Hello. The wife and I are going to France, and wanted to know if anybody has any good routes/tips for biking in both the Beaune and Colmar areas. Neither of us have been to either area, but we do have some simple routes in Colmar (ie. the Wine Route). We've biked in France on several different occasions, so are fairly comfortable biking there. Beaune we are going to wing as of now (OK, we have a BASIC idea of a couple of routes). Regarding Colmar - can anyone tell me if it's feasible to bike into Germany from Colmar (terrain, traffic, etc.)? Any additional information is welcome. Thanks,
JP
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
719 posts
Hi Jan,
Beaune is probably the best biking that I've experienced in Europe. We picked up our bikes in Bourgogne Randonnee and they have plenty of route suggestions for your planned itinerary length. We have reservations there again in May for a few days of exploring the Burgundian countryside. The bike paths have no vehichle traffic (save an occasional vineyard vehicle) and are gently rolling terrain as you pedal from village to village. It is a spectacular place to go biking, with miles and miles of paths which are all extremely well marked.
Posted by
Green Bay
21145 posts
From Colmar to the east, its about 10 miles to the perfectly preserved Vauban fortress town of Neuf Brisach. Another 2 miles east and you can cross the bridge over the Rhine into Germany and the town of Breisach. Between Colmar and Breisach it is the Rhine plane that is quite flat, with canals and drainage ditches. Reminds one of the Mississippi Delta region, (with better wine and less cotton). Since the area is very bike friendly, there may be dedicated bike trails.
Posted by
OP
Chicago, IL, US
96 posts
Thanks for the info. That looks like a good place to rent bikes from. We're also going in May - hope there will be good weather!
Posted by
OP
Chicago, IL, US
96 posts
Sam,
Sounds good. I'm glad that it's do-able ( I was afraid that crossing the Rhine would be a problem ). We're definitely going to cross the border! Thanks.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
As Darren said, Bourgogne Randonees will give excellent itinerary advice. I strongly suspect two of their routes are the source of those that Rick Steves provides in his guidebook. There are a couple of good loops based out of Beaune. For longer trips, if that is what you are after, they can suggest routes, book hotels, and even port your bags about for you. It may be worth corresponding with them now if you are planning such a trip. I found the Lonely Planet biking France a source of out-of-Beaune ideas. A good map always helps too. I like the IGN topo maps for planning bike trips in France.