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'''Paris''' is the capital of [[France]].

Like nearly every big city, it's difficult to hitchhike out of it. Paris is even more difficult, since the city, situated within the ring highway (''periférique'') is relatively small, but surrounded by endless suburbs.

This is most probably the best way to get to '''Belgium''' by hitching at the gas station [http://maps.google.es/maps?f=d&hl=es&geocode=5837971829389385952,48.934623,2.393732%3B3201522175225020794,48.920638,2.410383&saddr=Aire+de+Service+de+La+Courneuve+%4048.934790,+2.393710&daddr=&mra=mr&sll=48.918269,2.403388&sspn=0.013649,0.040169&ie=UTF8&ll=48.933157,2.396951&spn=0.006823,0.020084&t=k&z=16&om=1is Aire de Service de La Courneuve]. BUT: if you take a closer look at the gas station on google maps, you will see that there is a wall surrounding this gas station, but do not think that you cannot get on it from outside the highway, because it is:

Possibly better: take line 13 to Carrefour Pleyel, walk along Boulevard Anatole France [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Carrefour+Pleyel+station,+France&daddr=charles+de+gaulle&sll=48.927631,2.383518&sspn=0.027124,0.080338&ie=UTF8&ll=48.923881,2.358456&spn=0.013563,0.040169&t=h&z=15&om=1 Google Maps]. After a while you will see the highway starting. It's not a great spot, but if anyone stops, they can at least drop you off at the gas station (just ask nicely if they are getting off the highway at exit 4).

:''There might be a good spot at Charles de Gaulle airport, though I don't know where exactly. Once I waited 5 minutes, another time 4 hours.''

That's where the A1 starts and the local drivers say that they often see hitchhikers, so apparently it does work:) It worked for us as well, though I think Charles de Gaulle might be a better(faster;) ) option. Anyway, to get there take the metro no12 to Porte de la Chapelle, and there walk to the roundabout. You can try getting a ride on the roundabout(there are traffic lights there so the cars have to stop) or you can stand on the oposite side, facing the roundabout, where the highway starts.

''I waited 2 hours here getting nothing until somebody finally took me to Aire La Courneuve (see above) where I was only 5 minutes.''

The first gas station is close to RER A station Bussy St. Georges. From there you walk south for about 1 km (you can ask at the counter) along a bigger road, which will lead you to a roundabout. You can try from there, but the gas station is just a bit more than 2 km from there. You can walk on the grass field next to the highway. The gas station is called "La Ferrière". An alternate route to reach the gas station is to walk through the industrial zone of Bussy, right south of the railway, then reach the bridge over the highway and then follow on the grass until the gas station that is quite near. This avoids walking in the grass (annoying especially in winter and when raining) and instead most of the walk will be on a road, and you will save some time. You can follow [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=gare,+bussy+saint+georges,+france&daddr=chemin+de+la+rue+pavee,+bussy+saint+georges,+france&sll=48.831899,2.723193&sspn=0.01291,0.040169&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=48.831814,2.726369&spn=0.01291,0.040169&t=h&om=0 this route] on Google Maps - the gas station can be seen right of the bridge on the south side of the map.

The [[péage]] is not far from there, though it might be further than the closest highway exit.

Take RER A4 to the last stop (Marne-La-Vallee - Cheesy). The Peage (toll) is [http://maps.google.es/maps?f=d&hl=es&geocode=&saddr=48.853082,2.838163&daddr=&mrsp=0&sz=14&mra=mi&sll=48.847717,2.845201&sspn=0.027337,0.080338&ie=UTF8&ll=48.853364,2.830825&spn=0.013667,0.040169&z=15&om=1 here]. Its around an hour and a half walking or there's buses going most of the way, they leave from the station next to the RER. Also its not too hard to pick up rides to reduce walking distance. From the peage its easy to get rides to [[Metz]] or even straight to [[Germany]].

Take the RER Line A (Red) in direction Boissy St Legere until the station Nogent Sur Marne (~ 2€). There, leave the station in direction Rue "Joinville" and follow the sign to the A4. Its about 30 minutes by foot. If someone stops ask if they can take you at least to the next gas station, there is no toll (péage) to get there so it's likely you will get at least to there.

Porte d'Orleans, at the ''périferique'' seems okay, Metro Porte d'Orleans. There's a gas station, and a good spot at the traffic junction to the "périferique extérieur". Don't go with cars going into the suburbs. The next tollway or gas station takes about 50 km!

From there walk about 20 min along rue de la Gare and then to the right along rue des Lisses, cross the autoroute, you'll see the gas station from the bridge. --[[User:Daniel|Daniel]] 19:31, 13 January 2007 (CET)

This road follows the route of the '''A6'''(see above) from Paris, then splits from it near Antony/Rungis. There's no gas station between Porte d'Orleans and the A6xA10 junction. So an easy option is to stand at Porte d'Orleans (the same than for the A6) with a sign specifying that you go to Orléans. There is a péage in Saint Arnoult, before the split between A10 and A11, so you can accept a ride going to Orléans or Chartres, for example. Just care that the people will leave you at a mininun at the "péage de Saint Arnoult". [[User:Pietshah|Pietshah]] did that ride tons of times.

Another, a bit more expensive but possibly faster, is to take a train directly to [[Orleans]] from Paris-Austerlitz station. The ticket will cost you about 18 €. North of the center passes an expressway which joins the A10 and has a Péage just before the junction. You'll need a sign saying "[[Tours]]" (if you go direction Tours, Bordeaux or "Vierzon/Toulouse" if you need to take the A20 towards [[Toulouse]]).

This highway splits from the A10 near Dourdan. There are several possibilities go get on this road:

You can also go to Portes d'Orleans (almost the same than for A6 and A10) and have a sign "Chartres" or "Rennes". If you get a ride to Péage de Saint Arnoult (from someone going to Orleans - A10 - for example) it's good, since it's before the split.

Public transport in Paris consists of metro, RER (fast trains serving the suburbs with relatively few inner city stops), buses and a few trams. If you're paying for tickets and you'll make a few journeys then the cheapest option is to buy a carnet of 10 single tickets (around 11 euros). You can travel to the end of RER lines for around 15 euros.

Ticket checks never occur on metro trains and inspectors always seem to employ 1 of 2 approaches: They form a line inside a metro tunnel or station exit and check all travellers, since the staff are uniformed these checks are easy to see from a distance unless they decide to hide around a corner. The second technique involves plainsclothes inspectors watching the gates and busting those jumping over, they'll either stop the fareless directly or radio ahead to uniformed inspectors who will ask to see a valid ticket.

Checks never occur during rush hour, peak times for controls are evenings, weekends and the beginning of a new month. Except for the major stations its pretty easy to jump the barriers or pass through with other members of the public, only the major stations will require a validated ticket to exit. During the day you stand a very high chance of travelling for free, at night or weekends you face a moderate or low chance of meeting a control. Dont worry about the station staff serving tickets, they have nothing to do with the controls and people often jump the barriers in front of them.

Uniformed inspectors will ask for validated tickets on the train and you maybe subject to the checks mentioned above as well (the RER shares the metro infrastructure). It's possible to travel free but you stand a higher chance of being busted than on the metro. It seems that checks can occur at any time so the best time to travel free is rush hour when controls are impossible.

Like most cities you can walk on a bus without showing or validating a ticket. Checks are rare and occur mainly at night.

=== to Charles de Gaulle/Roissy airport===

Bus line 350 goes to Gare de l'Est and line 351 to Place de la Nation. You're supposed to validate 3 tickets, but there are not that many checks.

[[Category:France]]