How To Use The Velib In Paris: It's Not Just For Parisians Anymore

For years we foreigners without a special "puce" -- or smart chip -- in our US credit cards could not enjoy the thrill of checking out the Paris "vélib," a vast city-wide network of 20,000 bikes to pick up and drop off at "stations" all around Paris, at a low, low price. The concept inspired the vélib name : "vélo" is the French word for bicycle, and "libre" means "free." Paris now has the "Autolib" - same concept, except for electric cars. But back to the bike.

The lack of a smart card is not a problem anymore for checking out a vélib. Your US credit card, which has otherwise been working overtime at all those stores, wine bars, and restaurants in Paris, will now get you a super cheap day, or just an hour or so, of fun on the vélib. And a little bit of additional exercise does not hurt either. All that walking will not diminish the effect on your hips and thighs of days of croissants for le petit dejeuner and enjoying a cheese course with every meal. Additional work is needed. If you care about those things.

How it works and a few tips for the novice, non-techie velib customer.

1. Go to the on line site here. If you're in Paris longer and want to make this a daily habit, go for the 7-day pass. All I needed was a one-day experience. You can pick the start time for "now" or pick any 24-hour period. But if you decide you need to blow off the pre-purchased ride, no worries. It is only 1.7 euros. For an entire day.

2. The process on line is straightforward. (You could probably do this same process at one of the kiosks, but this applies to the on-line process that I used.) Two numbers are critical here, besides the credit number you will input. On this screen, you pick a 4-digit PIN. You will need the number to pick up the bike at whichever station you choose.

* I wrote my code down on my iPhone notes. But then I wore down the battery taking pictures all day on my velib tour. A hard copy back up or a good memory is a good back-up. The latter does not work so well for me.

3. Once the code is entered and payment made, you will get a client identifier. One more number to remember. It's longer than four digits. Write that one down.

4. With these two numbers, you are liberated from the slow pace of walking and aching feet and free to pedal around Paris, down along the Seine, up around the Etoile, and learn that sometimes pedestrians are the most potentially dangerous obstacle for the cyclist, not cars.

5. Download the velib app on your smart phone. This is not critical, but how else would you know (i) whether there are velibs available at that very moment; (ii) where a station is to park/return the velib (i.e., a station where there are spots available to place it into the "fastening post" for each bike) while you grab some coffee, do some shopping, or walk around a new neighborhood you stumbled upon; and (iii) how many velibs are available at that very moment at the closest velib station near you. I found the app indispensable ... for as long as I had battery power left in the iPhone to use it.

6. At the velib station, walk confidently to the keypad and follow the helpful instructions on the screen - available in English.

There are many options available to you when you get to the screen.

You want to "take out a bike."

First, the client identifier will be needed, to confirm you are someone the system recognizes. That's the longer number that you received that when you bought the pass on-line. Then you will need that easier-to-remember 4-digit PIN that you selected.

Time to pick out a bike from the numbered parking spaces/ locking mechanisms into which each bike is parked.

This particular bike will be identified at the kiosk/instruction screen as bike no. 3. Note the silver button on the bottem there to unlock. This is important.

7. Even though you may have already scoped out which bike you want, the screen will alert you to which bikes are available.

I picked Bike No. 3. Note the helpful instructions here. Need to push that silver button in the previous picture to unlock the bike and pull it out from that locking mechanism.

Paris is yours!

8. Read the safety instructions. Get familiar with the bike. Get ok with understanding some of the signage for following the bike "paths" around Paris. Wear a helmet, if available. (Not required, but recommended)

9. Set off. Note there are gears for the bike. In some places there are very well-marked bike lanes and routes identified. I started off here, on Batignolles, on a quiet Sunday morning.

I just followed the signs to the Etoile, which was easy to find from there and a breeze on a Sunday morning. I figured out the gears at the last minute. Who knew there was a bit of an uphill climb to the Arc de Triomphe?

9. After this, getting to Place du Trocadero (primo viewing spot in chic quartier for the Tour Eiffel) was a breeze.

Thanks to my velib app, I knew there was a velib station on one of the many avenues that end at the Place, e.g., Avenue d'Eylau, and there were plenty of open parking spots. I parked the bike, inserting it firmly into an available spot after pushing that button to unlock. I did not care that I was hot, sweaty, and in a tank top for my carb-loading breakfast at this elegant cafe.

After that, I was really ready to get to some serious cycling in.

I crossed over to the left bank, thinking a stroll along the left bank along the Seine and around Invalides would be nice.

I accidentally ended up on the right bank due to some confusion on my part on the bike paths, etc. I learned you really can just make your own path and do whatever. I went back over to the other side (at the point at which I took the picture above). I explored the new Paris urban infrastructure achievement of Les Berges. It is cool in an edgy but very kid-friendly way. Games, decks, bars, lounge chairs ... it's all there amidst public art installations.

Sundays in Paris are magical. The stores are closed. You have no choice but to relax. As testament to this, those broad thoroughfares along the Seine are closed to cars. The bikes, skateboards -- runners -- they all rule the roads for a time on Sundays. And it was this thoroughfare I found along the right bank of the Seine to finally ride and ride and ride.

Cycling along the Seine on a Sunday in Paris ...