This page last updated on: April 6, 2003
Best Bicycle Routes out of Paris - Cycle on Bike Paths, or on quiet roads
Six routes, mainly free of traffic, amply photographed, and with precise directions.
For a good day's tour, the very most enjoyable are:
Route #2, returning by Route #1 (about 45 miles).
Route #4, returning by train (about 48 miles).Use Routes 1, 4, 5 or 6 to begin a long distance cycling vacation.
| Advice |
Do not cycle directly North or Northwest |
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| Route #1 |
How to Bicycle Northeast from Paris towards Meaux or Chantilly Calm, pleasant, flat, canal-side route
without traffic, This is the best route to begin a long distance trip to the northeast or east. |
|
| Route #2 |
How to Bicycle East from Paris, along the Marne River, with a return possible by Route #1 or by Route #3. Beautiful route with flowers and woods,
then riverside, flat and without traffic, ending at large lake,
18 miles (30 kilometers) one-way. |
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| Route #3 |
How to Bicycle Southeast from Paris — The Marne River Meander circuit Calm, pleasant, nearly flat, loop route
in the Paris suburbs along the lower Marne, 24 miles (39 kilometers)
in total. |
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| Route #4 |
How to Bicycle South from Paris, along the
Seine River, to Barbizon and Fontainbleau Complex, varied route — often along the Seine — through industrial areas, residential cityscapes, suburbs, exurbs, villages, forests, and farmland. Most of the route is on bike paths or quiet lanes, but 2 miles (4 kilometers) is on roads with light to moderate traffic. Total one-way ride is 45 - 48 miles (75 to 80 kilometers), with a return possible by train. Though mostly flat, there are two big hills. This is the best route to begin a long
distance trip to the southeast or south. |
|
| Route #5 |
How to Bicycle Southwest from Paris in parkland, with return loops, or to head towards the Loire château Amusing, pretty, mainly traffic-free, rolling, slow ramble on bike paths and in parkland, along and over the Atlantic TGV tracks. Several extensions and return loops are possible, for rides totaling 12, 16, 19, or 30 miles (20, 26, 32 and 49 kilometers). This is the best route to begin a long
distance trip to the southwest. |
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| Route #6 |
How to Bicycle West from Paris to Versailles and beyond In 10 miles (16 kilometers), ride through woods, parkland, and some quiet suburban streets from the edge of Paris to the Château of Versailles. There is one short, steep hill and one long, not very steep hill. This is the best route to begin a long distance trip to the west or northwest. |
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| Airports | How to Bicycle to and from the De Gaulle and Orly Airports | |