Best metro/subway/tube system in the world....

[marmar]

I posted a poll in GD about how many people commute via mass transit, and it got me thinking about my favorite transit systems from my travels. I've experienced lots of great ones, and picking is tough, but I think I'll go with Paris', because it seems that you're never more than a few blocks from a metro station, it's unbelievably easy to use, and it's fightening how frequent the trains are on every line.

My top 5:

1. Paris 2. Berlin 3. Washington DC 4. Madrid 5. New York

What's your favorite? :think:

[Longhorn]

1. I've only experienced two, Boston and Munich.

I traveled both as a tourist from point A to point B -- not as a commuter, though I did make some transfers. I was impressed with both of them!

[marmar]

2. How was Munich, the city?

I've been to Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg, but never to Munich.

[Longhorn]

3. We really enjoyed Munich!

It seemed like a great city. Bike paths everywhere. Lots of castles and interesting buildings. We took the bus, then the subway, to the Olympic stadium where they were showing the semifinals of the World Cup on a big screen TV. The stadium was packed with fans and after Germany won, they had a fireworks show. It was a lot of fun to be a part of that. There were about a dozen of us and our guide got us a group rate on the subway so the entire round trip only cost $2 apiece!

We also enjoyed the beer of the entire Bavarian region. I am now a big fan of "hefeweisen" or wheat beer. We spent three days in Munich and would love to go back for more. It's the only big German city I've spent much time in, other than Frankfurt.

[GoneOffShore]

4. My experience is limited to 6 cities

Philadelpha, New York, DC, Paris, London, SF and Montreal.

To rank them
1 - Paris
2 - London
3 - New York
4 - Montreal
5 - DC
6 - Philadelphia

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. I've experienced

the subways of four cities in Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Yokohama, and Osaka), as well as London, New York, and Chicago.

To my mind, the Japanese subways so far outshine the ones in London, New York, and Chicago that they hardly even seem like the same mode of transportation: clean well-lit stations and trains, constantly updated facilities, frequent service (every three mins during rush hour), and no crime problems.

[Eurobabe]

6. Munich is by far one of the best

This is the second time I've lived here, and they have tons of new trains, S-bahn and U-bahns, & trams. They always invest in their infrastructure, unlike some places..:mad:

[fudge stripe cookays]

7. I've experienced three

Paris (when I was 16, and the teacher was doing all the navigational work) soI barely remember it, DC, and Boston.

Boston's was very cool for a newbie just trying to get around. I'm from Texas, and we don't have REAL mass transit here, where you can get anywhere in a city from a train. But I was unused to the stairs in and out of the stations, and by the end of 4 days of sightseeing, I could barely walk. My shins were literally SCREAMING.

So I'll have to go with DC because they have escalators into the tube.

[mark414]

8. i've only used it in the states

New York, DC, Boston, Chicago, LA and San Francisco

i like NYC because it is so easy to learn - the first time i went there i had it figured out in 2 days, so i always have a great time when i go to new york because i don't get lost. but i'm kind of fond of san francisco. i used to live there and i miss the place, so it's mostly nostalgia. my only complaint is there are no trains that go to north beach (minus the cable cars)...but oh well

subways in general are pretty fantastic