Reserve a Cheap Parking Place in Paris

If you have ever driven a car in Paris or know someone who does, you probably know how parking can be a costly nightmare, especially if you don’t have a residence permit to park for extended periods of time on the street. After dozens of parking tickets and circling the block when the open-air market was occupying my square, my friend Fred finally decided to test out the latest parking apps.

Testing Onepark.fr

We looked at both Zenpark.com and Onepark.fr, which show you the map of the secure parking places — with their rate clearly indicated — that are available for the time you need. We decided to try Onepark because they had a parking place available closer to my square.

While there were places that cost more, the spot we found was only €11 for the entire day. Street parking in Paris is €2.40-€4/hour depending on the arrondissement, so just six hours of parking can easily cost you €50. You can look at descriptions and reviews by other users of the parking places, which can come in handy for your first visit.

Once you’ve chosen your spot, you just sign up with your credit card, click on the location and reserve your place. On Onepark you receive a code by email that you punch in to access the parking place, and also to leave when you’re finished. These parking spaces aren’t the usual public parking garages accessible to the general public. Sometimes they’re in hotel parking garages, or long-term residential parking. So you wouldn’t be able to use them just for the day unless you use apps like Onepark.

We found the designated parking space clearly signposted and easy to access…just don’t lose the code! The parking garage we used, usually reserved for residents of the apartment building above it, had a whole floor just for Onepark, and it was half empty, which made it easy to find a good spot near the stairs. It was probably the most adorable parking garage we’ve seen in Paris (it even smelled good!), although it felt a bit like parking in a preschool.

Overall great experience, we highly recommend giving it a try!

Other articles on parking in Paris:

• Driving and Car Rental Tips 
• Parking in Paris: The Good News & the Bad News
• Operation Rescue Swampy (or “When I got Towed”)