• MMC

As Paris and its surrounding region continue their transformation toward more sustainable and connected mobility, helping your relocating employees navigate their new environment has become more essential than ever. Whether they are assignees, inpatriates, or new hires, they need to quickly find their way in a dense, sometimes complex, and constantly evolving urban setting.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have left a real legacy in terms of transportation: new metro lines, upgraded infrastructure, improved interconnections — all valuable changes to highlight for your employees to ensure a smooth and stress-free relocation experience in Île-de-France.

Stress-Free Parking: The Best “Park & Ride” Apps

With the speed limit on the Paris ring road reduced to 50 km/h since October 2024, carpooling lanes expanding, and parking spaces becoming scarcer in central Paris, finding a spot has become a real challenge for employees relocating with their car. These apps are invaluable for avoiding parking headaches:

• EasyPark: Manage parking remotely (select your zone, duration, payment) — a great way to avoid parking meters.
• Polly: Suggests the best parking option near your destination and guides you to it.
• ZenPark: Offers access to shared parking spaces, often at lower rates, with advance booking available.
• Seety: Provides an interactive map highlighting free parking zones.
• ParkInParis: Helps locate the nearest and most suitable parking spots within Paris.

All these apps are available for both Android and iOS.

Optimizing Public Transport Journeys

The Île-de-France public transport network saw significant improvements following the Olympics, including new, more modern trains, increased frequency on certain lines, and major ongoing projects such as the future Line 15 of the Grand Paris Express. For expats or employees unfamiliar with the system, these apps are invaluable allies:

• Moovit: Offers multi-modal routes (metro, RER, bus, tram) with real-time schedules and traffic alerts.
• Citymapper: A highly popular app that suggests multiple route options and even shows which metro exit to take.
• SNCF Connect: Ideal for regional and national train journeys, with ticket purchasing and live traffic updates.
• Île-de-France Mobilités: The official app for buying transport tickets, checking service status, and locating Vélib’ stations.
• RATP: The go-to app for navigating Paris, with real-time disruption updates and detailed transit information.

All these apps are available on Android and iOS and will make daily commuting much easier for mobile employees.

Moving Toward Sustainable Travel: Spotlight on Soft Mobility

An increasing number of employees are keen to adopt greener, more sustainable transport solutions. Here are the essential services and tools to recommend:

• Vélib’: Paris’s iconic bike-sharing service. Pass Navigo holders can link their subscription for direct access.
• Île-de-France Mobilités & RATP: Both apps not only show available Vélib’ stations but also allow users to plan routes that combine cycling with public transport.

Embracing Greener Mobility: Focus on Soft Transport Solutions

As part of a responsible relocation strategy and in line with corporate sustainability goals, many employees are looking to adopt eco-friendly habits from day one in Paris. The timing is perfect: Île-de-France is aiming to reduce car journeys by 15% and triple cycling trips by 2030.

Here are some must-know services and apps:

• Vélib’ Métropole: The region’s bike-sharing scheme, offering flexible and cost-effective options. Pass Navigo holders can activate it directly.
• Île-de-France Mobilités & RATP: Both apps help plan multi-modal routes combining bikes and public transport and display available bike stations.

Encouraging soft mobility from the start supports smoother integration while contributing to lowering the carbon footprint of professional relocations.

Spring 2025: Supporting Relocating Employees Beyond Housing

Today, helping an employee relocate to Paris goes far beyond finding them a home or a school. Successful integration also depends on their ability to move confidently and easily around their new city.

The post-Olympics infrastructure upgrades, the digitalization of mobility services, and the region’s green ambitions all pave the way for smoother, smarter, and more sustainable urban travel.

By recommending these apps to your relocating employees, you are offering them more than just practical tools: you are empowering them to take full ownership of their new environment — with efficiency, autonomy, and confidence.