Biking in Paris is becoming quite popular, with dedicated bikes lanes popping up in all arrondissements to make it easier for bikers to navigate Parisian traffic. But when you return home the question remains, “What do I do with it now?”
You can decide not to get a bike at all and opt instead to use one of the many Velo-lib stations in Paris where, at the flip of a switch, you can easily pedal away with your own 2-wheeler. But if you are one of those who love to have their own bike, and we have many clients like that, you are going to want to find a practical solution to parking your bike.
One of our clients recently arrived from Canada with four bikes – two for the parents and two for their children. Their Paris property included a nice bike room in the basement. It was perfect for them.
But it is not always that easy, as most apartment buildings in Paris were built at a time when bikes were not a usual means of transportation, nor even a common sport. Each apartment building in Paris has its own set of laws as to what is or is not allowed in the communal areas of that building. Some buildings allow bikes in their courtyard; others have even set up stands where you can lock your bike. Some modern buildings now include designated bike rooms. I have seen one of the older buildings repurpose what was once a carriage garage to now house bikes. We see many of our clients parking their bikes in apartments that come with a parking space or closed garage.
Building management is starting to discuss the need to park bikes based on residents’ requests, and when possible, solutions are found. Some buildings lack any space at all to dedicate to this purpose. If having a bike is important to you, I would not recommend visiting apartments in buildings like this.
There are areas where you can park your bike outside, but this is not a recommended solution for the long term as it will eventually get weather-beaten. In the suburbs, we are seeing more and more zones near train stops where you can park your bike under cover for the day.
There are solutions of all sorts to parking and riding your bike on the streets of Paris. So feel free to bring along your bike and make bike parking part of your property search criteria.