This bar chart presents the percentage of French people using a personal or a professional car to go to work in 2019, by residential area. It reveals that in every residential area, most of respondents used their car to go to work. In rural areas, almost 90 percent of those surveyed stated driving to work.

In 2019, more than half of the the people in France used the passenger car as their means of daily transportation. Only one respondent out of five was using this mode of transportation several times a week, while six percent of the people interviewed during this study reported never using it.

This survey shows the percentage of people for whom commute to work is bad in Paris and its inner suburbs in 2018, by means of transport used. It can be seen that more than half of people considering their commute as bad took the RER (the suburban rail transit system) or the train.

This survey asks the French people on the means of transport they use to travel from their home to their work in 2019. That year, around 66 percent of the employees questioned replied that they used the car as a means of transport.

This statistic represents a ranking of cities with the highest rate of employees going to work by bike in France in 2017. Strasbourg was first in the ranking with more than 17 percent of people biking to work that year.

The source had asked working people in France living in cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants on the average distance they travelled to and from work in 2019. More than 30 percent of the people who responded to the study traveled between five and 14 kilometers daily on average. Only two percent of the sample had to travel 100 kilometers or more to and from work.

In 2020, the number of public transport trips in Paris and the Île-de-France region amounted to approximately 2.6 billion journeys, from which around 28.4 percent took place in the metro network. During the same year the passenger traffic in the public transport in the whole French territory reached 26.7 billion passenger-kilometers.

A wide public transport network

Public transport in Paris is composed by a large network of metro stations, bus lines, suburban trains and tram services. These different means of transport make it possible to travel in the French capital but also within the large suburbs surrounding Paris. Thus, more than 759 million people used the suburban trains called RER which connects Paris to the suburbs in 2020. The Île-de-France region, which contains Paris, is the most populated region in France. More than 12 million people live in this region and a lot of them work in or around Paris. Almost 70 percent of people living in the French capital use metro, buses or suburban trains to go to work, compared to 40.7 percent of employees in Lyon, the third most populous city in France.

A cheap and sustainable network

In comparison with other cities worldwide, public transportation in Paris seems to be pretty cheap. The average cost for public transport in London was 5.66 US dollars, whereas the average ticket in Berlin amounted to 3.73 US dollars. When it comes to Paris, an average ticket in the French capital had a price of 2.34 US dollars in 2018.

The number of tourism employees in Greater Paris increased significantly in 2022 over the previous year, recovering from the impact of COVID-19. Over the period considered, the catering industry accounted for the highest tourism employment, with roughly 183,700 employees in 2022.

A 2023 study analyzed the direct contribution of travel and tourism to employment in Paris, France. As estimated, the French capital recorded around 322 thousand travel and tourism jobs in 2022. On the other hand, due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 reported the lowest figure over the period considered, with approximately 278 thousand jobs.

According to a survey conducted in early 2018, half of the surveyed French declared using the bike as a mean of transportation. However, 23 percent of them said to bike less than once a month and only five percent used the bicycle daily or almost daily as their transportation.  The vast majority of French surveyed by the French bicycle touring federation declared taking a bike for leisure activities, while almost a third said using it as a mean of transportation.

Usage of bicycles in city areas in France

Strasbourg, Grenoble and Bordeaux were the cities with the highest percentage of employees who used the bike to go to work in France in 2015 : in these metropoles between 11 and 16 percent of the working population went to work cycling. In Paris only four percent of employees did so. This ratio appears to be more important when people commute within city-centers or big cities, which would be linked to the presence of better cycling infrastructures.

Overall bicycle mobility goals in France

On the observation that daily bike use represents only three percent of all daily travels, the French government stressed in September 2018 a “Plan Vélo” (Bicycle Plan). This to increase the bicycle mobility until 2024, along with the goal of ensuring security and to better cycling infrastructures. most of French bike users seemed to still feel unsecure when cycling in cities in a survey conducted in 2017.

In 2023, the total number of travel and tourism jobs in France recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, being roughly 4.8 percent higher than in 2019. Overall, travel and tourism generated, directly and indirectly, 2.86 million jobs in the country in 2023. This figure was expected to reach an estimated 2.93 million in 2024. How many inbound travelers visit France every year? Both before and after the impact of the health crisis, France was the country with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. In 2023, France recorded around 100 million international tourist arrivals, the highest figure reported to date. That year, inbound tourism spending in France amounted to nearly 67 billion euros, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. The inbound tourism market in Paris While the French capital also experienced an annual increase in international travelers in 2023, the number of inbound tourist arrivals in Paris and the Île-de-France region was still around nine percent lower than in 2019. That said, inbound tourist arrivals in hotels in Paris surpassed the figure from 2019, peaking at over 10 million in 2023.

When asked about "Duration of daily commute", 35 percent of French respondents answer "15 to 29 minutes". This online survey was conducted in 2024, among 2,032 consumers.

When asked about "Car ownership", 6 percent of French respondents answer "Yes, a company car". This online survey was conducted in 2024, among 2,032 consumers. Looking to gain valuable insights about car owners across the globe? Check out our

Urban population growth has been constant for several decades in France. Between 1960 and 2022, it rose from 61.88 percent to 81.51 percent. The phenomenon of urbanization was more significant in the 1960s. Indeed, over this period, the rate of the French population living in cities increased by ten points. The evolution was more weighted over the next 50 years, rising from 71.06 percent in 1970 to 80.98 percent in 2020.An increase in urbanization was accompanied over the same period by a sharp rise in the overall French population, from 55.57 million inhabitants in 1982 to around 68 million in 2024. Paris, an urban giant in France Like in the United Kingdom, the French-style centralized system has led to a high concentration of population around economic, financial, cultural and political centers, all located in the British and French capitals. London and Paris (and its conurbation) are among the largest urban centers on the continent, with Moscow being the most populous. This centralization of power has led to a very heterogenous distribution of population density. The Paris region has a density of more than 1000 inhabitants per km², which is ten times higher than the Haut-de-France region, the second densest region in Metropolitan France.This centralization of power attracts a strong French and foreign workforce. The French capital is by far the most populated city in France. If solely the municipality of Paris is taken into account, it had more than two million inhabitants in 2019, which is more than twice as many as in Marseille and four times as many as in Lyon, the country's second and third most populous cities. Future challenges for French cities Access to employment is no longer the only reason to settle in a town. Other factors come into play in the life choices of city dwellers. In 2019, more than 90% of the French estimated that the presence of green areas was important to settle or not in a district. The pollution level of the city was also considered in the choice of the city. In order to address these pollution problems, municipalities must resolve transportation issues on their own territory. Previously the king of the town, the car is increasingly losing ground to public transport in urban areas. Cities like Paris are relying more on public transport. Between 2011 and 2016, RATP and SNCF have built more than 60 kilometers of tramway tracks . Moreover, the construction of additional train and metro lines in the Grand Paris project aimed at better connecting the suburbs to each other without passing through intramural Paris.Making it easier to travel by bicycle is one of the options chosen by many conurbations to relieve congestion in their cities. Since the early 2000s, self-service bicycles have been a great success in France with more than 2,400 bicycles available in Toulouse or 4,000 in Lyon in 2017. A source of much tension between motorists, municipalities and cyclists, the sharing of the road between 4 and 2 wheelers has, however, been widely developed. In Strasbourg, for example, the municipality had around 1.04 metres of cycle lanes per inhabitant in 2017, the highest rate in France. However, the layout of cycle paths can be perilous and a majority of cyclists in France still feel unsafe on the road.

65 percent of French respondents answer our survey on "Most common modes of transportation for commuting" with "Own / household car". The survey was conducted in 2024, among 1,750 consumers.

In 2021, almost 70 percent of public transportation users in France stated that they use the urban bus services regularly. During the same year, 47 percent of respondents said that they travel by metro on a regular basis

The number of visitors to the United States from France increased by around seven percent from 2023 to 2024. In 2024, the number of visitors to the U.S. from France reached 1.71 million, up from the previous year's total of 1.59 million.

In 2023, the total contribution of travel and tourism to France's gross domestic product (GDP) recovered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, being roughly 4.3 percent higher than in 2019. Overall, the total contribution of these industries to France's GDP amounted to 246 billion euros in 2023. This figure was expected to reach an estimated 254.7 billion euros in 2024. The economic contribution of inbound tourism in France Both before and after the impact of the health crisis, France took the top spot in the ranking of countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. Overall, international tourism expenditure in France totaled nearly 67 billion euros in 2023, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Inbound tourism in Paris Millions of travelers visit the French capital every year, attracted by its rich cultural heritage and renowned attractions, like the Louvre, the most visited museum worldwide. In 2023, the number of inbound tourist arrivals to Paris and the Île-de-France region showed strong signs of recovery from the impact of the pandemic, but remained around nine percent lower than in 2019.

This statistic represents the main reasons why French shoppers would prefer to buy in-store in 2019. From the respondents, 60 percent stated the need to interact with the products in real life. With 58 percent, the possibility to test the products was the second most important reason.

But what if physical proximity is not possible?

In a real life example such as the confinement period during the months of March and April 2020, provoked by the proliferation of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in France, social distancing and necessary shifts in business models had been observed in physical and online markets. In that period, the e-commerce industry saw a massive increase in the total commerce market share with an almost 10 percent increase in Drive orders in France. Relying on physical and inter-personal relations while shopping, would no longer be possible in such situations. This speaks for the development of digital platforms in commerce.

The climate is another issue for which people were slowly starting to adapt their consumption behavior: In 2019, 31 percent of French consumers considered changing their buying behavior to buying more online than in store. Considering this, online shopping has become part of the norm. So what do consumers expect from brands today? Is an online presence fundamental?

Online vs offline shopping

The motivations of companies to adopt a commercial strategy linking e-commerce and the physical store have changed. Previously, it made sense to think about sales. In 2019 things had shifted: the main motivation for online sellers was to increase the visibility of their business and their general activity, whereas the sales were only viewed by 36 percent of VSEs (Very Small Enterprises), SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) and micro enterprise (less than 10 employees) as being important.

By seeking to meet their needs both online and offline, companies were also disrupting their marketing and creating new omnichannel strategies. Through it, they operated both online, via an e-commerce site, while also being present offline, via a physical store. In 2019, more than 60 percent of businesses were using new technologies to improve the user experience and the personalization of the shopping experience.

Consumer behavior and preferences

There are some product categories for which it made sense for consumers to rather buy them in a physical store in 2018, such as pharmaceutical products (85 percent). It was especially the young generation aged 15 to 25 who seem to be interested in the multi-channel availability of products. In an opinion poll carried out in 2019, more than 57 percent of French youngsters reported never shopping a product online after having seen in at the store. But, people often referred to online customer reviews before buying products either in-store or on the web, when it came the use of online and offline technologies while shopping. Finally, the way orders are delivered was becoming more diversified and personalized. In 2019, 25 percent of French shoppers had made orders through Drive apps (useful for grocery shopping) or click & collect platforms (22 percent), a growing trend worth observing in upcoming years.

"Hotels" and "Vacation apartment or house" are the top two answers among French consumers in our survey on the subject of "Travel product bookings".The survey was conducted online among 2,032 respondents in France, in 2024.