Paris- park & ride?

[scubadude]

Am driving back north through France next month from Holiday and my son has asked if we can stop to see the Eiffel Tower... Now while this is as helpful as driving from Dover to Newcastle and asking to stop and see Big Ben I'd like to accomodate his request if possible (and without buying a Critair sticker- which will be a pain as its too last minute and a new vehicle so not yet got the V5 to apply for on)

Could anyone recommend somewhere to park in the suburbs/outskirts with relative safety nr a station which we can get to Bir-Hakeim or Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel with minimal changes and complexity.

I have been looking online for a few weeks and can't find a good solution myself.
One slight sticking point is my car will be 2mtrs tall so many of the underground car parks are out- although they are likely too far in anyway...

[phil y]

Where will you be coming from?

Issy-Val de Seine is on the same line as Champ de Mars, and looks to be outside the emissions zone. Parking may still be an issue as all the car parks seem to be 1.9m max.

[trunnie]

How far out do you want to park? Somewhere off the A86 (the very) outer ringroad or are do you want a shorter commute by train, longer drive? One option if you're on the A86 is to park either at Versailles Chantier or in the streets around it and get RER C in to Champs de Mars. That would leave you with the quiet, but expensive Duplex stretch off the A86 to get North of Paris and avoid the periph.

[Slushbox]

I haven't driven in Paris for years, but if you want to take the car into the Emissions Zone, (and the V5 arrives) scan/photo the inside front page of your V5, and send €4.80 online to the Crit'Air scheme for a sticker/certificate.

Takes 15 minutes. Whether that's more a pain in the ass than Paris Park&Ride, I don't know.

My last one arrived in eight days to the UK , though the emailed certificate was next day and contains an image of the 'pastille'.

https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/

Edited by Slushbox on Wednesday 26th April 09:02

[scubadude]

Slushbox said:

I haven't driven in Paris for years, but if you want to take the car into the Emissions Zone, (and the V5 arrives) scan/photo the inside front page of your V5, and send €4.80 online to the Crit'Air scheme for a sticker/certificate.

Takes 15 minutes. Whether that's more a pain in the ass than Paris Park&Ride, I don't know.

My last one arrived in eight days to the UK , though the emailed certificate was next day and contains an image of the 'pastille'.

https://www.certificat-air.gouv.fr/en/

Edited by Slushbox on Wednesday 26th April 09:02

As mentioned, I have a new vehicle and am awaiting the V5, I might try to order one but suspect it won't come in time- plus I'd rather not drive into Paris, irritating as mixing with the "public" on a train (spit) is I used to live in London and you have to admit the tube trumps the car for the Sights any day.

[magooagain]

Would parking at Disneyland be any good?

[Abbott]

I thought the regulation applies from 0800 to 2000 Monday to Friday

[scubadude]

Abbott said:

I thought the regulation applies from 0800 to 2000 Monday to Friday

They do... Wasn't planning to go sightseeing earlier or later than that though!!!!

Have now got V5 and ordered a Cert, fingers crossed it works with imported vehicle as V5 lacks almost all the pollution information :-)

[Abbott]

Thought you might be there at the weekend, in which case no problem

[A common lawyer]

Just drive in and park with the other tourists right by the Eiffel Tower! I have seen zero enforcement. Lost track of the number of cars I see without stickers on a daily basis.

[scubadude]

A common lawyer said:

Just drive in and park with the other tourists right by the Eiffel Tower! I have seen zero enforcement. Lost track of the number of cars I see without stickers on a daily basis.

:-) Probably all ISIS scouts...

Yes- we have considered that, we are in a large minivan so not very subtle nor able to get into all multi-storey's but its an option.

To be honest the a train + a walk is also a way to subdue the youngest member of the family- crawling into central Paris in traffic and out again doesn't particularly appeal :-)

[trunnie]

Just be careful where you park it. This idiot clearly hadn't realised that we're still in a state of emergency
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4481530/Fr...

[A common lawyer]

yeah, don't leave it unattended for long! There's some on-street parking right in the middle of the champs de mars before and after the fountain roundabout (check out google to see what I mean) and enforcement of that is also pretty non-existent.

They were saying on the news that they'll start handing out tickets in July for no crit'air stickers, so maybe avoid the weekend they start enforcement cos they'll want to make a big deal of it to get the ball rolling.

[scubadude]

Update- Critair sticker arrived last minute and booked a parking space in underground-multi-storey about 500yards from the Eiffel Tower under the museam. It turns out our 2mtr van when fully loaded can be snuck into car parks that claim they are 1.9mtrs and no one seems to care or check that you've only paid the "car" price.

"Some" fun and game piloting minivan into one of the most gridlocked cities in Europe but much right foot kept us at the front of the violence- No one expects vans to shift ;-)
Despite horror advice online about having to book it was midweek so walked straight in and son was amazed and thrilled to tour the tower so all good.

Much entertainment provided by enthusiastic French police unit arresting itinerant sellers around the tower flogging cheap fakes- my son wanted to know why they were "playing Rugby with that man"...

Anyway- was less drama than expected except the traffic- god help them at rush hour!