My friend and I are stopping in Beaune for a couple of nights on the way from Paris to Provence, and would like to plan a day to rent bikes to see more of the countryside around Beaune, and also visit wineries. Does anybody have any experience doing this, or can anybody direct me to other websites for more info? Ideally, it would be nice to see the countryside 'off the beaten path' that we normally would not see, and also work in some good wine tasting - probably on the second half of the bike trip. We are in good physical shape so the terrain/distance should not be an issue, as long as it can be fit in within one day.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Bobby, I spent a week cycling in Burgundy five years ago, starting with some day trips from Beaune. It's a great way to see some of the region and get a feel for the land. ¶ The rental shop there has decent machines and is very generous with itinerary advice. Tell Florent what you'd like to see and how many miles you are good for and he will steer you right. I believe he is the source for the rides suggested in Rick's book. ¶ For extra ease bring a map[INVALID]the IGN topo series is good[INVALID]and he will mark it up for you. This map might help you to plan, too. But, this is not required. Have fun!
Posted by
Boulder, CO, USA
719 posts
Bobby, you are in for a treat. My wife and I biked for a day from Beaune last spring and it was SPECTACULAR. Get your bikes from Florent and tell him what you want. We told him that we wanted to do about 30 miles or so, taste wines and have a picnic. He sent us off on a route to the south (through Pommard, Volnay, Meurseault, Puligny-Montrachet) for some spectacular wines (he highlights the free tastings) and then sent us off the bike path to Blagny for a picnic (we gather picnic supplies before we left in Beaune and bought a bottle of chilled wine from Olivier LaFlaive which is minutes from our picnic site). The aforementioned path is perfect for biking; the only traffic is the wine workers and their machines, virtually no cars! When we finished, we considered doing it again, the rolling hills were that gentle. However, we took part in quite a few wine tastings so it was not to be. Regardless, you will have a blast. I'm going back next year, it was that good.