicular railway serving the Montmartre neighbourhood of Paris, in the Eighteenth arrondissement. It is operated by the RATP, the Paris transport authority...
.
Île-de-France ticket
The ("Île-de-France ticket"), sometimes called the , is a paper ticket that allows for a point-to-point journey between two stations in the Île-de-France region served by either suburban TransilienTransilien
The Transilien is the brand name for suburban railway services of the SNCF-owned railway network operating within the Île-de-France région...
or RER
RER
The RER is a rapid transit system in France serving Paris and its suburbs. The RER is an integration of a modern city-centre underground rail and a pre-existing set of commuter rail lines. It has several connections with the Paris Métro within the city of Paris. Within the city, the RER...
trains. The fare depends on the distance travelled. It can be used in either direction between origin and destination, and allows the use of the Noctilien
Noctilien
Noctilien is the night bus service in Paris and its agglomeration. It is managed by the Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France , the Île-de-France regional public transit authority, and operated by RATP and SNCF...
night bus network run by Transilien SNCF. The fare depends on the origin, destination and route and there are two fares: full fare or reduced fare. One can buy a single ticket or a of ten, at a reduction of 20% on the single ticket price. There is no limit to how far in advance a ticket can be purchased before being validated, but once validated they are valid for 2 hours only.
Carte orange
Season ticket
A season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.-Sport:In sport, a season ticket grants the holder access to all regular-season home games for one season without additional charges. The ticket usually offers a discounted price over purchasing a ticket for each of...
valid either for a week or a month. Weekly tickets are valid from Mondays to Sundays. They are sold from the Thursday on the week before. Monthly tickets are valid from the first to the last day of the calendar month. They are sold from the 20th day of the previous month. For a journey to be valid the ticket must include all zones from the origin to the destination, including all zones passed through (even if no interchange is made there). The ticket can be used for any number of journeys on any form of public transport in the region. It is available via two media: the Navigo pass and the Navigo discovery pass. The old magnetic tickets ceased to be sold after 1 February 2009.
Carte Intégrale
La Carte Intégrale is a yearly (renewable) season ticketSeason ticket
A season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.-Sport:In sport, a season ticket grants the holder access to all regular-season home games for one season without additional charges. The ticket usually offers a discounted price over purchasing a ticket for each of...
. For year-round travellers, it provides a saving of about 2 months compared to the monthly Carte orange. Once the ticket is purchased at an RATP or SNCF office, it is valid as long as the purchaser renews it each month. The ticket comes with an "Advantage card" which allows discounts at major retailers. The ticket is only available on a Navigo pass. During 2011 the Carte Intégrale will change its name to the "Yearly Navigo" .
Carte Imagine'R
The Carte Imagine'R is a ticket for students between 12 and 25 years of age. Valid for a year, it can be used on all modes of public transport in the region. Mondays to Fridays it can be used only in the zones assigned to the ticket, but at weekends and during public and school holidays the zones are relazed and it can be used throughout the region. It also acts as a discount card in many large retailers and at other attractions.Mobilis
Mobilis is an all-day ticket comprising a number of zones (1–2, 1–3, 1–4 and 1–5) with unlimited travel within them. It does not allow travel to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport or Paris-Orly Airport, for which a Paris Visite ticket or a separate airport ticket is required (Charles de Gaulle Airport is in zone 6). The Mobilis ticket is issued as a paper ticket indicating the zones for which it is valid. It is not transferable, and to validate them passengers must write their full names on the tickets before using them, together with the date.Ticket Jeunes
The Ticket Jeunes ("Young Persons Ticket") is an all-day discount card for those under 26 years of age (similar in this regard to the British Young Persons Railcard. It can be used only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, within the zones indicated on the ticket: 1–3, 1–5, or 3–5. It allows unlimited travel within the ticketed zones, on the bus, Métro, tramway, RER and main-line train, except for the Orlyval, Orlybus, Jetbus, Roissybus and access to Charles de Gaulle Airport via RER BRER B
The RER B is one of the five lines in the RER rapid transit system serving :Paris, France.The line runs from the northern termini Aéroport Charles de Gaulle and Mitry-Claye to the southern termini Robinson and Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse ....
, Allobus, routes operated by Air France, tourist buses and the Voguéo
Voguéo
Voguéo was a water taxi service operated on the River Seine and the River Marne in the Île-de-France .The Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France adopted the service in 2007. It started on 28 June 2008 between the Gare d'Austerlitz in the 13th arrondissement of Paris and the École Vétérinaire de...
. Tickets including zone 1 can be used throughout the Métro, even those parts outside zone 1.
It is issued as a paper ticket with a magnetic stripe, on which must be written the passenger's full name and the date of use. It is about half the price of a Mobilis ticket covering the same area.
Paris Visite
Le forfait Paris Visite is an all-day ticket with four periods of validity: one two, three or five consecutive days. It allows unlimited travel within the chosen zones (1–3 or 1–5) on all modes of transport – except the Jetbus network, the Filéo at Charles de Gaulle Airport, tourist buses, and Air France services – and allows travel to Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports.It consists of two cards: one a "name card" and the other a paper ticket, together in a credit card sized wallet. The ticket is strictly non-transferable and the name card must be signed and dated with the start and end dates of its validity. Among other things it offers discounts at some museums and monuments in the Île-de-France. It is aimed particularly at tourists.
Carte Améthyste
The Carte Améthyste is a discount card for the elderly and the disabled (aged over 20).Subject to a maximum annual income.. It allows free travel on all modes of transport throughout the Île-de-France.Carte Solidarité Transport
The Carte Solidarité Transport is a discount card for those in great need, those on sickness benefits benefits, those on unemployment benefits, single parents, and those earning the Revenu minimum d'insertionRevenu minimum d'insertion
The Revenu minimum d'insertion is a French form of social welfare. It is aimed at people without any income who are of working age but do not have any other rights to unemployment benefits...
(RMI, a minimum earnings guarantee). It provides a discount of 50% on single tickets and 75% on monthly and weekly Carte orange tickets. The carte has a validity of one year and is intended for those in receipt of benefits. It is only available on demand, and exclusively by telephone (on a free call) through the Solidarité Transport agency.
Moreover, residents receiving Revenu de solidarité active
Revenu de solidarité active
The Revenu de solidarité active is a French form of social welfare. It is aimed at people working with low wages and provide them with a complement; its aim is to encourage activity. It was implemented on 1 June 2009 by the French government....
(RSA, a form of social welfare) can use all of the road and rail network for free (except the Orlyval
Orlyval
Orlyval is a small automatic metro which runs a shuttle service to Paris's Orly Airport from the RER network, with which it connects at Antony station on line RER B.It was opened on 2 October 1991, the second line to use the VAL automatic metro....
). Since 1 December 2008 this has also applied to those receiving the Allocation spécifique de solidarité, another benefit. Beneficiaries of RMI must renew their pass every three months, and the credits are automatically assigned to a Navigo pass or at a charging station.
Fares
In their meeting of 1 June 2010 the board of the STIF set the prices of tickets as follows, the increases to take effect on 1 July 2011:- Paris ticket "t": sold individually, (unchanged since 1 July 2010)
- Sold on board:
- of 10 tickets:
"Origin - Destination" tickets (those priced according to distance travelled), sold both singly and in , increased in price by 4.4%.
Navigo tickets increased in price depending on the zones included. Fares for zone 5 were unchanged. For example, the monthly price for a Navigo pass for zones 1 and 2 increased from to , an increase of 2.65%.
External links
- Île-de-France Institute of Town and City Planning: Eléments de réflexion (December 2006):
} ("Analysis of the socio-demographic composition of the Carte orange fare zones")
|url=http://www.iau-idf.fr/nos-etudes/detail-dune-etude/etude/systeme-tarifaire-des-transports-collectifs-elements-1.html
|publisher=Île-de-France Institute of Town and City Planning
|date=December 2006
|accessdate=11 November 2011
|language=French
}}
} ("Relations between spatial fares and urban morphology")
|url=http://www.iau-idf.fr/nos-etudes/detail-dune-etude/etude/systeme-tarifaire-des-transports-collectifs-elements-2.html
|publisher=Île-de-France Institute of Town and City Planning
|date=December 2006
|accessdate=11 November 2011
|language=French
}}