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Driving, Paris

Renaults, Peugots, and Citroens paying tolls... - Paris
Renaults, Peugots, and Citroens paying tolls...
by Ewingjr98
Driving tips and advice posted by real travelers and Paris locals.
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Driving: Where to park freely (2)
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  • GUYON
  • Updated By GUYON on May 28, 2005
  • Paris Page by GUYON
  • Gare de l'Est - Paris
    Gare de l'Est
    by GUYON
    Look at the photo of Gare de l'Est. On the left side of the station there is the entrance of the parking ALSACE.
    If you take it you have an access to a paying underground parking.
    But have a look at the way, before the barrier of the parking. You will see a lot of cars parked, FREELY. They are owned by SNCF (transport authorities) employees but they have no sign or card.
    So if you have a French rented car and if you go there early in the morning or late in the evening you will get a free covered parking.

    As the previous tip. This information is not in the guides and when it will be, it will not be a tip.

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    Driving: Driving out of Paris
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  • Gypsystravels
  • By Gypsystravels on May 17, 2006
  • Paris Page by Gypsystravels
  • Driving - Paris
    by Gypsystravels
    You may drive with a valid U.S. driver's license in France. In addition, it is recommended (not required) to carry an International Driving Permit or attach a French translation to your US driver's license. You must also be at least 18 years old and hold a valid credit card.

    There are several good car hire companies throughout Europe, I would recommend one of the following;

    ADA – 0825 169 169
    Avis – 0820 150 505
    Europcar – 0870 607 500
    Hertz – 0720 903 905

    The speed limit is 50 km/h (30 mph) in the towns, and 90 km/h (55 mph) on the open roads.

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    Driving: Where to park freely (1)
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  • GUYON
  • Updated By GUYON on May 28, 2005
  • Paris Page by GUYON
  • Voie des Sculpteurs - Paris
    Voie des Sculpteurs
    by GUYON
    Often, VT members ask where to park freely and safely.
    I suggest La Defense, on Voie des Sculpteurs or Voie des Batisseurs (they are covered ways)
    You need a precise local map to find these 2 ways which are at the same place. To find a place, you must go either 12AM to 2PM or after 5:30 PM or during the week end. Avoid to park where it is written in yellow LIVRAISON (delivery) your car would be towed quickly.
    The area is free and frequently visited by the police (the police office is nearby).
    The RER station La Defense (line A) and the metro station Esplanade (Line 1) are nearby.

    Some VTer's ask me how to know more about this place. It is a true tip. That means you never find it in a guide, you do not have to follow a sign FREE PARKING. If that occures, do not waste your time to look for the parking : it will be surely full.
    Buy a Paris map with a map of La Defense and be cuning.

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    Driving: Cars #2
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  • tiabunna
  • Updated By tiabunna on June 15, 2006
  • Paris Page by tiabunna
  • 'Smart' car parked in Paris - Paris
    'Smart' car parked in Paris
    by tiabunna
    At the other end of the scale from the Ferrari in my previous tip are these ‘Smart’ cars, now ubiquitous in Paris. Of course, one features in the film ‘The DaVinci Code’, where it shows surprising performance in reverse!

    It must be said that, with parking at a premium and fuel costs high, they make considerable sense in Paris. What’s more, as seen here, when parked they take only half the width of a pedestrian crossing. (Don't try that in Australia!) I find it really surprising that, in Paris, there seems little concern about where or how people park (though I did see one car which had been wheel-clamped): thinking about this since my return, I do not recall seeing any parking meters in the streets.

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    Driving: PARIS BY CAR
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  • Lady_Mystique
  • Updated By Lady_Mystique on August 23, 2006
  • Paris Page by Lady_Mystique
  • Paris Traffic - Paris
    Paris Traffic
    by Lady_Mystique, 2 more photos
    "One driver out of every twelve in Paris has killed a man.
    On foot, the Parisian is as courteous as the citizen of any other city.
    But mounted, he is merciless."
    ~ Irwin Shaw ~

    The infamous rotary at the Arc de Triomphe is a perfect example of this: police are stationed on the Champs-Elysées side to keep unwitting tourists from walking directly across eight lanes of traffic to the Arc.

    As a rule, the fastest and biggest car wins.

    'Priorité à droite' gives the right of way to the car approaching from the right, regardless of the size of the streets, and Parisian drivers make it an affair of honour to take this right even in the face of grave danger.

    La plupart des automobiles du monde marchent à l'essence.
    Les autos françaises marchent au klaxon. Surtout quand elles sont arrêtées.

    Translation: Most of the automobiles in this world run on gasoline.
    The French autos run on horns.
    Especially when they're stopped.
    ~ Pierre Daninos ~

    Technically, drivers are not allowed to honk their horns within city limits unless they are about to hit a pedestrian, but this rule is often broken. The legal way to show discontent is to flash your headlights.

    If you don't have a map of Paris marked with one-way streets, the city will be impossible to navigate.

    BTW Parking is expensive and hard to find. But you probably aleady knew that!

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    Driving: Cars #1
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  • tiabunna
  • Updated By tiabunna on June 15, 2006
  • Paris Page by tiabunna
  • Ferrari at Hotel de Crillon - Paris
    Ferrari at Hotel de Crillon
    by tiabunna, 1 more photos
    The Hotel de Crillon is one of the top hotels in Paris, fronting the Place de la Concorde. It isn’t the sort of place which fits my travel budget (‘promotional rooms’ from 500€), but should it fit yours, the phone is 01 44 71 15 00. Outside, it’s likely you will find some prestigious motor cars, carefully watched by the uniformed doormen.

    I’ll have to admit it, this is a blatant excuse to put up photos of this gorgeous Ferrari I found parked outside. Interesting to see the Swiss number plate too (second photo). Hmm, a Swiss based top model Ferrari, I wonder could it belong to a certain racing driver …?

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    Driving: Driving around Paris
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  • Gypsystravels
  • Updated By Gypsystravels on September 28, 2007
  • Paris Page by Gypsystravels
  • You can try to be a brave soul and navigate the streets of Paris by driving. Once you get a hang of the layout of the streets, it isn't that difficult but I would recommend that if you are on a short holiday, skip the driving and use the metro, bus or taxi system. Parking in Paris can be quite hellish and so can the traffic.

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    Driving: Car renting
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  • Dee22
  • By Dee22 on January 11, 2004
  • Paris Page by Dee22
  • Need some wheels? - Paris
    Need some wheels?
    by Dee22
    If you need a car to get around in Paris or to get moving from Paris, there is many possibilities for car renting at the trainstations.
    For example Gare de l'Est offers different car renting-companies and when my brother and I wanted a car to go from Paris to southern France in 2002, we found a Renault Twingo for an okay price near Gare de Montpanarsse.

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    Driving: Leave the car at home...
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  • Henrik_rrb
  • By Henrik_rrb on July 6, 2004
  • Paris Page by Henrik_rrb
  • Say what you want about Paris and the french motorway-system, but the people who planned it wasn't the most clever in the world...

    I just love Paris, it's probably the most impressive town in the world for me, but I was just seconds from hating the town for the rest of my life!

    We went down, with car, from Sweden to Portugal this summer, and were really pleased with the fantastic (although EXPENSIVE) motorways in France.

    Then we came to Paris... You might think that they built the motorway around the big capital...? No way...! Instead you have to get off the highway, and find the ringway around Paris, to even be able to go on south in the country.

    Needless to say, we got lost. If it wasn't hard enough to find the right way, when we finally found it the way was closed... Could have killed someone right then and there...

    After nearly three hours, lost in the worst parts of Paris, we finally found the way out of the town, and I could go back to loving Paris again...

    But please, until the idiots have built new ways around Paris, leave the car at home on your Paris/France-trip!

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    Driving: A Tip for Mad Mick McMad of Mad Street, Madtown
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  • sourbugger
  • Updated By sourbugger on February 9, 2006
  • Paris Page by sourbugger
  • Le peripherique - Paris
    Le peripherique
    by sourbugger
    Driving around the peripherique (The ring road of Paris), is something you just don't want to do. It is a mad, bad dangerous place even when it is laden with speed limits and cameras.

    It is made even worse by certain drivers with a death-wish trying to copy their hero 'The Black Prince'. Although he sound like a slightly-dodgy porn star he famously achieved infamy through his illegal racing onthe peripherique all 35 km's of the ring-road. Averaging 190+ kph on his Kawasaki ZXR750 with a camera strapped to the tank, the Frenchman's stunt achieved a cult status in the biking world.

    Please don't copy this at home, as they used to say.

    Unfortunatly your route may well include the route, just make sure you are sober, alert and expect for the unexpected.

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