The new communal bike scheme operating since July 2007 is fantastic! Easy to use (once you get the hang of the terminals) you can cycle around Paris and cover far more ground than on foot and get a better view than you would by bus or car or metro!
There are over 10,000 bikes which are very solid and adjustable, and numerous 'bornes' or terminals where you can pick up and drop off.
You can get a day ticket for one euro and, provided you drop off each bike within half an hour of pick up, it won't cost any more. You can pick up and drop off as many times as you want within the 24 hour period. There are plenty of cycle lanes and, provided you have some road sense, it's a safe, interesting, very cheap and much healthier way to get to know Paris.
Mairie de Paris say there have been more than 2 million individual hires in the first 39 days of operating. Vive le velo! / Get on a bike!
Terminals all over central Paris. Go to www.velib.paris.fr/
It's a great idea - just don't cycle on the pavements (as many Parisiens seem to do) as you are putting disabled people and children at risk. Try to use the cycle lanes or quieter back streets.
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Search Been there
1. The login points are fairly tricky to use.
2. Parisian drivers are uncompromising and it can be lethal especially near the centre.
and the main problem...
3. The usage is not very high yet and so you are likely to arrive at your destination only to find that all of the bike stands are full and there is no way of getting rid of your bike. While you wait around for a somebody to hire a bike or try to find another station nearby, the clock is ticking at the rate of one euro per half hour.
They need to make it simpler for tourists who don't have Navigo cards and they need to reduce the number of bikes a little to provide more return spaces at the stations.
It will all be easier when there are more cycle ways and Paris finally introduces congestion charging!