Picardy €375
Picardy is a pretty nondescript tour title, eh. Well, I told you my tours are about getting off the beaten path so why not delve into your curious nature and discover the beauty of this little visited region. This is a tour for experienced cyclists used to hills/inclines (but none too long or too steep and plenty of rolling terrain). Since it's an off the beaten path tour you aren't going to see any sites or places that anyone (even most French people) has ever heard of. But fear not, you'll experience lovely countryside, forests, quaint villages, anonymous châteaux, medieval churches, Gallo-Roman ruins (as described in the Compiègne-Pierrefonds Tour) and otherwise have a completely off the beaten path experience. If you are an experienced cyclist who loves varied terrain (and of course, beautiful scenery) then this tour is for you. Trust me, you'll love it.
Click HERE to see the Tour Summary for this tour, which will provide you with a sampling of photos of some of the sights you will see on this tour.
-
Meeting time and train times: We will meet at the bike rental store at 7:45AM and take an 8:32AM train leaving Paris and arriving in Villers-Cotterêts at 9:22AM. We will take a train departing from Crépy-en-Valois at 4:32PM and arrive in Paris at 5:10PM.
-
Total round trip train time: 1 hour 30 minutes
-
Touring Time: 7 hours from train arrival in Villers-Cotterêts to train departure from Crépy-en-Valois
-
Distance round trip from bike store to train station: 3 km / 2 miles
-
Touring Distance: 50km / 31 miles from train arrival in Villers-Cotterêts to train departure from Crépy-en-Valois
-
Total biking distance: 53km / 33 miles
-
Level of difficulty: Moderate. There are three or four small hills and a few steeper hills on this tour but most of the ride is on flat to gently rolling terrain. There is one steep hill with an ascent time of 5+ minutes and a distance of about 1km but the other smaller hills will also require some effort so you should be an experienced cyclist and fit to do this tour. This tour is best suited to those who cycle regularly and are fit.
Additional Per Person Costs:
€27.60 (train) + €30 (bike rental)
This tour is only for experienced cyclists used to riding steep hills