Paris is the most mysterious and romantic city on the planet. Millions of tourists from all over the world visit this wonderful place every year. Most of the population has ever dreamed of visiting this city, since Paris has wonderful architecture, as well as gourmet food.
The capital of France is considered a place where almost always something interesting happens. You will certainly not be left without an event during your arrival, every time there is something.
Of course, in Paris there are a lot of architectural attractions, this number also includes the metro. It is quite interesting and beautiful here.
Metro in Paris
Metro in Paris is considered one of the simplest, as well as budgetary means of transportation. In addition, the metro of the capital of France is among the historical architectural sights.
The metro was built at the beginning of the twentieth century and is considered one of the oldest in the world. Most tourists note that the subway is quite convenient and comfortable. A big plus is that meeting stations on the city streets is possible at almost every step.
Trains run every two minutes during working hours, and after hours - every five minutes. It is known that in many European cities the traffic interval is very large, but this is not at all about Paris.
As you know, the metro in the capital of France is the second busiest in Europe after the Moscow metro. About four million people come here daily.
At present, more than three hundred metro stations have been built in the capital of France, and about sixty have a transfer station. There are also sixteen branches. It is believed that this is quite a lot for Europe. On the first as well as the fourteenth branch there are high-speed trains in which there are no drivers and control is carried out automatically.
The Paris metro runs mostly through tunnels. Many stations can also be seen on the historic streets of the city. For example, the first line passes through the Champs Elysees.
Paris metro: history
As mentioned above, the metro in Paris was built at the beginning of the twentieth century. In Europe, he was the fourth in a row, which suggests that this subway is one of the oldest in Europe. Before him, the subway was built in England (London and Glasgow), as well as Budapest.
It is interesting that the first stations of the city were built exclusively along streets and avenues, since there were cellars and basements everywhere. Because of this, many stations in the capital of France are not very smooth, and the platforms are a little crooked.
The construction of the very first line lasted a little over a year and a half. The presentation of the Paris metro stations was timed to the World Exhibition in 1900. All visitors to the event could take a free ride on the branch from the station "Vincent Castle" to "Port Mayo".
It is known that almost all the lines existing in modern time were built before the twentieth century of the last century. In the central part of Paris, the building of stations took place very carefully and tightly.
By 1969, RER trains were launched in Paris. They go to this day and are fast.
The difference between the Paris metro and RER
What is the difference between a regular Paris metro and RER electric trains? The fact is that RER trains run not only within the city. They also travel to the suburbs.
As for the trains of this company, they are very comfortable, and with the help of them the townspeople and tourists have the opportunity to get from the city center to the nearest cities and suburbs. Moreover, the price for the trip is not much different. For excellent speed you will need to pay about two euros.
How to understand that the train is exactly the company RER?
In the Paris metro , RER trains are drawn with colored lines. Branches are denoted by Latin letters, and ordinary ones are indicated by numbers. RER has 5 lines - A, B, C, D, E.
Metro stations
As we said above, most of the stations are underground, as well as in historical places. Many travelers find it difficult to find them. Remember, the entrance to the station is marked with the letter "M" or the Metropoliten sign. So you definitely will not get confused.
By the way, at the oldest stations of the city, interesting entrance groups, once made in the Art Deco style, have been preserved.
This is not to say that the lines of the Paris metro are an example to follow, since only fifty of the existing three hundred stations are equipped with special elevators for the sick and elderly.
Many tourists, unfortunately, cannot find a way out of the subway very often. In this case, you just need to find the Sortie sign, and the problem will be solved quickly. The main thing - do not panic.
And if you do not know which of the exits you need, you need to look at the map of the Paris metro (in Russian it is not) in the lobby of the station.
The most interesting facts about the metro in Paris
Here are some interesting facts:
- There are several stations in the Paris Metro named after events that once took place in the Russian Federation. For example, there is a station "Stalingrad". As you might guess, the name is given in honor of the famous bloody battle of Stalingrad that took place during the Second World War. In addition, there are stations "Sevastopol" and "Crimea". The second is a tribute to the events of the Crimean War in the nineteenth century.
- The average train speed in Paris is only 30 km / h, which is quite a bit.
- Almost every branch of the Paris metro runs trains with only five wagons. An exception is the first branch, as well as the fourteenth.
- In the early years of the metro in Paris, there were two classes. The price of them varied greatly.
- You can always ask for a mini-map from the workers of the Paris metro to make it easier to navigate in the stations and subway branches.
- Most wagons are opened manually. To do this, just click on the green button located on the door, and also pull the lever. Automatic door opening occurs on line 1, as well as 14.
- In new trains in Paris, the announcer announces the station to which the carriage arrived, as well as the next. It is interesting that, unfortunately, they do not announce stops in old trains. In order not to pass your stop, you need to carefully monitor the movement.
- The name of the branch in Paris is determined by the names of the final stops, as well as by a number.
- Almost at all stops there is a sign with the time of arrival of the train, as well as the length of the route in kilometers.
Buying tickets
As you know, tickets in the city are valid for all vehicles. That is, if you buy yourself a card inside any station, it will act on a tram, bus, trolley. Do not forget that these cards must be stored until the end of the trip, because if the controller approaches you and you do not have a ticket, you will be fined.
Currently, the price for one trip in the Paris metro is 1.90 euros. This pass is called ticket +. It is possible to buy tickets in special machines located at every station in the city. In no case do not try to slip through the turnstiles in the subway, because with a higher probability you will be immediately caught and imposed a huge fine. Compared to many other cities in Europe, there are many inconspicuous controllers. You take a big risk. The fine for travel without a ticket is one hundred euros.
The purchased ticket is valid for ninety minutes from the moment you attach it to the turnstile. Such cards allow you to make only one transplant. Here is such a system in the metro of the capital of France. Not many countries practice this.
Many will think that with these tickets you can only travel on the usual old trains of the capital, but no. You can use RER electric trains that run only within the city limits. For trips outside it you need to buy individual tickets. For example, if you want to go to Disneyland or Versailles. This can be done in the same machines, but then you need to choose a different direction or ask the station staff to help you with this. Such a system applies to RER trains, which many ride from the airport.
Favorable ticket for a long stay - NaviGo
Many travelers like to come here for two weeks, or even a month. Then buying a regular travel card is not particularly profitable. It is worth considering buying a special card in the Paris metro (photo above).
This pass is called NaviGo. With it, it is possible to buy a weekly ticket at a bargain price of 22 euros. If this is not done, you will have to pay a lot more, but it is not very profitable.
This wonderful card is valid for absolutely all vehicles within the capital of France. If you want to buy a ticket immediately for a month, then its price will be 88 euros.
To replenish the card, you need to do this either through the machine, or using the cashier.
To get through this pass through the turnstile, you need to attach it on top to a special field.
Affordable Paris Pass
There is another very interesting pass, called the Paris Pass. This card is intended only for tourists, local residents do not use it. In addition to profitable travel, it is possible to visit some museums for free. In addition, you are guaranteed a discount on many services in the city.
These cards are usually for two, four and six days. They are sold in several places. It is possible to purchase at any RER metro station, in tourist offices, as well as in newspaper and tobacco kiosks. Sometimes it can be found in FNAC stores.
Important metro information
In many countries, not only in France, strikes sometimes take place. Therefore, it happens that getting to one or another station does not work at all.
And the government carefully monitors the metropolitan area, and often many stations are being repaired. All this is done for the benefit of citizens, as well as tourists.
It is also important to remember that many stations on which RER trains run close quite early.
Paris Metro Hours
As you know, the metro in Paris is open from Sunday to Thursday from half past five in the morning until half past night, in the remaining two days - until 1:40. This is pretty standard. In most countries and cities this is the case, including in St. Petersburg.
As for the holidays, at this time the metro work is slightly extended, and there is an opportunity to ride on the Paris metro stations until half past one. After festive events or festivities, you can get home without problems.
Unfortunately, using the metro in Paris at a fairly late time is not very safe. As you know, in the French capital there are a lot of migrants, and it is in the evenings that not the most pleasant situations occur. If you do not want to be robbed, to get into a bad situation, and so on, get home early.
Conclusion
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. If you are in doubt about the trip, in no case should you do it. People who once saw this city always want to return to it again. The capital of France is very elegant and attractive.
We hope that the article was interesting for you, and you managed to find answers to all your questions about the metro of the capital of France, because this is really a very interesting topic.