It's official: the famous cardboard tickets have disappeared from the Paris region. Since November 5, 2025, you will no longer find them in vending machines or at ticket offices. Gone are the days of desperately searching for a crumpled ticket at the bottom of your wallet. The end of paper tickets is part of the major modernization of transport in the Île-de-France region initiated by Île-de-France Mobilités. The objectives? To make your journeys smoother by reducing queues, reducing environmental impact, and offering you more flexibility. If you are arriving in the capital or the Paris region, we will explain the different solutions for traveling on the Île-de-France network without any hassle.
This revolution did not happen overnight. Since September 2023, books of 10 tickets have begun to disappear from points of sale. November 5, 2025, marks the complete end of sales in stations, train stations, and buses. On the bright side, this transition has been accompanied by a real simplification of fares since January 2025. Gone are the 50,000 different fares that gave us headaches, replaced by a clear pricing structure. From now on, there are only two types of tickets: the Metro-Train-RER ticket at €2.50 and the Bus-Tram ticket at €2, both valid throughout the Île-de-France region, no matter where you go.
If you still have a few cardboard tickets lying around in your drawers, don't panic. They remain valid until June 1, 2026, on the metro, RER, and Transilien trains, but with one small caveat. Tickets purchased before January 2025 work under the old zoning rules, only in the zones for which you paid. Those purchased after that date, however, benefit from the new de-zoned pricing. On buses and trams, the grace period is shorter: ticket machines that still accept cardboard tickets will be gradually replaced by May 1, 2026, line by line. If you use these modes of transport, we advise you to use up your last tickets quickly.
For a one-off trip to Paris, there are two good options. The first is to get a Passe Navigo Easy, a small contactless card sold for €2 at all ticket machines and counters. It is not registered to a specific user, can be recharged indefinitely, and can even be lent to other travelers. You can load it with Metro-Train-RER tickets at €2.50 each or Bus-Tram tickets at €2. This card lasts for around ten years and can hold several tickets at the same time. A little tip: a Navigo Easy card with several tickets cannot be shared between several people at the same time.
The second option, which is even simpler, is to use your smartphone directly. Withthe Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATPapp, you can purchase and store your tickets without a physical medium. Your phone becomes your ticket, quite simply. Both types of tickets are available and can be used immediately after purchase. This is perfect for tourists and visitors who don't want to be weighed down. The only catch is that each person must have their own phone with their own tickets; it is not possible to purchase multiple tickets on a single device for the whole family.
Since November 2025, a new option has been gradually introduced on buses in the Paris region: contactlesscard payment. Payment terminals are installed next to the ticket validators. You tap your card or smartphone, and hey presto, you have your €2.50 ticket. Handy when you're caught off guard, but there's a big downside: this ticket does not allow for transfers and is only valid for the current journey, and they are not yet installed everywhere. As a result, it is clearly less advantageous than other solutions. These terminals are gradually being rolled out across the entire Île-de-France bus network, but don't look for them in the metro and RER, where ticket machines still do the job.
If you plan to travel all day long, the Navigo Jour pass will quickly become your best friend. For €12, you can travel unlimited on the entire network: metro, RER, train, tram, and bus, in all zones, from midnight to midnight (and until 5:59 a.m. for Noctiliens). Only trips to the airports are not included. It's easy to do the math: after your fifth trip, you'll save money compared to buying individual tickets. In short, think about it: if you plan to travel more than four times, it becomes cost-effective; otherwise, buy individual tickets or use the Navigo Liberté + or Easy passes.
You can load this pass onto a Passe Navigo Easy, your phone, or even your smartwatch via the Île-de-France Mobilités and Bonjour RATP apps. A handy bonus: you can buy it up to six days in advance. If it's Monday, you can take your Navigo Jour for the same day or any day until the following Sunday. This allows you to avoid the crowds at the ticket machines when the time comes. And even better: you can have up to two Navigo Jour passes loaded at the same time on your device, perfect for a busy weekend in Paris.
For those who are spending several days in Paris without necessarily taking the metro twenty times a day, two solutions are worth considering: the Passe Navigo Easy and the Navigo Liberté+. Although the names are similar, these two passes work in completely different ways.
The Passe Navigo Easy is the classic solution if you like to keep control of your spending. This small card, which costs €2 (or you can use your smartphone), allows you to load your tickets in advance, either individually or in packs of 10 at the same price. You can top up at ticket machines in stations or from the comfort of your own home via the Bonjour RATP app, then validate your ticket for each journey. The €2.50 Metro-Train-RER ticket entitles you to transfers for up to 2 hours. The €2 Bus-Tram ticket allows you to change buses or trams for 1.5 hours. However, if you need to switch from the metro to the bus, you will need two different tickets.
The Navigo Liberté+ is a bit like the Netflix of transportation: you use it now and pay at the beginning of the month for what you've used. Available since June 2025 on smartphones (Android and iOS) or on a personalized Passe Navigo, this no-commitment contract automatically counts your trips for the month. Each trip on the metro, train, or RER costs €1.99, and each trip on the bus or tram costs €1.60. That's a nice 20% discount compared to regular tickets. Connections are included in the fare, and a cap of €12 per day (excluding airports) protects you from unpleasant surprises. The payment is automatically debited the following month. If you don't use public transport for a month, you don't pay anything at all. Registration is free by phone, making it a great option for regular visitors or those staying in the capital for several days. You don't have to live in the Paris region to get one, and you can have it either on a card or directly on your smartphone.
The big difference between Easy and Liberté+ is mainly when you pay and the price. With Navigo Easy, you pay in advance and manage your budget in real time, but you pay full price. With Liberté+, you travel first and pay later, while saving 20% and enjoying unlimited transfers. For a week-long stay with around ten trips, Liberté+ is clearly the better option. It's up to you to decide whether you prefer to control your spending in real time or save money over time.
Getting to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports has become easier since January 2025. A single ticket costing €13 gives you access to both airports via rail (RER B for Roissy, metro line 14 for Orly), or the OrlyBus and RoissyBus shuttle services. This ticket replaces all the old variable fares depending on the zone. You can buy it on a Passe Navigo Easy, directly on your phone via transport apps, or at ticket machines in stations.
With the Navigo Liberté+, airport return trips are also possible, but at rates that do not count towards the daily limit. The fare remains at €13 per trip. There are reduced fares for stations close to airports, ranging from €3.52 to €9.45 depending on where you are traveling from, but only if you have a personalized Navigo Pass with the Liberté+ contract and are eligible for the reduced fare. For most of us, it's €13. If you're only planning one airport return trip during your stay, buying two tickets at €13 each is still the simplest solution.
Here are a few tips for smart travel on public transport in the Paris region. First tip: download the Île-de-France Mobilités app before you arrive in Paris. You can buy your tickets as soon as you get off the train or plane, without having to hunt for a ticket machine. Second tip: if you're unsure which option to choose, calculate the cost based on your planned journeys. Fewer than five trips in a day? Buy individual tickets. Between five and ten trips? The Navigo Jour pass for €12 is a good option. More than ten trips over several days? The Liberté+ pass with its 20% discount is the way to go.
Third tip: connections between modes of transport don't always work the same way. With a Metro-Train-RER ticket, you can switch between the metro and RER for 2 hours. With a Bus-Tram ticket, you can change buses or trams for 1.5 hours. But if you take the metro and then the bus, you need two different tickets. Unless you havethe Navigo Liberté+ or Navigo Jour pass, which includes connections between all modes of transport. It's a little confusing at first, but you'll quickly get the hang of it.
Last but not least, keep your ticket until the end of your journey. Ticket inspections are frequent in the Île-de-France network, and traveling without a valid ticket will cost you a €60 fine. If you use your smartphone as a ticket, make sure your battery is charged. There's nothing worse than running into a ticket inspector with a dead phone, even if your tickets were purchased through the app.
The disappearance of paper tickets is pushing transport in the Paris region towards greater modernity. Digital solutions now offer real practical alternatives for travelers passing through. Between the Passe Navigo Easy to stay in control, the Liberté+ to save 20%, the Navigo Jour for marathon days, and contactless payment in emergency mode, there's something for everyone. The key is to plan ahead to avoid paying more than necessary. In short, if you're looking for a good way to discover Paris and the Île-de-France region without breaking the bank on transportation, the new options are definitely worth checking out.
Dates and Opening Time
From November 5, 2025 to December 31, 2028
Recommended age
For all
