Paris Transport Velib Bicycle
Paris public transport - fantastic solution!
For Paris transport Velib is the flavour of the month. The Vélib is a fabulous sturdy grey bicycle which Parisians can hire from 300 Metro stations, and it has become a common sight on the city's streets.
Since July 2007, one in five Parisians have used the Vélib bicycles, and have made more than 3 million Vélib journeys so far up to mid-September - that's amazing! At any moment in time, approximately 14,000 Vélib bicycles are available, and their popularity has given rise to an entirely new subculture.
To be honest, a few problems have arisen - there are too many bikes dropped off in the south of Paris and too few are returned to hilly Montmartre [for obvious reasons - who wants to ride uphill?] but vélibobos [those who ride Vélibs] are readily exchanging various tips on websites which have now cropped up, to help each other out.
Just in case you're wondering, the word VELIB comes from the French words VELO and LIBERTE [bike and freedom].
New words are appearing in French slang ...
are you a vélibeur or vélibiste?
The new VELIB website is currently working on providing info in English and Spanish as well as French, but those pages aren't quite ready yet:
French : http://www.velib.paris.fr
English : http://www.en.velib.paris.fr
Spanish : http://www.es.velib.paris.fr
In the meantime, I've created a link with translates the French site into English - not very well, but it will give you an idea :-)
Velib website translated on-the-fly to English
Where do I find a Velib bicycle in Paris?
Outside most Parisian metro stations you will find the Velib parking area. To find exactly where the Velibs can be found, visit the Velib website and click the Map of Paris in the top left corner, or click the map here.
TIP! Carry a 'Plan de Paris' [a mini street directory, fits in a pocket or a handbag], to find ALL the metro stops. You should have a map of some kind on you, as well as a Paris metro guide, to find your way around this city so easily.
Related Links:
How do I make a complaint about Velib in Paris? >>
Other Paris transport system options
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