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Paris
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{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}
Note that there is an "outer ring road" to the Paris suburb area, motorway A86 (or ''super-périphérique'') and another wider ring even further called "la Francillienne" which isn't completed but still used to connect . If your ride is not going to Paris itself, you might want to clarify which ring they are going to take as it may affect the place where you'd want to be dropped. You may also find them useful if you need to bypass Paris, especially the Francilienne, as it has more gas stations and less complex interchanges.
Good to know if you're starting to stink up in the City of Lights: the Municipality provides [https://www.paris.fr/pages/les-bains-douches-municipaux-138 free shower facilities ] in 17 locations around Paris. Note they are BYOT (bring your own toiletry)
== Hitching in ==
During rush hours, it is possible (but illegal) to be quickly dropped on the ring road. This is useful if your ride is not willing to get out of it to drop you (which is often the case). Within the ring area, you are definitely linked to the whole regular fare subway system.
If you are coming from the Northeast and your ride is heading South (which is a normal truck route), chances are that your driver will not drop you on the ring road where it is complicated to stop. A frequent place to get dropped is the first exit South on the A6 called "Rungis". From there, you can reach the Metropolitan subway system by tram with one ticket, then use another one to your final destination. You can also reach other suburbs in the 94 department (Val de Marne) taking the TvM bus, which is also a normal Paris ticket.
== Hitching out ==
There are plenty of excellent spots for hitchhiking North (''Aire La Courneuve''), East ([[petrol station hitchhiking|petrol stations]] and ''[[péage|barrières de péage]]'') and also South (''Aire de Lisses''). It's all about how much you are willing to pay in public transportation, and how daring you are.
==== Option 1: Porte de la Chapelle ====
This option costs one local ticket. Porte de la Chapelle is where the [[A1 (France)|A1]] starts. Local drivers say they often see hitchhikers there. To get there, take the metro line 12 to ''Porte de la Chapelle'', then walk to the roundabout. You can try getting a ride on the roundabout (there are traffic lights, which means that cars have to stop) or you can stand on the opposite side facing the roundabout where the motorway starts. Another good option is to start hitchhiking in the same street where the metro is. There are 2 petrol stations in that very street, just 50m deeper into the city. They aren't overcrowded and, at the same time, quite a few cars going up north stop here to refill; nonetheless, at such places, much depends on your luck, and according to some hitchhikers, this place won't make it to the top 10 best hitchhiking places in France. It is therefore recommended to hitchhike at the roundabout, where a quiet lane right by the traffic lights gives you a good opportunity to get onto the motorway (avoiding at the same time all the traffic that heads for ''Boulevard Peripherique'').
A good option to leave faster is to show at the roundabout a sign for the airport "Charles de Gaulle". There is a petrol station (Aire La Courneuve - see Option 2) before the airport where the driver could let you out; don't miss it! The station is not so big and many drivers just go to the airport but at least you can ask people, whereas it could be hard and long at Porte de la Chapelle.
==== Option 2: Motorway services Aire La Courneuve ====
[[File:Masaru.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Hitchhiker Masaru at ''Aire La Courneuve'']]
This option costs one local ticket or zones 1–3 ticket (eur 2.4575as of 2018). The petrol station [http://hitchwiki.org/maps/?place=5201 ''Aire de Service de La Courneuve''] is about 2 km along the A1, north of Paris.
Take bus 150 from ''Porte de la Villette'' or bus 250 from '''Fort dD'Aubervilliers'' (both are on metro line 7) to the stop ''Parc des Des Sports''.
This bus stop is next to the A1 highway. Just walk to the right from the bus stop, without ever passing under the overpass. Then walk east parallel to the motorway through the parking lot of an apartment complex. There is a wall preventing access to the motorway, but if you continue walking a few hundred meters east and up a slight grassy hill, the wall ends. You can then follow a steep, thorny path full of nettles down towards the motorway and back west towards the petrol station. There is a fence right along the motorway, but near the petrol station it has been trampled down and you can step over it.
It is easy to jump the metro at terminal 2 and there wasn't anyone guarding it. Maybe the same is true for terminals 1 and 3 but I can't vouch for it.
From terminal 2 walk out of terminal and head straight to the main road. You should see signs for A1 Paris Lille. Keep following these signs until the road splits for A1 Lille. One road goes to the left, under a bridge and there are some traffic lights. The other goes to the right. Stand to the right of the right turn. Cars can stop on a dashed out area to your left or drive a little past you on the right. A couple of cars stopped straightaway and I was easily able to get a lift to the next service station which had lots of people driving north to Lille, Belgium and Holland. That service station was very busy and it was easy to get a lift as well as a good meal from peoples' leftovers in the restaurant including half a bottle of wine!
==== Option 4: Motorway services Aire de Vémars Est====
Google maps: [https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Porte+de+Bagnolet/@48.8649082,2.4086197,17z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x47e66e87e1c7d877:0x17c4d9a47ae58890!2sPorte+de+la+Chapelle!8m2!3d48.897279!4d2.359192!3m4!1s0x47e66d8329157e27:0x2a4ba9074d60ae9a!8m2!3d48.8645542!4d2.4095799]
Get a ticket for the station Porte de Bagnolet. This is pretty close to where the A3 starts, which leads to the A1, so a lot of traffic is heading this direction. The place might not be ideal, but it worked for me after just 20 minutes to get a ride on to the A1, . There is a bus stop, where buses often stop so the traffic is slowed down, furthermore, there is a small gas stop, where you can approach drivers directly which cue up there from time to time. Position yourself at the traffic lights before the bus stop to show your sign indicating the direction you want to go to.
==== Bonus Tip: Arras Service Station====
Heading north on the A1, there is a ''fantastic'' Esso AUTOGRILL Aire de Wancourt Est service station just outside Arras [https://goo.gl/maps/2suUznoe5C42], with people heading pretty much everywhere. You can get rides to the UK (Chunnel), Lille, Belgium, Netherlands. Many difference license plates (GB, F, B, NL, D, E) and lots of opportunities.
=== East towards [[Metz]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Germany]] {{Afr|4}} ===
==== Option 1. From within the city limits: Motorway service station ''Aire Quai de Ferrières'' Bercy ====
==== Option 2. Motorway junction slip-road ====
Take the RER Line A (Red) in the direction of ''Boissy St Legere'' until the station ''Nogent Sur Marne'' (€2.75 (2016)). Leave the station in direction of ''Rue Joinville'' and follow the sign to the A4. It is a 30 minute walk. There is a red light before the slip road (on-ramp). Lots of traffic, possibility to stop on the ramp for brave drivers.
Ask if your driver can take you at least to the next petrol station Aire De Ferrières which is within the free motorway network. Toll Gare de Péage de Coutevroult toll gate is a bit further.
==== From within the city limitsOption 3: Quai de Bercy Motorway service station Aire De Ferrières ====''Cheap, as you will only need a metro ticket and pretty fast too.''
Take RER A to station Bussy-Saint-Georges. You can also try get to hitch directly this RER A station by taking bus 4 or 44 from within Paris rather than taking the train for at least half an hour metro station Gutenberg. Walk 2 km Avenue Marie Curie till Rue Pavée turn down until street crosses A4 highway and then walkingafter this turn left rest stop is next to you. Right side from there is Decathlon Logistics France if you get lost
=== Getting South or Southwest {{Afr|6}}, {{Afr|10}}, or {{Afr|11}} ===
Once the most famous hitchhiking spot in France, this spot isn't bad nowadays, but it isn't great either. The good thing is that drivers aren't surprised to see people there, and that you don't need to get out of Paris in faraway suburbs.
==== Option 2: Porte d'Italie ====
Similarly ''Porte d'Italie'' which is not far from ''Porte d'Orleans'' is a good place to hitch from. Additionally if you walk down the exit to the traffic lights, there is an overhead bypass which can keep you dry in the rain.
=== South towards [[Lyon]], [[Marseille]], [[Barcelona]], [[Italy]] {{Afr|6}} ===
==== Option 1: Motorway services Aire de De Lisses ====
This option costs EUR 5.85 (but possible to have ride without ticket also), a zone 1–5 ticket and takes roughly 75 minutes. '''Aire de Lisses''' is the first service area on the A6, situated about 35 km South of Paris. It can save you time because you avoid all outbound traffic not really heading your direction, being located after all the motorway branch-offs.
Get the RER D towards Melun via Corbeil. Be careful to get on the right train as there are 2 routes for RER D towards Melun. As of 2010-02, the Tthe ID of the train you need was "ZIPE" ZIP or "ZOPO" ZOP (All trains on RER lines have a 4 letter ID depending on stations served). If it's too confusing (it's very confusing), get whatever train that goes to "Corbeil Essonne" and, from there, whatever train that goes to Melun. Get off at the station '''Gare de Villabé''', the second after Corbeil-Essonnes. The station is not marked on Google Maps but don't worry, it's there: [http://goo.gl/8omQ2W''the way from Villabé RER station to Aire de Lisses'']
Otherwise, you can take the RER D to Évry-Courcouronnes centre, and from there Bus 415 in direction of Villabé. Get off at stop "Ikea", the gas station will be a five minute walk away. Note that as of 2017, there There is a fence you have to climb to get to the station.
=== South-West to [[Orléans|Orleans]], [[Bordeaux]], [[Spain]] {{afr|10}} & West to [[Le Mans]], [[Nantes]], [[Rennes]] and all parts of , [[Bretagne|Brittany]] {{afr|11}} ===
The A10 and A11 motorways follow the route of the '''A6''' (see above) from Paris, and split from it near [[Antony]]/[[Rungis]]. Then, before the A10 and the A11 split up, there is the service station of Limours-Janvry near Briis-sous-Forges and a [[péage]] near St-Arnoult, 40 km Southwest of Paris. Whichever spot you choose, ask the driver to take you at least until the Limours-Janvry service station or the péage of St-Arnoult. From these places, you can find a driver who takes you on the A10 or the A11 depending on which way you want to go.
==== Option 1: Pont de Sevres ====
[[File:ParisOut.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Hitching after the bridge in March 2015]]
This option costs the price of an underground ticket. It takes you to the beginning of the N118 road which connects to the A10-A11 in about 25 km.
Take the subway 9 to Pont de De Sevres, its end station. You start walking towards the bridge, where you can see the signs towards Nantes, Bordeaux, etc. The hitchhiking spot is just before the bridge, at the red lights. You can try with the cars coming from the direction of the metro station, and also with the cars which came along the river and are turning left to get to the bridge.
==== Option 2: Motorway junction Massy Palaiseau ====
This option costs Eur 4.90, a ticket for zones 1-4. This option is useful to get out of the ring roads and get directly on the A10 after all the branch-offs. Take RER B to ''Massey-Palaiseau''station. Walk down ''Avenue Carnot'' along the ''Massy-Palaiseau'' railway towards the ''autoroute''. After a while there you will see a long stretch of a road with lots of space for cars. Keep going and you will reach a roundabout. If you keep following this road, you will reach the motorway entrance underneath a bridge. Make sure to get a ride to the first ''barrière de péage'' (30+ km) at St-Arnoult or to the Limours-Janvry service station 5 km down the road. '''Edit July 2022''' this does not work! There is pretty much zero car traffic, at least when I was there. If you're starting in Massy-Palaiseau you're better off thumbing at [https://goo.gl/maps/bbD5WGkiKeFqSFzBA this roundabout]. I didn't wait too long here and got a ride straight to Le Mans.
==== Option 3: Motorway service station Limours-Janvry ====
The first service station on the motorway is called Limours-Janvry and it is situated 2kms northeast of the village Briis-sous-Forges. To get there you need to take RER B to Massy-Palaiseau. From there take bus 91.03 to Briis-sous-Forges. It runs about 3 times an hour on weekdays, once an hour on Saturdays, and there are no buses on Sundays. Then walk northeast along the small local road Route D'Invilliers. Briis-sous-Forges to the petrol station [http://maps.google.frcom/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=D131&daddr=Aire+de+Service+de+Limours-Janvry&geocode=FT3X5QIdxnEgAA%3BFZke5gIdK7wgAA&hl=en&mra=ltm&dirflg=w&sll=48.64455,2.16575&sspn=0.115917,0.338173&ie=UTF8&ll=48.739447626839,2.302011135124&spn=0.001638028989,0.003455084543&t=h&z=18 this one14 map] (good enough one, according to some hitchhikers). Really good according to others. Took two guys ten minutes to get a ride and a third guy about the same amount of time to a different place. Lots of trucks and cars passing by!
==== Option 4: Péage de Saint-Arnoult ====
You can take the RER C train to Dourdan. There are no controls on the exit, so if you are on the cheap, you need to pay only the basic metro ticket (some EUR 1.33) to get into the underground network in Paris. Once in Dourdan, cross the railroad track and turn left and then go straight on the D836 until you reach the péage after 4-5 kilometers. You should be able to hitch a car as there are many passing by and the French take easily on small routes if they see you walking. Get off just after the road crosses the autoroute, go left and in a short while, you will reach the péage. Look at the map beforehand! You have much higher chances here then anywhere else, there are lots of cars going through.
==== Option 5: Chartres: a spot to go directly on the A11West towards Rouen, Le Havre, after it has split from the A10 Caen {{Afr|13}} ====[[File:Zoe.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hitchhiker Zoe in Paris during the [[project 888|888]] event]]
==== In the suburbs ====
{{nomadwiki}}
[[File:888_signs.jpg|thumb|240px|right|A small collection of the "Paris" signs for the [[Project 888]] where over 150 hitchhikers gathered and camped in front of the Eiffel Tower.]]
{{Excellent}}