obxgirl

Not all public transport systems are designed with a single rider in mind. The DC Metro was designed to accommodate locals, commuters and tourists. It works pretty well at moving all around to their respective destinations.

JimF

It's very likely that I have been overlooking the obvious when using the tube, but I found that when I carry along a small pocket compass it tells me which direction the train in to travel. When I stood by the tracks, I knew the train was to head north or south; east or west, of course; but I did not know from whence it would come -- the right or the left.
With the majority of people filling in the middle, I looked for a spot toward the front of the train, which usually was less crowded -- with the aid of my handy little compass.
For people getting used to the tube, it also provides another degree of comfort, knowing the relationship of the track to the direction.
Hope this helps.

m_kingdom

For those familiar with the Turner Prize, or aspiring Turner Prize winners:

Film" a day in the life of a tube carriage" - the people, the movement, the sights, surely this will win a Turner Prize.

martytravels

Even if you don't speak a syllable of francais, the Paris metro is unbelievably easy to use and covers the city like a wet blanket. You're never more than a few blocks from a metro station. It's so efficient and frequent, it's almost scary.
I don't think the London Underground is quite as bad as its rep, but there seem to be sections of the city (esp. south of the Thames) that aren't covered too well, and some of the lines are really old and slow and clearly in need of some massive overhauls (Circle line comes to mind).
And as far as great metros go, Madrid ranks up there with the best. It's modern and efficient, and covers the city almost as well as Paris'.

RonZ

Like JimF I carry a little compass. It's about .75 inch in diameter and fits on my watch band. It's surprising how useful it is once you have one.

traveltitan

Not at all. I envy cities with great mass transit systems. We've got one in Atlanta but it really doesn't go anywhere useful, except Peachtree Center, Lenox Square Mall and the airport.

Marilyn

I think both the Tube and the Metro are great and quite easy to figure out after a trip or two. Perhaps they get old fast if you must use them to commute (what system doesn't?), but for the tourist, they provide low cost, inexpensive, efficient transportation not to mention great people watching.

By the way, the Tokyo subway is easy to use and quite user friendly as long as it's not rush hour. All of the station stops are posted in English as well as Japanese, and there is a running electronic sign in the car itself that tells you what the next stop will be...in English!

Note: the Feb 9 New Yorker has a fascinating article on the Tube and its problems.

Barb

I was pleasantly surprised to find out how really easy the Paris metro was. Like you, I posted to Fodors before my trip last Sept. regarding my fear of the metro. What really helped me was the map in the Mapguide book. I wrote down exactly what lines and connection points I needed on a little piece of paper which I stuffed in a pocket or my purse and then I could refer to it without being really obvious. After the first couple of times, you will feel like a pro. Next time, I am going to try to master the buses.

allisonm

We just came home from 6 days in Paris on Tuesday. We have taken the tube in London and the NYC subway. We found the metro very easy to use, the main thing to remember is that you need to know the station you are heading toward at the end of the line. Yes, we got on trains twice, headed in the wrong direction. No big deal, just get off at the next stop, get to the other side and take the next train going back. We didn't find them too dirty, but yes, they were usually crowded. In our 6 days we used 2 carnets (10 tickets each) and we were given 6 tickets by some lovely women who were leaving our hotel and no longer needed them. Mostly we walked for miles and miles, but if my feet were too tired to go another step, we would hop on the metro. (Yes, it is true that the tunnels can go on forever, and there are likely to be many stairs, but the thought of possibly sitting down for a few minutes gave me the means to muster a little more energy.)

RonZ

I posted a paris bus route URL further up.

Here are some good routes: 24,29,42,69,72,73,84,96

SoBeTraveller

perhaps if you view is thusly, then no problem - in Paris, walk to see, Metro to move.

Madison

thank you everyone for your help. I now have the confidence to conquer them.