Bicycling in Paris: A New Version of this Option

by Jamie Rhein on

Perhaps hopping on a bicycle to enter Paris in the Tour de France is not probable, but it is possible to hop on a bicycle for an alternative way to travel in Paris. Angela Doland, in an Associated Press article, presents what you need to know about a new bicycle rental program in Paris. The interesting thing about this version of transportation is that you don’t rent a bike for a day to ride around, but rent a bike to get from one point to another. Let’s say you want to go to the Louvre, but after that you want to head to a restaurant too far away to cycle to. You just drop off the bike and hop on a Metro. You don’t ever have to go get that bike again.

The bicycles are at various bike stations so if, later, you want another bike, you can get one. The draw back I see is that these are only available for people 14 and older and at least 5 feet tall. This makes this not an option for a family with kids. Because the bikes are the touring type and the seats adjust, they can fit a multitude of body types. They also come with locks, however you need to bring your own helmet. In the photograph with the article I read, people aren’t wearing helmets, so perhaps they are not required. Another thing I noticed was how cheap it is to rent a bicycle. A day pass costs roughly $1.36 except I’m a bit confused if that’s correct. Doland mentions that if you are going to keep a bicycle for more than a day, it’s cheaper to rent from a by-the-day estabishment. Maybe I’m missing something. Check out www.velib.paris.fr. for a list of the various bike stations. The site’s not in English yet.

Other cities the article lists with similar cycling programs are:

  • Barcelona, Spain
  • Brussels, Belgium,
  • Copenhagan, Denmark
  • Stockholm, Sweden
  • Vienna, Austria

France’s Visitors Equal Its Population

by Jamie Rhein on

Here is an interesting fact I came across. The number of people who visit France each year is equal to its population. Each equals 60 million. [source: National Geographic Traveler] Of the visitors, here are some statistics about Paris, the city that is partly responsible for the visitor bounty.:

  • number of people who visit the Eiffel Tower: more than 6 million
  • number of people who visit the Louvre: more than 5 million

In an aim to get more people to come to Paris, July 9 is the first ever Tourism Day in Paris. Visitors will receive a commemorative bracelet and a map to find participating venues.There are also other events of note that coincide. One of them is the Paris Cinema International Film Festival, July 3-14, where over 300 films will be shown. For information about both, check out Parisinfo.com where you can find all you need to know about travel in Paris and travel deals.

Lonely Planet’s Fast Talk Audio Books

by Erik Olsen on

When you arrive in a country where they don’t speak English and you haven’t yet picked up a word of the local tongue, it can be awfully hard to get by. Ordering food, finding a place to crash, picking up women, well all of these things can become painful tasks if you don’t know at least a few helpful phrases.

Of course, lots of guidebooks have handy guides in the back that give you some things to say, but only (as far as I know) the new Lonely Planet Fast Talk Audio series offers both a compact, put-in-your-back-pocket phrasebook AND a nifty little CD inside to hear the phrase you’re trying to speak ($6.99 on Amazon). I got my hands on a couple of these new edition phrase books and I highly recommend you check them out.

As I say, one of the best things about them is how small they are, no bigger than a deck of cards, in fact quite a bit thinner than that.They provide phrases for sightseeing, business, shopping eating, sleeping (how do you say “zzzzzzzzz” in French?) and getting around. There is also a wonderful new “Small Talk” Western Europe guide that has handy phrases in ten languages from Danish to Dutch to Turkish, so as you make your way across the continent, you only have to carry around one book. And again, a wee little book at that.

When in France: Beverage Tips

by Jamie Rhein on

Willy’s post on sweet tea and my post on Jack Daniel’s (along with all the other Gadling posts on beverages) have made me thirsty. I started searching out beverage info and found this handy guide on drinking in France. Browse this write up on Travelotica.com and you’ll know what to drink, when to drink it and how to imbibe for cheap. These are all tips handy for keeping instep with the French. Here are a few of them.

Before eating, drink an aperitif to stimulate your appetite. After eating, savor a digestif to feel satisfied-coffee counts. During a meal, sip on wine (vin) to enhance your dining experience. Actually, in France you can drink wine the live-long day whether you’re eating or not. House wine is “vin de table”or “vin ordinaire” and is the cheapest offering. The fancier version of table wine is called “cuvee” but it will cost you more.

If you drink at the bar, the price is cheaper for drinks than if you drink at a table. Drinking on the patio costs the most. A few years back I was in Paris killing time and spent an hour or so drinking a cup of coffee. That’s perfectly acceptable. That’s good to know. I was on the patio, though. I guess if I would have known the bar is cheaper I could have saved some money.

How to Visit Marché d’Intérêt National de Rungis

by Justin Glow on

Just outside of Paris sits the Marché d’Intérêt National de Rungis (or International market of Rungis), the largest wholesale food market in the world. Each day the 573 acre complex is flooded with 26,000 trucks worth of fresh vegetables, fish, meats, and cheeses; 13,000 market workers, restaurateurs, and distributors unite to purchase the freshest of the fresh for the lowest price. €7-billion worth of food is sold within the gates every year.

Visiting this colossal market as a tourist, however, can be challenging. Buses, passenger trains, and most taxis won’t go there, and subway lines stop well before reaching the southern commune of Rungis. Doors open at midnight, and by 7 AM, most of the days goods have been pillaged to leave only the rotten and runt. Even when you do make it, the locals want you out of their way, and they’re not afraid to tell you.

While the Rungis market may not be completely accessible to tourists, it’s still possible for the persistent traveler to pay a visit. A writer with FXCuisine.com recently went, and reported back on the best way to make a stop. You can either:

  1. Join a group tour
  2. Hire an official guide
  3. Go with a registered Rungis buyer/seller
  4. Sneak in with chutzpah
  5. Become a registered buyer

For a full trip report, including details on how you can take in the sights and smells of Rungis the next time you’re in Paris, visit FXCuisine.com. [via]