It's the end of an era! Carnets de dix tickets de métro have been gradually disappearing since mid-October 2021, and will be saying their final farewells this September 21, 2023. The official date has been communicated by RATP, which is announcing the end of sales of these famous cardboard t+ ticket books at all ticket machines and counters across its network from September 21.
In concrete terms, the end of the 10-ticket cardboard metro ticket booklet (the famous t+ booklet) took place in three stages in RATP stations and stations. It all began with the cessation of sales of these cardboard booklets at ticket machines in around a hundred stations from October 14, 2021. Then, in October 2022, RATP stopped selling these same t+ carnets at the vending machines of around 180 stations. March 2022 was to mark the definitive end of the sale of cardboard t+ ticket books at all ticket machines and counters in the RATP network.
But here's the problem. This timetable could not be met, and the definitive end of cardboard metro ticket books was finally postponed, and shifted back several months. The reason for this? A worldwide shortage of the microchips needed to manufacture Navigo cards, and in particular the Navigo Easy pass; the same cards that are now replacing the traditional cardboard travel cards.
But now it's official: as of September 21, 2023, cardboard metro ticket books will no longer be sold. Every year, nearly 5 million tickets are demagnetized due to their proximity to keys or coins... What's more, on average, 1 in 10 tickets in a carnet is unused, because it has been lost, damaged or forgotten.
So, what are these cardboard transport ticket holders being replaced by? Well, dematerialized tickets take over.
Specifically, if you're used to taking public transport, but want to keep your freedom, then opt for the Navigo Liberté +. The idea? Travel by validating your pass each time you use it. Each month, your journeys are recorded, and the following month you are debited for the total amount of your journeys.
If you use Paris and Ile-de-France transport only occasionally, or if you're a tourist, then prefer the Navigo Easy pass, which costs 2.10 euros and can be recharged at a later date, notably from ticket machines in all stations and at ticket offices.
Finally, you can also validate your ticket using your smartphone via the Île-de-France Mobilités, Bonjour RATP and Assistant SNCF applications (please note that not all phones are compatible).
Despite the definitive discontinuation of the 10-ticket metro booklet, it will still be possible to buy certain tickets in cardboard form, such as the single t+ ticket or the origin-destination ticket for suburban travel. And what about the use of books of cardboard t+ tickets you've already bought and still have lying around? Don't panic, RATP says you can continue to validate your unused cardboard t+ tickets, even after September 21, 2023.
The single cardboard t+ ticket is still available, but not for much longer. Interviewed on France Bleu on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, Valérie Pécresse announced that the sale of these cardboard tickets purchased individually will also be definitively discontinued. The President of the Île-de-France Region was more precise, indicating that these single tickets will no longer be available for sale from the end of 2024, i.e. after the Olympic Games. " The one-way ticket will remain in place at least until the Olympic Games, because we'll be welcoming millions of people, but at the end of 2024, it will bow out for good," announced Valérie Pécresse.
Fin 2024, "le ticket de métro papier tirera sa révérence définitive" annonce @vpecresse sur @francebleuparis et @France3Paris pic.twitter.com/Clfb8WMJzb
- France Bleu Paris (@francebleuparis) September 5, 2023
Official website
www.ratp.fr
