Environmentally-friendly travel
Find out how to get around in Paris in an eco-friendly fashion.
By bicycle
With an urban bicycle network totalling 700 kilometres, the bicycle is the ‘little queen of Paris’! Whether you rent a bicycle for a day or use a Vélib'Métropole (the short-term rental service put in place by the Mayor of Paris in 2007), this leisurely and green way of getting around is popular with Parisians and tourists!
Vélib’ Métropole is a phenomenal success and the service has been extended to outlying areas of Paris, beyond the city’s ring road. It offers the advantages of getting around at ground level, the pleasure of an outdoor activity combined with sightseeing, and a clear conscience for the user as it is a non-polluting mode of transport. Subscription and reservation online up to 15 days in advance for a safe advance purchase before arriving in Paris.
Vélib' Métropole, how it works and where to find a station?
(In French, English and Spanish)
Vélib' Métropole
What’s more, the city is working on its 2020 Cycling Plan for an Express Bike Network consisting of protected bike paths running continuously from North to South and from East to West. Their width will ensure that they offer comfort and security to all cyclists.
To help you get around easily by bike in Paris, the ‘Geovelo’ app offers lots of useful information. It enables you to discover more than 400 km of cycle routes, to find out about accessibility at stations for easy mixed mode transportation, to know where to find parking places, etc. Geovelo also features numerous walks with visual and voice guidance.
Find out more and download the application:
Geovelo on the web
Geovelo Paris for Android
Geovelo Paris for IOS
Where to rent an ordinary or electric bicycle in Paris?
AICV (Paris 19th district)
Alternative Bike (10th)
Gepeto & Vélos (5th)
Holland Bikes (15th)
Paris Bike Tour (3rd)
Paulette (15th)
Pastel (9th)
Where to park your bike in Paris
There are many places to park your bicycle throughout Paris. Some car parks now have designated areas for bikes.
Suggested cycling routes for exploring the capital:
4 great cycling routes for exploring Paris!
On foot
Walking is the way most Parisians get around and it is also a great way to reconnect with the city and its environment. Paris is a compact city and the different public transport stations are close to one another. It is therefore sometimes almost as quick to walk as it is to use public transport!
In addition, the Paris regional hiking board has created 2 routes of 19 and 20 km across the capital from West to East (from the Bois de Boulogne to the Bois de Vincennes), and from North to South, (from Porte de la Villette to Porte d’Arcueil). It has also invented the concept of Panamees ® – themed urban walks, free to everyone, on the third Thursday of each month, where walkers combine the pleasure of walking with the history of the places where they are walking.
If you enjoy a gentle walk, the Promenade plantée offers a pleasant green 4.5 km route, from avenue Daumesnil to the ring road, with caves, waterfalls and very varied architecture along the way. The Paris City Council’s website gives details of 3 urban walks, each some twenty or so kilometres long.
Find out more about green spaces in Paris and walking routes:
Nature in Paris
Les Panamées (in French only)
Others ... Offbeat!
Try them, you’ll love them! Whether you prefer a bicycle with electric-assisted power, (see above), motorcycle, an electric scooter, E-Solex, a Segway, an electric boat or a newcomer in ecological travel, the three –wheeled electric scooter or Trikke scooter, you immediately feel the difference. Silent, ecological, practical, easy to use and trendy, they enable you to get around easily and pleasantly in the capital with, the added bonus of giving you a clear conscience.
Finally, to enjoy cycling without pedaling and driving yourself, Turtle offers an electrically assisted bicycle taxi service, which can be booked via an app. To go to a restaurant, to the train station or even take a tourist trip, Turtle drivers accompany you on your daily journeys in Paris.
The choice is yours: adapt your mode of transport to your needs and wishes.
Find out more:
