Besides sitting at an outdoor cafe/restaurant, a day trip by bike or canoe is most memorable to me. I biked from Beaune to Meursault (had lunch outside) and canoeing down the Dordogne River.m both were great.
Can anyone recommend a couple of your most memorable bike day trips,, hiking or boating would be ok too. Doesn't matter where it is in France, i am just planning another trip.
thanks
There is an ex pat in Paris who does individually planned bicycle day trips in the Ile de France region which makes finding cool little villages not easily accessible by train and such easy. http://www.frenchmystiquetours.com He can arrange bikes and presumably if you had a bike there you would use your own.
I will be in the Dordogne this fall and like you a highlight will be another day canoeing on the Dordogne. We did this about 10 years ago and it was a memorable day.
A little off point, but you cannot bike in Paris parks -- I have seen tourist ticketed (it was kind of amusing to watch -- tourists on those little wheeled travel bikes tooling along slowly got tickets -- the local who zipped through fast, was not pursued.
We biked one week in Provence with one of the most memorable days, being on the road that is near the Gorge du Verdun. We ended up in Moustier which was a great little village with a waterfall.
Lake Annecy is 26 miles around; we ran 5 miles out and back to town, so we did not see the route. But there was a bike path at least around part of the lake. (there is a marathon around the lake, so I do know that you can make a complete circuit).
Using Chamonix as a home base, there are some great hiking possibilities.
I have heard that the Loire valley is great for cycling. I will be cycling there and hiking in the Pyrenees this summer.
We loved staying in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and canoeing down the crystal clear, green spring water of the Sorgue River.
Looking Good,, thanks for the leads, I am sure there are more to come
Biking through the grounds and park of the palace of Versailles was a highlight for me. You can rent bikes next to the Grand Canal behind the palace - allees of trees, wheat fields, forest....take a picnic and it makes for a beautiful day!
Biking along the towpaths of the Canal du Midi also makes for a nice trip. I like it because it's mostly flat. So pretty and peaceful with small villages, farms, and the plane trees lining the canal.
Have a look at the many bike trips that Headwater Holidays UK offer (also Mac's Adventures). With the Headwater hotel to hotel trips, after the first night you usually have 2 nights at each hotel (or B&B) and on the stay-put day you can vary the pace - a round-trip bike ride, or circular walk, or canoeing if near a river, with pick-up arranged at the end.
Have a look at the many bike trips that Headwater Holidays UK offer (also Mac's Adventures). With the Headwater hotel to hotel trips, after the first night you usually have 2 nights at each hotel (or B&B) and on the stay-put day you can vary the pace - a round-trip bike ride, or circular walk, or canoeing if near a river, with pick-up arranged at the end.
