Transportation

I love all the ways you can travel around Paris!

Maybe it's because I grew up in the suburbs of southern California when 'the car' was everything and 'the freeway' was your only way to get from here to there, but I find alternate ways of transportation just fascinating. These two are # 8 and # 9 of my 25 favorites things about Paris and Provence. This is a photo I took of one of the old style Metro stations in Paris. The Metro is fabulous! Cheap and easy to use, it quickly whisks you all around the city. True, at peak travel times you are packed in like sardines, but if you plan your trips right, you can avoid that. I was a bit apprehensive the first few times I ventured underground on my own. Having a good sense of direction, I felt a little anxious not being able to orient myself to familiar landmarks. I quickly learned the system, though, and came to love it. So buy a carnet, study a good map of the system to familiarize yourself with how it works, and take the plunge. Metro travel is a joy.
Here is the very best way to travel outside Paris...the TGV. (tay-zha-vay--soft 'g' as in 'genre'). This picture from Google shows the bullet trains lined up ready to zip you around France at an astounding speed of 200mph! You have to make a reservation, and I recommend making a first class one; the extra money is well spent. The train is fast, comfortable, and quiet. Cell phones are prohibited except in specially designated places. First class seats are plush. The train stations are well-organized and easy to use, even for someone who doesn't speak French. Here's my question: why don't we have this kind of rapid transportation system in the United States??? Truly, I'd never drive or fly again.