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Paris
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{{Hitchhiking Zine nomination}}
<map lat='48.83398957668602' lng='2.34283447265625' zoom='10' view='0' float='right'/>
'''Paris''' is the capital of [[France]]. It is situated within a ring road called ''le périphérique'', or ''le périph''. The actual city is actually relatively small , but is surrounded by endless suburbs, some of them being which are linked to the urban public transportation system at no extra cost(i.e. a standard one-trip city ticket), and while some other others being labelled as outside zones and thus more expensive to reach.
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.
== 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. === Airports ===There are 3 main airports that service Paris. Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Orly, and Beauvais. It is possible to hitch from the airports into the city, but to get from Paris to the airports, Blablacar is probably the most reliable option.* CDG is in the North, and is the closest. A one-way ticket to/from the airport is 10.30 euros. To hitch into Paris from here, go to Terminal 3 and you will find a parking lot. Follow the signs to Paris and hitch at the parking lot exit.* Orly is South of Paris. A one-way ticket to/from the airport is usually 12 euros, but there is a secret way that is only 3.80 (2x1.90 tickets)! From Paris take metro line 7 to the last stop (Villejuif-Louis Aragon) and then switch to Tram 7, which will take you right to the airport. Or do it backwards to get into Paris. Hitchhiking from Orly should be feasible, also from the parking lot.* [[Beauvais]] is the furthest, and 45 minutes North from Paris. Tickets are an appalling 16.80 euros each way! Luckily, lots of Blablacar rides can take you there for 6 or 7 euros, and it is easy to hitchhike back (See the [[Beauvais]] page).
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== 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.
=== North/Northeast towards [[England]], [[Lille]] and [[Belgium]] {{afr|1}} ===
These are classified by cost in public transportation from Paris' centre. There is a bonus pro-tip at the bottom involving Arras :)
==== 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 a 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 overcrowdedand, and at the same time , quite a few cars going up the North north stop here for to refill; nonetheless, at such places , much is depended depends on your luck, and according to some hitchhikers , this place won't make it to the TOP10 top 10 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 motorway (avoiding at the same time all the traffic that heads for ''Boulevard PeriphiquePeripherique'').
==== 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 d'Aubervilliers'' (both are on metro line 7) to the stop ''Parc 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.
Attention: in the winter / early spring or after the rain walking down the hill to the motorway might be difficult because of mud. In February it took 2 hitchhikers almost 40 minutes to walk down and reach the fence, after numerous attempts to keep the balance and not to fall down. It might be a good idea in this case to hitch from the entrance of the highway, right at the cross before you turn to the parking lot of the apartment complex.
Attention 2: I tried this route September 2017 and although I got there following the instructions, the final fence closing of the petrol station has been fixed. I had to climb a tree to drop into the compound. I'm a clumsy person and I managed, but with a heavy backpack it might be challenging.
Attention 3: I used this option in April 2019 and it worked fine, following the original advice. There is a wall but go to the VERY end, up the slight grassy hill... The path goes down, the fence is trampled down, and then you're basically on the motorway for about 10metres before you're at the services.
From the petrol station, most drivers are only going to the airport or local communities. You should ask for a lift at least to the [[toll station]] (''péage'') heading north. This is a 20-minute drive down the motorway (some kilometers after the airport) and everyone has to stop here. It is a great place to get long-distance rides.
==== Option 3: Charles de Gaulle ====
''Charles de Gaulle'' airport can be an option for hitching North-East, although waiting times might vary a lot.
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 you your left or drive a little past you on the right. A couple of cars stopped right a way 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====
<ol>
<li>From 'Nation' bus station (also a metro stop) , take bus 351* to 'Roissypole' located at Charles de Gaulle Airport (Terminal 3). It's the last stop and payment isn't required to enter the bus.You can BLACK RIDE on this bus both ways</li><li>From the coach station there (Gare routière), you can catch the 95.01 bus to Vémars, though this bus does '''not''' run on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Ask inside at the ticket office/information desk for which parking number the bus will be at (D2 in Oct 2013). The ticket costs eur 2€2. [BEWARE 95.01 does not work on public holidays and Sundays, so if that is the case , then get down off at QUEBEC because the A1 highway ( going to Lille) highway cuts through the PARIS city Paris multiple times and at this Petrol Station petrol station there is a higher chance of finding DUTCH Cars Dutch cars stopping and giving you a ride until to another petrol station on the main highway, which is super busy and easy to find rides going to anywhere from Calias Calais to Antwerp to Lille]</li><li> You can always try to go with the bus number 702 to Vémars centre from the airport (20 stops, 39 minutes). This will also work on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (as of 2018)</li><li>From the Vémars bus stop walk straight 400m on 'Rue Pierre Curie' (D17) 400m until it merges with 'Rue de la Mairie.' Walk an additional 350m until merged this merges with 'Rue des Vignolles' (D16).</li><li>On your left , the A1 will be clearly visible, as will the 'Aire de Vémars Ouest' petrol station. From here , it is another 1.25km to any given entrance.</li>
</ol>
For 351 Bus Route refer to link below
http://www.ratp.fr/informer/pdf/orienter/f_plan.php?loc=bus_banlieue/300&nompdf=351&fm=pdf
*Note: The 351 bus service does not run on weekends, but the above link can help find an alternate route.
[[File:Vemars.jpg]]
==== Option 5: Senlis Péage ==== This option costs €9 (25% discount for under 26s) + a local ticket to Gare du Nord. The peage is 50km north of Paris, near the town of Senlis. Senlis has no train station, but you still buy the ticket from a train station. From Paris Nord, go to Chantilly and switch to a bus to Senlis at the "gare routière" right outside of Chantilly's train station with your ticket. Once there, you need to walk a little and you'll find a "[[péage|péage]]". The bus driver gave me the directions. This should take around one hour.
=== East towards [= Bonus Tip: Arras Service Station====Heading north on the A1, there is a ''fantastic'' Esso service station just outside Arras [Metz]https://goo.gl/maps/2suUznoe5C42], [[Strasbourg]]with people heading pretty much everywhere. You can get rides to the UK (Chunnel), Lille, [[Luxembourg]]Belgium, [[Germany]] Netherlands. Many difference license plates (A4GB, F, B, NL, D, E) ===and lots of opportunities.
==== Via petrol station ''Aire de Ferrières'' =East towards [[Metz]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Germany]] {{Afr|4}} ===
==== Option 1: Motorway service station ''Quite long trip and a bit expensive. Takes you to a great petrol station, better if you speak French and good day-and-night.Aire de Ferrières''====
Here's a [http://maps.google.fr/maps?q=48.828509,2.744594&ll=48.836023,2.723494&spn=0.034406,0.071583&num=1&t=m&z=14 map].
''This one is close to Paris, faster and cheaper to get to, but still in the megapolis. Starting from there, you're likely to end up either at the petrol station described above or at the péage. Not good at night.'' Take the RER Line A (Red) in the direction of ''Boissy St Legere'' until the station ''Nogent Sur Marne'' (EUR 2€2.70 75 (2010-112016)). Leave the station in direction of ''Rue Joinville'' and follow the sign to the A4. It is a 30 min minute walk. There is a red light before the onrampslip 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 which is within the free motorway network. Toll gate is a bit further.
==== Option 3. From within the city limits: Quai de Bercy ====
''Cheap, as you will only need a metro ticket and pretty fast too.''
Take the metro line 14 to Bercy and exit towards Boulevard de Bercy, take the Boulevard down to the bridge where it intersects with Quai de Bercy. Standing on Quai de Bercy it is advisable to have a sign indicating you want to get onto the A4. When cars stop, ask if they are going all the way to the toll station (péage), many drivers turn off the A4 before that but there are not really any convenient places to continue hitch-hiking from before the toll station.
==== Option 4. Lorraine TGV ==== French railway operator SNCF has been running low-cost TGVs under the brand [https://www.ouigo.com OuiGO] since a few years. The good news is that from the summer 2018 it runs from Gare de l'Est within city limits and at a reasonable time (12:55) instead of running at 6 am from the rail station at the CDG airport as it was the case before. If you book a bit in advance you can get a ticket to Lorraine TGV (in the outskirts of [[Metz]] ,https://goo.gl/maps/GfXv9v4LGxn) or [[Strasbourg]] main station for as low as 10 €, although the fare you're more likely to find is around 15-20 €. The ride takes 1:15 hour. From Lorraine-TGV station it is relatively easy to hitch east towards Saarbrücken and further into Germany. In the beginning you will have a simple two-lane local road, which joins the motorway A4 near Forbach close to the german border. === Getting South or Southwest (A6{{Afr|6}}, {{Afr|10}}, A10 or A11) {{Afr|11}} ===
These spots are close enough to the city to be getting traffic in all southern directions.
==== Option 1: Porte d'Orléans ====
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.
''Porte d'Orléans'' is the terminal subway station of line 4. There is an entry on the ''périphérique'' ring road where lots of people are later heading South. The best place is besides the "Novotel" building or (better) opposite it at the traffic lights. Be warned, traffic here is heavy and fast moving. If you have much baggage or more than one person I would not fancy your chances here. Waiting at the petrol station or even the adjacent war memorial will not give you the best traffic.
Edit : I think that the place in front of the hotel is pretty bad. Very hard for the cars to stop there. It's better to stand before, at the red lights. I stood near the gas station at the lights, you miss all the cars not coming from inside Paris, but it's way easier for the cars to see you and to stop.
Make sure to specify with a sign specifying that you go to [[Orléans]] or [[Chartres]] (if you are heading Southwest - A10 or A11), and that the driver will leave you at least at the "péage de Saint Arnoult"or before that at "Limours-Janvry" service station. Beware, just after the "péage", the motorway separates between A10 and A11. If you are heading directly Southonto the A6, have a sign for (you may try "[[Lyon ]]" or Fontainebleau) and make sure to be left at ''Aire de Lisses'', roughly 35 km further, a little bit after Evry (drivers to Evry are not enough for you).
Whenever a diplomat travels between Paris and the Orly airport, he'll go through here. Which means that there will be police presence. The police don't care about you, but it is very unlikely anyone will stop while they are around. That happens often enough. They stick around for one hour.
==== 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 there at to the traffic lights , there is an overhead bypass which can keep you dry in the rain.
=== South towards [[Lyon]], [[Marseille]], [[Barcelona]], [[Italy]] (A6) {{Afr|6}} ===
==== Option 1: Motorway services Aire 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 ID of the train you need was "ZIPE" or "ZOPO" (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 '''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 is a fence you have to climb to get to the station. [Note, Jan 2014Mar 2018: There is no barrier at Villabé and so you can pay the standard central Paris tariff tarif to get into the metro network and then just ride out there.]
A problem with a petrol station is that leaving trucks can block the leaving cars, so cars won't have chance to stop at all. [[User:Artti|Artti]] stood there three hours without a sign until he walked to the ramp next to the petrol station. There is more traffic and therefore more chance to get ride. Also cars have lot lots of space to stop.
==== Option 2: Motorway services Aire de Nemours ====
You can take a train to Nemours Saint Pierre (transilien R from Gare de Lyon, a ticket costs about 10 euros) and walk 45min to the service area ( http://goo.gl/VUYmh0 ). Then you're already on a paying section (no local traffic), far out from Paris (80km), and can get a ride to Châlon, Mâcon or Lyon in a few minutes.
=== A10 South-West to [[Orléans|Orleans]], [[Bordeaux]], [[Spain]] and A11 {{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 would 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 on to the beginning of the N118 road which connects to the A10-A11 in about 25 km.
Take the subway 9 to Pont 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 the RER B to ''MassyMassey-Palaiseau''. From there, follow the motoway signs for the A10. There are two options: take a bus from the massive transport lot beside ''Massy-Palaiseau'' station or walk down a motorway ramp nearby. '''Motorway ramp option''': Go Walk down the ''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 a the motorway exit 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.
[http://maps.google.com/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=48.626839,2.135124&spn=0.028989,0.084543&t=h&z=14 Briis-sous-Forges to the petrol station map]
[http://maps.google.fr/?ie=UTF8&ll=48.739447,2.302011&spn=0.001638,0.003455&t=h&z=18 this one] (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 A11, after it has split from the A10 ====
[[File:Zoe.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hitchhiker Zoe in Paris during the [[project 888|888]] event]]
Take the train from ''Paris-Montparnasse'' to ''Chartres'' (EUR 12) and start hitching from there. You might want to go to the service station ''Chartres-Gasville'' on the A11 east of ''Chartres'' (bus plus one hour walk!). From the train station, take one of many [http://www.filibus.fr/pages/55 buses] that stop at the ''Morard'' station. Here starts bus 12, take it and get off at ''N.Conté'' - some minutes before you arrive there, memorize the route: the bus crosses the motorway, and comes to a big roundabout where it turns right and continues to a second small roundabout to turn right again to arrive at ''N.Conté''. Now comes 1 hour of walk: go back to the big roundabout and turn right (east) to follow the N10 until you come to a small city. There you encounter the next roundabout, where you turn left. Follow the street, it bends to the right and ends on the ''Rue du Bois Paris'' where you turn left (north). After 500 meters comes the motorway, continue until you have crossed it. The service station is 400 meters east, so try to pass through the trees on your right and follow the street to the service station.
== Public transport = West towards Rouen, Le Havre, Caen {{Afr|13}} ===Public transport in ==== Inside Paris consists of a metro (lines from number 1 to 14)====- Quai André Citroën, RER (fast trains serving under the suburbs with relatively few inner city stops, lines from letter ring road overpass. A to E), buses (lines from number 20 to ...?) and trams (lines from T1 to T4). If you want to make a few voyages, the cheapest option is to buy a carnet lot of 10 single tickets (EUR 12.70 instead of 1.70 each - January 2012). You can travel to the end of RER lines for about EUR 15. If you stay in Paris for several days and will use transport often you can also buy a pass "Mobilis" for one or several days (EUR 6.40 for one day inside Paris, zones 1 & 2) - it is valid traffic on metro, RER Fridays and ground transportation. If you stay for a week or more - consider getting a "Passe Navigo découverte", which is a chargeable card with picture (EUR 5 to make). You can then buy a weekly ticket for EUR 17.20. Note that this replaces the former "Carte Orange". All prices Saturdays as many inhabitants of Winter 2010. You can blackride easily, just check for uniformed controllers before you pass the gates. The easiest way 15th and 7th arrondissements go to get in on RER or Metro is to find Normandy for the entrance where there are doors for people with big luggageweekend. This way you can easily pass with them, several people at As a timeresult, no problem. Alternatively you can jump the turnstile if you are fast enough and hold the door thing open after someone has passed. It this spot is quite easy very effective on these days (20 to ask people to go in with them through the baggage gate but also you can just follow without asking. If you do get caught just give your ID and no address. They will ask if you have a French address and you say no. You don't have to sign anything they give you. They should give you a piece of paper with a fine written 30 min on it, average) but since there is no address don't worry. === Metro system ===Ticket checks never occur on actual metro trains, and ticket controllers seem to employ 1 of 2 approaches: first one includes ticket controllers forming a line inside a metro tunnel or station exit and checking all the exiting travellers much worse at other times (since they are uniformed it is easy to see them from a distance unless they decide expect to hide around the corner); second wait one involves civil-dressed controllers watching the gates and busting those jumping over - they'll either stop them directly themselves, or radio-report to uniformed controllers who then will ask a stopped person to show a valid ticket. Checks are said never to occur during rush half hours; peak times for these controls are evenings, weekends and the beginning of a new month. Except for the major stations, it is pretty easy to jump over the barriers, or pass through following other people passing to the ticket-zone. Only on major stations one is required to have a validated ticket when exiting. As in some other countries, one can be relax about the ticket booth staff since they have nothing to do with ticket checks).
[[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}}
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