But Paris has a delightful little idiosyncrasy that London doesn’t have at all: the Parisians who mapped out the metro lines obviously had a real penchant for naming stations after famous figures. Sure, there’s standard fare that you’d expect from tube stops around a capital city, with Bastille, République, Europe and Nation reflecting the squares from which they take their name. But in Paris, the lines are just numbers. Part of the quaintness of the Tube is the line names, and the weird, almost-nationalism attached to whichever one you call home. Taking your seat on the upper deck is a disconcerting feeling at first, but when you’re almost guaranteed a seat and get a novelty experience in the bargain, it’s hard to complain. These double-deckers are reserved for the busiest lines, running on the RER network, separate to (but overlapping with) the 16 normal single-decker Paris Metro lines. Picturing such trains overground might be an easier imaginative leap for Tube-dwellers, but when you see one underground for the first time it’s a truly disarming experience. Some of the trains in Paris are double-deckers and, here, that’s completely normal. Your average Briton, on the other hand, can be relied upon to stare at the door, willing it to open automatically, only to miss their stop as the train rolls away. Most Parisians are lovely, but when you see seasoned Paris Metro veterans lifting the handle well ahead of time as the train coasts into the station, waiting impatiently for the hiss of the unlocking mechanism, it’s hard not to feel intimidated. You’re left standing confused and bemused, buffeted by the heavy station air – all while being furiously judged by Parisians. However, a third type has handles that you have to use in order for the doors to open, lifting the small piece of metal up slowly as you’re unsure if you’re going to break the train or lose your arm, only for the doors to snap open rapidly and viciously. New trains have automatic doors a second type has a green button. Like London’s Tube, not all of The Paris Metro runs underground. Here are the seven things you need to know. If you plan to use the Paris Metro on a visit to the French capital soon, it may be an unfamiliar feeling for those used to riding the tubes and subways of London and New York.
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