Tips for Riding the Metro

When you get out of the airport forget about calling a taxi, instead go underground to see yourself getting on the metro. Its France's most popular method for transportation, its fast, reliable and cheap. To make your life just a little easier when using here I have some tips on when to avoid rush hours and getting to know your lines well:

1. Get yourself a good map- The maps are free to the public and are available at any metro information booth. For those that prefer to use the net in order to get there maps and information, you can also do that by accessing it online. 
2. Avoid rush hours- There are times that you want to take the metro in order to avoid the walk. But there is something called rush hour and if you suffer from claustrophobia or want to be sure that you'll fit in the metro, then this is not the best time to be catching the metro. The recommended times that you should avoid the metro are really the early morning hours when people are on their way to work and then late afternoon hours when these people are now getting off of work. The exact times are 8-10AM and 5-8PM.
3. Overcrowded Lines 1, 2, 4, 11, 12, 13- It doesn't matter if its rush hour or not, theses lines are always busy. The reason why these lines and some others like 28, 38, 62 and 68 are the most busy is because they offer the most direct routes into the city. So if you're in a hurry and don't want to make 12 stops before your ultimate station, then make the sacrifice of standing up and being smudged by a bunch of strangers; ultimately you will get there faster.  
4. Metro Lines 2 and 6 run above ground- These two lines are ideal for that old saying "kill two birds with one stone". I say this because while you are on your way to your destination you also get to enjoy some of the scenery that France offers. Lines 2 and 6 have much of their route traveling above ground. Line 2 offers great views of the Eiffel Tower while Line 6 offers views of the Sacre Coeur. 
5. Learn to ride the RER- Lines A, B, C, D and E of the RER high-speed commuter trains get you to your destination in less time that the metro since it makes fewer stops. Station locations where you can hop on the RER are the following: Chatelet-Les Halles, Gare du Nord, St. Michel, and Gare du Lyon. 
6. Always have debit cards of coins- When you go to buy your tickets at the automatic vending machines, some of them do not accept dollars so having a debit card or coins is always a little safety precaution. If you don't have a debit card or any coins, then don't panic because there are vending windows were you can pay with dollars, it just that sometimes does have long lines.

Now that you have a few tips on how to make the use of the metro a little easier for you I hope that you use it when traveling to France. When I used to live in France I know that this was both my mothers and my personal favorite method for getting around.