Perhaps outside of the Eiffel Tower , the Paris Metro remains one of the cities best-known features and it is highly surprising given that it transports around 4.5 million commuters a day but through the influence of American films, the Metro is as synonymous with romance as Paris itself and is a major tourist attraction in the city.
Speaking very little French and armed only with a flimsy travel guide on our arrival, we were relieved to find the Metro instructions and maps to be very easy to read and follow. Like Barcelona , the coloured lines offer much assistance in determining where you should be going and if you stand in front of a map and look puzzled for long enough, there is usually someone willing to lend a hand. Its not always easy to communicate with them but a lot of pointing at maps or street names usually gets where you want to be.
Another handy tip was learning that the language on the self-service machines could be changed to English, which makes it easier when trying to work out exactly what type of ticket to buy. Obviously part of the reason for travelling is to broaden your horizons and hopefully learn to use more foreign languages but at times when you are in a rush to get around, the English facility was much appreciated!
If you travel to Paris , you must take at least one visit on the Metro if only to see what the fuss is all about.
