Paris métro pass vs buying tickets
Every Paris trip planning thread has the same argument: buy single tickets, or get a pass? The honest answer is that it depends on exactly two things — how many rides you take per day, and how long you stay. Here is every option with its real 2026 price, the break-even points between them, and no pass sold as something it is not.
The four options
What each pass actually costs — and who it is for
All prices are standard adult fares checked in October 2026. A €2 Navigo Easy card is required once for the single-ticket and top-up options.
Single tickets on a Navigo Easy card
One tap, one ride, on the métro, RER and suburban trains inside Paris. The card itself is a one-time €2 at any machine, and the €2.55 tickets load onto it. Bus and tram rides are a separate, cheaper ticket at €2.05.
Wins when: You are in Paris 1–3 days, or you tend to walk a lot and ride only a few times a day.
Loses when: The moment you ride 3+ times a day, or add an airport train, singles stop being the cheap option.
Navigo Jour (day pass)
Unlimited travel for one calendar day, midnight to midnight, all zones — métro, RER, buses, trams. It does not start when you buy it: buy it at 6 p.m. and you have bought one evening.
Wins when: One heavy day — lots of moving around, a suburban detour, or a RER airport trip stacked on sightseeing.
Loses when: A calm day of two rides makes it a €12.30 pair of €2.55 tickets. Avoid it unless the day is genuinely big.
Navigo Semaine (week pass)
Unlimited travel for a calendar week, Monday to Sunday, all zones. It does not follow your arrival day — arriving Thursday, you pay €32.40 for four days or wait until Monday.
Wins when: Stays of a week or more that include a weekend, or a long stay with daily commuting across zones.
Loses when: Anything shorter than a full Mon–Sun window. A 5-day trip starting Wednesday pays for days it cannot use.
Paris Visite (tourist pass)
The pass sold specifically to tourists: unlimited travel 1–5 days, plus small discounts at some attractions. It covers zones 1–5, so it includes both airports.
Wins when: Visitors making several long suburban trips, or who want the airport transfers bundled in.
Loses when: Most short central-Paris stays: it usually costs more than the plain Navigo options for the same métro riding.
Break-even
The math, by rides per day
Three single tickets (€7.65) cost less than a €12.30 day pass; four cost more. That is the whole decision, and everything else is edge cases:
| Your trip | vs single tickets | vs day pass | vs week / tourist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 rides a day | Single tickets win | Singles win | Rarely worth it |
| 3 rides a day | About even (€7.65/day) | Even | Rarely worth it |
| 4+ rides a day | Day pass wins | Day pass wins | Depends on length |
| Airport RER included | Day pass wins | Day pass wins | Paris Visite wins |
| Full Mon–Sun week, heavy use | — | — | Semaine wins |
Two traps worth naming. First, the week pass runs Monday to Sunday — not your arrival day — so a Wednesday-to-Sunday trip pays €32.40 for four usable days at best. Second, reduced fares exist (children and some young riders pay €1.30 per métro ride), which changes the math for families.
The other pass, honestly labeled
A transit pass gets you through the gate. It cannot tell you where to get off.
One thing no transit ticket solves: the moment you come up the stairs and ask “what is around here?” Subwayo answers that — every one of the 320 stations has a page with the places worth seeing near the exit, and themed journeys chain the best stops into routes. That is what the Subwayo Pass unlocks (€3.99 · 7 days · no renewal, 7 days); you still buy your métro tickets separately, exactly as priced above. Start with a big one like Châtelet or browse things to do near métro stations.
Quick answers
Pass vs tickets: the questions that come up
What is the cheapest way to use the Paris métro for 3 days?
For a typical 3-day stay, a Navigo Easy card with single €2.55 tickets is usually cheapest — 2 rides a day comes to about €15.30. If your days are packed (4+ rides, or a RER airport trip), the €12.30 Navigo Jour day pass for your busiest day beats singles.
Is the Navigo Découverte or Semaine pass worth it for a week in Paris?
Only if your stay covers a Monday-to-Sunday window and you ride heavily. The €32.40 week pass runs calendar weeks, not your arrival day, so a trip from Wednesday to Sunday pays for days it cannot use. Three or four day passes can beat it for short trips.
Does the Subwayo Paris Pass replace a transit pass?
No — and we never want to pretend otherwise. Transit passes are sold by the transit authority; the Subwayo Pass (7 days, €3.99) unlocks Subwayo’s own station-by-station guides, themed journeys and the full map. You still buy your tickets or Navigo pass separately. This page is the honest comparison of those transit options, with no burying of the numbers.
Can I buy Paris métro tickets in advance or on my phone?
Tickets cannot be bought from home, but the Île-de-France Mobilités app can top up a Navigo Easy card from a recent Android phone, and machines at every station take cards. Buy the €2 card on arrival and you are set for the trip.
Fares on this page were checked in October 2026 against RATP and Île-de-France Mobilités; prices can change at the January fare revision. For the riding basics, read how to use the Paris métro. Subwayo itself is built and run by AI agents on NanoCorp, which is how this guide stays current without a marketing team.