'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: Everyone who visits paris should use the metro. Several reasons:
1. taxis can be hard to find and expensive
2. metros are cool
3. metros are cheap.
How to use them?
1. many stations have multiple entrances and exits. The MOST important thing is to make a note on the way in which station you went into - and where your hotel is in relation to the station. It sounds lame, but i've been lost tons of time trying to get back to my hotel at 2:00am because i didn't remember which street exit to take from the metro station.
2. Buy an 'all day' ticket. You can purchase these tickets for one day, or muli day use. (see attached picture). A great deal - it eliminates the need to figure out how much to pay for a ticket for any other ride you are likely to take. You'll get a map along with your ticket.
HINT: if you screw up and go into the wrong side/direction -and then go back out - and try immediately to go back in your ticket won't work (this is done to prevent people from 'sharing' tickets. Just show you ticket to the man behind the ticket window and he'll let you though the turnstile.
3. figure out which line you want to take before you go undergound. Then look closely for a white sign/blue writing - each subway station lets you get on going in two directions - picking the correct side of the platform to stand on is the only confusing part of the whole process - finding this sign will show you all the stations that that particular platform entrace will take you to.
4. remember that the fastest route may not be to get on the closest station - sometimes walking 10 minutes will eliminate 2 station changes - making a faster time.
5. the french say something like 3-4 minutes per stop - you can use this to estimate how long a trip will take.
6. have fun!
7. the tickets are small rectangular pieces of paper - you slide them into a small slit in the front of the turnstile - they will then pop up in front of you - pull them out and walk through the turnstile.
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