Safety and the rules of the road …..continued
Round-abouts (rond-point in French) are peculiar to Europe and require a bit of getting used to. Simply remember that other than in England traffic circulates anti-clockwise around a rond-point, and a vehicle already on the rond point and coming from the left has priority. When on the rond-point, keep looking to your left and give way to any vehicle coming from that direction. In Paris, circulation on some of the large rond-points, such as La Republique or La Bastille, is controlled by traffic lights. Cyclists have now become relatively common on the roads and boulevards of Paris - although certainly not as common as in Amsterdam - and on many of the roads there are designated cycle lanes. It is possible therefore to cycle quite safely in Paris, although one still needs to be alert to vehicles cutting across your path when they are turning right.
The curbside lane of most boulevards is reserved for buses and taxes only, and consequently are also convenient for cyclists.
If at busy intersections you feel uncomfortable, you can either get off your bike and walk or, if pedestrian traffic is light, cycle on the sidewalk. But be polite!
Some roads in Paris are one-way (sens-unique).
Take a good quality lock with you, and use it!