It's not all the Seine

Originally appeared in TravelWeekly Australia 22 August 2008

The accepted wisdom is that walking around Paris is the best way to see the city. However, Justin Wastnage wasn't so sure and decided to try three alternate methods of transport


Venice has its gondolas, New York its yellow taxi cabs, but what is the best way to get around Paris? Many will tell you wandering aimlessly around le Marais is a joy in itself or that the Métropolitain is the only way to go.

But there are some new and innovative ways to see Paris, especially if it is not your clients' first time to the city of lights. Even the venerable métro has a new, sleek rival in the brand new tram system.

Many Australian wholesalers are now either including the option of unusual tours in their itineraries or training sales staff to pass on the information. Here's a selection of some of the best ways to get around.

Citroën 2CV
Not a Sydney talk radio station, but that quintessentially French people's car - the 2CV. Originally called deux chevaux vapeur (or two horsepower) after its puny engine, the car was France's answer to Germany's Volkswagen Beetle, Italy's Fiat 500 and the British Morris Mini.

Today, slightly more powerful versions of the cars still hold a special place in French hearts. The semi-circular chassis seems somehow ill-at-ease with the wheel body and the fold-down windows a relic from a bygone age.

Yet they are a thrill to ride, says Amélie de Roux, marketing manager at 4 Roues sous 1 Parapluie, a tour operator that uses Citroën 2CVs for its Paris product and whose name worrying translates as "four wheels under one umbrella". The often inclement Parisian weather is an added bonus for the tours, she explains. Couples love getting rugged up underneath a blanket in the back seat but still leave the top down rather than miss out on the experience, she adds.

There are several companies now offering 2CV tours, mostly lasting around two hours and taking in all the major sites as well as quieter back streets in prettier parts of town. A uniformed chauffeur in 1950s driving gear who acts as a guide is also usual.

Bicycle
Frequent visitors to Paris will notice that there has been an Amsterdam-isation of its streets. Bicycles are now, literally everywhere you look.

The reason is a Vélib' - an innovative free bicycle rental scheme. There are 20,000 identical grey sturdy bicycles based in 1450 rental stations around the city centre located at about 300 metre intervals from each other.

A credit card is all that is required to access one of the bikes (you will need to ensure yours has a Euro-style embedded micro chip).

The first half-hour is free (Vélib' means "free ride") and rates after that are cheap. For two hours (which is probably all you need before suffering pins and needles) €7 per bike is reasonable. With a basket on the front of each, cycling off to one of Paris's inner city parks or squares with a baguette poking out and a picnic box of cheese and pâté should satisfy most Parisian clichés your clients may have.

River cruise
As the sun sets over the river Seine, sipping a Kir Royale Champagne cocktail on a boat gliding under Paris's series of bridges is one of life's little pleasures. And it is a pleasure enjoyed by thousands of tourists every year, who cruise on the famous bateaux mouches.

These open excursion boats are specially designed to be low in the water to fit underneath the bridges, but not so low that they scrape along the river bed.

Today there is competition for the original Compagnie des Bateaux Mouches that first brought the boats to the Seine after the Second World War, although its trademarked name has fallen into common parlance. Most ply a route covering the major attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, the Pont Neuf, the Orsay Museum and the Louvre Museum with running commentary. Many are open-topped, as well, and sail along the left bank first, then the right on the return upstream.

For a budget option, take the new Seine river ferry, the Batobus, for the same ride without the commentary or Kir Royale.