The RER consists of 5 lines (lettered A-E), 660 kilomaters (410 miles) of tracks, 249 stations, and 2.7 million daily passengers. The Métro has existed since 1900, when the M1 connected Porte Maillot and Porte de Vincennes, where the Olympic Games were held that year, during the World's Fair. The Métro consists of 14 (numbered 1-14) major lines, with two additonal lines, 3bis and 7bis (so named because they started out as branches of Line 3 and Line 7), plus 4 lines currently under construction. There are 220 kilometers ot tracks and 303 stations in the métro system, servicing seven million people per day.
Taking the Paris Métro and RER can be a scary yet thrilliing experience. The first time I took the Métro was the first day I visited Paris, about eight months ago. Even though I was there with a group which consisted of members who had taken the Métro many times before, I still found myself very nervous at the propsect. I had never taken the metro in the U.S. let alone in France, where two-thirds of its residents could not speak English. I also felt nervous about how the Métro can be notorious for pickpockets, even despite advertised warnings encouraging passengers to make sure they all their belongings when getting off. However, after taking it with others for a few times, I eventually became confident enough to try the Métro by myself. This made me feel comfortable enough to use the other modes of tranportations in Paris, like the buses and the trams. It made me note many interesting things about ticket system. There are two ways to purchase a ride on the metro: a traditional ticket or a rechargeable card.
