How to Rent a Bike in Paris

See the city of lights from a Vélib' rental bike.

Touring Paris on a bike is an adventure that will give you lasting memories. Although there are numerous private bike rental companies from which you can rent a bike in Paris, the public bike system provides an inexpensive and more accessible alternative. Called Vélib' -- from "vélo" which means "bike" and "liberté" which means "freedom" -- the system is available 24 hours a day all year long. With 20,000 bikes and 1,800 stations around Paris as of 2011, you will find a Vélib' station near your location whether it's your hotel or the Eiffel Tower.

Things You'll Need

• Credit card
• Navigo transit card

Instructions

1. Locate a Vélib' bike stand and have your credit card or Navigo -- the Parisian transit system smart card -- with you. Vélib' stations are located every 300 meters in Paris, so they are simple to find once you are in Paris. If you want to plan your trip ahead of time, visit the Vélib' website and consult the map of stations.

2. Insert your credit card or Navigo card into the slot in the rental booth at the Vélib' station. Your credit card number is taken for security purposes. If you do not return the bike to a Vélib' station you will be charged for the bike. Quite simply, if you break or lose the bike, you will pay for it.

3. Follow the instructions on the screen in the rental booth. These instructions are available in eight languages, so don't worry if you don't speak French. You can choose a one-day subscription or a seven-day subscription. The one-day subscription is €1.70, about USD $2.35 as of October 2011, and the seven-day subscription is €8.00 or about USD $11.00.

4. Be aware that in addition to the subscription fee there is also a bike rental fee per hour. Renting a Vélib' bike costs €1.00, about USD $1.38 as of October 2011, for the first hour and fees increase the longer you keep the bike. However, the first 30 minutes of the bike rental are always free. If you return the Vélib' bike to a station before your first 30 minutes are up, you will pay nothing but the subscription fee.

5. Receive your subscription number from the station. Choose a bike at the station and enter your subscription number on the bike's dock. A green light will flash once you have correctly entered the number. Pull the bike from the station and go.

6. Push the bike into an empty dock at another Vélib' station to return it. You will see an orange light followed by a green light and you will hear two beeps that indicate the bike has been correctly returned. You can print out a receipt of return at the station as confirmation of return.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to take advantage of the free 30 minutes of bike rental, make sure that you start looking for a Vélib' station after you have been on the bike for about 20 minutes. Vélib' stations may be full and you may have to go around the neighborhood more than once to find an empty dock.

• There are various long-term Vélib' plans available if you are planning an extended stay in Paris. Rates vary depending on your age. Visit the Vélib' website for more information.

• The Vélib' system only accepts credit cards embedded with microchips -- if your card does not have a microchip, you can purchase your subscription online.

• You must supply your own helmet.

• Be very careful of Parisian drivers.

• Stay on designated bike lanes and always signal.

References

• Vélib': How it Works
• Vélib': Subscription and Fees
• Lonely Planet: Paris: Getting There & Around
• Paris by Train: Paris Train Metro Week Pass - Navigo Découverte

Resources

• Vélib': Stations in Paris