Paris bicycle rental questions?

http://en.velib.paris.fr/

We saw but didn't use the share bikes. You need to supply your own bike helmet.

https://aboen-paris.cyclocity.fr/subscribe/details
SHORT-TERM SUBSCRIPTION
1,70 € 1-day ticket
Buy a daily ticket for 1.70€ and use Vélib’ as often as you want during 24 hours! The 30 first minutes of each trip are always free of charge

8 € 7-day ticket
Buy a weekly ticket for 8€ and use Vélib’ as often as you want during 7 consecutive days! The 30 first minutes of each trip are always free of charge.
NEW: buy a ticket online and choose the start date of your ticket!

Remember that they are part of the transportation system and not provided as leisure bikes -- so point to point travel within half an hour is free once you subscribe, but taking them for extended leisure riding will get costly and if you want to do that, you might want to rent a bike rather than use the Velibs. Also, you cannot ride them within Paris parks (the forrests like Vincennes and Bologne being exceptions to that. I saw a couple with those silly suitcase bikes with the little wheels get ticketed in the Luxembourg Gardens.

Edgar, yes that was the same info I saw. Sounds like quite a good deal to me with many pickup and drop off stations so at least when streets are not too crowded could be very helpful for point a to point b travel.

Just was not positive if it will let me know purchase the 7 day subscription online with US credit card and then if I still need a credit card at the machine or just my subscription code. I don't have a Chip & Pin Credit Card
have a chip credit card and a debit card that uses both chip and pin but believe it defaults as a chip and signature card as most all us debit cards would so unsure if these will work on the machines if a card is required.

Helmets: Are they required???
I am fairly comfortable biking around without one back home, including in cities.

Jane: good to know about staying away from parks. I used a hotel bike in Chicago and found that out there as well. Was 6 AM and I was on a large sidewalk/interior park road by the "Bean"with no walkers about.
Fortunately they only yelled at me and did not issue me a ticket.

I would really only want it for point a to point b travel so imagine I could reach any one place I wanted from where we staying in a 30 minute ride.
Would not want to leave it anywhere requiring a lock in fear it would be stolen so not interested in a longer rental and according to their site only adds 1 euro if you are up to 30 minutes late on a specific journey.

I would use one to get from our hotel to Eiffel tour and then another one to get back one morning before the sun is up so traffic I imagine would be light.
And then another evening probably to get to Tour Montparnese and another one to get back.
Would save me much walking and/or Metro riding to do that for these visits/times that I have planned anyway.
I really would not be using it to site see around the city.

There's an official Velib app for smartphones, and other aftermarket apps, to show what inventory stations have. As noted above, it's part of the transport system so residents do rely on them, at rush hours in particular. Bikes needing repair can be an issue, and what at first looks like a station with six bikes left may not actually have any that are ride-able, so knowing where stations are is key, not just relying on the one near you. It does not seem to be de rigueur to wear helmets in Paris, but I certainly would when riding in a new and busy environment. This may be a good item to buy locally when you arrive, and leave behind instead of packing along.

Our family us used them. Great fun.
Yes, its called Velib. Had to use a chip credit card with pin number. We bought
Used it from one part of town to another for almost 3 hours total.
So, we signed up for a 24 hour rental (about 3 euros). This can be done at a machine or online.
First 30 minutes is free.
Our family did the following: Road almost 30 minutes then turned bikes in. Did sightseeing. Went again for under 30 minutes and turned them in again, free.
Did it a 3rd time, free. The final time, we ended up riding for an hour. The down off location was full. Tried another spot, also full. Finally found one that was available. There is an app that shows locations, but not spots available. That extra hour was about a euro per bike.

Then we took the metro back to our hotel. We felt it was a fantastic experience.

Hope this helps.

Bike helmets don't seem to be required, but that said helmets have been mandatory for the Tour de France for many years. I personally feel uncomfortable without a helmet.

If you don't use a bike helmet, buy trip insurance including medical evacuation coverage. An old boss suffered a serious head injury riding in France shortly after retiring. He was in a coma for some time and had to be medevaced back to the States on a chartered jet staffed with medical personal. He was riding on a canal bike path in southern France when he fell.

I did cover the trip with insurance for me and my family (first time I have ever done that)
These bike rides would be me solo to go for photographic reasons with a backpack on my back holding my camera gear.
I am not interested in doing anything crazy, will take it slow and though I mentioned an evening ride would not be riding once darkness falls for sure. Merely using the bike to go from point a to point b faster than my feet would allow me to.

The drives I want to take seem fairly straight but would map each out in advance to be on the safe side.

For years in downtown Boston I used to bike from my apartment to work each and every rush hour. Was not smart but I never wore a helmet, weaving in and out of cabs, cars, buses, etc...
I was able to commute much faster that way, faster than a car could drive but I was young and dumb then.
Taxis stopping and car doors opening I know from personal experience are the biggest dangers with city bike riding.

Olga: sounds like you did not sign up online though.
Greta to hear your experience and that your whole family really enjoyed it!

Since I have no chip and pin credit card and no way I know of to get one I am mainly curious if I signup online with US credit card if then at the machines I only need a pin/subscription number to get a bike or need a chip and pin card at the machine.

Sounds like as others have stated as well the system is not quite as perfect as it sounds but still could be of benefit to me.

We did this and it worked great. Got our pass online using the wifi in our apartment in Paris the night before we needed them. A U.S. credit card is fine, doesn't need a chip and pin, because you'll be entering all the card info on the online form. Once submitted, the system sends you an email with your code to unlock the bike. That's all you need., and this way you don't have to insert your card at the bike rack when checking a bike out.

Get the official Velib app for your phone. It's free, and provides a map of where all the bike racks are, how many bikes are available to be checked out at each one at any given moment, and how many open slots there are to check the bike back in.

If you get to a rack that's full, you can punch in your code at the kiosk, and the system will give you another 15 minutes to find the next nearest rack that has open slots.

Every bike comes with a lock, so if you need to duck into a store for something, you can lock it to a railing or bike rack. But the racks that houses the bikes are self-locking, so don't use the cable lock on those!

Finally, as another poster suggested, these are just for point-to-point travel. Take one from Ile de Cite to the Eiffel Tower (about a 15 minute ride) and then find a nearby rack to return the bike to. When you're ready to go to your next destination, just unlock a different bike from the nearest rack, and the free 30 minute clock is reset. We did that all over town. If you go over your allotted free time, it's just 1 euro for the next 30 minutes. But the price goes up steeply from there, to discourage folks from checking out a bike and keeping it for hours at a time.

Start using the app now to get a sense of the ebb and flow to how bikes and open spaces are available in different neighborhoods throughout the day. There's definitely a pattern which will help you determine the best time for your plans to use a bike to get to and from different areas of town.

hubestur
WOW!
You answered basically every question I had in your one post, and all good news for my situation; thank you very much.
It does sound like it will work well for me.

Hope I can enjoy the experience as you have

We used the online system before we went and were able to pick our first day in Paris as the start date. We needed only the code at the kiosks. The app was very useful.

Unfortunately we did not get as much use out of the bikes as we thought we would. Even though there are dedicated bike lanes on some streets, the traffic was so crazy that the ride was anything but relaxing. And we were staying near the Louvre. The cobblestones on surrounding streets made for mighty uncomfortable riding!

I'm planning to use them in September. Seems like buying a pass online is the easiest. The only thing I'd add to hubester is you need to return the bike for 30 minutes to reset the clock. If you drop one off, and pick another up right away you're still on the clock.

I'm thinking of doing a free guided bike ride on Friday evening in front of Hotel d'Ville using a Velib, I think you're supposed to get there around 5:30 then just join the group and follow the guides. It will cost a little extra to keep the bike out a couple of hours but what an experience riding with lots of other people - mostly locals.

We used this system and had a great deal of fun! We received the code online in our hotel room and then went out.

For years in downtown Boston I used to bike from my apartment to work
each and every rush hour. Was not smart but I never wore a helmet,
weaving in and out of cabs, cars, buses, etc...

mreynolds, OMG - you're one of those crazy Boston bikers. If you survived biking in downtown Boston, then you can handle France no problem LOL.

Helmets: Are they required??? I am fairly comfortable biking around
without one back home, including in cities.

Please bring a helmet. I've seen some NASTY bike accidents resulting in some serious head injuries that would have been prevented by using a helmet.

Agree with most of the posts, great way to get around and see the City. We used the Velib system for a week last year, my wife set up accounts w/pins stateside before leaving. Generally, fantastic experience, two points to note, I recall there being an issue with the start date and time of day, and check bikes before removing from kiosk (tire pressure, seats). As stated above, the system is designed for point to point travel but there are kiosks pretty much everywhere. Enjoy, follow traffic rules and remember that on many major avenues, bike share the same lane with buses which made for a few interesting trips along the Seine during rush-hour.

It sounds like Velib is perfect for you. And having lived in the Boston area and worked in the city for 17 years (but never biking), I'm sure your bike experience will come in handy in Paris. I know my Boston driving experience probably helped me driving in Paris, although I found Paris far worse than Boston.

If you're taking a smart phone with you, there are a number of apps that show Velib locations as well as availability and return options. The one I used is called Bicyclette, free, easy to use, invaluable. Sometimes you want to return a bike and can't because the station is full. With this, you can locate one that isn't.

Here is a thread I posted when I was in Paris...Velib

I started with a bike tour (Blue Bike) and had signed up for Velib before I left home. I'm making sure my next accommodations in Paris are near a Velib station.

Thanks everyone.
The system sounds great but some potential issues of the lots I want to use not having bikes or return spaces.
Will plan on downloading the app, waiting and monitoring the lots as dates get closer and then book online for our dates.
Great advise throughout the thread.

We just returned from Paris on Monday. We used Velib extensively while we were there. Most of the bikes seem to be closer to the middle of the city. We stayed near the Bois de Boulogne and the rack closest rack there seemed to be empty on weekday mornings after the working crowd left for work. But there was another rack not far away that always had a few. We just got online and got our number through email (instantly). You take the number to the rack, tell it you want english, and follow the instructions.

Here's a tip: before you take out the bikes, do a quick check to see that the one you want is ridable. Our check went like this: first, squeeze both tires to see if they had enough air; then grab the hand brakes to see that they worked, then lift up the seat with the right hand while pedaling. That last action told you (1) that the bike wasn't stuck into the rack so tight that it wouldn't come out, and (2) that the chain was on properly and turned the wheel. It sounds complicated, but it took us literally 10 seconds. Once you check out the bike, you can't return it and just get another one if it's defective. You have wait some period of time.

Oh yes, Velibs are great fun! I think the process online is easy. My partner did it, so it must be! Another thing to remember is to lock your bike in the slot really good when you return it and make sure the light changes, and print a return receipt!

Thomas, I must have watched the same local go through the pre-check routine as you because that's exactly what we did before checking out a bike. After you get a bad bike you learn quick, at least I did!
Another tip...the bikes have a built in lock with a cable. It's hard to notice but if you look closely at the front of the bike you'll see it. Useful if you have to run into the Fromagerie for some Comte.

we just used these today. for a "1 day" we used a credit card to purchase our code. if you go to their site you can download their app if you will have data on your smartphone while you are here. you will then have real time info on where the bikes are throughout the city and if there are spots open tonpark them at your next destination. they come with a bike locknsonyou can run into a store if you want. the first 30 minutes are free then it's $1 euro for the next 30 and goes up in $1 euro increments for every 30 minutes on. I suggest redirecting online now bring you code. it will save you the time of putting your cc in for each bike you are renting we rented here and had the same code but it was slow to keep enter info 4 times. I will say we had to call them and their phone service was very quick and very helpful. I recommend these bikes. the bikes really are every where and lots of people use them. you basically ride in bike/bus lanes. no riding through parks!!