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Paris

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== Hitching Out ==
The city is situated within a ring road (''le périphérique'', or ''le périph'') and whilst the actual city is relatively small, it is surrounded by endless suburbs. There are plenty of excellent spots for hitchhiking North (''Aire La Courneuve'') and East ([[gas petrol station]]s and ''[[barrières de péage]]'').
<map lat='48.83398957668602' lng='2.34283447265625' zoom='9' view='0' float='right'/>
==== Aire La Courneuve ====
Probably the best way to get to [[Belgium]] is by hitching at the gas petrol station [http://maps.google.es/maps?f=d&hl=es&geocode=5837971829389385952,48.934623,2.393732%3B3201522175225020794,48.920638,2.410383&saddr=Aire+de+Service+de+La+Courneuve+%4048.934790,+2.393710&daddr=&mra=mr&sll=48.918269,2.403388&sspn=0.013649,0.040169&ie=UTF8&ll=48.933157,2.396951&spn=0.006823,0.020084&t=k&z=16&om=1is ''Aire de Service de La Courneuve'']. BUT: if you take a closer look at the gas petrol station on google maps you will see that there is a wall surrounding this gas petrol station; nonetheless, one can get there if follows these tips:
First, get closer by public transport. Some options are:
# RECOMMENDED: You can hitch from the traffic lights before the highway ramp, and ask the driver to drop you off at the petrol station.
# There is a door which allows outside access but it is sometimes locked (latter was true on 01-06-08 and 28-09-08). Walk away from the door and scale the concrete wall at the point where it becomes a fence. Walk forward and you'll see where you have to go. (See [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=107770710063601716204.00044840696bdf8a385ef&ll=48.933654,2.393292&spn=0.001334,0.004227&t=h&z=19 approximate location of the door].)
# If the door is locked you have to climb the wall that is approximately 1,90 m tall, and go through a broken fence [http://maps.google.de/maps?f=q&hl=de&geocode=&q=paris+la+courneuve&sll=50.785102,5.710144&sspn=1.165162,2.570801&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&ll=48.933836,2.394&spn=0.001182,0.002511&z=19&iwloc=addr here] - ''et voila'', you are at the gasstationpetrol station.# You can walk around the wall for about 70 meters towards the left, then walk down the little hill and walk through the bushes. You have to go through two fences to enter the gas petrol station.
20 minutes down the motorway a [[toll road]] starts - there you will see a [[toll station]] where everyone has to stop. It is a great place to get long-distance rides. Between the ''Aire La Courneuve'' and the ''barrière de péage'' (toll station) there is a small [[rest area]] and a fairly large petrol station with quite many cars stopping there. Ask your driver if he/she passes this service area.
[[Image:Masaru.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Hitchhiker Masaru at ''Aire La Courneuve'']]
Another option to get a ride towards Lille and/or Belgium is first to take a RER B to ''Stade de France'' and then walk up to the final traffic light where you can ask for a ride to the first gas petrol station on the motorway (''Aire La Courneuve'') which is about 5 km away.
Lastly, one can take a line 13 to ''Carrefour Pleyel'' and then walk along ''Boulevard Anatole France'' (see [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Carrefour+Pleyel+station,+France&daddr=charles+de+gaulle&sll=48.927631,2.383518&sspn=0.027124,0.080338&ie=UTF8&ll=48.923881,2.358456&spn=0.013563,0.040169&t=h&z=15&om=1 Google Maps]) up until the beginning of the highway. There is a hitchhiking spot there which might be not the greatest one in the world but at least it can lead you to the next gas petrol station on the highway (make sure, though, the driver won't drop you off at the exit 4 of the highway).
==== Charles de Gaulle ====
==== Porte de la Chapelle ====
That's where the [[A1 autoroute (France)|A1]] starts - local drivers say they often see hitchhikers there. To get there take a metro 12 to ''Porte de la Chapelle'', then walk to the roundabout. You can try getting a ride on the roundabout (there are traffic lights, which means that cars have to stop) or you can stand on the opposite side facing the roundabout where the highway starts. Another good option is to start hitchhiking in the same street where the metro is. There are 2 gas petrol stations in that very street, just 50m deeper into the city. They aren't overcrowded, and at the same time quite a few cars going up the North stop here for refill; nonetheless, at such places much is depended on your luck, and according to some hitchhikers this place won't make to the TOP10 best hitchhiking places in France. It is therefore rather recommended to hitchhike at the roundabout where a quiet lane right by the traffic lights gives you a good opportunity to get onto the highway (avoiding at the same time all the traffic that heads for ''Boulevard Periphique'').
=== A4 East, towards [[Metz]], [[Strasbourg]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Germany]] ===
[[Image:Zoe.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hitchhiker Zoe in Paris during the [[888]] event]]
The first gas petrol station is close to RER A station ''Bussy St.Georges''. From this station walk South for about 1 km along a bigger road which will lead you to a roundabout. You can try hitchhiking from there but the needed gas petrol station will be just a bit more than 2 km from there. You can walk on the grass field next to the highway. The gas petrol station is called ''La Ferrière''. Another option to reach this gas petrol station is to walk through the industrial zone of ''Bussy'' area, to the South of the railway, then reach the bridge over the highway and follow further by walking on the grass until the actual gas petrol station. Most of the walk will be on the road which means you will save some time while at the same time such a walk won't be so annoying if you happen to hitchhike in winter (then you apparently don't wanna go through the fields). You can follow [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=gare,+bussy+saint+georges,+france&daddr=chemin+de+la+rue+pavee,+bussy+saint+georges,+france&sll=48.831899,2.723193&sspn=0.01291,0.040169&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=48.831814,2.726369&spn=0.01291,0.040169&t=h&om=0 this route] on Google Maps.
====Various other options ====
* If you go to ''Bussy-St-Georges'' you can also try to catch a bus nr.4 or nr.44 from the metro station ''Gutenberg''. When at ''Bussy-St-Georges'', walk sraight to the bridge (don't take the first bridge left after the bus stop because than you will have to jump over the fence and to walk through the field (and hitchhiking with wet feet isn't that good, obviously)). The péage is not far from there, although it might be a bit further than the closest highway ramp.
* Take the RER Line A (Red) in direction of ''Boissy St Legere'' until the station ''Nogent Sur Marne'' (~2€). Leave the station in direction of ''Rue Joinville'' and follow the sign to the A4. It is a 30 min walk. If some driver stops for you, ask if he/she can take you at least to the next gas petrol station (there is no toll road (péage) to get there, so it is likely that you will get a ride there).
=== A6 South to [[Lyon]], [[Marseille]], [[Barcelona]], [[Italy]] ===
A hitchhiking spot at ''Porte d'Orleans'' (at the "périferique") seems quite a good place to get a ride (metro ''Porte d'Orleans''). There's a gas petrol station, and a good spot (just besides the "Novotel" building) at the traffic junction to the "périferique extérieur". Don't go with those cars which head for suburbs only - next [[tollway]] or a gas petrol station is about 50 km away.
=== A10 South to [[Orleans]], [[Bordeaux]], [[Spain]] ===
[[Image:888_signs.jpg|thumb|240px|left|A small collection of the "Paris" signs for the [[Project 888]] where over 150 hitchhikers gathered and camped in front of the Eiffel Tower.]]
This motorway follows the route of the '''A6''' (see above) from Paris, and splits afterwards near [[Antony]]/[[Rungis]]. There's no gas petrol station between ''Porte d'Orleans'' and the A6xA10 junction except [http://maps.google.fr/?ie=UTF8&ll=48.739447,2.302011&spn=0.001638,0.003455&t=h&z=18 this one] (good enough one, according to some hitchhikers). An easy option is to stand at ''Porte d'Orleans'' (the same as for the A6 options) with a sign specifying that you go to [[Orléans]]. There is a ''[[barrière de péage]]'' in ''Saint Arnoult'', before the split between A10 and A11, so you can accept a ride going to Orléans or to [[Chartres]], for example. Make sure, though, the driver will leave you at least at the "péage de Saint Arnoult". French hitchhiker [[User:Pietshah|Pietshah]] did this route tons of times and had very little troubles.
Getting onto the A10 highway is not an easy task, and will involve a train ride and some walking.
The first gas petrol station is situated near the village called ''Briis-sous-Forges''. To get there you need to take either RER B to ''Massy-Palaiseau'' or RER C to ''Dourdan'' (ticket costs around 7€). From there take the bus 91.03 to ''Briis-sous-Forges''. It runs about 3 times an hour on weekdays, once an hour on Saturdays, and there are no buses on Sundays. The gas petrol station is situated a couple of kms North from the village. To reach it you will need to find ''Route d'Invilliers'', a small local road parallel to the highway. Once you are there, make sure your driver takes the right road as the A11 starts not far away.
Another solution is to start hitching at ''Dourdan''. Go to ''rue d'Etampes'' and start thumbing at a roundabout there. In ''Les-granges-du-roi'' take the D838 that will lead you to the A10 motorway ramp. Note, though, that it is a bit far to walk - around 10 km -, and the traffic is weak. Hitch there before the ''barrière de péage'' with a sign "Orleans".
This highway splits from the A10 near ''Dourdan''. There are several possibilities go get on this motorway:
# The gas petrol station at ''Briis-sous-Forges''. Look at the A10 section's options.
# Take a train to ''Rambouillet'' from ''Paris-Montparnasse'' (about 7€) and start hitching on the N10 South, until the A11 motorway ramp.
# Take the train from ''Paris-Montparnasse'' to ''Chartres'' (12€) and start hitching from there.
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