 5-zone carte mobilis problem
"Nathaniel Riesenberg" <nriesenb@bellatlantic.net> wrote in message
news:487dd14.0401280558.1932662c@co m...
> I wanted to purchase a one day 5-zone Carte Moblis(price=12 EUROS) to
> use on my last day in Paris. I was planning on going from Paris to
> Versaille and return and then ultimately to CDG to catch my plane back
> to the US. The ticket agent would not sell me this pass--since it is
> only for French residents--and instead she wanted me to buy 1 day
> 5-zone Paris Visite(price=16.75 Euros.) I had little choice and
> purchased the PV ticket. [If the station had more ticket windows I
> would have tried other agents...] The English version of the Paris
> RATP page on the web does not mention carte oranges or carte
> moblis(only the French version); the ticket pricing list posted at
> every Metro does give a complete price list for these.
> You cannot purchase the one day CM from the automatic ticket
> machines(the Carte Orange can be purchase--however you still need the
> cover(with photo) and these can only be obtained from a (live!) ticket
> agent.)
> Even paying the extra 4.75 Euros, I was still ahead(pricewise) in my
> trips that last day. How can I avoid this problem in the future(I
> will be returning to Paris in April)and might be in a similar
> situation? I am going to send "RATP" an email and perhaps some
> official statement from them will clear-up this problem...
> [PS: For a single traveler the extra perks of the PV over the CM is
> not worth it--most of these allow 2 for 1 entries etc.]
My guess is that the RATP tries to force the Paris Visite on tourists
because it's a money maker for them. I've heard similar stories from
tourists who were turned away by metro agents when requesting a Carte Orange
picture card. While I don't know if there's an official policy against the
sale of Mobilis to non-French citizens, my guess is that it's not widely
enforced either way. You probably just picked the wrong station/agent on
that day.
I'll be in Paris in June and I plan on using the Mobilis, so I'm curious to
know what you find out. If RATP responds to your email, please post it
here.
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