Anyone else feel intimidated by the Metro & Tube?
 

Does anyone else feel Metro & Tube challenged? Is there a site for someone like myself that better explains. You can tell I don't use public transportation in L.A.

Once you start, you will be fine. Give yourself a break and allow yourself to go slowly and think rather than rushing to a platform (that helps me psychologically). (Of course do not do your thinking on an escalator :-).)If you do happen to go the wrong way for a few stops, that's no big deal.

For the tube, try here: http://www.thetube.com

I don't know if this is a definitive French metro/train site, but try this one:
http://www.mappy.fr
It's great for helping plan walks between one point and another, and also the best way to get from one place to another on the metro.

The one thing that scares me is the Tokyo subway (or was it train?) map I saw in the "Lost in Translation" movie.

I was in both Paris and London last year solo and had no problems using either the Tube or the Metro in Paris. We don't have public transportation to speak of in Tampa either.

The Tube has an EXCELLENT website: http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/ It talks about the general stuff but I like their section on etiquette as well.

The Metro might be intimidating if you are worried about a language barrier. I know French but even if you don't, you really shouldn't have many problems. Here is a website for the Metro: http://www.ratp.fr/. You can click the English button for assistance.

I fell in love with public transportation in Washington DC in the 80's. I love the subways. Drinking and riding is my style. :-)

After awhile you discover they all pretty much operate the same. The end of the line denotes the direction the subway is going. As an aside that's why I avoid the circle line in London. :-)

It helps to study a map beforehand and have an idea of where you're going. I use subway navigator. It helped alot for my recent trip to Boston.

www.subwaynavigator.com

Let me make a practical suggestion here.
I dislike the underground systems in London and Paris, but I don't fear them, except for that Paris Meteor Route and its body pinching doors.

My chief dislike for the Paris metro is derived from the multitude of steps, the interminable labyrinth of tunnels, and the smell inside the stations.

Therefore I try to avoid the big stations as best I can. Sometimes, multi line stations are necessary because changing trains is often done at a large station.

The other option is to use the bus. Both Paris and London have extensive bus routes. I prefer the bus because I am above ground and can see where I am going. I take the bus when I can in preference to the encased trains.

I do not have the same dislike of the U-Bahn in Munich. I like that system.
It is clean, orderly, well ventilated, has wide platforms and it is often equipped with escalators and elevators for those trips that find me with luggage.

I think the best solution to the problem is to study a map of the bus routes after you arrive and try to figure out how you can avoid the huge metro stations where more than 2 lines cross.

I have learned the Paris system fairly well, and I will walk to a smaller station if the extra steps will enable me to avoid a huge station that may be closer.

For example, I dislike Montparnasse-Bienvenue in Paris. My favorite hotel is near there, but a small stop is only a little farther away. I get off at the small stop and walk past a pastry shop on my way to the hotel, and I stop in and reward myself for riding the smelly thing.

My parents used to tell me if I ate between meals I would spoil my dinner.
That is not the case. Those strawberry and rasberry tarts seem to stimulate it.
They make good appetizers and deserts.
Besides, they are one of the best aspects of Paris.
I think I deserve a treat for my efforts. So yummmy in my tummy! It lessens the impact. Sort of like the Mary Poppins tune about a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.

My wife claims I go to the museums and monuments to develop an excuse to stop at La Brioche Doree. She might be right. But I notice she helps me stop there by eating one too. And there is nothing like a sweet pre lunch snack.

Madison-

For the Metro in Paris, the lines are named by Numbers. The direction of the train is determined by the Last stop of the line.
So if you're going to a Metro stop that serves multiple lines, make sure you know which Line Number you are supposed to take. Then remember which direction you are going by looking for the Last Stop for that direction.

For the Tube in London, the lines have names & different colors assigned. In terms of the direction... I don't remember too well, so I'll let others answer this.

Two ongoing problems I have with the London Tube: first, the day pass often doesn't work properly in the turnstyles when I'm trying to exit the station, so I have to get station staff to check it and then wave me out. Second, I always dread finding out that the escalators aren't working at my destination stop. Some of those Tube stops are DEEP, and having been hit more than once with non-working escalators and a LONG climb up, I won't go on the Tube with luggage.

This site explains very well, in understandable terms (Paris Metro/RER):

http://www.gisparis.com/paris/paris_subway.htm

All public transport especially trains are inefficient, and not experiences one would wish to savour at all! Also, public transport seems to be so terribly public.

I think I meant THIS file, which is PDF format...very good.

http://www.atkielski.com/PDF/data/ParMetro.pdf

The tube and métro aren't hard to use; just be prepared for a lot of walking when you change lines, and be on the look-out for pickpockets. Sad but true.

I love the Metro and the Tube.
I even like standing there on the platform, that I had to take two escalators and walk a mile to reach, with a zillion other people and the hot air that blows out of the tunnel in my face.
Every part of travel is an adventure and I always get a kick out of the trains~

Scarlett my dear, no Londoner could ever get a kick out of anything public transport related, the tube remains a tedium for every single person. How strange you get a kick out of it, then it takes allsorts I suppose.

I thought allsorts were licorice.

m_kingdom, since I am not a Londoner, it should not be so strange to you.

I like riding the Tube and Metro for exactly the reasons Scarlett articulated. Ditto for riding the subway in NYC and Chicago. Years ago when I commuted into DC on the Metro, I wondered how long it would take for the daily ride to become tedious (or worse annoying). It didn't take long. But now I enjoy it because I don't have to trek the trek everyday.

I felt just like Scarlett before I moved to London, I thought the system was great.

Now I live in London, I actually don't feel strongly against the tube since I don't need to use it to get to/from work. I tend to use it outside rush hour when things are a bit more stress free.

It's only since I've travelled more that I realise how good the tube in London is when compared to some other metro systems.

Washington DC's on the other hand was great, but very new by comparison so you would expect a better system.

Two other features of the Metro/Underground that might not have occurred to you if your only experience with mass transit is airlines and/or intercity trains:

(1) The subway cars run on the exact same tracks and routes all the time, so there are lots of permanent signs and directions, unlike an airport where your flight could be at ANY gate and you have to check each time to find out where you're supposed to go. And because of this,

(2) Most of the people down there with you will be able to give you precise, accurate directions. Or will at least be able to point in the right direction if you learn a few key foreign phrases ("How do I get to . . . ?" or "Which way to . . .).

I dont mind riding Paris Metro, but not in rush hour....Never saw so many running cattles trying to get the metro..

The Metro is incredibly user-friendly and larger stations have a map that lights up with your route. I do suggest that if you have to change lines that you make a note of the "direction" for your change so you don't have to consult the map again--or look at your pocket map. It sort of points you out to the possibility of pickpockets--and it makes your transition smoother. I agree with the post about stairs, etc. We have taken to using the buses a lot--very pleasant, no stairs or long correspondances. But their mass transit is very easy to use. Get Michael Middleditch's book--Paris Plan (?). It has the bus lines ON the street map.

Here is a handy URL explaining various forms of transportation in Paris.

http://www.parisby.com/transpor/transpor.htm

On the bus link you can get a map of the system, which while difficult to follow, is at least useful in identifying lines to research further.

This URL has detailed route maps for all of the lines.

http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Eng/P...st_bus_eng.htm

The Paris Mapguide and the London Mapguide [available from amazon at a low cost] include bus lines on the maps and are very useful.

No, not now, maybe at first though. Like Scarlett, Indytravels and obxgirl, I like the Metro and Tube. We used to live in Atlanta, and it's system MARTA, was okay and not nearly as encompassing or efficient. First time to Paris and Europe, we were just a teensy bit intimidated, but we persevered :-).

I found the London tube easy to navigate from my first experience. Plenty of signs, maps repeated in the cars, stops written on the walls... I'm a fan--even though I've been stuck on a few for some extremely warm moments when they stopped in the middle of nowhere.

However, I was surprised the first time I took the Paris Metro. After having heard many times that it was the best system in the world, I found it time consuming. Many times we had to walk those long tunnels to get to the correct train, once we ended up on an RER and missed our stop, always--always--they were crowded and there just don't seem to be as many stops in convenient places as I wish. I just didn't find it as user-friendly and much preferred to walk as many places as possible.

I think you will feel better about the tube & metro if you plot a couple of your first routes in advance.

For the tube, the site is http://tube.tfl.gov.uk/cgi-bin/tpque...yType=Stations and there is also a place to do the same thing for the metro.

Keith

Well, I confess, the Paris Metro bothered me...so much so that I didn't use it at all. Because of that unfortunate bout of dementia I WALKED everywhere! To put on spin on my cowardice that is a bit positive, I got to see things that I maybe would not have gotten to see! I think walking in Paris is very easy! <GRIN> BUT next time I go, I'll use it...! I have promised myself.

Whatever you do, don't be afraid to ask if you don't know where you're going or where to change trains - we're not nearly as aloof as we like to pretend in London!

I will point out a couple of things that do annoy the 'natives' about visitors though...

1) PLEASE stand on the right hand side of the escalator so that people can walk on the left

2) If you're in a group, please don't assemble right on the other side of the barrier on the way out - might seem like common sense but nearly every day I have to push my way through a tourist group, which does make me appear very rude and aloof!!

The maps are avilable everywhere and the colour coding makes it particularly easy to read. If you're changing line, look up on the wall in front of you as you leave the train and it will have an arrow telling you which way you need to go to change line (saves too much dithering on the platform)

Oh, by the way, when there are lifts from the platform to street level, it's usually because there really are too many steps on the stair, don't attempt it! And if you can avoid it, try not to change lines at Bank - it can take 15 minutes to change from the Northern line to the District/Circle!

Give it a couple of journeys and you'll be like an old pro! The websites already mentioned are great too..

I found the buses harder to figure out in Paris. But even that can be a great adventure, you can see where you are going, so you can figure out if you got on the wrong bus..but you get to see Paris from a seat rather than the non-view of a Metro car.
We took a bus from Sacre Cour to the Louvre and loved the trip through the small winding hilly streets.

I am a provincial lady although I don't keep a diary.
I go to London once a year for my annual "fix" of theatre, music and museums.
Yes, I always get a bit of a thrill when I take my first tube journey of the year, it's something about the smell and the sound.
I think you'll find that the Tube is very user friendly. It is well signposted and you can double check by looking at the train announcement displays.
Please remember to stand on the right of the escalators. Londoners use the right side to dash up and they get angry if you block their way.
I suspect that M-Kingdom is an alias for Prince Philip.

Thank you everyone for your advice. I walk to as many places as possible but there are times when I know I am going to have to tackle the tube, metro and busses. You were all so helpful

My first trip to London I was TERRIFIED by the Tube. By the second day I had it pretty much down. Besides, if You realise you're going the wrong way, get off, cross over, and you're right again.

I was disappointed by the Metro for reasons already stated, I found the smell of urine almost unbearable in places and I really disliked the roving bands of "musicians" in my face everywhere, including inside the train itself! I also resented having to pay when we noticed many, many people simply stepping over the gates.

I was also disappointed with the "numbers" system in NYC. The city should invest a few thousand dollars for decals to affix to the signs putting the name of a location to a train number. For instance, in London, if you're heading to ST. PAUL'S you can find it on the Tube Map, as with many other locales, Tower Hill, Enbankment, etc.

In NYC the wee decal could say "Empire State Buildiing," Met. Museum of Art, etc. It is probably taken for granted by those who live there but tourists and travellers are sometimes confused.

NYC, London, Paris and most of the "great" cities should realise that tourist dollars will be in the top five (at least) sources of municipal income and should treat tourists accordingly, by making things as smooth as possible.

I have friends in London who HATE the Tube but I think it is the friendliest mass transit I've ever used. Buses are fine, but traffic conditions can turn a 30 minute trip into hours.

Madison, This point has been raised on the forum before but bears repeating. Although the Tube is easy to navigate, you might find the shortest distance between two points is by foot and not by Tube. So I second the idea of getting a map (tube and street) ahead of time. The Mini London A-Z might be a good place to start and a portable reference to take with you. It's $4.00 or so on Amazon.com. It includes major tourist sites and all the tube stations.

Since Sylvia and Tallulah have moved on to Tube etiquette, a few other things that make life easier for everyone, were once standard, and are becoming increasingly ignored:

1. Don't congregate on the platform at the point you come onto the platform. It really, really, is dangerous and stupid. Move down the platform. You get more space that way.
2. On the tube, move right down inside the car. Sadly, Brits themselves now seem to have forgotten this basic rule. But staying near the entrance is uncomfortable for you and everyome else
3. If you can't move inside, and are stuck at the car doors, when the train comes to a station GET OFF. Etiquette then requires that you get on again first. Some ill-mannered survivors of a more sensible age have been known to jostle very hard the morons who insist on standing in the middle of the entrance to a tube car, blocking everyone's way. Those jostlers pack very sharp elbows.
4. Don't try to get on till everone's off.

Like all sensible etiquette codes, this one makes life easier for everyone, is disregarded by selfish losers and really should carry immediate capital punishment for breaching.

In fairness, North American tourists in small parties are among the best upholders of this code. European school parties and younger Brits tend to be the worst culprits. But Americans and Canadians can still annoy.

I found the Tube to be pretty user friendly! I'm going to Paris next Wednesday and hope the Metro will be just as easy to use. My fear is just regarding language barrier, as I don't speak or know French.

M_K

I guess it would be more efficient if we got rid of all public transport and everyone used their cars.

Have you joined NetJets yets so as to avoid sharing a plane with other commoners?

Whoops, I meant to say that Londoners gallop up escalators on the left not the right
I'm also wrong about m-kingdom. He's not Prince Philip, he's either the Queen (my kingdom) or Prince Charles (mum's kingdom).

I was about to congratulate all contributors to this thread for very sensibly ignoring m_kingdom's rather puerile interpolations (sorry, m_k, I'm usually more polite than that, but last time I looked a week ago it was a full moon). Then wealthy_backpacker spoiled everything.

Whoopee for you Neil_Oz!

I thought the Tube in London was a breeze, although my last full day there, someone threw themselves onto the tracks at Highgate. We were bussed over to the next Tube stop.

BC

Good subject. Base note..Transport systems are designed for use by locals going to and from work or travelling within their area. Tourists/visitors simply 'piggyback' on it. If you use system during 'peak hours' you will inconvenience locals!

Don't forget to "mind the gap".