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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.
Quite easy cycling, mostly flat terrain. Accompanied by a competent, professional and multilingual tour leader, you and the group will visit interesting sights and places on the daily cycling tours. During the bike tour, they will explain the local history and culture behind the things you encounter along the way. You can also choose to ride individually with the help of the Ride with GPS app and cycling map (available on board).
This barge started cruising in 2002. This tasteful passenger barge with her sleek lines was built to fit the smaller locks, sluices and canals in France and has been cruising the French waters ever since. But don’t let her size fool you! She can accommodate a maximum of 20 guests in the 10 comfortable cabins on the lower deck, each with private sanitary facilities, central heating and air-conditioning. On the upper deck there is a lounge with large windows, a roomy sitting area and bar, and outside a half-covered sun deck. Wonderful for a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of wine.
In between cycling excursions, you cruise along with the ship, which travels to a new destination every day. You dine, sleep and eat breakfast on board. You’ll receive a packed lunch every day, and you can usually choose between a longer or shorter bike ride. It’s also possible to spend a day on board if you like.
If you would like to rent an E-bike (273 EUR) please contact our office when booking: [email protected]
Slow Tours offers other Bike & Barge tours in Europe
Paris – Evry
Embarkation and check-in at 1 p.m. at the mooring in the center of Paris. After a welcome by the captain, crew and tour leader the ship will leave the harbor in Paris and sail along the river Seine to Evry, where you will spend the night.
We advise you to come to Paris one or more days earlier, so that you will have plenty of time to discover the city.
Evry – Melun (30 km/19 mi.)
After breakfast, the bicycle tour starts from the lock of Evry. You will stay along the banks of the Seine river for a while. The first stop is the typical French market of Corbeil-Essonnes. 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 (40 km/25 mi.)
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 favor 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 (38 km/23 mi. or 49 km/31 mi.)
You will stay in the valley of the Loing and visit Grez-sur-Loing, where many artist 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 barge again in Nemours. Nemours is supposed to derive its name from the woods (nemora) in the midst of which it formerly stood and relicts of Gallo-Roman remains indicate its early origin. The castle, erected around 1120, now is a prehistoric museum of the Ile-de-France region.
Nemours – Néronville (35 km/22 mi. or 45 km/27 mi.)
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 (31 km/19 mi. or 55 km/34 mi.)
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 center, 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 15000 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 (45 km/28 mi.)
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 9.30 a.m.
Tours marked with are special prices.
| Start | End | Max. No. Guests | Accommodation | Price p.p. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29 2025 | Jul 06 2025 | 20 | Single rooms | 2,849€ | ||
| Double rooms | 1,899€ | |||||
| Jul 13 2025 | Jul 20 2025 | 20 | Single rooms | 2,699€ | ||
| Double rooms | 1,799€ | |||||
| Jul 16 2026 | Jul 23 2026 | 20 | Single rooms | 2,850€ | ||
| Double rooms | 1,899€ |
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
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