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Biking around Paris
Velib' ride a bike in Paris for the first half hour free -- read the article
The
website for le Mairie de Paris (mayor's office) provides a map that you can
download with all of the official bike paths in the city. Follow the link that
says "Télécharger".
Take a
Paris boat tour on a bike?!
Bike ride
along the Seine
Bike rental in the Bois de Boulogne
Maison Roue Libre
Open everyday from 9am to 7pm.
For current rental rates visit the
Roue Libre tariffs
website.
The
Roue Libre
guided tours page has not been updated for 2007. You can get an idea of
what they will offer by visiting the
French web page
.
The
English pages
gives you an idea of what was offered in 2006 in English.
Either reserve on line or go in person. Sign up for a guided tour
or just the bike.
The Maison Roue Libre has three main, permanent
locations and 15 other locations?:
Les Halles
1, passage Mondétour
(at the angle of rue Rambuteau and rue Mondétour, 1st arrondissment, metro Les
Halles)
Bastille
37 boulevard Bourdon, 75004, metro Bastille).
Razan Bike 3
3, Rue d'Alésia 75014
When you rent a bike at Maison Roue Libre, you
can pick up a Paris bike map for free.
If you visit the Paris City Hall
website you can download a pdf (Acrobat) format map of the Paris routes.
The "Cyclobus" parked near to the "Hôtel de Ville"
(Avenue Victoria), in the bois de Vincennes (esplanade of the château) and at
the porte d'Auteuil (Bus station RATP) will offer a cycle hire service on
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.-- Source: Paris Tourist Office
Fat Tire Bike Tours
In Paris, we are proud to report our tremendous growth (we're the
largest independent bicycle tour company in Europe!) and to offer you our tours:
Paris by Day & Night, Versailles, Monet's Gardens in Normandy and our Segway
Tours of Paris by Day & Night.
Biking in and around Paris
The following
information comes from the
Paris-Ile-de-France official tourist website and the
Paris Tourist Office website:
Roue Libre is the RATP (Paris
transportation company). They have two main "points
de location" for rental, Les Halles and Bastille. They are open
from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
I can highly
recommend this personal way to see Paris. For tips and a tour read all
about
our experience about
our bike ride along the Seine.
We rented bikes from
their office at the Bastille. The bikes come with a lock (before you
leave, I would recommend learning the trick to using the lock so that
when you stop, you don't have to practice, you already know). A one day
weekend rental is 14 euros (weekdays is 9 euros). You can borrow a
basket (panier).
When you rent a bike at Maison Roue Libre, you
can pick up a Paris bike map for free.
If you visit the Paris City Hall
website you can download a pdf (Acrobat) format map of the Paris routes.
Their
"cyclobus"
is located at Bois de
Vincennes (Esplanade Saint Louis) and is only open on Sundays and bank
holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
They have different formulas for longer than a day rentals. The minimum
rental is one hour. Their English website is under construction, but the
French will give the addresses of the 15 locations for renting -- click
on the "Points de Location" link on their
website.
Guided tours
in English are available. Their brochures are in French and English.
Bastille,
37 boulevard Bourdon, Paris 4th arrondissement
Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday -- check December and January times (100
to 150 bikes available -- including children's and tandems). As anywhere,
you are required to leave a refundable deposit (credit card impression)
and a piece of identification (bring a picture ID that you will not need
immediately).
Free Bike
Tour
Every third Sunday of the month,
a city bike tour
begins at 11 a.m. and arrives back at the Hôtel de Ville at 1:30 p.m. The
Association Paris Rando
Vélo (rando is short for randonnée) provides information on the next
trip (under the title Les prochaines balades, click on either
"vendredi soir" -- Friday night; or "3éme dimanche du mois" --
third Sunday of the month).
Go to the
Paris Rando Velo website/Parcours for a list of dates, map and list
of highlights.
As an example,
for a Friday night in August, you the Hôtel de Ville at 10 p.m. and
arrive back at the Hôtel de Ville at 12:30 a.m. The trip takes 2 1/2
hours.
You can rent
your bike at the Roue Libre Châtelet office until 7 p.m. or at the Vinci
rue Lobeau parking garage for the duration of the "rando" activity for
10 euros. Rental is guaranteed at the Châtelet location; however, only
30 bikes are available and they do not take reservations.
In case of
rain and slippery streets, the randonnée will be cancelled.
Fat Tire
Bike Tours - Paris
24, rue Edgar Faure, 15th arrondissement
Metro: Dupleix - 01 56 58 10 54
guided tours of Paris (day and night)
Paris Bike Tour
- guided
tours in French, English and German with licensed guides (29 euros) 103
rue Villiers de l'Isle Adam, 20th arrondissement (deliver bikes to your
hotel) 01 53 39 13 14
Holiday Bikes - Agence Foch
Etoile, includes scooters and motorcycles
8 avenue Foch,
16th arrondissement 01 45 00 06 66
Paris à vélo,
c'est sympa! (Paris on a bike; it's fun!) - website in English
22, rue
Alphonse Baudin, 11th arrondissement, 01 48 87 60 01 - Tours in French
and English; Dutch, German, Italian and Spanish upon request.
Their themes:
Heart of Paris, Paris Nocturne (evening), Unusual Paris, Paris
Contrasts, Paris at dawn, Day-long tours.
Bike rental in the Bois de
Boulogne
Paris cycles rents bikes for adults and children for your visit to
the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes.
When you take the Line No. 1, exit the
metro at Les Sablons (front of the train),
walk along the Boulevard des Sablons to the roundabout. You will see
the bikes to the left and the Jardin d'Acclimatation will remain on your
right.
You leave a piece of identification and
take off through 25 km of forest.
Many of the trees were destroyed by the
storm of 1999 (la tempête à 1999 - the same that took out many of
the trees at Versailles) and since 2001 are being replanted. The history
of the Bois is available on the
Paris mayor's website in French. It began as a royal hunting ground
in the 600s. It was ceded to the State in 1848 and to the city of Paris
in 1852.
For the latest rates visit the
Paris Cycles website. They are available between April 15 and
October 16 every year from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Wednesdays, Saturdays
and Sundays and school holidays between 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
It is hard to see the park in an hour so
count at least 4 hours and maximum 8 hours. The difference in price is 2
euros.
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May 2008
