This summer, take the time to enjoy the fresh air and admire the French countryside. To keep up with the heat, opt for one of the riverside bike tours we’ve selected for you. They’re sure to refresh you and splash you with fun!
Along Marseille’s corniche: the seaside bike tour
You can relax, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the time you save by not having to sit in traffic jams or look for a parking space. As in many large cities, and particularly in Marseille, the bicycle is without doubt the most practical means of transport for getting around the city and taking a dip. Unfortunately, the city’s many beaches are not always easily accessible by public transport. Cycling along the Corniche Kennedy, you’ll reach the popular Plage des Catalans, and then on to the treasure of Vieux Marseille, the Anse de Malmousque and its magnificent cove, or the Plage du Prophète, one of Marseille’s oldest and most popular beaches. Further south, you can continue on to Prado or Pointe-Rouge, which needs no introduction. If you’re looking for more peace and quiet, continue pedaling to the hamlet of Les Goudes, where you can enjoy the Saména cove and the magnificent Baies des Singes beach. This itinerary, flat from end to end, is ideal for families (with the exception of Saména). On the other hand, to reach the pretty beaches of l’Estaque, in the northern districts, the route is more perilous and hilly. Families will prefer to cross the dangerous zones by train and finish by bike from the Sausset-les-Pins or Carry-le-Rouet stations.
Along the Canal du Midi, from Carcassonne to the Mediterranean: the must-do bike trip
A cycling trip lasting several days, you’ll set off from the picturesque narrow streets of the famous medieval city of Carcassonne. Along the Canal du Midi, on a wide cycle path, you’ll enjoy watching professional and amateur navigators and lock crossings, as well as discovering the villages and vineyards of the Minervois region. Continuing south, you’ll cycle over flat terrain with a few hills before arriving at the charming village of Saint Pierre des Champs and its castle built at the end of the first century. To reach Narbonne, the ancient Roman capital with its impressive Gothic cathedral, you’ll have to leave the banks of the Canal du Midi to join the Canal de la Robine. Your route remains, with the exception of a few hills, flat. Here, through the vineyards, you pedal on to Capestang, where you can admire the sumptuous collegiate church of Saint-Etienne, before rejoining the Canal du Midi and heading for Béziers and its famous and spectacular Fonseranes locks. The Canal du Midi ends its journey in the Etang de Thau, but not before passing through Agde, the black pearl built of basalt. You finish your journey between the pond and the Mediterranean Sea at Sète, where you won’t be able to resist a refreshing swim, the reward for this cycling tour.
Along the Ourcq river, from Paris to Meaux: a rural bike tour
The Canal Saint-Martin cycle path, both above and below the Bassin de la Villette, is well known to Parisian Sunday strollers. But how many of them have ridden it all the way? The canal, fed by the waters of the Ourcq, a small tributary of the Marne, was built in the early 19th century to supply drinking water to the capital. A towpath runs alongside the canal from one end to the other.
Beyond the Moulins de Pantin, the industrial suburbs make their mark, with subways, railroads and freeways, before giving way to peaceful suburban neighborhoods. Then you cross in a straight line, under the canopy of trees, the Parc de Sevran, a former poudrerie where weapons were once stored. Soon, you leave the urban sky behind, and the concrete scenery gives way to nature, with fewer walkers. The towpath is now made of earth, and the canal takes on the air of a country stream, underlined by the alignment of poplars. Picnics can be enjoyed on the low wall of theVillenoy lock, which is still in use. Welcome to the countryside!
Au fil de la Loire, du fleuve à l’océan: iodized bike touring
Downstream from Nantes, the last stretch of the Loire à vélo already smells of the ocean. The tides punctuate the life of the river, lighthouses signal their progress to ships, and infrastructures adapt to ocean liners, such as the Cheviré motorway bridge, which rises 52 meters above the level of the river. As you travel along the Estuary, you can admire the magnificent works of art that line it (Le Pendule, Le Serpent d’océan…), propelling you into a fantastic world that stimulates the imagination. Continue on to Couëron, where you’ll board the Indre ferry linking the north and south banks of the Loire. You’ll then continue along the Canal de la Martinière, dug out in the late 19th century to enable ships to sail up the Loire towards Nantes, and head straight for Paimbœuf, an ancient port with a lighthouse and Starry Garden. Further on, the cycle path gives way to charming country roads that finally lead to the long sandy beaches of Saint-Brévin-les-Pins, the ultimate and sublime reward for your bike tour.
Need advice and ideas for your next bike tour or trip? Contact a cycling tourism professional for tailor-made itineraries and turnkey holidays.
