Bikes And More In Paris - France

Last week I was in Paris (France) for business reasons. The journey had to be made by plane, but I was curious to see how the city has changed since my last visit almost 20 years ago.

As you may know, since September 1, 2021 there is a speed limit of 30 km/h (18.64 mph) in the whole city. This is to serve traffic safety and environmental protection. After I was very much on the road in the city, I noticed the following:
- the limit is observed on a case-by-case basis by car drivers
- Cyclists, e-scooters, cargo cabs, motorcycles, mopeds, etc. permanently ignore this limit!
- red lights apply only to cars and trucks!?! All other road users endanger all pedestrians on the crosswalks, if they are used at all.

2-wheelers are one of the most used means of transportation away from the metro. Therefore, there is always a lot going on here! Every gap between cars standing at the traffic lights or slowly rolling cars is "hotly contested" and used by 2-wheelers of any kind! I also noticed an extremely high volume of 3-wheelers. But if you look closely at the photos there are of course also numerous motorcycles and conspicuously many of them are our brand, THRIUMPH!!!!

Due to the weather, many 2-wheelers ride with rainproof covers over their legs, some of which are even mounted on the bike year-round. This looks at a HONDA GOLDWING or a TRIUMPH TIGER, compared to a scooter then extremely funny!

All 2-wheelers are parked at all possible and impossible areas at all times of the day and night. That is, as a pedestrian it can already happen that you have to meander through the sidewalk in slalom between parked 2-wheelers along a house wall and at the same time parallel to the sidewalk edge. All marked parking areas are constantly overcrowded and are used to a few centimeters of space between vehicles! On flat streets without slopes, car owners are advised not to activate their parking brake, because when parking and unparking, several vehicles are shifted at the same time to take advantage of the parking space!?! Therefore, most cars look accordingly visually changed! (paint damage)

Of course, many cabs are also used. There is one special feature here. You can order a motorcycle cab and get from the driver apart from a helmet also an all-weather jacket to put on. The price level is then on that of normal cabs. Per kilometer one pays in the cab in Paris between 1.06 euros and 1.58 euros. The basic price for a cab ride in Paris is 2.60 euros if you stop the cab in the street. If you order a cab by phone, you will have to pay a call fee. For an immediate ride, the fee is 4 euros, if you order a cab for a later time, then the arrival fee is 7 euros. For luggage there should be no charge, but it happens again and again that the driver demands additional fees! It would also be good to know about the route, so that you do not have to pay for a "ride" in the end!

Culinary highlights at different prices can be found almost on every street corner. Whether national or international cuisine, there is certainly something for everyone. Small bakeries and their delicacies are highly recommended.

So that you can understand my impressions, I have attached a few photos.

Part 1:

Eiffel Tower. As you can see it is just in not in a very good condition. The repainting will take about 1,5 years.





Arc de Triumph is also in a rebuilding phase.















Nice guy with a street sign!

 

Part 2:
Actual status of NOTRE DAME







The famous "Louvre"



French "fastfood" (cheese, baguette and tomatoes)



"Bakery jewels": "Eclairs" are delicious and you can get them in many different flavors



Those birds are looking after your "french fastfood". You must be aware, because they are small little robbers!

 

Yes it did quite well.

 

Thank you for your comment!