My 15 y.o. son and I are hoping to go with my husband on his work trip to Paris July 4-10. Last time we were in Paris we did the Blue Bike tour and loved it. We were inspired to try the velib system, but did not have the necessary chip and pin card. We now have them but were thinking about getting the 7 day velib passes. I downloaded the Velib App, but don't believe I can use it offline. I understand I can purchase velib maps at Tobacs.

Ideally I would like to avoid congested areas. My question is for anyone who has used the velib system. Do you have any nice routes you like to ride? After we feel more comfortable riding around I'd like to try something a little ambitious.

I've seen a self-guided chocolate tour via velib, but it wasn't super clear which roads to take. I think it would be fun to build our own tour. I'm thinking shops like Jean-Paul Hevin, Patrick Roger, Benoit Chocolats etc. But I'm totally open to suggestions to less known places. I think what I should do is map out the shops in order of how we will visit them and then figure out how to get there via velib.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Having biked a lot in Paris I would urge caution about biking around the city - yes there are bike lanes but parts of streets - not for the timid - maybe going to a park like the Bois de Bologne or Bois de Vincennes but for the most part biking in Paris is hectic and IMO dangerous if not used to it.

think twice about that - even Parisian bikers get hurt and killed.

One of the highlights of my Paris trip was biking along the Seine on a car free Sunday.http://www.theguardian.com/travel/20...holidays-paris
We biked several hours along shared bus lanes, etc all over Paris. Perhaps a Velib tour would suit you so you can just follow without having to navigate a routee

topping for others impressions

Thank you, PalenQ. No, I don't want to die doing this. ha ha. I wanted to try it out first on a Sunday on some quieter routes. Yes, it might mean just riding along the Seine or the parks. I was hoping someone might have some other routes that they could recommend. My searches on this forum and other sites have not been as successful.

Thank you also, snowgirls, for your input. Are there other parts of the city that are car free on Sundays?

kerouc identified some new bike paths in the winter, if you follow his name that might help.

Generally if you have experience on riding a bike in a road and know how to position yourself to be safe you should be alright. If you don't then stay in bike paths. France's paths are getting much better.

I guess you have found this
http://www.paris.fr/pratique/deplace...244_port_24784

but paths do not go everywhere - this ain't Amsterdam - and there are still some slippery stones so if wet be extra careful. Folks ride bikes in Paris for utilitarian reasons - sightseeing usually is done in areas conducive to walking - now if just want to experience Paris by bike then yes a Sunday - some parks may be off-limits to bikes but try the Tuileries then a straight shot up the Champs Elysees would be safe enough.

a rode a bike out to Versailles once, on wide broad avenues but uphill!

The Canal St Martin probably is a good biking venue on the old tow paths or may have new bike paths. - to la Vilette, a nice unique parks known for its follies.

http://www.mapmyride.com/fr/paris-ile-de-france/

Paris' Best Cycling Routes it says.

Okay, we will do our initial exploration on Sunday. I've never seen the area around Canal St. Martin or La Vilette. That would be interesting.

I did find the site you mentioned, but it doesn't seem to qualify the routes. I've seen people do that with mapmyrun. It just charts where they've been without commentary. Hmmmm.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but is cannot find the thread where Kerouac identified good bike paths. Hopefully he will chime in.

Kerouc's article was just about the conversion of the river side road to a walking and bike area. Great photos though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling...s_within_Paris
Lists roads closed on Sundays and public holidays in Paris. " We also used the "shared" bus lanes but we are used to city cycling.

Quick FYI, we are in Paris right now and pre-bought 3 seven day velib passes. It's been a fun, and easy way to get around. We try to stick to the smaller streets and just aim in the general direction we need to go. It's a lot faster (and easier) than walking. For instance our hotel is about 3/4 mile from the Eiffel Tower. It was a heck of a lot faster via velib! We are still walking a ton, but the velibs are a nice alternative to buses and metros for short distances.

Thanks for checking in, GAJayhawks - will be eager to see how the visit progresses!

GAJayhawks - glad it is going well with you and yes sticking to side streets makes it a lot safer - I presented caution because I've seen Parisian bike accidents/deaths stats and they are significant. Stay out of the Place de la Concorde and main drags and it may be slow but safer going.