Vineyards and cheese farms
Distance: 35-50 km average per day. Altitude: 0-100 hm average per day. The lightest cycling holiday; over mostly flat terrain, with not too long daily distances (average 50 km). Short spicy slopes with height differences of up to ± 100 meters occur.
Thinking about champagne you can already hear the sparkling. Perhaps you never thought of combining a visit to this region with a bike and barge trip but here it is, a bike and barge tour from Epernay, the true capital of the Champagne region to Paris.
At the starting point, Epernay you are in the middle of the Champagne industry and can start your tour with the tasting of various sparkling wines. After the Champagne region follows the rural countryside of the Meaux region, famous for its Brie cheeses. You pass through country fought over heavily in WW1 and you will visit several monuments commemorating the men that fought here over 100 years ago. You ride into Paris via the Marne and its parallel, the Marne-Rhine canal. A very French tour centered around good wine and good cheese!
Arrival between 12 and 2 p.m. at the mooring place of the Clair de Lune near center of Epernay. In the evening the guide can take you on a guided city walk. Epernay is with Reims the major wine center of the Champagne region. Epernay has many town houses dating in neo-renaissance style or classical style dating from the 19th century, especially around the beautiful Avenue the Champagne where prestigious champagne houses, such as Moët & Chandon and Mercier, are situated.
On this first cycling day we have not made it too hard for you in distance At first you ride along the quiet canal parallel to the Marne river to Ay and Mareuil-sur-Ay. After that you ride via the village of Dizy to reach Hautvillers. A bit of a challenging ascent brings you to this picturesque village. Hautvilliers on the southern slopes of the Montagne de Reims is the place where champagne was in fact invented. You will visit the chapel with the tomb of the monk Dom Pérignon (1638-1715). Dom Pérignon pioneered several techniques, and was the first to blend grapes to improve wines and make them of a better quality. Double fermentation, characteristic for the making of champagne, was introduced also by him. Upon you return you can take your time to visit the center of Epernay. Why not enjoy a Champagne tasting and take a tour in one of the major Champagne houses.
In the morning the first ride is to the Château de Boursault, a large castle built in 1848 by the widow of Mr. Cliquot, who gave her name (“Veuve Cliquot”) to a famous Champagne wine. A ride up the hill to the village of Châtillon-sur-Marne rewards you with a stunning panorama over the Marne valley and the Champagne vineyards. From here it is mostly downhill to Dormans, a quiet village on the Marne with a castle and chapel in memory of the battles of the Marne in WW1. In Domans the Clair de Lune is waiting for us and we sail downstream to Château-Thierry. This nice little town was the site of two important battles: the Battle of 1814 in the Napoleonic Wars and the Battle of 1918 at the end of World War I.
A long and somewhat challenging ride today from Château-Thierry to La-Ferté-sous-Jouarre. At first the cycling track leads you to the large WW1 American War Cemetery and Monument near Belleau. Later on you ride along the little stream Clignon. Still riding uphill you finally reach the plateau above the northern part of the Marne valley. This is an area with woods in the valleys and fields with wheat and other crops on the hills. Going down you will take a side valley and follow country roads through various small villages until you reach the Marne and eventually the charming village of La Ferte?-sous-Jouarre. Jouarre, is a center of Brie making and you will be able to find a place where you can enjoy a the tasting of the famous Brie de Meaux and Brie noir cheeses.
After breakfast you hop on your bikes and will have to climb a few challenging hills, leaving the valley in the direction of Meaux. In the afternoon you stay in the valley of the river with a ride through Lizy-sur-Ourcq and Trilport. Today’s destination is the city of Meaux, famous for its “Brie de Meaux” cheeses and the magnificent Cathedral St.-Etienne.
From Meaux you will first follow the small Canal de l’Ourq and the road will be mostly flat. The next part of the day is quite hilly, because you have to leave the valley of the Marne. Later on you again ride down to the river and follow the Marne river and its parallel canal to Lagny-sur-Marne.
This last cycling day takes you along the banks of the Marne until you reach the canal de l’Ourcq. This canal was built by order of Emperor Napoleon and provided the city of Paris with water. It also played an important role in the transportation of goods to and from Paris. A separate bike path along the canal takes to the mooring spot of the Clair de Lune in the Basin de la Vilette or the Bassin de l’ Arsenal in the center of Paris.
End of the tour after breakfast, before 10 AM.
Our carefully selected routes will lead you along the most beautiful spots of the country. The average daily distance is around 45 kilometers. Most participants prefer riding in a group with the cycling guide, but you can also ride individually. A road book is included (1x per cabin). Gps-tracks can be provided by e-mail.
You are expected at the barge on Monday afternoon, between 12 PM and 2 PM. You can bring your luggage earlier to the barge, but not before 11 AM. We are busy cleaning the barge, but we can provide you with suggestions to have a nice walk into town.The mooring place of the barge in Epernay is near the city center.
The nearest airport to the embarkation point of the barge is Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). From the airport you can take a train to Epernay. You have to change trains in Reims (TGV station Champagne/Ardennes) and the travel time is about 2,5 hours.
The nearest train station to the embarkation point of the barge is the station of Epernay, about 1,5 km away. From there you can take a taxi to the embarkation spot or you can walk.
Should you arrive by car, we strongly advise to arrive earlier to unload your luggage. More information on parking in Epernay:
The tour ends one week later in Paris on Monday morning after breakfast at 10 AM. You will spend the night from Sunday to Monday on board in Paris. The mooring place of the barge in Paris: Bassin La Vilette or Bassin de l’ Arsenal.
On this tour the following barges are scheduled
Rental bikes on this tour.
Imagine a floating hotel sailing to the next stage, while you are calmly pedalling along. No lugging of luggage: that is exactly what Bike & Barge is all about! In the pleasant atmosphere on board you can have a chat, go through the day with the others, and enjoy the meals prepared specially for cyclists. In the evenings you can enjoy a drink in the salon or admire the setting sun on deck. Do not expect a cruise ship with its passive luxury. The Bike & Barge Holidays are for people who really enjoy the physical activity of cycling and who value sociability more than wholesale luxury.
Free WiFi is (limited) available in lounge and on deck.
The cabins have central heating and a porthole or window; they are provided with running water (hot and cold), private shower/toilet and 220 voltage. There is limited storage space in the cabin. We recommend 1 suitcase per person. You can slide the suitcase under the bed.
The captain/skipper, the chef and your tour guide all welcome you warmly. They are prepared specifically for these trips and will provide good and safe passage, good meals, and a friendly, pleasant atmosphere. They will, of course, also give you a great deal of interesting information during and after the cycling and sailing. The skipper is responsible for the smooth running of things on board; the cook is in charge of the catering. A tour leader accompanies you during the bike ride and can assist in case of breakdowns. He/She will be your guide to point out the things of interest along the way and is multi-lingual (Dutch/English, some speak German and/or French).
Your chef is used to cook delicious meals for hungry cyclists. Besides an extensive breakfast, you will also be offered a packed lunch for on the road. It consists of different types of bread and sandwich fillings, juice, a snack and a piece of fruit. Lunch package needs to be prepared by yourself after breakfast. Dinner is different every day. There is a first course, main course and dessert The meals on board are included in the price, as are coffee and tea. Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks can be obtained at a reasonable charge. When you return on board after the day’s cycling, a cup of tea or coffee with a biscuit will be waiting for you.
If you suffer from food allergies or food intolerance (such as lactose- or gluten- intolerance/-allergy) or if you have special meal requirements (vegetarian; pescetarian; vegan meals; gluten free meals etc.), we ask you to mention this when booking, but no later than 14 days before arrival. Diets which need a special preparation or special ingredients can only be offered in limited form. We will do our best to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding as due to limited logistic possibilities on a barge we are not able to prepare complete specialized menus and special food requirements cannot always be met in all details. In case of Celiac; gluten free diet; lactose free diet; vegan meals there is an additional charge.
One of the most attractive aspects of the Bike & Barge holidays is that you encounter an international company on board, including people from e.g. USA, Canada, Australia, Germany and United Kingdom. It’s a great opportunity for you to get to know various cultures at the same time! We have people of all ages, solo travelers, couples and also families with children (during the school holidays).
Yes, but you must indicate this when booking. Diets which need a special preparation or special ingredients can only be offered in limited form. We will do our best to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding as due to limited logistic possibilities on a barge we are not able to prepare complete specialized menus.
On some trips, in case of a gluten-free diet/lactose-free diet/ vegan meals, a surcharge applies. This is stated per tour.
Most of the participants then wear rainwear. When the weather is so bad that cycling becomes really impossible (but that is almost never the case!), you can stay on board or your guide can organize an alternative program with, for example, cultural excursions and city tours (at your own expense).
The main countries represented by our cycling guests are: United States and Canada. We also receive guests from United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. The common language on board is English.
No, the barge doesn’t take the same route as the cyclists do. Sometimes the route may be altered because of weather conditions or repairs to bridges or locks and then the guests and the guide can arrange with the skipper to be met at a different place. Naturally you can always stay on board for one or more days.
The average age varies between 50 and 80, but of course we have younger and older guests. In particular it is quite possible during the school holidays that children might be booked on your tour.
