I've been in Paris for three months now, and if it weren't for my best friend who also uses and loves the buses here helping me, I probably would've never used them. In fact, most of my study abroad peers here in Paris never use the buses, and some study abroad students will spend a whole year never having taken a bus.
I mean, they're intimidating. I know when first looking at the bus plan on the opposite side of the metro map of La Poche I was like, um hell no, I'll walk. But if you get used to the system, taking the bus is the way to get not only the most out of your monthly almost 70 euro Navigo, but the most out of Paris.
I like the bus better than any other mode of transport when I have time. Because walking around for an hour when you need to be somewhere and exercising... LOL.
Here are some of the many reasons why the buses are awesome:
1. You're less likely to get pickpocketed on the bus. Pickpocketers mainly target tourists, and where do you find tourists? On the metro. Not the bus.
2. It doesn't smell like piss. No one just whips it out and goes on the tracks, because it's a bus. There are no tracks. Hallelujah!
3. On a beautiful day, you're not trapped underground. See the sun, for heaven's sake!
4. Depending on the time of day, there are less people, and there's always somewhere to sit. And less people means less body odor. (If you saw my post on French stereotypes, you'll know that I think the only place you notice any stink is in a crowded metro).
5. The bus goes places the metro can't. Want to go to a street in Montmartre without the usual hike? The 67 could be your answer.
6. Sometimes it's faster than the metro.
So how do you make the bus less intimidating so you can actually start using it?
1. Treat the bus map like the metro map. If you look at the plans, you'll find that they're actually quite similar. If you can find the bus line that looks like a metro you take, try it out. Usually it'll bring you in the same area.
2. Same goes for names of the stops. Okay, I'm familiar with the metro stop Michel Ange Molitor on the 10, so maybe on the 123 bus, Porte de Molitor is going to drop me off in the same area.
3. Test the bus out during the day time. You're not going to feel comfortable on the bus if you're all alone at night trying to feel your way out through a possibly unknown area. If you go while there's light out, you can get yourself situated, make landmarks, and if you need to walk somewhere in the end or find the metro, you won't feel sketch about it.
4. Try taking the bus when you have a lot of time. Just hop on a bus that's going in the direction you want to go (see 1 and 2) and ride. See where it goes, and if you see an area that looks cool, you can hop off and explore. Can't do that on the metro, can you?
5. Get the RATP app and a compass app (or just know where you are in relation to the Seine). The compass will help you know what direction to take the bus you need (you'll know if you want a bus that goes east, west, etc.) and the RATP helps you with the schedule and timing.
6. Actually look at the little maps in the bus stations. You'll see where you are and where the bus is going. Again, look at the landmarks. Example: the 84 passes by the Pantheon (you know where that is) and also stops at the Madeleine church. You'll know where you need to go in relation to those landmarks, so you know it's the right direction.
7. Start with the closest bus to your place of residence to ease yourself into the system. You'll see where it goes from your house, and then the cool landmarks it's by, and now you know the best way to get home.
I hope this helps make the bus a reality for a lot of you. It's really the best way to see the most beautiful city in the world, especially during spring.
No comments:
Post a Comment