Getting around Paris

GETTING AROUND PARIS

Central Paris is compact. The best way to get around is to walk.

Cycling and in-line skating are increasingly popular with Parisians and tourists alike but they are not

without risk. Visitors unfamiliar with the motoring code and undisciplined French driving need to take care. Driving a car in the city center can be an unpleasant experience. Traffic is often heavy, there are many one-way streets, and parking is notoriously difficult and expensive. The bus, metro, and RER train system operated by the RATP makes getting around Paris cheap and easy. The city is divided into five travel zones: zones 1 and 2 corresponding to the center and zones 3, 4, and 5 to the

suburbs and the airport. The city is also divided into 20 arrondissements, which will help visitors in their search for addresses.

WALKING IN PARIS

Australian, British, Irish, and New Zealand visitors need to remember that cars drive on

the right-hand side of the road. There are many two-stage road crossings where pedestrians wait on an island in the center of the road before proceeding. These are marked piétons traversez en deux temps. Walking tours are cited in the weekly listings magazines.

CYCLING IN PARIS

Paris is an excellent city for cyclists. It’s reasonably flat, manageably small, has many backstreets where car traffic is restricted, and about 90 miles (150 km) of cycle lanes (pistes cyclables). Parisian motorists are increasingly respectful of cyclists as more and more of their fellow citizens turn to two wheels.

Vélib’ is the self-service bike scheme for Paris and offers both residents and visitors the cheapest way of getting around the city. Bike stands are found every 330 yards (300 meters) and payment is

by credit card at the access terminals, which operate in eight different languages. Bicycles (apart from Vélib’ ones) may be taken on SNCF trains, and suburban stations rent bicycles. There are bicycle shops throughout Paris, and many also organize guided tours. Fat Tire Bike Tours offers tours in English, departing from near the Eiffel Tower, as do Paris Bike Tour, in the Marais, and others.

DRIVING IN PARIS

Though driving and parking can be difficult in central Paris, a rental car can be

useful for visiting outlying areas. To rent a car, a valid driver’s license and passport are required (most firms also require one major credit card). For payment by cheque or cash, additional

ID may be required (including air tickets and credit cards). International driver’s licenses are not

needed for drivers from the EU, North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Cars drive on the right- hand side of the road and must yield to traffic merging from the right, even on thoroughfares, unless marked by a priorité sign, which indicates right of way.

Cars on a rotary usually have right of way, though one exception is the Arc de Triomphe where cars yield to traffic from the right – one of Paris’s most hair-raising experiences!

PARKING

Parking in Paris is difficult and expensive. Never park where there are Parking (Stationnement) Interdit signs. Park only in areas with a large “P” or a Parking Payant sign on the sidewalk or road,

and pay at the horodateur machine. For towed or booted cars, phone or go to the nearest police station (Commissariat de Police).

For towing there is a fine, plus a fee for each day the car is held. There are 7 car pounds (perfourrières) in Paris, where cars are kept for 48 hours, then sent to outlying long-term garages (fourrières).

Tourism of France

Monday, April 4, 2016

Getting around Paris

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