Thanks to the policy of the Paris City Council, the bicycle is gaining ground. On top of the 200 km of bicycle lanes, the additional 70 km of bus lanes are also accessible to cyclists.

Near to the main train stations and the principal tourist routes, you’ll find companies renting bicycles for a day, a weekend or a week. (cf. list beliow)

Regularly serviced, sometimes equipped with baskets or with child seats, bicycles can be hired at one agency and returned to another of the same chain. Be careful though, Paris is not like Amsterdam and some thoroughfares are not exclusively reserved for bicycles.

Cycling routes and rules

On Sundays and public holidays, some of the Seine expressways and canal roads are reserved exclusively for pedestrians, cyclists and rollerbladers as part of the “Paris Respire” (“Paris Breathes”) campaign. However, if you want to breeze along happily with your nose in the air, make sure you keep in mind the highway code (fines are always possible), and don’t forget the necessary equipment: bell, 2 brakes, sidelights and insurance. The wearing of helmets is strongly recommended. And get yourself a good anti-theft device.

Rollerblading safely

For rollerblading, on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons enthusiasts get together for an enjoyable trip across Paris on skates. Current regulations oblige you to stay on the pavements: you are considered to be a pedestrian and so you have to wait at the traffic lights to cross!

As you’ll be travelling at around 15 km/h (9/10mph), be extremely careful, avoid bumping into any pedestrians or cars and be sure that your civil liability insurance covers any damage you might cause. In boutiques, you will be asked to take off your skates while you do your shopping.

Organized trips :

• Friday evenings for competent skaters, meet at 10pm, place Raoul Dautry in Montparnasse – 75014

• Sunday afternoons, for beginners, meet at 2pm, boulevard Bourdon at Bastille - 75004

Where practice rollerblading?

1er arrondissement : place du Palais-Royal - M° Palais-Royal

2e arrondissement : place de la Bourse - M° Bourse

4e arrondissement : pont Saint-Louis - M° Pont-Marie

4e arrondissement : place de la Bastille (côté Arsenal) - M° Bastille

7e arrondissement : esplanade des Invalides (dalle Ouest) - M° Invalides

11e arrondissement : terre-plein central du boulevard Richard-Lenoir - Métros de Bastille à Richard-Lenoir

12e arrondissement :cour Châlon - M° Gare de Lyon

16e arrondissement : Jardins du Trocadéro - M° Trocadéro

16e arrondissement : allée de la reine Marguerite (bois de Boulogne uniquement le week-end) - M° Porte Dauphine

16e arrondissement : avenue de Saint-Cloud (bois de Boulogne) - M° Porte Dauphine

19e arrondissement : esplanade du Zénith, parc de la Villette - M° Porte de Pantin