kerouac

I know that a lot of people are terrified of driving in Paris, especially when I see people saying they are planning on renting a car at one of the airports or taking the train a hundred or more kilometers just to avoid the horror of Paris.

Well, I have never owned a car, but I have done most of the driving in my life in Paris and just do not have a problem with it. Yes, it is scary the first time you drive around the Arc de Triomphe, but once you have survived it the first time, you see that all of the cars (well, 90% of them) are behaving normally and respecting the normal traffic rules, such as priority to the right and using turn signals.

It really isn't such a big deal. I absolutely would not want to drive to work every day, but some of my colleagues do and very much prefer it to public transportation (whereas I very much like to be able to read my newspaper or a book during my 25 minutes).

Anyway, today I drove to and from work, and here is my report about it: http://tinyurl.com/ksut4c

In terms of travel time, I saved about 10 minutes over the metro in the morning and lost about 20 minutes in the evening. And of course, I left a terrible carbon imprint over the city. Sorry!

Texasgal2

You haven't seen me drive, just saying!

We have those round-abouts here, my best advice is you enter on one side then use centrifical force to propel you to the other side. See, it's fun for me and my fellow motorists!

Michel_Paris

My first rental ever in Europe was pick-up on Rue Rivoli, heading to the Loire. I drove into Place de la Concorde and the excitement started since thee we no lines n the roads, cars coming form everywhere, so I just pointed and went. part of the issue is not having planned too well my route (want to go South). In my case, French is not an issue, so it was more being geographically challenged. So I stopped regularly and re-synchronized.

That was one trip were I got lost several times (including once that led me to Fontainebleau..yay)....that made the trip that much more memorable.

In 2007 I drove in Istanbul. I now feel I've graduated

FrankS

kerouac,
INTL househunters(TV program) has a new episode and they have a young professional buying his 1st apt in Paris(in the 15th). He said he loved it all but the commute(he commutes by car to the financial district)I cant understand why he still drives a car since his new place ais next to a metro stop.

kerouac

Some people have some sort of psychological need to "control" their transportation.

cathies

Hi the issue for us Australians is not so much that it's city driving but that we have to factor in that we are on the 'wrong' side of the road and that the driver is sitting on the other side of the car, this also means the gear stick, handbrake and rear mirror are reversed as well. Added to that traffic is bearing down from the opposite direction from usual. Really too scary for words!!

flanneruk

" Really too scary for words!!"

Only if you're inarticulate.

Get a grip, for crying out loud.

What IS it about all these wooses in the New World?

Yes, they speak French in France, roads in their cities are a bit crowded and they drive on the wrong side. So what?

Paris traffic - just like traffic in most of Europe's major cities -is generally far too disciplined, and its drivers far too concerned with their own safety, to justify any of the absurd whines we get from New World scardey cats every time this subject comes up.

If you're a bad, inattentive driver with slow reaction times, it might well be safest for everyone if you reserve your incompetence for driving in the sleepier suburbs of Adelaide.

But if you switch your brain on and concentrate, driving in Paris or the bits of Rome you can easily get into is just as painless as driving in London.

Now surely even the most self-indulgent whingers among you aren't going to admit to such complete absence of moral fibre as to avoid driving in London?

Or does living in these hot countries fry your brains completely?

cathies

Really Flanneruk, what's up with you today???

Did you miss the bit about being on the opposite side of the car and the road?

I didn't say that it was to do with the volume of traffic etc. I drive here in Sydney (not Adelaide) and cope perfectly well. If I stayed in London for long enough to know my way about I'd drive, but otherwise probably not. Why would I bother??? I'll continue to use that fabulous underground.

You get a grip you grumpy old thing.....

Vientianeboy

I am Australian and have no problems getting straight off a plane and into a hire car; it doesn't matter which side of the road you drive on. It is hardly "too scary for words".
Anyway, once you have driven in Laos, you can drive anywhere.

cathies

Oh whatever!!! If Fodor's allowed swearing I would tell you both to f.... off. But as I can't, I won't.

Kerouac, I loved your photographic essay, as I suspected Paris is still gorgeous even in peak hour traffic. Thank you again for sharing your Paris with us.

lauralamb

I guess if you know and follow the rules of the road, driving in the UK and Europe shouldn't be that much of a problem. Most people seem to get used to driving on 'the other side of the road' pretty quickly.

cathies

I give up. My post was meant as an innocent observation.

Kerouac, I'm so sorry that my post has diverted attention from your post. Hopefully it can get back on track.

FrankS

France suffers from more than traffic, language and traffic rules. The stereotypical French attitude can get in the way too
(From the NYPOST)

""Life is a two-way street in these Paris suburbs -- but that's the problem.

The feuding mayors of neighboring towns have each declared the same street one-way -- in opposite directions.

With contradictory road signs in place, police had to station officers to sort out the chaos that ensued""

TPaxe

With the Velib bikes, the fantastic bus system, metro, RER network and walking around, why in the hell would someone want to pollute Paris by driving around the city. Ridiculous and stupid people do I guess.

Seamus

I learned to drive a stick in San Francisco, have driven a van through Manhattan at midday, savored sailing along German autobahns, even drove a Datsun with no AC or radio solo from SoCal to the East Coast (the highway hallucinations kicked in just outside El Paso.) In Paris, I take public transport or taxi/car service.

Nikki

I drive in New York. I drive in Boston, which is far worse. I would probably drive in Paris. The two cities I have visited in which I will never drive are London and Rome.

Signed,
A Self-Indulgent Whinging Woos (sp?)

kerouac

I have driven on the wrong side of the road a few times myself -- Mauritius, Malta, South Africa... and Australia (twice). I even drove from Sydney to Cairns and survived.

avalon

Try driving in Florida in the winter, with all the UKers not knowing which side of the road they are on, the other tourists in a hurry to get somewhere and slowing down to read every sign, the people that don't read English and are going by the seat of their pants, and the regular commuters who should have left 10 minutes earlier!

crefloors

I wish I didn't have to own a car. Thanks for the tour kerouac. I was thinking how lucky you are to live in Paris while looking at your pictures. I can't believe it's been three years already since my last visit.

cathies

Kerouac, Sydney to Cairns is a huge drive, no matter which side of the road you are on. I take my hat off to you!!