Watch Your Language Blog

My Travel Words and Phrases: Parisian Transportation

I am fortunate enough to have traveled to Paris a good amount over the years. I therefore like to think of myself as only semi-lost there and perhaps able to impart something like wisdom. And so, on that expert basis, I offer you semi-regular installments of French words and phrases that I think will come in handy in the one of the most visited cities in the world.

They'll be separated into categories (transportation, food, around town...), or at least that's my goal, for browsing ease. And since you can't visit Paris without learning to get around, the first set is on transportation:

1) grève (strike) [grehv]

Trust me on this one.

2) un carnet (a packet) [uh(n) kahr-nay]

You can ask for this at any Paris subway ticket window — it's a set of ten, individual tickets valid for downtown Paris travel on the subway ("le métro"), RER (a subway-like system that makes both urban and regional stops) or bus.

3) les escaliers (stairs) [layz ehs-kah-leeay] and l'ascenseur (elevator) [lah-seh(n)-suhr]

The line to take "les escaliers" up the Eiffel Tower is non-existent for a reason. And the line for the elevator in tourist season is, frankly, scary. Instead of waiting in that "you'll be here till Hell freezes over" Eiffel Tower elevator line, go to the Montparnasse skyscraper (it's that massive black tower) and take its elevator up to the 56th floor. It's not crowded and there's a great panoramic view of Paris with the Eiffel Tower in it! Visit their official website for more information.

4) composter (to stamp a ticket) [koh(m)-poh-stay]

If you're traveling anywhere on a train (not the metro or RER lines), you will almost always need to validate your ticket ("composter") right before getting on the train. You can do this by just putting your paper ticket into the slot in one of the little yellow/orange SNCF machines that you'll see all over the train station. It'll make a fun little stamping noise, and you're done! Take out your ticket, get on the train and enjoy your trip. If you don't validate, you could get fined by the conductor on the train when they come by to check your ticket. When in doubt about what to do in order to validate, just watch the French locals (surreptitiously, of course) and do what they do. (SHAINA)


June 7, 2007