Travelling by car into Paris
Driving in the centre of Paris is possible – for now – but there are things you need to know. This article explains how to get into the capital by car, gives advice for driving around the centre as well as a few tips on how to park.
All Eurotunnel passengers should be aware that in 2023, things are destined to change. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who’s been in office since 2014, has always had her eye on green issues and although the city’s Crit'Air anti-pollution system (more below) has seemed like it doesn’t go far enough, Hidalgo now plans to ban through-traffic in the first four arrondissements (Parisian neighbourhoods) next year; that’s 7% of the whole city and includes the main tourist zone, spanning both Left and Right Bank, and stretching from Place de la Bastille in the east to Place de la Concorde in the west.
Over 900 miles of bike lanes have been created over the past seven years and the city turned 40 miles of its roads into bike lanes – or corona-pistes - during the first lockdown, as well as making massive squares like Place de la Madeleine, Place de la Nation and Place de la Bastille more pedestrian-friendly recently. Hidalgo’s commitment extends to banning all diesel cars from the city by 2024, and all petrol cars by 2030.
La Périphérique
The first thing you have to navigate when you approach Paris in the car is the Périphérique ringroad or La Périph (pronounced ‘pey-reef’) to locals. It’s like the M25 but a lot smaller (21 miles around, in comparison to 117) and much more central.
