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Paris is definitely not a nice city to drive in. Things are exaggerated however. It is not an impossible task to use your car. The best things you can do are to avoid rush hours and to be patient while looking for available parking.
Traffic is very heavy during the day, especially at rush hours. Buses and taxis have special priority lanes. Some Parisians use these lanes too, but it is forbidden and you will get a fine if you get caught.
The city center has narrow streets. Most of them are one way and are crowded by both cars and tourists. Avoid the city center unless you really need to get there. Use the ring road instead to get from one part of the city to another.
As a driver, take care on pedestrians crossing the streets on a red traffic light or at places not marked for pedestrian crossing. You are responsible for their injuries even if they have crossed the street illegally.
Parking your car is the main problem you will face in Paris. This is difficult in the city center. It is allowed to park on the streets, you will see indications if parking should be paid. If you don't see such signs, look for French cars. If they have receipts or other authorizations in their windshield, then you should probably pay for parking. Since parking place is so scarce, drivers use it to the maximum extent. Cars are usually parked bumper to bumper. Pushing other cars with your own car in order to make room is common practice. It is better for you to find private paid parkings, which provide more room for cars and will save you from scratches on the bumper. You can find a good map of parkings on www.parkingsdeparis.com. This site also offers you the possibility to book parking space in advance.
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