What's the experience like to ride the Paris Metro? Let's find out by riding the Metro 4 Line from Cite Station to Paris Gare Du Nord Station. Recorded on 5/9/2023.
Wow, you took quite the detour! Gare du Nord is the busiest train station outside Japan, and Paris kinda is Europe's Tokyo, so there's one golden rule in the Parisian transit system: you have to be "sign stupid" or you'll end up running entire crowd management circuits made for other passengers from other lines. Being creative, instinctive, or trying to follow the crowds (that go in all directions anyway) will only result in you getting lost of taking lengthy and crowded detours, sometimes against the flow and you'll feel like a salmon climbing up a river. The rule is just like IKEA's "read the effing manual", in Paris transit system it is "just follow the signs" the instant you alight from any given type of train and you'll end up where you want to go. They've put extra effort in putting signs everywhere that usually map the shortest path to your destination. One other thing about the Paris transportation system: There's no interlining in the metro, and only 2 out of the currently 16 lines have branches, so a given platform only serves one line and a direction. If you're in the metro zone, you shouldn't have to revalidate your ticket or pass to exit towards the mainline train side of the station or the street. If you need to revalidate, like you did in Gare du Nord, it is because you went through the RER zone. In the RER you validate at both entry and exit, but in the metro it's only at entry. Anyway, always keep your ticket on you in case you are controlled. Gare du Nord at rush hour is an experience in itself. 😅
Wow, you took quite the detour!
Gare du Nord is the busiest train station outside Japan, and Paris kinda is Europe's Tokyo, so there's one golden rule in the Parisian transit system: you have to be "sign stupid" or you'll end up running entire crowd management circuits made for other passengers from other lines.
Being creative, instinctive, or trying to follow the crowds (that go in all directions anyway) will only result in you getting lost of taking lengthy and crowded detours, sometimes against the flow and you'll feel like a salmon climbing up a river.
The rule is just like IKEA's "read the effing manual", in Paris transit system it is "just follow the signs" the instant you alight from any given type of train and you'll end up where you want to go.
They've put extra effort in putting signs everywhere that usually map the shortest path to your destination.
One other thing about the Paris transportation system:
There's no interlining in the metro, and only 2 out of the currently 16 lines have branches, so a given platform only serves one line and a direction.
If you're in the metro zone, you shouldn't have to revalidate your ticket or pass to exit towards the mainline train side of the station or the street.
If you need to revalidate, like you did in Gare du Nord, it is because you went through the RER zone. In the RER you validate at both entry and exit, but in the metro it's only at entry.
Anyway, always keep your ticket on you in case you are controlled.
Gare du Nord at rush hour is an experience in itself. 😅