Biking in Paris

Biking in Paris may appear daunting; we have all seen the heavy traffic, you may already know about the confusing ‘priorité à droite’ (those coming from the right have priority, often when you least expect it), and there are plenty of scary stories about the roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe! But so long as you know the rules and stick to the safe roads and cycle routes biking can be a fun and liberating way to see Paris.

For short hops around town you can’t do much better than a velib. This urban bike rental scheme, the name appropriately meaning bicycle freedom (vélo-liberté), was launched in 2007 and has become a default transport option for both Parisians and tourists ever since. It has arguably made Paris a far more bike aware city. There are hundreds of Velib stations distributed around Paris which allow you to use a credit card to buy a daily or weekly subscription.
 Always check the bike briefly before selecting it at the docking station. Flat tyres, missing chains, handle bars that are not straight can all be an issue.

If you want to go further afield, or if you just plan to keep a bike for a few hours or even a few days, we would recommend the more traditional bike rental shops. There are likely to be various options around the area of your stay but here are some places to try.