OK, so we are heading back to Paris the end of this week, and I really want to create a work around for people like us who have a US credit card, without the chip. I had read there is a 5 or 7 day pass...is this the type of thing one can buy now, at home, over the Internet with their credit/debit card for the week they will be there?
If so, is there an English section of the web site? My French is passable conversation wise, but my reading lacks a thing or two...
And if one can buy the week pass now, how do you use it once you get to a Velib stand? I am aware it may not be the most economical choice, but without a chip card there is no other choise...so it might be worth it for us...
If you have done it, please add you insite so we can figure this out...I am tired of going and not being able to get on the road!!!
Sean
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I copied the following from www.europeforvisitors.com
For more information, see www.velib.paris.fr click %26quot;English%26quot; in the language-selection box, and use the English-language navigation menus
But - I found that selecting %26quot;autres langues%26quot; -%26gt; anglais%26quot; didn%26#39;t translate the entire page into English. so - the work around is this -
Google Velib Pass, Paris, and click on Translate this page for this site -
Vélib%26#39; - vélos en libre-service à Paris - Site Officiel - Paris - [ Translate this page ]
Et, voila!! The entire page comes up in English.
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You could always rent a bike....
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I think the difficulty is that the credit card acts as a deposit - there is a 150€ charge against it during the period of subscription (short-term is either 1 day or 7 days), and it will also be charged if you have a bike out for longer than 30 minutes. The velib website gives details of sending off for a one year subscription, but nothing about alternative ways of setting up a short-term subscription.
We used them for the first time last week, and noticed there is a mechanism for linking the velib subscription to a Navigo pass, but I think this may simply be to get the bike out faster (just a swipe, rather than having to feed in numbers each time).
Velib terms and conditions in English are here http://www.en.velib.paris.fr/content/download/1750/13328/version/1/file/3+volet+CGAU+Courte+Duree-Anglais.pdf
Funnily enough, having used velib this time, we are seriously considering renting our own bikes next time.
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Here%26#39;s the info on the Short-term subscription in English
…paris.fr/abonnements_tarifs/abonnement_cour…
Despite the fact that the link to more information (En savoir plus) is in French, it does in fact take you to another page in English. And that page does confirm that even for a 7-day (€5) short-term subscription your credit card will be debited the €150 charge.
And by the way, to see the site in English, in the top right hand corner there%26#39;s a window %26quot;Autre langues%26quot; - click on that and then English, et voilà!
However, for some very strange reason, the home page (even on the English site) is in French but the other pages are not.
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And if this is an example of what you get when you click [translate this page] in Google, I wouldn%26#39;t be relying on it too much! :-)
Cyclists Paris, you could see by 2012 cyclists London rejoindrent bike paths in the capital. Lovers of long walks and tourism, you can rent a bicycle to bicycle shops or ride your bike staff to borrow a bike lane Paris - London with a length of 350 km!
For those who read French, this is the French version:
%26quot;Cyclistes parisiens, vous pourriez voir d’ici 2012 des cyclistes londoniens rejoindrent les pistes cyclables de la capitale. Amateurs de longues balades et de tourisme vert, vous pourrez louer un vélo aux vélocistes ou enfourcher votre vélo personnel pour emprunter une voie cyclable Paris – Londres d’une longueur de 350 km !%26quot;
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There is a short demonstration, with subtitles in French, (pause it while you translate!) explaining how to subscribe and borrow bikes: www.paris.fr/portail/Solidarites/Portal.lut…
In fact, hiring the bikes, there is an English language option on the post - we selected this and got English language information every subsequent occasion we fed in the subscription numbers.
I was wondering ...
Someone posted a while ago about youngsters without a credit card who were able to take out a velib subscription using a debit (ATM) card. What they did not realise until too late was that the 150€ %26#39;caution%26#39; was actually removed from their account - my memory is that this happened every time they used a bike. It was not refunded for several DAYS, so there was an overdraft letter waiting for them when they got home. And there were exchange costs for the money to be changed both ways (€ to £ going out then € to £ when it went back in).
It%26#39;s not a sensible regular option, but it might be worth trying if you just want to try a velib as an experience.
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You will not be able to use Velib without a credit card with a chip or an American Express card.
For the complete Velib brochure in English
www.paris.fr/portail/viewPDFileServlet…
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You guys are great!
I have viewed the pages in English, and did som google work before I posted this. The impass is as follows...
The Velib site says:
%26quot;Day Vélib’ ticket (€1) and 7-day Vélib’ ticket (€5)**(18/06/2007)
A 1 Day or 7 Day Vélib’ Ticket gives you unlimited number of journeys for the duration of the subscription period.
A 1-day or a 7-day Vélib’ ticket is available for purchase ****on the web*** or at any of our Vélib’ Service Points...%26quot;
Which leads me to belive we could buy it now on line. As for the deposit, I%26#39;d use a credit card so the hold doesn%26#39;t effect us.
Also, I saw the video link posted, and they also show the Navigo being used. We have ours from past trips and will recharge it this time.....how does it work with Velib?
Sean
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%26lt;%26lt;A 1-day or a 7-day Vélib’ ticket is available for purchase ****on the web*** or at any of our Vélib’ Service Points...%26quot;%26gt;%26gt;
I think this may be a translation error. If you read the brochure and/or click on %26quot;Abonnez vous ! Cliquez ici pour vous pré-abonner en ligne%26quot;, it%26#39;s only the annual subscription that can be purchased online.
While a Velib subscription can be linked to a Navigo card, a Navigo Decouverte will not work. Navigo cards have an 11-digit number on the back and are also linked to a bank account, whereas Navigo Decouverte cards have a 6 digit number on the front and are not linked to a bank account.
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