Global Mysteries

Of course you planned the things you wanted to see and do in Paris long before you left the U.S. Your next step is to make certain you will be able to do all those great things with very few hitches. Here’s how: Do everything you possibly can ahead of time.
Purchase as many tickets online as possible. For example, get e-tickets for the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Versaille, Moulin Rouge and any other tourist sites in or near Paris. You will avoid long lines.
Buy train tickets online for visits outside of Paris. If you want to visit Provence, get train tickets and book hotels on line.
Buy a five day, unlimited use Metro pass. This is also useful if you make mistakes when learning the Metro because you don’t have to purchase a new ticket to correct your little faux pas.
Here are four important things you need to know about the Metro: The station nearest to your destination. The number of the Metro line you will take. The direction you must take. If there is a correspondence (transfer) needed.
A bit more information about the Metro. Every line has two directions. Take Metro line 4. It can travel toward Porte de Clignancourt or Porte d’Orleans. Let’s say you are at the East Train station and you want to go see Sainte-Chapelle. You would have to take direction Porte d’Orleans or you would be traveling away from Sainte-Chapelle.
Check out departure train stations because Paris has several stations. For example, if you go to Avignon, you will leave from Gare de Lyon but if you go to Bayeux, you will leave from Gare St-Lazare. I can’t stress enough the importance of knowing three things about the stations: Where they are. How you will get to them. How long will it take to get there.
More Paris thoughts and ideas to come as I explore the setting for my next novel.