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Riding the Paris MetroSome Insider Tips to Getting Around the City of Lights
Paris offers a wealth of culture not exactly at your fingertips. You must get there first. Buses can be confusing in a city of labyrinths. The metro will do the job.
Eager travellers often get caught up in the aura of a cosmopolitan city such as Paris and overlook some less important details such as public transportation. Although Paris is not geographically a large city and walking can take the traveler from place to place, some distances are just too great to get to by on foot. The metro is convenient, efficient, and will take you to your destination in a relatively short amount of time. Few trips on the metro will take more than forty-five minutes or an hour. Overview of Paris MetroThe Paris Metro is the second most widely used metro in Europe, after Moscow. 6 million people commute daily on it yet it only covers 16 square miles of the city. The individual metro lines can be identified on maps by number and color. The direction of travel can be determined by the final terminal station which is posted on the front of each train. The system dates back to 1900 during the Exposition Universelle world's fair. The architecture is fairly uniform and influenced by Art Nouveau. Location of Metro StationsMetro stations are well-marked with poles and signs listed clearly on street corners. It is wise to pick up a metro transit map before getting to Paris although the hotels often have complimentary copies. Try to pick up these incidentals before entering the station especially if you are not a French speaker. Trying to communicate in school French with people rushing to and fro surrounded by lots of noise is a daunting experience...too much stress to start off the trip. Metro HoursTrains run from 5am to 1am every day on every station. The Metro stays open an hour later on Friday nights, Saturdays, and on nights before a holiday. Purchasing Metro TicketsUnless you are taking a quick trip it is better to purchase a book of tickets (10) called a carnet. The word carnet is pronounced kar nay. A carnet provides groups of tickets that may be inserted into the turnstile. The tickets are sold at kiosks and at automated machines once you enter the station. Once the passenger puts the tickets in the slot, it is returned until exiting the final destination. Tickets may be used for unlimited transfers from metro to metro and costs 1.50 euros for a single ticket and 11.10 euros for a carnet. Condition of the MetroFor those who are familiar with New York City, the metro reminds one of the 7th Avenue Lexington Line with its high vaulted ceilings in some stations. It is not the cleanest system in the world but it is well-marked, relatively safe, and quick. The train cars are somewhat smaller than their American counterparts. It is not surprising to run into a small chamber ensemble playing a Beethoven sonata in the station. Metro TipsTake the metro from the Eiffel Tower to the Latin Quarter, the Louvre, or Notre Dame. It is a long walk and a hot one, especially during the summer. Although travelers can see more on buses, the speed and efficiency of the metro allows you more time to spend on the cultural richness of one of the great cities of the world.
The copyright of the article Riding the Paris Metro in France Travel is owned by Richard Conley. Permission to republish Riding the Paris Metro in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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