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Cycling to the gates of Paris – From Vaux le Vicomte to the Château de Versailles

Price per person

From 745€

Type of stay

Bicycle trip

Location

Fontainebleau, Versailles, Paris - France

Duration

5 to 6 days

Difficulty

Departures

Daily from April to October

Capacity

2 people minimum

Reference

Cyclo 18

Your stay

Your cycling trip in Île de France

We offer you a bike tour in the heart of the Paris region. The itinerary begins in the French gardens of Vaux le Vicomte, veritable jewels of 17th-century classical architecture. Follow the paths through groves and valleys to reach the impressive Château de Fontainebleau. Your bike tour of Ile de France will take you along the banks of the Seine. Then venture into the royal forest of Fontainebleau and the heights of the Apremont gorges. Explore the peaceful villages that cross your path. Visit the village of Barbizon, cradle of Impressionism.

Pedal on to the royal town of Dourdanand through the Rambouillet forest, before spending the night at the gates of the sumptuous Château de Rambouillet. This cycle tour of the Ile de France will take you along the“Véloscénie” cycle route through the Chevreuse valley, before ending at the Château de Versailles, where the Sun King awaits you. You’ll be able to admire the Grand Trianon, the Grand Appartement du Roi Louis XIV and the Galerie des Glaces. It’s a real springboard through the French history of the great kings of the French monarchy. Finally, spend the afternoon wandering freely in the gardens of Versailles. You can enjoy the Grandes eaux musicales – it’s like being at the Royal Opera House. You can also visit Queen Marie-Antoinette’s hamlet, a magnificent haven of peace in the heart of the château’s gardens.

Ile de France is a magnificent treasure trove that makes this region a privileged destination. From the Chateau de Fontainebleau to the medieval town of Provins, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and from the Chevreuse Valley to the Gardens of Versailles, centuries of history await you. Paris, the “City of Light”, is the most beautiful museum in the world, yet when you step off the beaten track, it reveals itself to be a jewel box of greenery: Green valleys, imperial forests, unspoilt nature and national parks all await you.

Take advantage of a few extra nights to visit Paris, city of the arts.

You'll enjoy :

Peaceful country roads yet so close to Paris
The French gardens of “Le Nôtre” at Vaux le Vicomte, gardener to Louis IV
The royal forests of Fontainebleau and Rambouillet and their castles
Vallée de Chevreuse popular with cyclists
An exceptional finale in the gardens of the Château de Versailles

Back to travel

Daily program

Day 1 - Arrival in Fontainebleau

Arrive at your accommodation in Melun or Fontainebleau. You will be welcomed in a bed and breakfast or charming hotel. You’ll be given documentation on the region and a route book indicating your itinerary.

Just a few kilometers from Paris, Melun and Fontainebleau open the doors to the royal Parisian countryside. Established over 2,000 years ago on one of the meandering banks of the Seine, Melun offers a green heart at the gateway to the famous Fontainebleau forest. The town offers riverside promenades, a recent river port and a market rich in regional produce, including the famous Brie de Melun, one of the few Appellations d’Origine Protégée in the Île-de-France region.

Overnight in a bed and breakfast or charming hotel

Day 2 - Cycle tour on the route of the 3 castles: Vaux le Vicomte, Blandy, Fontainebleau

Today, you’ll start your cycling tour by heading for the unmissable Château de Vaux le Vicomte and its formal gardens, where you can enjoy a lunch break at the château’s restaurant. Passing through Melun, you’ll discover its river port and the 6 km-long banks of the Seine, dotted with gardens and small squares. You’ll then continue on to the Château Fort de Blandy, a rare example of medieval military architecture in the Paris region. Your cycling tour then follows the banks of the Seine, with its narrow country roads. You’ll cycle past the medieval villages of Fontaine le Port and Samois-sur-Seine, and reach the park of the Château de Fontainebleau along a cycle path. You’ll then finish your day exploring this impressive Château!

A palace of 1,500 rooms set in 11 hectares of parks and gardens, Fontainebleau is a royal and imperial château. The château has enjoyed eight centuries of continuous sovereign presence. Kings and queens, emperors and empresses have all worked to embellish the château built around the original medieval keep. The château and its grounds have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.

Night in a Bed and Breakfast hotel

Day 3 - From the imperial forest of Fontainebleau to the charming villages of the Parisian countryside

Today, you’ll cycle through the imperial forest of Fontainebleau. With a surface area of 25,000 hectares, it remains a pure delight for nature lovers, with its dense and diverse flora and fauna. You’ll discover the small village of Barbizon, cradle of Impressionist painting, and the Château de Courances, and continue your route by exploring other villages, notably Dannemois, made famous by its mill where the popular singer Claude François lived. You’ll finish your day cycling along a cycle path that will take you directly to your third stopover town.

A royal city, Etampes is the only Ville d’art et d’histoire in Essonne. It boasts a rich heritage of buildings and landscapes that bear witness to the city’s history. Etampes was also one of the centers of the Domaine Royal in the early Middle Ages. From this period, the town has preserved the collegiate church of Notre-Dame, whose crypt dates from the 11th century, numerous 12th-century religious buildings and an exceptional four-lobed keep.

Overnight in a Bed and Breakfast or half-board hotel

Day 4 - Royal towns and Rambouillet forest

Your cycling trip in the Paris region will this time take you to the Rambouillet forest, where wallabies are said to roam free! From Etampes, you’ll take a cycle path along a charming little river, and continue on small country roads that will let you appreciate the peace and quiet of the surroundings. You’ll discover the royal town of Dourdan, which is also the “gateway town to the Upper Chevreuse Valley Regional Nature Park”. There’s a château, the Porte de Chartres, 19th-century architecture, ramparts… Your day ends in the heart of the Rambouillet forest, facing its impressive château.

Between Versailles and Chartres, in the heart of more than 20,000 hectares of woodland, the Château de Rambouillet and its park have seen great lords and sovereigns, emperors and presidents pass through their hands: François 1er, Louis XVI, Napoléon I, Félix Faure…

Night in a Bed and Breakfast hotel

Day 5 - From the Chevreuse Valley to the Château de Versailles

After just a few kilometers, you’ll enter the heart of the Chevreuse valley, skirt the Vaux de Cernay and pedal off to discover all its treasures: churches, abbeys, châteaux, manor houses, wash houses… The countryside and woods still dominate around the characterful villages. You’ll discover picturesque villages and the Château de Dampierre, before heading on to the prestigious Château de Versailles. You’ll then finish your bike tour just outside Paris to discover Louis XIV’s masterpiece. You’ll then have the opportunity to cycle through the château grounds.

Listed as a World Heritage Site for 30 years, the Château de Versailles is one of the finest achievements of 17th-century French art. It was the residence of the French kings Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. Galerie des Glaces, Grands Appartements du Roi, Musée de l’Histoire de France: over the centuries, the Château de Versailles, seat of power until 1789, has never ceased to expand. Take time to discover its gardens and various estates.

Night in a Bed and Breakfast hotel

Day 6 - Departure

After breakfast

rates

Price per person

5 days – 4 nights: €745
6 days – 5 nights: €855

Price includes

4 to 5 nights in 3* and 4* hotels and bed & breakfasts (in double/twin rooms)
Route book (with map and directions)
1 GPS application
Luggage transfer at each stage
24/7 telephone assistance

Supplement

	5 days – 4 nights	6 days – 5 nights
Touring bikes (VTC) Gravel bike	120 € 210 €	135 € 235 €

Further information

We take care of transporting your luggage every time you change accommodation, so you can travel light and enjoy your day’s hiking.

Leave your luggage at the reception desk of your accommodation before departure.

At the end of the afternoon, you’ll meet them at the reception desk of your new accommodation or directly in your room.

Luggage accepted per person: 1 suitcase or travel bag (maximum 23 kg) + 1 carry-on.

Your travel file corresponds to the documents or files you receive prior to your trip (generally one month before) and/or on arrival at your first accommodation.

It includes :

A welcome letter with key practical information:

Baggage transport times
Details of delivery and collection of rental bikes if required
Your local contact and emergency telephone number(s)
Any additional information

Travel logbook including map with route (at the appropriate scale) and directional, tourist and practical information

Any necessary vouchers to be given to the service provider(s)

On request and depending on the tour:

Download the “Evazio” application onto your smartphone for GPS navigation with visual (reading the route on your smartphone screen) and/or spoken guidance. The application also contains practical and tourist information. Once the trip has been downloaded, no Internet connection is required.
Loan of a GPS device with pre-recorded tracks
Send GPX tracks of each stage for use with your own navigation device

On this tour, we can provide you with a choice of the following, upon reservation:

A VTC bike suited to the tour and the route (Men’s and Women’s models)

Velo Paris ile de France

Velo Femme Paris ile de France

A gravel bike adapted to the course

With equipment :

Bag 1

Handlebar bag

Repair kit

Anti-theft device

Headset

1 rear bag
1 handlebar bag
1 repair kit
1 helmet (on request)
1 anti-theft device

For younger children, depending on age and size, we can offer

Children's bikes

Bicycle follower

Second trailer

A child’s bike
A baby seat
A trailer
A follower bike

The bike is adjusted to your size and delivered to the first accommodation.

At the end of the tour, the bike must be left at the last accommodation with its equipment. We’ll take care of collecting them.

This tour is offered in the “superior” category

Hotel categories :

Comfort: The tour features mainly 2 and 3-star hotels (or equivalent comfort level) and bed & breakfasts.
Superior: The tour features mainly 3- and 4-star hotels (or equivalent level of comfort) and charming bed & breakfasts.
Luxury: The tour features mainly 4- and 5-star hotels (or equivalent level of comfort).

For the duration of your stay, our telephone assistance service is available: