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Paris
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{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}
'''Paris''' is the capital of [[France]]. It is situated within a ring road called ''le périphérique'', or ''le périph''. The actual city is actually small but is surrounded by endless suburbs, some of them being linked to the urban public transportation system at no extra cost, and some other being labelled as outside zones and thus more expensive to reach.
=== RER system ===
<map lat='48.83398957668602' lng='2.34283447265625' zoom='9' view='0' float='right'/>
Uniformed controllers will ask for validated tickets on trains, and since the RER shares the metro infrastructure, you might be a subject to the checks in similar order mentioned above. It is possible to travel for free, even though you stand a higher chance of being busted. It seems that checks can occur at any time, so the best time to travel for free is a rush hour when controls are impossible due to congestion. The highest risk of being checked seems to occur on transfer stations from RER to metro stations.
You often need your ticket to get out of the stations, as price varies according to the distance. Make sure not to lose it as it can be tricky to get out otherwise.
=== Buses ===
Like in most cities of France, you can walk onto the bus without showing or validating a ticket. Checks are said to be rare, and occur mainly late at night.
=== Fines and punishments ===
French transport police won't make any exceptions for foreigners. Although it is said it might be possible to talk them out of fining a "dumb tourist" they are mainly hostile. Most commonly they will ask for a 40 euro fine which can be paid directly in cash or by credit card. Alternatively you can plead poverty, and if you show a valid ID they will post a fine to the address and the name written on ID.
=== Going 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 (which is a lot cheaper than travelling by RER); checks are said rare to occur.
== 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 with one ticket, then use 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]]s and ''[[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.
=== Northeast towards [[Lille]] and [[Belgium]] ===
==== Porte de la Chapelle ====
This option costs one local ticket. Porte de la Chapelle is where the [[A1 autoroute (France)|A1]] starts. Local drivers say they often see hitchhikers there. To get there take a metro 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 highway 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 the North stop here for refill; nonetheless, at such places much is depended on your luck, and according to some hitchhikers this place won't make to the TOP10 best hitchhiking places in France. It is therefore rather recommended to hitchhike at the roundabout where a quiet lane right by the traffic lights gives you a good opportunity to get onto the highway (avoiding at the same time all the traffic that heads for ''Boulevard Periphique'').
==== Service station at SurvilliersAire La Courneuve ====From Paris, take RER D from Chatelet-les-halles or Gare du Nord, direction Orry la Ville - Coye. Get off the train at Survilliers-Fosses (35 KM North of Paris). Walk down Rue de la Gare towards Survilliers town centre. Then in Survilliers, turn right at La Grande Rue; you will find the motorway. Once there, you can hitchhike from the motorway exit towards (Paris direction) the gas station 2KM from here. When you arrive, you take the local road to cross over to the opposite service station to head north.
First, get closer by public transport. Some options are:
* Bus 150 from ''Porte de la Villette'' (metro line 7), get off at ''Parc des Sports'' (next to the highway)
* Bus 250 from ''Fort d'Aubervilliers'' (metro line 7), get off at ''Parc des Sports'' (the quickest way?)
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=La+Courneuve,+8+Mai+1945&daddr=rue+paul+verlaine&sll=48.93333,2.392216&sspn=0.009459,0.020084&ie=UTF8&ll=48.926137,2.394161&spn=0.01892,0.040169&z=15&om=1 ''La Courneuve, 8 Mai 1945''] (metro line 7) and make your way to ''rue Paul Verlaine'' by taking a tram "T1" and getting off at ''Six Routes''.
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=La+Courneuve+Aubervilliers&daddr=Rue+Paul+Verlaine,+93120+La+Courneuve,+Seine-Saint-Denis,+Ile-de-France,+Frankreich&sll=48.926137,2.394161&sspn=0.01892,0.040169&ie=UTF8&cd=1&ll=48.928026,2.388539&spn=0.018919,0.040169&z=15&om=1 ''La Courneuve Aubervilliers''] (RER B), and walk 2 km north along ''Boulevard Pasteur''. You can catch this train from ''Gare du Nord''. THIS OPTION REQUIRES A 1-3 ZONES TICKET
You then have several options to get to the petrol station:
# RECOMMENDED: You can hitch a lift onto the motorway (Autoroute A1) and ask the driver to drop you off at the petrol station. You will need a sign saying "A1 EST". You can do so by walking North under the motorway (if you haven't gone under already in the bus) and cross over to the other side of the road and find a point at the beginning of the slip road going South onto the A1 (this way you will enter the A1 going West, but immediately your driver should get off at the next exit, cross over and come back onto the A1 heading East). Otherwise, you can walk South back to ''Six Routes'', turn right and follow the tramlines (on your left hand side) and find a suitable place to hitch (there are some traffic lights). Your driver will go over the A1 and then take the turning round to the slip road going East. From the point you join the A1 East via the circular slip road, it is only about a 1km until the petrol station, so make sure you advise your driver!!
# There is a door in the wall surrounding the petrol station which allows outside access but it is sometimes locked (latter was true on 01-06-08 and 28-09-08 also 29-11-08..). Walk away from the door and scale the concrete wall at the point where it becomes a fence. Walk forward and you'll see where you have to go. (See [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107770710063601716204.00044840696bdf8a385ef&ll=48.933654,2.393292&spn=0.001334,0.004227&t=h&z=19 approximate location of the door].)
# If the door is locked you have to climb the wall that is approximately 1,90 m tall, and go through a broken fence [http://maps.google.de/maps?f=q&hl=de&geocode=&q=paris+la+courneuve&sll=50.785102,5.710144&sspn=1.165162,2.570801&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&ll=48.933836,2.394&spn=0.001182,0.002511&z=19&iwloc=addr here] - ''et voila'', you are at the petrol station.
# You can walk around the wall for about 70 meters towards the left, then walk down the little hill and walk through the bushes. You have to go through two fences to enter the petrol station.
From the petrol station, you're best bet is probably to get a lift to the [[toll station]] (PÉAGE ("pay-arge")), heading north. This is a 20 minutes drive down the motorway a [[toll road]] and everyone has to stop here. It is a great place to get long-distance rides. Between the ''Aire La Courneuve'' and the ''barrière de péage'' (toll station) there is a small [[rest area]] and a fairly large petrol station with quite many cars stopping there. Ask your driver if he/she passes this service area.
[[File:Masaru.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Hitchhiker Masaru at ''Aire La Courneuve'']]
==== Charles de Gaulle ====
''Charles de Gaulle'' airport can be an option for hitching North-East, although waiting times might vary a lot.
==== Porte de la Chapelle Service station at Survilliers====That's where This option costs 4 euros, which is the cost of a ticket for zones 1-5. The peage is 35 km North of Paris, near the [[A1 autoroute town of Survilliers. From Paris, take RER D (FranceChatelet-les-halles or Gare du Nord)|A1]] starts , direction Orry la Ville - Coye. Get off the train at Survilliers- local drivers say they often see hitchhikers thereFosses (35 KM North of Paris). To get there take a metro 12 to ''Porte Walk down Rue de la Chapelle''Gare towards Survilliers town centre, then walk to turn right at La Grande Rue; you will find the roundaboutmotorway. You Once there, you can try getting a ride on hitchhike from the motorway exit towards the roundabout gas station 2KM from here (there are traffic lightsParis direction). When you arrive, which means that cars have you take the local road to cross over to stop) or you can stand on the opposite side facing the roundabout where the highway startsservice station to head North. Another good ==== Senlis Peage==== This option is costs 9 euros + a local ticket to start hitchhiking in the same street where the metro Gare du Nord. The peage is. There are 2 petrol stations in that very street50 km North of Paris, just 50m deeper into near the citytown of Senlis. They aren't overcrowded Senlis has no train station, and at but you still buy the same time quite ticket from a few cars going up the North stop here for refill; nonetheless, at such places much is depended on your lucktrain station. From Paris Nord, go to Chantilly and according switch to some hitchhikers this place won't make a bus to Senlis at the TOP10 best hitchhiking places in France"gare routière" right outside of Chantilly's train station with your ticket. It is therefore rather recommended Once there, you need to hitchhike at the roundabout where walk a quiet lane right by the traffic lights gives little and you 'll find a good opportunity "péage" (highway payment station - people have to stop to get onto take a ticket). The bus driver gave me the highway (avoiding at the same time all the traffic that heads for ''Boulevard Periphique'')directions. This should take around one hour.
=== A4 East, towards [[Metz]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Germany]], etc ===
* Take the RER Line A (Red) in direction of ''Boissy St Legere'' until the station ''Nogent Sur Marne'' (~2€). Leave the station in direction of ''Rue Joinville'' and follow the sign to the A4. It is a 30 min walk. If some driver stops for you, ask if he/she can take you at least to the next petrol station (there is no toll road (péage) to get there, so it is likely that you will get a ride there).
=== Getting South or Southwest (A6 South to [[Lyon]], [[Marseille]], [[Barcelona]], [[Italy]] A10 or A11) ===
=== A10 South to [[Orleans]], [[Bordeaux]], [[Spain]] = Porte d'Italie ====[[File:888_signs.jpg|thumb|240px|left|A small collection of the "Paris" signs for the [[Project 888]] where over 150 hitchhikers gathered and camped in front of the Eiffel Tower.]]
=== A6 South to [[Lyon]], [[Marseille]], [[Barcelona]], [[Italy]] ===
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 ID of the line you want was "ZIPE" (All RER lines have a 4 letter ID). Get offat the station '''Villabé''', the second after Corbeil-Essonnes. The station is not marked on googlemaps but don't worry, it's there: [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Rue+d%27Ambreville,+91100+Villab%C3%A9,+Franciaorsz%C3%A1g&daddr=48.592221,2.443964&hl=hu&geocode=&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=16&dirflg=w&sll=48.592959,2.44184&sspn=0.005947,0.013604&ie=UTF8&ll=48.592959,2.452869&spn=0.023786,0.054417&z=14 ''the way from Villabé RER station to Aire de Lisses'']
[http://maps.google.fr/?ie=UTF8&ll=48.739447,2.302011&spn= Buses 0.001638,0.003455&t=h&z==Like in most cities of France18 this one] (good enough one, you can walk onto the bus without showing or validating a ticket. Checks are said according to be rare, and occur mainly late at nightsome hitchhikers).
=== Fines A11 South-West to [[Le Mans]], [[Nantes]], [[Rennes]] and punishments all parts of [[Brittany]] ===French transport police wonThis highway splits from the A10 near ''Dourdan''t make any exceptions for foreigners. Although it is said it might be possible to talk them out of fining a "dumb tourist" they There are mainly hostile. Most commonly they will ask for a 40 euro fine which can be paid directly in cash or by credit card. Alternatively you can plead poverty, and if you show a valid ID they will post a fine to the address and the name written several possibilities go get on ID.this motorway:
== Sleeping in Paris ==
It is also possible to sleep in the ''Champs de Mars'' in front of the Eiffel Tower - police generally lets you sleep until 9 or 10 in the morning. There are many trees that offer you a protection in case of a rain. You can also put up a tent (at night) in a discrete spot although keep in mind that police officers will wake you up around the sunrise. You can also sleep under the bridge at the Seine river on the other side of the Eiffel Tower. During the first European Hitchhikers Week ([[888]]) around 50 people slept in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Great place you can find in tunnels of mountssourisMountssouris. These tunnels are part of old railway. It is hidden place, and maybe most knowly entrance to the famous Paris Catocombs. You must only climb over wall near crossroad of these streets: Avenue Jean Mouline and Rue de Coulmiers (GPS on Google maps: 48.82548598904712, 2.321111261844635 ). Please do not enter to the Catacomb alone or without any person which have lot of expirience with climbing in Paris underground. It is very complicated system of tunnels, maybe a second largest in the world. In many rooms in Catacomb you cand find a very luxury places too sleep, but you can be lost in locations where nobody didnt been for a few months.
*[http://www.ratp.fr/ Public transportation of Paris]
*[http://www.voyages-sncf.com/ Trains and regional transports], ticket agency
{{Excellent}}
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