Rent a bike in Paris

This item appears on page 94 of the August 2008 issue.

In Paris, the self-service bicycle rental service Velib allows anyone to pick up and drop off any of more than 20,000 bikes at 1,450 automated stations.

Using a Navigo pass or credit card, a person can buy a one-day access card for €1, a weekly card for €5 or an annual card for €29 ($45). After the access card purchase, riding for the first half hour is free, but a supplement of €1 is charged for the next half hour, €2 for the next half hour and €4 for every half hour after that. Five hours cost €31 and 10, €71. Rates increase sharply to keep bikes available for others to rent.