By Here is a listing from Virgin-vacations of the top subway systems in the world. Here is how the Top 11 came out:
1.London, England
2. Paris, France
3. Moscow, Russia
4. Madrid, Spain
5. Tokyo, Japan
6. Seoul, Korea
7. New York, USA
8. Montreal, Canada
9. Beijing, China
10. Hong Kong, China
11. Sao Paulo, Brazil
I have not been on any of the subways in Europe so I’m not sure if they are better than Tokyo’s or Seoul’s system, but I have been on the New York City subway and I found Tokyo’s and Seoul’s systems to be much superior. I also find Seoul’s subway to be superior to Tokyo’s just slightly due to cost and easier for foreigners to understand. Maybe some of my commenters can answer if the European subways are far superior than Seoul’s or Tokyo’s subways?Â
HT: Durf
1:41 am on March 9th, 2007 1
I only had 2 days experience in Paris, and that was 12 years ago and before I saw Korea's. My memory is of it as just older looking that Seoul's but like you would expect a subway to be.
Tokyo's seemed brighter and clearner than in general in Korea, but I didn't like it much at all due to the cost and confusion – especially the cost…which is something I didn't like about Tokyo overall.
I am a more practicle kind of person. I don't need all the frills and special touches – unless it is comfortable seating and ample vending machines or places to get a snack or even meal.
One of the things I loved about Korea and miss is the abundant, cheap transportation.
Life in the rural and semi-rural and even suburbs (pretty much everywhere except the big cities that have public transportation) would be a lot better and productive and convienent if we had the same kind of taxis, buses, and trains as South Korea…
2:58 am on March 9th, 2007 2
Just a little heads up for those riding the subways in Japan. For tourists there are passes that you can buy that significantly reduce the cost of getting around the system in most major cities. In Osaka, the Kansai Thrupass is available…the 3 day pass costs about 50usd and it allows total freedom on the buses and subways in Osaka, Nara, and Kobe areas. If you are doing the sightseeing thing, it's a must and you can buy them in all of the usual arrival areas (ferry, airport, train stations, etc.) I don't know the specifics on the Tokyo system but I am sure they have one.
The train system in japan also has a "eurail" type pass available too for a pretty big savings.
5:13 am on March 9th, 2007 3
I would rate Seoul's above Tokyo's only because you do not run the risk of having to pay an additional fare if you change subway lines in Seoul. Taipei's is also nice, but nowhere near as extensive as those listed.
5:51 am on March 9th, 2007 4
I think fencerider is refering to the JRpass in Japan. The JRpass allows foreigners unlimited access to JR owned trains and subways in Japan for either 7, 14, or 21 day periods if I remember correctly.
I used this pass the last time I was in Japan and it saved me a lot of money traveling around the country. However, it did not cover the entire Tokyo subway system, just the JR owned portion which was the Yamamnote? line if I remember correctly. That line looped around Tokyo and got me to just about all the major tourist areas. Highly recommend the pass if you plan on traveling around Japan for an extended period of time.
What I found most frustrating about Japan both the trains and the subways was that many stations only had the Japanese kanji and no English. In Korea just about every train and subway station has english which makes using the system easier for foreigners.
8:45 am on March 9th, 2007 5
I've heard many people mention difficulty finding English signs in Tokyo's subway system, but through my personal experiences I've yet to see one that doesn't have English.
I've only been going to Japan for the last 4 years or so, so I can only speak of the situation in the recent years, but is it possible that these experiences are from much longer ago?
If anyone remembers more details as to where they saw the signs that didn't have English (however if there was no English, it's possible you didn't know where you were
) please share the location. But at least for the actual subways in Tokyo (and all ground level trains too really), there shouldn't be a station that doesn't have English on it.
9:34 am on March 9th, 2007 6
The last time I was on a Tokyo subway was in 2005 and the major subway stations had English signs but the smaller ones did not and if they did they were small and not very obvious compared to Seoul where every station has english and are very obvious and easily seen.
7:41 pm on March 9th, 2007 7
I thought the Seoul subway was better than the ones in either London or Paris.
And I thought for sure we’d see the Pyongyang Metro on that list…
8:33 pm on March 9th, 2007 8
Ah yes, how can anyone possibly overlook the Pyongyang Metrol. LOL
1:08 am on March 10th, 2007 9
I can't remember well to Seoul in 1996……if the English signs were always around or not……I do seem to remember that by 2000 – the subway stops looked newer (after renovation) and cleaner, but they really weren't "dirty" to me when I first arrived. They just looked a little old.
Of course, I refused to use the restrooms until 2000 or 2002 – because I wasn't going to squat…
But, as far a signs, Korea's writing system was so easy to memorize, even if the maps and signs didn't have English, you could sound out the names.
1:20 am on March 10th, 2007 10
Lirelou wrote:
"I would rate Seoul’s above Tokyo’s only because you do not run the risk of having to pay an additional fare if you change subway lines in Seoul. Taipei’s is also nice, but nowhere near as extensive as those listed."
Not to mention the hassle of buying the wrong ticket and having to get it refunded.
I'm surprised Beijing's subway system rated so highly. It's reasonably clean, but very limited in service to just one ring and an intersecting line. They are working on expanding service, but coverage is nowhere near as extensive as the other cities listed. Hong Kong's subway system is definitely superior to Beijing's.
1:23 am on March 10th, 2007 11
USinKorea wrote:
"But, as far a signs, Korea’s writing system was so easy to memorize, even if the maps and signs didn’t have English, you could sound out the names."
How many foreigners besides myself learned to read Hangeul by matching Korean and English letters on the large, round bilingual signboards in every station?
8:10 am on March 10th, 2007 12
Looking at the top 5, I'm guessing one of the criteria for determining the World's Best Subway was not Possibility of Dying in a Terrorist Bombing or Gas Attack.
Seoul gets higher marks than the others in that category.
When I travel to places with little English, I make .jpg files with words like "airport" in the local language and upload them to my digital camera. This sure helps getting around even if there are no English signs or speakers.
Trying to get a stranger to look at your camera can be a bit confusing but once they do, it never fails to delight them when they see what you are doing. Everyone is always helpful.
J!
8:31 am on March 10th, 2007 13
In France, and this was before I went to Korea, though I could read French, to make sure I got on the right trains or was going in the right direction, I'd look any Asian from late teens to late 30s who looked like a tourist too – and I'd ask them in English what was what. —– I knew all the northeast Asian nations made English mandatory in schools. Worked everytime I tried it…
8:08 pm on March 10th, 2007 14
I guess in my time in Japan I've never managed to go to a small enough place to not have English on the sings. I think if it's that small, it's too small to even have a subway station?
I guess I just find it hard to believe that everyone claims to has found a station labeling marker in TOKYO that doesn't have the name also written in English because I have yet to find one — and I think I've been to every place someone traveling in Tokyo would go, plus many places more.
However if you get outside of Tokyo to the country side, then you won't find English names on all the stations, but those places wont have subway service to begin with, only above ground rail. That's the only time I've ever seen a station name without English on it, but that wasn't a subway.
I don't know about the subways in Oosaka and Kyoto though, only Tokyo.
3:43 am on March 12th, 2007 15
In Japan you might not find English on the signs in some country stations. However, in my experiencel, you will find that the locals are polite and friendly and will try to help you if you simply walk up to the nearest subway official and look lost.
I once asked a stranger waiting on a train near Sapporo which way to go for the station I was looking for and since he did not know, he suddenly ran to the top of the subway entrance leaving me on the platform and got a subway official to come down and help me out.
5:12 am on March 12th, 2007 16
Yes definitely in Japan as well as Korea people have been very friendly and helpful with questions regarding using the trains and subways. In both countries I have never had a problem with receiving help either from people on the train or from officials.
7:26 am on March 13th, 2007 17
I've travelled on all the first 7 listed and I would rate Seoul as the top in terms
of speed, comfort, facilities, cost, environment, ease of use,reliablity and interoperability with buses.
However the virgin piece does not actually list what criteria they are using to rank
them, and just seems to have come up with : gee here are 11 big subway systems!
Some of the Moscow stations are truely incredible works of art with murals, lighting and paintwork in amazing colours and detail.
London's Underground in comparison has tiny trains, no air con, no toilets at stations, can't use mobile phones, often delays, clapped out shabby stations ( though that is improving these days) ,very expensive, complicated fare rules when trying to interchange with the overground rail network, very very little foreign language signs or help ( though that is improving with the new ticket machines) and interchange with buses only works if you have a "travelcard", a concept that does not exist here in Seoul.
You show a Korean a average London station and they will laugh at how small and shabby it is.
Still London was the first underground railway in the world, and those tunnels are still in daily use today ( between Kings Cross and Baker Street )
11:38 am on March 13th, 2007 18
Jon thanks for the info. I had a feeling that this list had Euro centric bias since it came from Virgin and your comment seems to confirm that.
3:45 pm on March 13th, 2007 19
I don't know what ignorant homebody made that list… but everyone who is Anyone well knows the best subway in the world is in Serfaus.
The route map is incredibly well organized and very easy to understand. All areas of the city are within walking distance of a subway stop. The stops are ultra-clean and reasonably modern.
The subway itself runs on an air cushion like a hovercraft so the ride is incredibly smooth and vibration-free.
The price is also much, much, much more reasonable than every other subway on the list.
J!
10:19 pm on March 13th, 2007 20
Chickenhead, that is pretty funny. I guess the route map would be easy to understand.
If anyone doesn't know what he is talking about check here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serfaus