Cycling through the royal garden of France
The lightest cycling holiday, covering largely flat terrain, suitable for everyone and people of all ages; with distances to 45 kilometers. You spend about 4 hours on your bicycle
Paris to Soissons: A Bike & Barge Journey Through Royal Parks, Art Villages & Forest Castles. Start in Paris, cycle past Versailles, explore Auvers‑sur‑Oise and Pierrefonds Castle, and finish in the peaceful countryside around Soissons.
Starting in Paris, the green parks and riverside paths lead you toward the elegant park of Versailles, a royal landscape that marks the beginning of your journey. As you leave the capital behind, you ride through quiet countryside to Auvers‑sur‑Oise, the village where Van Gogh created many of his final works. The route continues into deeper forest landscapes until you reach the striking castle of Pierrefonds, rising above the Compiègne woods like a fairytale fortress. From here, peaceful rivers and rural scenery guide you toward your final destination: historic Soissons.
After arrival and welcome at the ship on the mooring place, you will start for a guided bike-ride through Paris
From Boulogne on the Seine, we begin our ride through a beautiful mix of parkland and wooded scenery on our way to Versailles. After a short stop at the palace, we enjoy a relaxing coffee break on the lively market square in the town centre. Our next goal is the vast park of the Château de Versailles, where we pause for lunch. Those who wish can visit the Grand Trianon or the charming Hamlet of Marie Antoinette. In the afternoon, quiet suburbs guide us back towards the Seine. We make a brief stop near Malmaison, the former residence of Napoleon and Joséphine (museum closed on Tuesdays), before continuing to our mooring place near Bougival.
In the morning we follow a beautiful bike path along the Seine toward Saint‑Germain‑en‑Laye. From the bridge, a gentle 1 km climb brings us to the castle, once one of the many luxurious residences of the French kings before the court finally moved to Versailles. Inside, you’ll find an prehistoric museum.
We continue cycling along the river and stop for coffee or lunch in Maisons‑Laffitte, known for its equestrian heritage. From here, forest paths lead us to Conflans‑Sainte‑Honorine, once a bustling river port. After a stop in Neuville, we ride on through Cergy and Pontoise toward Auvers‑sur‑Oise.
This charming village is closely linked to Vincent van Gogh, who spent his final months here and created an extraordinary number of paintings. We explore the town on a guided walk, discovering the places that inspired his last masterpieces.
An early morning sailing carries us a good distance upstream, setting the stage for a beautiful day of cycling. Our ride leads into the lush forests around Chantilly, where we pause near the impressive château, a masterpiece of art, architecture, and aristocratic history. Today offers several attractive visit options, and guests can choose what suits them best:
Royaumont Abbey, a serene former monastery set in peaceful gardens
Château de Chantilly, with its world‑class art collection
The town of Senlis, with Roman origins, medieval streets, and the unique graffiti museum in Verneuil‑en‑Halatte
After Chantilly, the longer cycling option takes you on a rewarding loop to historic Senlis, known for its Roman traces and striking cathedral, before returning through beautiful wooded landscapes to the river at Creil.
Another early sailing on the Oise River sets us off for a beautiful day. We ride gently away from the river toward the vast Compiègne Forest, passing a ruined chapel and impressive Roman excavations along the way. After a forest‑village lunch, we reach the Pierrefonds Castle, an absolute highlight. The return ride leads entirely through peaceful woodland, ending in Compiègne, a charming town with a palace‑museum and the option to join a guided walk through its historic centre linked to Joan of Arc.
In the morning you may choose to visit the Palace‑Museum of Compiègne. A little further on, an open clearing in the Compiègne Forest marks the historic Clairière de l’Armistice, linked to the truces of both World Wars. From here, we follow the Aisne River through Attichy and Vailly‑sur‑Aisne, cycling toward the ancient town of Soissons, our destination for the day.
This final day offers a beautiful roundtrip to Coucy‑le‑Château, where you can explore the impressive remains of one of France’s strongest medieval fortresses; famously featured in Barbara Tuchman’s A Distant Mirror. The ride includes several hills and a mix of wooded and open landscapes.
After breakfast your bike-and-boat trip comes to an end.
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. 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 Paris: Bassin La Vilette or Bassin de l’ Arsenal near the Seine in the center of Paris.
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 Paris Gare du Nord. The train runs on a very regular basis and the travel time is about 35 minutes.
The nearest train stations to the embarkation point of the barge are the Gare du Nord or Gare de l’ Est. From there you can take a metro to very near the embarkation points. If you take a taxi that will take you between 10 and 20 minutes and cost between 25 en 40 euro, depending on where the barge will be moored.
Should you arrive by car, we strongly advise to arrive earlier to unload your luggage. Finding a parking place in Paris is not easy and is expensive. More information on parking in Paris:
The tour ends one week later in Soissons on Monday morning after breakfast at 10 AM. You will spend the night from Sunday to Monday on board in Soissons. The mooring place of the barge in Soissons is near the city center.
On this tour the following barge is 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 vegan meals, gluten free or lactose diet, 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 that require special preparation or specific ingredients can only be accommodated to a limited extent. We will do our best to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding: due to the limited logistical possibilities on a barge, we are not able to provide fully specialized menus. On some tours, a surcharge applies for gluten‑free, lactose‑free, or vegan meals. This is stated per tour.
Most participants simply put on their rain gear. If the weather becomes so bad that cycling is truly impossible, which almost never happens, you can stay on board or your guide can arrange an alternative program, such as cultural excursions or 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 does not follow the same route as the cyclists. Sometimes the route may need to be adjusted due to weather conditions or repairs to bridges or locks. In those cases, the guests and the guide can coordinate with the skipper to meet at a different location. Of course, you can always choose to stay on board for one or more days.
The average age of our guests ranges from 50 to 80, although we certainly welcome both younger and older participants as well. During school holidays, it is also possible that children may join the tour.
