This week-long bike and barge cruise takes you along the Seine River Valley, passing by splendid estates including the castle and grounds at Fontainebleau, and through small medieval towns on the way to Montargis. Enjoy this scenic ride on easy canal paths, with frequent stops to sip café au lait in quaint French villages. Our boat for the week floats quietly along the Seine River, slipping through locks and under bridges while sumptuous meals are prepared onboard. This tour is ideal for anyone who loves the French joie de vivre, and those who are new to cycling and want to try bicycle traveling without having to pack and unpack their bags.
* We are happy to match solo travelers who would like to share a room with someone of the same gender. If no match exists, due to hotel pricing, we will charge 50% of the private room charge. This charge will be collected at the time of the final payment. If a roommate assignment is available it will be refunded at the conclusion of the tour.
** For information about what your tour status means please see our FAQ page.
Paris; Castle of Fontainebleau; “artists’ villages” - towns that inspired 19th and 20th century Impressionist painters; medieval fortified towns and castles; private castle visit; brie tasting.
Keep in Mind: We work hard to maintain consistency across all of our tours, but some trips have unique differences. Here are some things to keep in mind about this tour.
For more questions about the Barge check out our Bike & Boat FAQ
Includes
8-days, 7 nights' lodging on Fleur; meals as noted in itinerary; guided visit of Fontainebleau castle, bee farm visit, brie cheese tasting; and the usual (see below).
Learn more about what is included and what to expect on your Bike and Boat tour at the Bike and Boat Tour Style page.
Meet early afternoon at our docking point in central Paris. We’ll take a test ride with the bikes this afternoon and you’ll have time to explore the surroundings before we gather to meet everybody including the barge crew. We’ll enjoy a welcome drink and dinner on board tonight. And how about a post-dinner stroll in central Paris?
Highlights: Cruise the Seine during breakfast, audio guide visit Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, bicycle along river paths and forest lanes, Melun town
Avoid the city traffic by cruising through Paris on our private barge, enjoying views from the river and relaxing on board. Breakfast and a leisurely morning onboard prepare us for late-morning departure along the Seine River and through the Sénart Forest. Deboard and it’s a pleasant ride to Chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte, where you’ll enjoy an audio guide visit. Afterwards you’ll reach the small town of Melun where our boat will dock for the night on the ancient village island. Melun, born as a Gallic town was then a Roman mutatio. We’ll taste another specialty of town, the Brie de Melun.
DAY 3: Pedaling through Barbizon and Fontainebleau
Highlights: Artists’ village of Barbizon, Fontainebleau castle (UNESCO site), fortified medieval town.
Start your delightful ride along the river lined by sumptuous villas. Enjoy the quiet bike path before we leave the river to dive into the expansive Fontainebleau forest, centered around the famous Fontainebleau castle which was home to French monarchs for about eight centuries. Our first stop is the small village of Barbizon, formerly home to mid-19th century painters including Théodore Rousseau and Jean-François Millet. Continue through the forest to reach the magnificent Fontainebleau castle, one of France’s most spectacular royal palaces. Continue pedaling to return to our boat, moored tonight in a medieval fortified town along a small tributary of the Seine River.
Highlights: Medieval town of Moret-sur-Loing, Loing River biking, Nemours.
Spend some time this morning wandering the streets of quaint Moret-Sur-Loing, the fortified medieval town that inspired Impressionist painters including Monet and British artist Alfred Sisley. Our ride today takes us along the Loing River to another artist village. From here, you can choose to take a longer ride or continue along the river to reach our boat, docked in tiny medieval Nemours. Visit town and its medieval castle or, for a different take on the region’s (pre)history, enjoy a visit to the interesting prehistorical museum, which houses rich archaeological collections from the Paleolithic period through the end of the Iron Age, excavated in the Île-de-France region.
The Loing River was “improved” in the early 18th Century in an effort to increase visits from merchants. We’ll leapfrog the canal today as we pedal through forested areas and rural countryside to reach a private castle open to us for a visit and lunch. After lunch, we'll keep pedaling to the impressive fortified medieval town of Chateau Landon. A quick downhill brings us to our boat, docked on the Loing Canal in a tranquil spot for the night. After dinner, we'll head back to Chateau-Landon for an engaging guided walk to learn more about the historical importance of this town.
An optional 13 km ride this morning takes you to a unique art spot in a nearby town. This garden museum honors influential and prolific 19th Century sculptor Antoine Bourdelle by hosting 58 of his bronze statues in a lovely garden. Keep pedaling to the small medieval town of Ferrières with its impressive Benedictine Abbey, tiny alleyways and historic wash houses. Take a break and wander through town before continuing south to arrive in Montargis, the second largest town of the region and a fitting ending destination to our barge trip as its medieval center is crisscrossed with canals and rivers. Our home for the next two nights! Enjoy dinner in town tonight.
Highlights: Ouanne River ride; 10th Century Castle Ruins, Bee-Keeping Museum
A loop ride today takes us to another small town in the countryside to visit a unique, thriving honey making farm and “living museum” where a short visit highlights the peculiar place of bees in the world. Return to Montargis and make sure to visit some of the sights like the gardens and ruins of the central Chateau, the cathedral and several Renaissance palaces and gardens.
Meeting time 2 p.m. - on Day 1, meet your fellow cyclists and Tour Leaders at the boat dock Port d'Arsenal, close to the Place de la Bastille (click for location).
Note:
Before you make arrangements, check with us if your tour departure is guaranteed. If your tour departure is out further than 6 months, please also check with us as there might be slight changes to the itinerary.
From Gare du Nord to the Docking Place:
Metro Line 5 (direction Place d'Italie), exit at Quai de la Rapée
Your boat's name is "Fleur". If you are arriving by taxi, your taxi can take you to the "Capitanerie de Port" (Port Authority), which is where the boat usually docks. Your driver can ask the Port Authority where your boat is and take you there.
If you haven't been to Paris yet, we recommend you spend some time in this amazing city. You can find hotel recommendations in Paris and throughout France here.
Depending on where you choose to stay in Paris prior to your trip, your hotel's website will usually provide arrival information. You might also like Rome2Rio for more route-planning.
We recommend flying into the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
Day 8: Departure Information
Tour Ends in Montargis
Your trip ends on the final day after breakfast.
If you didn't get a chance to spend time in Paris before the trip, you might choose to do so now. Find the link to hotel recommendations in the arrival instructions.
The below information will help you plan your departure. For more tips or other routes, you might like Rome2Rio. The fare and timing information listed below is approximate.
We recommend flying out of Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
From Montargis to Paris:
Taxi from the ending point of the tour to the Montargis train station
Train from Montargis to Paris (1hr/fares vary)
From Paris to CDG:
If you are planning to continue to the airport directly, you will need to plan on enough time to either continue by public transportation or taxi (40 min/EUR 65).
Look up French train schedules and book tickets, if necessary, SNCF.com or Trainline.eu. Questions? See our information on taking trains in Europe here or ask us.
Keep in Mind
We work hard to maintain consistency across all of our tours, but some trips have unique differences. Here are some things to keep in mind about this tour.
For more questions about the Barge check out our Bike & Boat FAQ
Pre-Trip Planning Checklist
To do right after you booked!
Read through your Reservation Confirmation and After you Book Information (link sent to you by e-mail), it has important information to help you plan your trip!
Check the date on your passport. The expiration date should extend three months past your date of return to your home country.
Refer to your Tour Packet/Itinerary to see step-by-step arrival and departure information for your tour, meeting place and time, if a reservation on a complimentary ExperiencePlus! Shuttle (if applicable) is required, and other important information to help you plan your arrival and departure.
Reserve your flights after you know you have a confirmed tour departure. Please check with our office if you do not know if your trip is confirmed.
Book your pre and post-tour hotel nights.
Begin your chosen training program.
Final payment is due 90 days (120 days for Bike &Barge/Boat tours) prior to the tour start. Please refer to your Invoice and the Final Payment Reminder e-mail we send 10 days prior to the due date for detailed instructions.
We'll email you your access code to Digital Daysheets, Hotel Itinerary, Participant Roster, names and contact information of your Tour Leaders, emergency phone numbers, and other important departure information about 2 weeks prior to your tour start date. All this will be provided to you via a feature called Experiences via the RideWithGPS App (tracks available but not necessary for navigation on Classic, Expedition and Bike & Boat tours).
Day of Your Flight
Get as much sleep on the plane as you can. Pack your one day of cycling gear in your carry-on. See you soon!
What to Expect on Tour
Bike and Boat Tour Style
Learn more about what is included and what to expect on your Bike and Boat tour at the Bike and Boat page.
This tour was amazing! We loved our bikes, we loved the routes and we loved the tours! We think this would be an incredible multi-generational tour based on the home base of the barge. Could be a very fun teens, families with small babies (who could just ride the barge), parents and grandparents kinda trip.
Mei R., Cottonwood, AZ - August 2019
This tour was amazing! We loved our bikes, we loved the routes and we loved the tours! We think this would be an incredible multi-generational tour based on the home base of the barge. Could be a very fun teens, families with small babies (who could just ride the barge), parents and grandparents kinda trip.
Mei R., Cottonwood, AZ - August 2019
I loved riding on the rural country roads and observing the fabulous French countryside. I also loved the dinners prepared by the chef.
Gentle terrain includes mostly undulating/flat sections and a rare longer climb (less than 3 km - 2 miles) with an average grade less than 3%.
Rolling Hills
Rolling hills featuring multiple gentle slopes (average grade of 3-4%) usually less than 3 km (2 miles). There may also be an occasional shorter (less than 2 km -1 mile) but steeper climb. Or a longer climb where the average grade is less than 3%.
Hilly
Hilly terrain has climbs up to 3 km (2 miles) with an average grade between 4% and 6%. There may also be climbs longer than 3 km (2 miles), but with an average grade less than 4%.
Very Hilly
Very hilly terrain includes one or more climbs, some of which maintain an average grade (meaning you will have short sections both steeper and less steep in the same climb) of 7% and 8% for no more than 3 km (2 miles). There will also be some longer climbs, but with a lower average grade.
Mountainous
Mountainous terrain includes one or more climbs with an average grade over 8%. Mountainous rides can also include longer climbs (more than 5 km - 3 miles) with an average grade up to 6%.
Level 1 - 1.5
For those desiring gentle rides with a limited amount of climbing.
Level 5, also known as our Expeditions, are multi-week tours designed for strong riders looking for the challenge of riding across countries or continents.
Gentle terrain includes mostly undulating/flat sections and a rare longer climb (less than 3 km - 2 miles) with an average grade less than 3%.
Hilly
Hilly terrain has climbs up to 3 km (2 miles) with an average grade between 4% and 6%. There may also be climbs longer than 3 km (2 miles), but with an average grade less than 4%.
Very Hilly
Very hilly terrain includes one or more climbs, some of which maintain an average grade (meaning you will have short sections both steeper and less steep in the same climb) of 7% and 8% for no more than 3 km (2 miles). There will also be some longer climbs, but with a lower average grade.
Mountainous
Mountainous terrain includes one or more climbs with an average grade over 8%. Mountainous rides can also include longer climbs (more than 5 km - 3 miles) with an average grade up to 6%.
Tour Levels
Level 1 - 1.5
For those desiring gentle rides with a limited amount of climbing.
Level 5, also known as our Expeditions, are multi-week tours designed for strong riders looking for the challenge of riding across countries or continents.
Rolling hills
Hilly
Very hilly
Mountainous
Cycling Corsica Plus! Beaches and Bonifacio
Cycling the Dordogne Plus! the Vineyards of Bordeaux
Cycling Champagne and Burgundy
