ÏàƬ¼¯

Since Paris is such a compact city (roughly 6 miles across), much of it can be covered on foot — especially the primary sightseeing spots in the city's center. There will be times, however, when a métro or bus ride is unavoidable. While the engineer Fulgence Bienvenüe was in charge of construction, architect Hector Guimard is credited for the charming and elaborately sculpted Art Nouveau entrances. The system boasts 211 km (131 miles) of track and 16 lines, shuttling 3500 cars on a precise schedule between 298 stations (not including RER stations), 87 of these offering connections between lines. It is said that every building in Paris is within 500 meters (3/10 mile) of a métro station. Roughly 6 million people per day patronize the métro, which employs over 15,000.