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Paris Metro
by Drifter_2000
The Paris Métro is the most convenient method of transport in the city and has 16 lines totalling 133 miles in length. The lines are numbered 1 to 14 with 2 minor lines and each line has its own identifying colour. Trains run from 5.30am until 1.15am (2.15am on Fridays and Saturdays). If you're visiting Paris, the Metro gives you and ... relatively cheap and fast way to explore the city. However, it can also be real hassle if you're not adequately prepared! Here are my top 5 tips to master the Metro and make the most of your time in the city of lights:
1. Avoid rush hour. If at all possible, avoid travelling between 8am and 9.30am and between 5pm and 6.30pm. Line 4 in particular gets heavily congested. The same goes when planning your arrival time in the city, as you won't want to be negotiating crowded metro carriages with all of your luggage. The sight of a large American trying to squeeze a giant suitcase through a crowd of commuters makes me cringe every time...
2. Counter-intuitive as it may seem, don't always get off at the obvious stop for your destination, as some larger stations can take ages to get out of! Consider instead the smaller station nearby as it's a guaranteed timesaver, especially during busy times of day- here are some examples:
For Les Halles shopping centre: get off at Etienne Marcel instead of Les Halles
For the Arc de Triomphe: get off at George V instead of Charles de Gaulle Etoile
For the Eiffel Tower: get off at Dupleix instead of Bir-Hakeim
For Sacré Coeur: get off at Abesses instead of Anvers (saves you a long walk up the hill!)
Most importantly, where possible avoid getting off or changing at Chatelet-Les Halles station. Often it'll be a ten-minute walk through a warren of tunnels and escalators to change lines, when in a smaller station you could have just crossed platforms.
3. If you're on a whistle-stop trip, consider the Paris Visite travelcard, which gives you unlimited travel in central Paris for 1,2,3 or 5 consecutive days. A 5 day ticket costs Euro31.15 which works out just over Euro6 a day (about the same as a single journey on the London Underground!). If you're only going to be travelling intermittently, buy 'carnets' of 10 single tickets (Euro12.50) as it works out far cheaper.
4. As Metro stations in Paris can be as little as 50 metres apart, don't always assume it's the quickest option. As a general rule if you're travelling less that three stops, you're probably better off walking.
5. Use the RER (Réseau Express Régional) train for longer trips within Paris, as it's faster and Metro tickets are still valid. The RER is a faster system that serves the suburbs and has five lines signified by the letters A to E. For example use RER B to travel quickly from Gare du Nord to Notre Dame or RER D to travel from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon. Be careful on the RER though as it can be a mugger's paradise (enclosed carriages and larger distances between stations). If you're a lone traveller, try and stay in carriages where there are plenty of people.
Overall the Paris Metro struggles to handle the sheer volume of people that pass through it particularly during rush hour. However, if you're a tourist then the network will take you anywhere you'd ever need to go for a very low price. If you get lost in Paris then it's only a matter of time before you'll always stumble across a Metro station to help you get your bearings. Visitors can find the network's complexity quite daunting but with a little 'insider knowledge' the Metro can be a very fast and easy way to get around.
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Taipei Mass Rapid Transit
by ilovemycat
Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)
If London Underground is the worst metro system I've ever been on (and frankly, IMHO, it's nothing short of an embarrassment to an otherwise great city) then Taipei MRT in Taiwan has to be the best.
Opened in 1998, Taipei MRT has four main lines (plus a couple of short annexes) that ... cover the majority of the city. With signs in English, it is very easy to navigate for the foreign tourist.
I found it impossible to fault Taipei MRT. The trains themselves were very regular - roughly at 2 - 5min intervals on every line. They also have longer service hours than many metro systems, roughly from 5am to 1am every day. Most of the lines were protected by safety barriers, meaning there was no fear of being pushed on to the tracks - those that didn't had guards to keep the lines back. At rush hour the trains were busy as all metros are, but at off peak times it was pretty easy to get a seat on most trains.
Some features that I noticed that were interesting - at night the stations, already very well lit and open, had security guards on duty. They also had "women night waiting" areas, as well as breast-feeding rooms, while "yield your seat" stickers (for people with special needs such as the elderly or people with babies or young children) were available from the information desks found in each station.
In terms of cost it was hard to better. No single journey cost more than 80 Taiwan New Dollars (roughly 1.80), but you could get an "Easycard", which was also used on buses and for entry to some attractions (such as the zoo). These cost 500TND to purchase from a machine, of which 100 was a deposit. You simply pressed the card against a sensor at the ticket gates and did the same to exit. When your remaining balance got low you just put the card into a machine and topped it up.
In addition to the already cheap prices, Easycard journeys carried a 20% discount. And when you were finished, you just returned your card to an information desk and you were given your deposit and any remaining balance back (I cashed mine in at the airport). They were incredible value - in five days in Taipei, using the MRT roughly five times a day, I only used 450TND worth of credit - about nine pounds or roughly two quid a day. You use more than that in a single journey in London sometimes.
Most of the metro lines ran below ground in the centre and above ground in the suburbs, so you could use them for sightseeing. Going north on the blue line to Danshui, for example, you got great views of the Maokong River estuary, while the brown Wengu line heading south to the zoo and the Maokong Gondola had some great views of the hills and Taipei 101.
Overall, makes travelling in Taipei effortless.
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Paris Metro
by sophiechops
SAVE A FORTUNE BY RIDING THE PARIS METRO!!!!
I have visited Paris on three occasions and plan to visit one of my favourite cities on earth in January next year. Paris is a very busy city and to get around in such busy traffic can be very frustrating so fortunately Paris offers an excellent alternative to taxis/cars or ... buses with the very good Metro service.
****WHERE DOES THE METRO TAKE YOU?*****
The metro will basically take you within 200 yards of wherever you want to go in Paris as there 300 hundred Metro stops in Paris and are situated very close together. You can visit all the major tourist attractions in Paris easily by using the metro...we have used it everytime we visit and always visit the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Trioumphe and Louve. There are 16 different lines that take you everywhere in Paris.
****IS IT EXPENSIVE?*****
One ticket that last 1 hour 30 minutes cost 1 euro 60 cents and is well worth the money compared to taxi fares. You can also buy a block of ten tickets which will save you some money. I find you can get around all day and see all the main tourist attraction for around £10...cheap travel.
******IS IT SAFE AND CLEAN?*****
I have never had any problems using the metro but like anywhere in the world there has to be a due diligence especially when you are abroad. Beware of pickpockets etc. My rule of thumb is that it is better to be out and about during the day as it is safer during the day than at night. The metro is not the cleanest place in the world but with the amount of traffic that goes through the metro they do keep on top of it but some metros can seem to be old and tired looking and could be doing with a good clean but that is nip picking on my part.
****OVERALL******
In my opinion if you are going to visit Paris then you must be wse and use the metro as it will save you alot of money and it is very reliable andf constant service with a train every couple of minutes or less on the main lines.
I hope this review helps anyone who is thinking of using the metro in Paris.
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