The Paris Mètro

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I have heard and read so many different stories about the metro in Paris and I simply could not wait to try it out when we were there. And it is actually true; you can see everything on the metro. So I decided that the metro in Paris deserved its own contribution.

I had heard that it is difficult to understand the system in Paris, but I honestly have to say that I thought it was rather easy to understand it. It is not so different from the one here in London, you just have to know where you are going. But it is difficult to spot some of the metro stations and knowing which station you are on, but there are metro maps you can look at. A little hint: buy a Lonely Planet book or a metro map and study it before departure. That way you are a little familiar with the system and perhaps you are recognising some of the stations when you’re there.

Like I said, you can see everything on the metro. People are singing and playing instruments both on the metro station and on the train. It’s quite nice actually but of course they want money in the end. But one of the funniest things we saw was this guy who were singing and playing the guitar and people were actually stopping to listen and singing along. Even the homeless guy on the corner was smiling and singing and having a good time. The one thing we could have managed without though was the mouse we saw.

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When we took the taxi to London St. Pancras on the day we were leaving, we talked to the taxi driver about Paris. He told us that Paris is a smaller city than London and I have to say that I could see that. Especially when we were on the metro. We could actually see the next station from the station we were standing on. There was no distance between the stations and seven stops would take under 10 minutes whereas here in London seven stops would take 20 minutes.

I didn’t find the metro in Paris difficult to understand and hopefully I gave some helpful tips here if any of you are ever going to Paris. Just know where you are going and read the maps.

Another little hint for you: if you’re taking the train from London, you can actually buy metro tickets on London St. Pancras. This way you’re ready to go when you arrive in Paris and you don’t have to worry about a possible language barrier. 

For a better picture of the metro map, click here.