The public transport system of Paris is so well developed that Ernest Hemingway the famous author has rightly described this capital city as a 'moveable feast'. Paris metro is one of the most efficient and convenient mode of transport in Paris, helping the tourist reach their destinations at a high speed.
This rapid transit system in Paris has 14 lines comprising of 211 kilometer of underground track. There are around 380 stations in Paris. It is estimated around 6 million people travel everyday by metro. The metro in Paris generates employment of around 15000.
Glorious History of Paris Metro
The idea of constructing the Paris metro was conceived as early as 1845. After this, the first line was completed only in July 19, 1900. Fulgence Bienvenue was an engineer in charge of the construction, while the famous architect Hector Guimard is credited for designing the beautiful entrances, which is typical of Art Noveau style. Line 1 of the Paris Metro ran from Port de Vincennes to Porte Maillot. It was then extended from Chateau de Vincennes to La Defense.
The Louvre metro station is an architectural marvel in its own right. Thousands of people ride Paris metro just to visit this station. The marble walls are lined with exhibits and replicas of art works. Beautiful sculptures placed in glass cases are aesthetically appealing. Varenne metro station, which is connected by line 13 offers exhibits from the nearby Rodin Museum. Leige is also paneled with beautiful tiles and the Abeesses metro station on line 12 has an elaborate spiral staircase with beautiful mural decorations.
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Metro of Paris has 14 lines and an additional network of RER lines. RER lines of Paris metro were constructed during the 1960s. Several suburban lines were connected to the new underground portions of the city center. The system is known as 'reseau express regional' or regional express network. There are 5 RER lines in Paris metro namely Line A,B,C,D and E.
The opening hours of Paris metro station are from 0500 to 0100 hours. Metro trains in Paris run from different metro stations. The last train is called the 'balai' which in French means broom. The train is named so because it sweeps the remaining passengers and arrives and enters the terminal station at 01.15hrs. On Saturdays and on nights before holidays the last metro enters the terminal at 02:15 hrs. The metro train remains open all night during the New Years Eve. Tickets of Paris metro are sold at kiosks and several automated machines located in the stations. The automated gate to the metro station opens after the insertion of the magnetic tickets.
Tickets of Paris Metro
Standard ticket for Paris metro is 't+'. The ticket is valid for 90 minutes. It can be used for one continuous journey and also can be used for traveling in buses, trams and zone 1 or RER. Other common passes for Paris metro may be weekly, monthly, one day, two day or five day. The Navigo Card can be loaded monthly or weekly. Contact less smart cards are also available fro traveling.
Metro in Paris is the fastest and the most convenient mode of transport in the capital city.
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