I think the Paris Metro is easier than any other I've been on. Not that I've ever been on a difficult underground/metro, but the lines are very easy once you see the number/color system. I like that I can see the numbers at each end, so I can follow it easier.

Occasionally I find the RER a little trickier.

Joy,

Your getting alot of help on this question. Go to Google.earth.com and look at Paris to get a feel of the city layout. In many cases you can walk to many attractions from your location. Plan your trip and work the plan. Too many attractions in one day is not recommended. Good luck with your visit -- it will be fun.

Make that URL earth.google.com

DH and I returned from Paris a week ago. We are in our 50s, do not speak French and had never been to Paris. We rented an apartment on Ile St Louis and didn't have anyone such as a hotel clerk to ask about the Metro.

We found the Metro to be incredibly easy. We always had a map with all the stops and figured out where we needed to get off and what lines went the closest to that location. At one point, after plotting our Metro trip, we learned that one line was no longer available at our transfer location. So, we figured out a different route mid-ride and it worked great. We were both surprised at how easy the Metro was.

lalawmom, I had the same experience, and indeed the Metro is a piece of cake! Sometimes, with our carte orange, we took it just for fun when we could have walked because we hadn't seen a particular station (some, like Concorde (sp?) have wonderful decorations like the cross-word "puzzle" of tiles covering the walls). You really can't go very far wrong, and if by chance you overshoot a stop, just go back.

You'll be fine once you're there and see how it works. Another tip, "Sortie" means exit in French.

Another bonus from riding the Metro - you can practice French! On some lines, there is a recording at every stop announcing that stop. I can still hear this woman's very pleasant voice saying " Palais Royale" and "Rue De Rivoli" and "Tuileries" (which sounds so much better than it looks). I'd repeat everything she said - DH thought I was nuts.

There is an e-book titled <b>How to Use Public Transportation in Paris</b> free for the downloading. It was written by AnthonyGA, a Fodor's regular. It's easily the best such guide I have ever seen. Anthony mentioned it on April 4th, but evidently no one was paying attention. Here is the link:

atkielski.com/PDF/data/ParMetro.pdf

You will need the Adobe Reader program on your computer to read and/or print the guide. You get that (also free) from adobe.com

Robespierre that is a great site! Wish I had seen it before heading to Paris a few weeks ago. Although I have to say that the Paris metro is very easy to learn and use.