Driving in Paris

kevincool

Hi,
Planning to go to paris for a week and hire a car over there as we have a 2 year child.

1. I never drove on a right hand drive traffic. Will I find it difficult to adjust to it?
2. Is getting parking and driving around in paris OK?

bren2002

The metro is fantastic. You don't need a car.

If you're going to insist. Left hand drive is pretty easy to get used to.
Rent something small.
Don't go around the arc d'triophe (sp?)

elperello

kevincool wrote: »

Hi,
Planning to go to paris for a week and hire a car over there as we have a 2 year child.

1. I never drove on a right hand drive traffic. Will I find it difficult to adjust to it?
2. Is getting parking and driving around in paris OK?

You will have a great time in Paris without a car. The Metro will take you to everywhere you will want to go.A good buggy will enable you to take junior on the walks which make a visit to Paris special.

You will be able to relax and enjoy the city not having to worry about driving and parking.

You will also save money.

11wingnut

Car in Paris is more hassle than you need on a break, I drove there this weekend for the Retromobil classic car show. A lot of hotels do not have parking and when they do it can be expensive,, I have hired cars there before and last time car cost 23 euro a day hire and more to park 15 overnight in hotel . You could google electric cars they work like Dublin bikes and lots of parking .

quadrifoglio verde

Op how do you handle driving in a random city in Ireland? If the thoughts of taking a wrong turn in Dublin city centre fill you with dread do not drive in Paris.

Driving in Paris is an experience, if you enjoy driving and don't get panicky you'll be fine. However parking can be hard to find, but it is available. At a cost of course.
As for the arc, it's quite simple. You give way to traffic entering. Follow the simple rules and it's easy. But break them at your peril!

Driving on the right is quite simple and it amazed me first time round how quickly you adapt. Following the cars in front tends to help and roundabouts are quite simple to navigate as they're curved in the anti clockwise direction.
Junctions are also quite simple. If turning right, you're turning onto the side nearest you. If turning left the side opposite you.

It does have excellent public transport links though so in all honesty a car isn't needed

irbx

My wife from their so I drive over their 2 times a year. If I could avoid it I would public transport. but got 2 young kids and family are on different sides of the city.


parking is nightmare and multistorey parking is expensive I pay €60 for 7 days outside the ring road inside is more expensive as get closer to the city.

French (paris)are agressive drivers they stick to each other bumpers and will not give way.

they have few different rules of the road to us. read up by using Google. big one is prority to the right! some roads or part of roads are like this and it confuses them as well. (so cars fly out from the side roads in front of you) . they two roundabout's normal one like here. But older ones normal in towns were you on the roundabout you have to yield to traffic coming on to the roundabout. so cars stop on it.

tolls on motorways

public transport cons

if goes from one side city to other could have several changes.

they love to go on strike or have technical issues(sadly jumpers it hapens most days shutting down a line for a few hours or more.)

metro stations not buggy friendly lots of stairs up or down some have escalators if lucky. no lifts bar a very few stations. so if using buggy make sure it is very light and your okay 2 to 3 flights of stairs with it.

hope this helps and if driving get a good sat navigation with lane guidence! you will know the lane your ment to be in advance is priceless. I use app call synic which is offline maps so no data charges

munchkin_utd

WTF
hiring a car in Paris ?

Actually, yea, go ahead. It should actually be an interesting enough experience that you might get to write a book on it.
You'll have a few boring chapters on trying to find a parking space, but you'll have some thrilling chapters on navigating the Arc de Triomph or Perifique.
The final chapter on giving the car back with dents from doors or other cars ramming it when parking in extremely tight spaces (btw, a bumper is called a bumper so you can bump the other cars out of the way, and they take this literally in Paris) should be ok, but navigating the language barrier when being slapped with a €1300 excess charge by the car hire firm for damage should be a bit of craic for the reader.

So indeed. Go ahead, hire a car to travel around a city with a VERY extensive metro and bus system, and if you don't have enough material for a book, then just tell us in a very long post how things (didn't) get on.

kerry4sam

Thread moved to where it would be better suited.

Thanks,
kerry4sam

biko

You don't need a car if you are in the centre (which I assume you will be as a tourist).
Go over and use the metro. Should you need a car you can hire one then.

JustAThought

biko wrote: »

You don't need a car if you are in the centre (which I assume you will be as a tourist).
Go over and use the metro. Should you need a car you can hire one then.

I spent a fabulous few months in Paris - at home I live in the car & rarely use Dublin public transport - in Paris I lived free as a bird , travelled by metro everywhere - fast, reliable, easy - and never missed the car once! The big out of town sights like Versailles & Fountainbleu you can get to as a tourist - they make easy connections to - unlike in Ireland or the UK they work and are easy to use & people are helpful once you ask nicely.

We had driven around France off the ferry a few years back & it was really stressful - roundabouts were eyeball whitening events, we saw nothing as we were constantly scanning maps & trying to understand routes & to read signs flying by or driving up one way streets & being chased by angry cops in white goves waving batons ( or worse) - having done both you would be insane to rent and drive - particularly in Paris.

+1 for the buggy - even borrow a quickly foldup LIGHTWEIGHT one or buy one secondhand for the week off adverts - the heavy chunky ones will not work there - you need a light idiot proof no shelves or chunky plastic Lolita - quickly olonk the child out of it & fold & carry up metro stairs & to travel lightly with it.

But you will save a fortune on parking, street clamping, tickets for residental parking infractions & wrong hour parking. You will have a ball on foot in Paris - there are hidden corners, little parks and the smell of wafting bakeries, warm chocolate & delicious surprise markets everywhere - all this soul of hidden Paris you miss in a car. Every inch of Paris has hidden beauties & is an adventure. Take a deep breath, buy a weekly metro card & love the freedom! Airbnb will really help you with their local notes if you search there too to help your planning with a child. Viva La France!! Have a great holiday & forget a car. You deserve a relaxing break!

cml387

And nobody's even mentioned the Peripherique yet.

SeamusG97

I've driven there a fair bit in cars and motorhomes.
It's fine when you're used to it - a good GPS is vital and i always bring my own when hiring a car. If you're hiring at an airport you'll have time to acclimatise on the drive to the city centre. However the hassle of parking/traffic would discourage me unless I absolutely needed a car for a particular reason.
You have excellent public transport from CDG airport or a bus from Beauvais to the centre. Take the metro ,have a glass of wine and relax would be my advice. You can get an inexpensive Multi Day metro ticket. That'll take you wherever you need to go.
That's unless you regard the driving as a bit of an adventure then go for it. As the posts above suggest it can get congested and hectic but if you are a confident driver you'll probably enjoy it

Samuel T. Cogley

Buy the insurance if you don't already have your own. Also check the policy on speeding tickets, can you pay, or do they have to pay and you pay them with a huuuuuuuuge mark up for 'admin'. DO NOT, Do not, Do not at any point do the typical Irish thing of 'ah sure it'll be grand' like parking somewhere stupid and putting the hazards on or sitting in the middle lane. You WILL be pulled and you WILL be fined.

Finally don't forget that the French have this mental policy of you can pull out from the minor road to the major road and have right of way. Most of their roads will say, give way or stop, but if they don't the joining motorist had right of way. No matter how good their English is it will disappear as 6 or 7 of them gather round to explain this to you in no uncertain terms which will include a load of flailing.

I LOVE driving, I LOVE driving in France, you'd want to have a seriously good reason for wanting to drive in a major European capital though. The parking alone is going to take all the fun out of it and drain your wallet.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Redderneck

Don't. I visit regularly. Just don't. Bring comfortable pair of walking shoes/trainers. You need a car in Paris like your two year old needs a 72 hour dose of the trots.

It might actually be easier to find parking for a two year old with the trots.

corks finest

kevincool wrote: »

Hi,
Planning to go to paris for a week and hire a car over there as we have a 2 year child.

1. I never drove on a right hand drive traffic. Will I find it difficult to adjust to it?
2. Is getting parking and driving around in paris OK?

Night mare driving there, parking is worse, Parisians don't give a damm about dents,bangs etc,if u have a rental,I'd not park in public,,, driving on right is ok,but a v good sat nav is a must,,,,,,,got lost there years ago,only just found my way home

ironclaw

Should probably mention, Paris has a lot of specific clauses in car rental insurance agreements. There are places you are not actually covered to go, Arc de Triomphe being one of them and most of the area around it. I travel a good deal with work and nigh always have a car with me, I'd seriously recommend against it in Paris. You'll be faster by metro and a lot less hassle. I can't imagine trying to find parking near the Louvre or the Tower with a kid in tow. The stress!

_Brian

I drove through Paris a few years ago, really just for the experience of it. Nothing really different to any other city.
But to enjoy getting around use the metro, it's easy, cheap and reliable.

I really don't like cities but Bordeaux and Paris are really nice places to be.

The Guvnor

All said above!
Parisians are mental when it comes to driving - more thrills than can be had at Euro Disney - rage seems to the norm - we Irish are far too polite as far as driving goes - all imo! LoL

Samuel T. Cogley

The Guvnor wrote: »

All said above!
Parisians are mental when it comes to driving - more thrills than can be had at Euro Disney - rage seems to the norm - we Irish are far too polite as far as driving goes - all imo! LoL

Not even in Paris but I saw a driver go into the back of someone, we're not talking a little tip we're talking 40Kph, maybe a bit slower crunch. They got out, sighed at each other a bit and cracked on. In Ireland that's be the fire brigade out and a team of solicitors.

mgbgt1978

OP. Just stand in the middle of the Arc De Triomphe Roundabout for 10 minutes watching the Traffic.......and then thank Jesus you decided not to hire a Car to drive anywhere near the centre of Paris.

Elemonator

Driving would be safer despite people suggesting the Metro. I say this because in Paris these days it is better to avoid public areas and secondly when my brother was walking around Paris, he got hassled by Arabs near the Arc De Triomphe.

irelandrover

Driving in Paris is not the worst. But its not worth the cost of having the car, and parking when the metro is so easy to get around and affordable.

Miamiheat

kevincool wrote: »

Hi,
Planning to go to paris for a week and hire a car over there as we have a 2 year child.

1. I never drove on a right hand drive traffic. Will I find it difficult to adjust to it?
2. Is getting parking and driving around in paris OK?

I am French and when visiting Paris for business i had my colleague drive the car. It is insane. Getting used to the steering wheel on the left side while you are around Paris right off the plane is a bad idea in my opinion. I learned to drive in Ireland and it took me a couple of days to adjust and that was mild traffic conditions. You may no have much choice if you are outside the center. But honestly metro is the way to go.

Another option is the red buses - at least for a couple of days - (like the hop on hop off) you can buy passes for 2 days and get in an out and the circuit covers all most of the places worth visiting.

good luck

mgbgt1978

Elemonator wrote: »

Driving would be safer despite people suggesting the Metro. I say this because in Paris these days it is better to avoid public areas and secondly when my brother was walking around Paris, he got hassled by Arabs near the Arc De Triomphe.

I'm sure the OP would be visiting many public places even if he hired a car to get around.
As for the "Arabs". It is mainly North Africans and Romanians (who will try everything to get their hands on your cash).
Not quite as bad around the Eiffel Tower, The Arc and Notre Dame as before but still a lot of them around Montmartre and the surrounding streets. Just keep walking and especially watch for the guys with the coloured string who try to tie a 'Bracelet' around your wrist.

pred racer

its grand, dont worry about it

kupus

Dont bother. Driving around there is a pain in the hole. And Im used to driving on the other side. It's just the problem of spending time looking for parking and looking out for idiot drivers makes you more tired than walking around the place.

ANd for anyone else, dont bring your old timer cars into Paris city center. They are not allowed during the week.
So something like your 93 VW campervan will be fined if you're caught. Even a classic Jaguar is fair game

Spanish Eyes

Why are there so many cars in Paris when the Public Transport is so brilliant. LOL

Jayzis I just looked on you tube there, and it's fekkin manic.

But I suppose the natives are used to it. That's the key I think.

No way would I ever drive in Paris. Maybe hire a car if going to areas around it, but park up, and get a train into the city from those areas. Holidays are for relaxation not kudos, "I did it!" kind of thing. Well that's just me.

Voodoomelon

I must be the only one who's enjoyed it, drove through Paris in June in a rhd 7 series. Traffic was so bad it would be hard to be involved in anything more than a fender bender. We enjoyed the sights and a sounds and funny looks, great craic altogether.

The Guvnor

Over here any injury one ever sustained would come flooding back amid the $$$ signs!

This then was a decent smack but sure obviously no one was hurt so crack on - we need a bit of this over here!

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Not even in Paris but I saw a driver go into the back of someone, we're not talking a little tip we're talking 40Kph, maybe a bit slower crunch. They got out, sighed at each other a bit and cracked on. In Ireland that's be the fire brigade out and a team of solicitors.

kevincool

Thanks for all your replies. I decided against driving. I am looking for apartments around city centre and after booking, I will just hire a airport shuttle and then use the metro for getting around.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

quadrifoglio verde

kevincool wrote: »

Thanks for all your replies. I decided against driving. I am looking for apartments around city centre and after booking, I will just hire a airport shuttle and then use the metro for getting around.

Personally I've found it doesn't matter where you stay in Paris once you're near a metro stop. If you are, you're not more that 20 or 30 mins away from a place you want to visit.