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Paris-Montargis 8 day Bike and Barge Tour (FLR)
This 8-day bike and barge tour starts in Paris, where the barge is docked in the center of the city, not far from the Notre Dame Cathedral. Unlike other river cruise ships, you will follow the Seine upstream, in a southern direction. This region has a rich royal history and the castle of Fontainebleau is a magnificent example of this past. The castle was much in favour among the French kings because of the extensive possibilities to hunt in the surrounding forests. Just as impressive are the royal gardens, which the French kings had their royal architects lay out for them. You will cycle through the wonderful forests to the painters village of Barbizon, where since the first half of the 19th century many painters (Barbizon School) have lived and worked. Next stop is Moret-sur-Loing, a charming medieval fortified town, strategically situated on the banks of the Loing river, where painter Sisley found inspiration for his beautiful impressionist paintings. From there you will follow the Canal du Centre to the beautiful medieval towns of Ferrières with its splendid monastery and Château-Landon with the Abbey of St. Severin. Your final destination is Montargis, a picturesque town with beautiful little canals. The canals are decorated with many flowers and give the town a lot of charm. The bicycle tours go mainly over quiet country roads, off the beaten track.
If you would like to rent a bike (100 EUR) or e-bike (250 EUR) please contact our office when booking: [email protected]
Slow Tours offers other Bike & Barge tours in Europe
Paris:
Embarkation and check-in at 2pm at the Quai de Bercy on the Seine river in the centre of Paris. After a welcome by the captain, crew and tour leader there is time for a walking tour through Paris. After dinner on board there is a first briefing about the barge, bicycles and tour program.
Paris – Evry | Evry – Melun 30km
Breakfast while sailing. You will spend the morning on board to enjoy Paris from the river. Around 9am there will be a safety lecture. After lunch, the bicycle tour starts from the lock of Evry. You will stay along the banks of the Seine river for a while. Destination of your first bicycle tour is Melun, a town which is known as “le Domaine des Reines blanches”, because in former years it used to be the domain of the widows of the French kings.
Melun – Moret-sur-Loing 40km
Today you will cycle through the wonderful forests of Fontainebleau. First destination is the artistic village of Barbizon, where since the first half of the 19th century many painters have found inspiration. At the time, a group of landscape painters formed the “Barbizon School”. You can visit the local museum. After this, you continue your tour to the palace of Fontainebleau, much in favour among the French kings, because of the extensive possibilities to hunt in the surrounding forests. The castle itself houses a museum of Napoleon, among other things. Fontainebleau is also a pleasant town to walk around or to shop. You will find the barge again in Moret-sur-Loing, a charming medieval fortified town, strategically situated on the banks of the Loing River, where painter Sisley found inspiration for his beautiful impressionist paintings.
Moret-sur-Loing – Nemours 38km or 51km
You will stay in the valley of the Loing and visit Grez-sur-Loing, where many artists used to live in the early years of the 20th century. In the charming town hall of Bourron-Marlotte, you can admire a few magnificent impressionist paintings. You will meet the boat again in Nemours. Nemours is supposed to derive its name from the woods (nemora). Gallo-Roman remains to indicate its early origin. The castle erected around 1120AD, now is a prehistoric museum of the Ile-de-France region.
Nemours – Néronville 35km
Breakfast during sailing. Today you will cycle through a wooded area with rugged rocks. Before lunch, you will visit the sculpture garden “Jardin Bourdelle”. In this garden, you can admire some 57 bronze monumental sculptures by the artist Antoine Bourdelle. Around lunchtime you will reach Egréville. This village has been an important commercial crossroads for hundreds of years. Its markets and fairs enjoyed great renown. Final destination of today is rural Néronville.
Néronville – Montargis 30km or 41km
Today you will first cycle to Chateau-Landon, a beautifully situated town, with the Abbey of St. Séverin from the 13th century. Your bicycle tour goes to the medieval town of Ferrières with its old town centre, which has been preserved beautifully. And in the middle of the narrow streets, you find a splendid monastery. Today’s destination is Montargis, even with 15,000 inhabitants the biggest town of the Loiret, after Orléans. Unfortunately, this former royal residence was destroyed by a fire in the 16th century. But the canals are still there. They are decorated with many flowers and give the town a lot of charm. Today there is no dinner on board. You can select one of the local restaurants of Montargis.
Montargis (45km
From Montargis, you will cycle to Château-Renard, where you can visit the ruins of a castle from the 10th century. You will also visit an Apiculture’s Living Museum. There you can see beekeepers and their bees at work, and you’ll be able to sample their delicious honey. Along the river Ouanne you will return to Montargis.
Montargis
End of your tour: Disembarkation after breakfast until 9.30am.
The planned itinerary is subject to change due to nautical, technical or meteorological reasons and other unforeseen circumstances. If there is low or high water and a route cannot be shipped, the captain reserves the right to change the route in view of your safety (this cannot be accepted as a reason for free withdrawal).
Tours marked with are special prices.
| Start | End | Max. No. Guests | Accommodation | Price p.p. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27 2024 | Aug 03 2024 | 20 | Single rooms | 2,594€ | ||
| Double rooms | 1,729€ |
If you would like to drive yourself before or after your tour, ask us for a quote on any brand new Renault, Peugeot or Citroen vehicle for driving in Europe.
Pick up your vehicle from most capital cities in Europe and return it to your drop off destination. Top insurance cover. Email [email protected] for a competitive quote
Shows in English in Paris: Paris offers a wide variety of shows accessible to English-speakers. One-man shows, classic & modern theatre, musicals, cabarets and more are all performed in the city every night. You can get the full programme of shows in Paris to fit your city break dates by emailing [email protected]
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