Vélib: Biking in Paris
It's finally here! This weekend the city-run bike rental service Vélib - a play on the French words for 'bike' and 'freedom' - opened officially to the public. The system is simple: you rent a bike from one of the city's many stations using a credit card and drop it off at another station at the end of your trip. The bikes were engineered with the commuter in mind and the pay scale is designed to encourage short trips. The first half hour of any ride is free, the second half hour is 1€, the third 2€ and each half hour after that 4€. A few examples of times and rates:
25mins: free
50mins: 1€
1h15mins: 3€
Short term subscription plans are available in one day and seven day plans. It can be a little confusing, but the idea is that as long as each trip you make is a half hour or less, your account is not charged. The half hour rule applies for every time you take a bike, not just the first time. And should you arrive at your destination to find no space for your bike, you have fifteen minutes free of charge to get to another station. The deposit machine will indicate available stations nearby. A 150€ security deposit is required to ensure that you bring the bike back in good condition and within 24 hours. It's only debited from your account if you fail to do so. Understandable, considering the cost and effort required to make the system work. If you have any questions, inquire at any metro station. The rental machines display information in English, as well as several other languages. Currently, the official website is only in French, but below is a list of station addresses. Happy pedaling!
http://www.velib.paris.fr/les_stations/toutes_les_stations
http://www.velib.paris.fr
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6899082.stm
