As a tourist in Paris, chances are that you'll be taking the metro at least a couple of times. Don't get me wrong, buses are great and all that, but sometimes the speed and simplicity of the metro just wins through.

So, hardy traveller, meet your new carriage - the MF 2000 - revealed today by the RATP, the guys that run the Paris transport system. Replacing old trains from the 70s, it is to be introduced slowly onto lines 2, 5 & 9 between now and, er, 2016. So what's new? Well...

- there are no doors between the carriages, meaning you can move freely along inside the whole train. Good when the train's packed or there's a drunk bloke next to you.

- wider doors with automatic opening (no more tugging those grimy handles), larger windows and larger seats with new modern material (think Paul Smith on a budget).

- air conditioning, sort of; the air temperature will be brought down a couple of degrees to make the atmosphere more comfortable (more ecologically sound than full air conditioning).

- Bad news: there are slightly fewer seats. Good news: this makes getting in, out and through the train simpler.

- A flashing signal and voice announcement make sure you know which station you are arriving at.

- Bad news: the train has a maximum speed of 70 km/h instead of 100 km/h. Good news: this makes the trains consume less electricity and they are able to accelerate faster than the old trains, better adapted to the short distances between Parisian metro stations.

- all in all, the new trains should consume 30% less electricity than the old trains. Yes!

161 trains are currently being prepared, with the first already running on line 2 and a second arriving next week. Get ready for a futuristic travelling experience! (P.S. you've got plenty of time to get to know them, as the trains are designed to run for forty years....)

There a few more photos here if you fancy a look...
Hotel Paris