Parking in August is no longer free anywhere in Paris, but you can now use any phone to pay for parking.
No Free Parking in August Anymore
It used to be free to park in residential areas of Paris in August, but in order to encourage more circulation of the available parking spaces on the city streets (which make up 18% of all Paris parking places; the other 82% are parking garages), now everyone has to pay. It’s part of the City of Paris’ overall plan to promote public transportation, cycling, and shared car systems like Autolib’ and Zipcar, both to reduce the levels of pollution and to improve the overall quality of life for Parisians and visitors.
Long-Term Parking
If you’re looking for long-term parking options in Paris, you can either get a Carte de Stationnement Résidentiel (good for up to 7 days at a time for just €9 before you need to renew the payment ticket), or pay for private or underground parking space if you’re not a legal resident or are going to be gone longer (€75-€250 for a month). If you have ever been towed in Paris, you will suck it up and pay to have a legal spot rather than the hassle and fines of retrieving your car from the fourrière. Note that residential parking rates only apply on streets where the meter has a large yellow dot sticker, otherwise short-term parking rates apply.
Pay with Your Phone
It’s not all bad news, though. Now, in addition to paying the street parking meter with a credit card or a pre-paid Paris Carte de Stationnement (available at Tabacs), you can now use your phone to make meter payments through a voice server (tel 01 74 18 18 18), with smartphone applications such as P Mobile, PayByPhone, Flowbird, and ParkNow , or with any device that has internet access at the P Mobile website. Find the most up-to-date info on parking here.
Short-Term Parking Rates and Rules
Parking is €4/hour in the 1st through 11th arrondissements, and €2.40/hour in the 12th through 20th arrondissements.
Other articles on parking in Paris:
- Operation Rescue Swampy (or “When I got Towed”)
