Living in DC for a while now, I've gotten used to riding the metro there. However, when I arrived in Paris, I was a little nervous about their system. It's a lot larger than DC's. I was afraid it was going to be more like NYC's - a mess of confusion.
But I was in for a lovely surprise! The French metro system is actually pretty much exactly like DC's, in essence, except there are just a few more lines. In DC there are five lines (blue, orange, yellow, green, and red). Here in Paris, there are sixteen (all with different colors as well, but referred to by their number instead).
So, when you disregard the crazy large amount of lines you have to worry about, it's really easy to get the hang of the system here. The number of lines doesn't even make much of a difference anyway. It makes it easy to get to where you want to go quickly. From any one place to another you usually only have to transfer once at the most. And thankfully the trains run a lot more often here than in DC.
What I am most interested about the metro here are the slight differences I keep finding when comparing to the system back home.
The main thing is the opening and closing of doors. When you reach a stop, all the doors don't automatically open. You have to do it manually. Which really isn't a big deal, but it's interesting... And depending on the age of your train, there are different ways to open them. The oldest trains have levers that you have to lift, while newer ones have buttons to push.
Then when the doors are about to close, out of nowhere, instead of hearing the usual DC-esque "ding ding ding step back - doors closing," you hear a loud foghorn practically screaming at you, as a warning to either get on or get out of the way. Because these doors will not open back up on contact with something.
The one exception of all the lines is Line 1. This line is apparently special. First of all, the stations are extra fancy. There's cool lighting and seating; there are clear walls along the platform that only open when a train comes, so people don't fall onto the tracks by accident; and the doors of the trains actually are automatic. The reason for this upgrade only on this line is not officially stated, but it's pretty obviously because of the stops Line 1 makes: Champs-Elysee, the Louvre, St. Paul, Bastille, etc. All the tourists mostly use this line to see all the major sights.
In order to ride the metro, you have to have a ticket obviously. However, unlike DC, a ticket is always 1.70 euro, no matter how far you go. So that's a plus.
What I use though is called a Navigo. It's like the Smartrip in DC. It's a plastic reusable card that you just tap to get through the turnstyles. The difference from a Smartrip, however, is that you don't have to pay each time you use it. You pay one fee at the beginning of the month for unlimited travel. I wish DC was like that. So convenient! I don't have to worry about running out and putting more money on my card all the time.
Also with the Navigo, there's a spot where you have to put your picture. Every so often there will be metro police checking your tickets/Navigo as you leave a station, to make sure that you've paid for your ride (there are a lot of turnstyle jumpers in Paris). If you don't have a picture on your Navigo, they can fine you. Not cool. Luckily, I had an extra passport picture that I used for mine. Otherwise you have to use these little photo booths in certain metros and buy a photo of yourself. It's not cheap either.
So overall, I've got a pretty good handle on metro-related travel here. Next step: figure out the bus system... dun DUN DUUNN!
A bientot!
The one exception of all the lines is Line 1. This line is apparently special. First of all, the stations are extra fancy. There's cool lighting and seating; there are clear walls along the platform that only open when a train comes, so people don't fall onto the tracks by accident; and the doors of the trains actually are automatic. The reason for this upgrade only on this line is not officially stated, but it's pretty obviously because of the stops Line 1 makes: Champs-Elysee, the Louvre, St. Paul, Bastille, etc. All the tourists mostly use this line to see all the major sights.
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| fancy Line 1 metro platform |
In order to ride the metro, you have to have a ticket obviously. However, unlike DC, a ticket is always 1.70 euro, no matter how far you go. So that's a plus.
What I use though is called a Navigo. It's like the Smartrip in DC. It's a plastic reusable card that you just tap to get through the turnstyles. The difference from a Smartrip, however, is that you don't have to pay each time you use it. You pay one fee at the beginning of the month for unlimited travel. I wish DC was like that. So convenient! I don't have to worry about running out and putting more money on my card all the time.
Also with the Navigo, there's a spot where you have to put your picture. Every so often there will be metro police checking your tickets/Navigo as you leave a station, to make sure that you've paid for your ride (there are a lot of turnstyle jumpers in Paris). If you don't have a picture on your Navigo, they can fine you. Not cool. Luckily, I had an extra passport picture that I used for mine. Otherwise you have to use these little photo booths in certain metros and buy a photo of yourself. It's not cheap either.
So overall, I've got a pretty good handle on metro-related travel here. Next step: figure out the bus system... dun DUN DUUNN!
A bientot!
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