Have you heard about Vélib’ (short for vélo liberté, or bicycle freedom)? Well, if you have plans of going to Paris it's definitely something to get to know. For one thing, Paris is gorgeous and with the weather warm and sunny the city is best viewed while strolling. But what if you want to go farther than your little legs desire to take you? Not to mention it is cheap and uber fun!
Picture this: You are with your lover wearing your cutest casual summer gear and a sophisticated chignon in your hair. You are smelling the flowers while enjoying your eclairs and stealing kisses in between bites. You've finished admiring the gargoyles at Notre Dame but now you want to take some quality tourist photos at the Eiffel Tower.
How will you get there?
You could walk but... well, good luck with that. You could take a cab, but you only have a few euros left. You could take the metro but it's so stuffy in those trains and they don't always take the scenic route.
And then... you stumble upon a long row of gray bicycles. This is the answer to your questions, the holy grail to your Da Vinci Code -- this, my friend, is the Vélib’. For just a few euro, you can rent a bike in one location of the city and drop it off at any other Vélib’ station you want. There are numerous stations around Paris and it's so incredibly convenient you'll wish your city had a program like this too. There are also maps throughout the city that indicate the nearest Vélib’ stations.
So next time you go to Paris and see a Vélib’, just think: Is there any better way to experience Paris? I didn't think so.
(Stay tuned for Autolib', Paris's new transportation initiative that would provide the same service with electrically powered vehicles. And that's just reason #3532 why Paris rocks.)
For more information, visit the Vélib’ website.
To read more of my articles on budget travel, click here.
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