Before the Paris Olympics begin this summer, Parisians and provincials who come to the capital have every interest in having this reflex to save money.
This summer, many Ile-de-France residents will desert the capital because of the Olympic Games, the influx of tourists and the surge in certain prices. According to estimates from the tourist office, more than 15 million people are expected in Paris. A boon for traders, but not for the inhabitants of Ile-de-France. On this subject, you have undoubtedly already heard about prices being revised upwards in hotels, museums, or even for certain so-called pleasure products (alcohol, cigarettes, etc.). But there is also another sector which will not be spared, that of public transport.
Indeed, from July 20 to September 8, 2024, Parisian transport prices will significantly increase. A T+ ticket (for the metro, tram and bus) will increase to 4 euros, compared to 2.15 euros today, a train and RER ticket outside Paris will be sold at 6 euros, and bus tickets for traveling to Roissy and Orly airports will be increased to 16 euros. The same goes for the price of ticket books. A measure taken and assumed by Île-de-France Mobilités to “finance the reinforcement of the transport offer linked to exceptional flows of travelers”, explains the public establishment on its site. But then, will this new price list only concern tourists?
The answer is no ! Regular users who have an annual or monthly Navigo, or an Imagine R subscription are exempt from these increases. On the other hand, the 3 million occasional users have every interest in anticipating their ticket purchases before July 20, 2024. Even those from the provinces who plan to come to Paris this summer, for the Olympics or for a completely different reason. By purchasing these tickets in advance before fares increase, some could make big savings depending on their situation.
This is precisely what Benoit, 30 years old, who lives and works in Paris and who regularly takes the metro, did. “For me, it is financially more advantageous than buying a Navigo monthly. I will have three days of teleworking per week this summer, knowing that I will be on vacation at the end of July. So I took two books of 10 tickets for the month of August. Result: I paid around 35 euros compared to 43 euros [en comptant le fait que la moitié de son abonnement est d’ordinaire pris en charge par son entreprise, ndlr]. It’s not a crazy economy, but it’s already a big deal.” he tells us. The second option to consider if you do not have a subscription is the Navigo Liberté+ package. The principle: you take the metro, tram or bus and you pay the following month for the journeys you have made. The ticket costs 1.73 euros and your connections are free.