Yes Paris with a bicycle and it's not as stupid as it sounds for a number of reasons. Firstly there are marked cycle paths and lanes and unbelievably the Parisian drivers have got much better. They seem to be more mild mannered than before and more importantly stick to the main roads rather than dart down the side streets just to pick up a fresh baguette. And the air is cleaner thanks to catalytic converters and more importantly clean engines for the busses.
The route I took should only be tackled by experienced city cyclists but others could hire a bike from Chatelet, cycle to the Eiffel Tower and back then wheel it up the Champs Elysees then take the cycle route into the Bois de Boulogne where people were cycling with children. There are special maps available so check before you go. The tourist information on Les Champs Elysees will point you in the right direction. Oh and the cost is EUR 6 for a day.
But first a shot of La Perifique in the morning just to let you see how the other half lives. One day London will be like this.
We're one our way after the pre flight checks and our fist port of call is the Place de la Republique there are traffic lights on entry to the square and when they are green the traffic goes in a straight line in a square but if you go in a circle you find yourself in acres (or should that be hectares) of road space.
Over La Seine in the relative safety of a cycle lane sometimes shared with busses. I have no problem with that as the drivers are good. The trick is not to overtake the bus and when the bus does stop sit well back so the driver know where you are when he comes to pull out.
Tour Montparnasse by the station of the same name. You can go up to the top and see the whole of Paris from the restaurant.
I'm afraid I don't know what this is but it is a nice photograph so it's in.
From Montparnasse we head back towards the river then head up the right bank of the River. This should only be tackled by experienced city cyclists as the cycle path runs out somewhere past Radio France though most of the traffic is heading straight and there are traffic lights every 400 metres or so.
Rugby fans will recognise the famous stadium - traditionally the scene of English humiliation though in modern times the team has done better in La Stade de France.. The original photograph had one of the ticket staff sneaking out for a quiet cigarette but I removed it on ethical grounds.
Here we see the concrete structure of the stands showing you can work with this new material without creating "monstrous carbuncles".
An arty shot of one of the floodlight pylons of the adjacent athletics stadium. Probably where Jean Claude Baptiste honed his sprinting while the England team were propping up the bar in The Stoop.
The main stand at Longchamp were punters favourite Frankie de la Tory did his trademark flying dismount after winning the Word's richest horse race 24 hours before this photo was taken.
Perfect tranquility. Le Etoille Charles de Gaulle is 3 k.m away La Perifique 1 k.m.
The view from the saddle.
More tranquility.
We pass over La Periphique at Port Duphanie heading in the direction of Etoille Charles de Gaulle and Les Champs Elysees.
The view says it all - nothing on the road a protected cycle lane and L'Arc de Triomphe at Charles de Gaulle Etoile. but we have to cross Les Champs Elysees.
Here we see the view as we are about to cross the famous avenue. Note the red circle that denotes our position..Unfortunately the road opposite is one way so we have to go down around 50 metres before we can cross. No problem as we have a head start. We keep to the right the skip across so we can traverse with the help of the lights. Still it is intimidating four lanes of traffic bearing down on you so get a map with one way streets marked.
Well that's it thank you very much for staying with us. For the record we spent the afternoon cycling round Montmartre returning the bikes before the evening rush hour. We were looking to photograph the new Stade de France but saw no signs. It's on La Perifique by the way.
So you want us back !! Well OK then we'll finish with a few shots of the Eiffel tower taken at dusk.
Sunset over the River Seine.
We did promise to let you know what we have learned as Paris can be expensive and crowded so here goes.
UK rail travelers could consider using the station at Ashford rather than traveling across London with luggage there is a good motorway connection and also a junction for local services and trains from South London. Check with your insurance company about policy on missed connections. Avoid the changes at Tottenham Court Road, Embankment and Leicester Square because the stations are too small for the numbers and they are busy all the time not just in the rush hours. There are long walks at Warren Street and Green Park. Waterloo is not that far from Euston and Kings Cross so the luxury of a cab can be justified if you are carrying too much and don't fancy the Northern Line. Passengers on lines into Liverpool Street should change at Stratford if possible.
Before you get a street plan with index, find the hotel and put a piece of paper in the right page with the name, destination metro station with changes and line numbers giving the terminus of each line. If you can get enough metro tickets for your hotel in advance.
Don't be seduced by the Guinness signs on or around Les Champs Elysees as a pint of the black stuff is seriously expensive and can cause resentment. Always carry bottled water and if you do go for a beer drink it like the locals do. We did find beer at EUR 1.80 but the norm was EUR 2.50 for 25 cl .
Paris is excellent for cheap good value restaurants offering basic cuisine such as Boef Bourginion and Coq au Vin. Keep an eye n the drinks however to avoid a nasty surprise at the end. The places to go are Montmartre (metro Anvers) and St. Denis (across the river from Les Halles or one of the smaller stations nearer.)
The best time to go. When when we did, mid October and not "Paris in the Spring". It's not too hot, the leaves are turning, and the tourist crowd is largely couple rather than backpacking students.
Plan for stress. Interdisperse visits to crowded art galeries with walks in parks and along the river. Try La Defense at weekends it gives a feeling of space which is perfect.
Save money on lunch by grabbing a filled baguette from say the St. Denis area and having a big meal in the evening.
