Paris has transformed into a global cycling capital in recent years, and for international tourists this development offers a new way of seeing some of the city’s most famous sights and landmarks.
In June, Paris recorded about 3.8 million tourists, roughly 3% more than in the same month last summer, according to the city’s Tourism Office.
And as visitor numbers climb, more travelers are choosing bicycles instead of buses or walking to get around.
Among them is the Buss family, from Webster, New York. The family of five is on a 12-day trip to Europe, celebrating the graduation of their two eldest children.
After having spent six days in Tenerife, they came to Paris and decided to hop on a 3-hour guided bike tour around the French capital, cycling next to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, and the Panthéon.
For Jamie Buss, a 49-year-old project manager working for a nonprofit, and her husband Mike, a 55-year-old IT worker for US news outlets, the bike tour allows them to see, with their children Tyler, 22, Ella, 18, and Lucy, 16, as many landmarks as possible given the little time they have to visit the capital.
“It’s a unique tour because I’m used to writing things down, either writing with pen and paper or putting things in my notes to remember them,” explained Jamie.
“I like to have my notes refer to things, and you don’t get that because you have to keep your hands on the bike at all times. But it’s also nice to just be in the moment, and then we can come back and take a look at things a second time later and have a little bit more time to absorb the history and the culture of it all,” Jamie added.
From here, the family will finish their travels in Amsterdam, another city known for its cycling culture, before flying back to the United States.
This article and video were provided by The Associated Press.