Non chip card holders -- Vélib in Paris is now accessible
 

You can now purchase the 1-day and 7-day bicycle passes over the web with your credit card.

Information here: www.en.velib.paris.fr/abonnements_et_tarifs

Merci Kerouac for always keeping us informed. Even though I won't be returning to Paris until February, I read Fodor's almost daily to get my French "fix". I, for one, appreciate your imput.

thank you so much!!! we have been eager to try this system when in paris next month. of course, the website is in french and it is difficult for me to translate. any help would be appreciated. does anyone know if there are actual bike paths in paris now. are there traffic oddities that we should be concerned about? this is a fabulous idea. hope it comes to the U.S. soon!!!!

I was looking something up on Pagesjaunes tonight and see the Velib locations are shown on the maps. Little purple circles with a V in them. Gotta love it!

My husband and I want to use Vélib when we're in Paris next week. But, we're wondering if the French wear helmets like we do in Canada?

It is recommended but not obligatory. I must admit that I only use mine when the streets are wet, which is ridiculous.

Thanks for the information, kerouac! It's too late for my trip, but I'll definitely be back and happy to be able to use the bikes.

Has anyone actually purhcased the short-term pass from the Vélib website? I can't seem to find the actual page where I would enter my cc details. If you've been successful with this, please post the link! Much appreciated!

I only wish they had bikes with baby seats! I'd love to use this when we visit next month but alas, our toddler will be with us!

bkmg

Why was my contrite disclaimer removed?

I called Vélib and they said that in spite of the English website information, they are not ready yet to accept non chip cards on the web. And the person I talked to did not know when they will be able to.

I just don't see much use for the average tourist with the bikes. Biking in Paris seems no picnique - yeh there's bike lanes painted on the roads but cars and delivery vans seem to park in them.

Just don't see the usefulness but perhaps the novelty for someone who knows Paris really well

I've biked all over France and an a big bike booster but after biking a lot in Paris i just don't find it relaxing.

I don't think tourists should be using it, either. I would think they would be worried about liabilities for lots of people who didn't live there (as well as just inventory, as the point of the program is for residents, not to provide cheap joy rides for tourists who can easily rent a bicycle from a bicycle rental company if they want to). I mean them ruining the bikes or not returning them properly. Also, a lot of tourists such as above don't know the rules and don't know the city and can't read signs.

There aren't really bike paths in cities, but there are some streets with bicycle lanes. Riding bikes in any major metropolitan area is often not that relaxing, nor even that healthy (due to the pollution).

I notice on the Velib website they seem to limit the purchase of a subscription to those who reside in France and a few countries right around them. Personally, I don't think they should be renting out bikes to tourists for cheap rates.

I feel the exact same as Christina

and i just don't see tourists enjoying what i've found to be not all that enjoyable with the lack of real bike lanes, not just narrow strips paved on the edge of busy traffic lanes.

I'd say think twice about this as it may sound better than it really is - life threatening IMO

There are actually 2 cycling deaths a year in Paris.

For those who want to brave it, here is some bicycle information: http://www.v1.paris.fr/en/Living/cyc...ks/default.ASP

I have noticed that the Belgians, Germans, Italians, Swiss and Spanish are all big users of Vélib. The station computers currently are in four languages, but it will be going up to 10 before the end of the year, including Chinese, Japanese and Arabic.

Jack:

what would a typical tourist do with the bike?

ride between sights and tie it up for a few hours then ride on to another sight?

ride to restaurants?

joy ride to see sights?

i just can't see any reason average tourist would find with these bikes in this very un-friendly to bike city

Belgians, Germans, Italian, Dutch are all used to urban cycling.

I was not at all used to urban cycling. I never even had a bike when I was a kid. I discovered that it is amazingly easy, that the bicycle paths in Paris are excellent, and the Parisian drivers have been forced to adapt in places where they must share the road with bicycles. I have even used a Vélib on the Champs Elysées a number of times with no problem (my office is there, and I run errands at lunch time -- the Vélib is a godsend!).

The main thing that everybody has discovered (including the European tourists) is that Vélib is much faster and easier than the métro to get from place to place, not to mention cheaper. Most tourists use carnets of métro tickets to get around -- therefore, they are paying 1.11€ per trip. With a 1-day Vélib pass, they are paying 1€ for the whole day, and less if they buy the 7-day pass.

Of course, I see so many people here talking about going from place to place by taxi (the metro being cheesy and/or dangerous), that I certainly understand that Vélib will never be the preferred means of transportation for Fodorites.

As for myself, I use Vélib about 4 or 5 times a day. Here are my last 48 hours:
14/09/2007 BOETIE PONTHIEU -> GEORGE V 0h 8min 0,00 €
14/09/2007 MARIGNAN -> GEORGE V 0h 3min 0,00 €
13/09/2007 BOETIE PONTHIEU -> GEORGE V 0h 4min 0,00 €
13/09/2007 MARIGNAN -> GEORGE V 0h 4min 0,00 €
12/09/2007 SQUARE LEON -> DEPARTEMENT 0h 9min 0,00 €
12/09/2007 MARX DORMOY -> SQUARE LEON 0h 10min 0,00 €
12/09/2007 DOUDEAUVILLE STEPHENSON -> MARX DORMOY 0h 4min 0,00 €
12/09/2007 LEPINE -> FRANCOIS 1ER LINCOLN 0h 29min 0,00 €

Aux Quais - you're convincing me of the efficacy of touring by bike - esp for 1 euro a day. Especially on weekends when traffic is much lower in volume.

A great program for locals for sure and it seems for tourists as well.

The velib stand doesn't accept my Canadian visa credit card. Any ideas? Would a debit card work?

>> Riding bikes in any major metropolitan area is often not that relaxing, nor even that healthy (due to the pollution) <<


Studies tend to show that it is healthier to ride a bike, even in the congested centers of cities, rather than to stay within a car, where pollutants accumulate.

I've been biking extensively in Paris for 10 years now, and I have had only two incidents : a car which refused to yield as I was coming from the right but at low speed) and a driver who forgot that mirrors are supposed to be checked before opening a door.