<< Urban Cycling || Sunday Riders >>
You don’t have to go far to escape the crowds and traffic congestion of the city. Paris’s 2,100-acre Bois de Boulogne (16th) and 2,400-acre Bois de Vincennes (12th) have paved and unpaved cycling trails that pass through quiet forested areas and around scenic lakes and gardens. The best time to go is late spring through late fall, when the forests and gardens look their best. Be sure to ask for a free map when renting a bike, since it’s easy to get lost on the more secluded trails. A lock is also necessary in case you want to stop for lunch or do a bit of sightseeing (the gardens and museums in both parks are off-limits to bikes). The nicest trail in the Bois de Boulogne is the Route St-Denis, running almost parallel to the Allée de Longchamp from the Porte de Maillot to the Pré Catalan gardens, continuing to the Grande Cascade. In the Bois de Vincennes, the most scenic trails are between the Parc Floral and the Lac Daumésnil. The trails around the hippodrome have nothing more scenic than sport training fields, and tends to be favored by Lycra-clad speed cyclists. For the best scenery in both Bois, stick to the cycle trails that go into the forest and not alongside the roads open to traffic. And don’t be afraid to explore the dirt trails as long as they’re not for horse riding (designated by a sign with a boot in a horse stirrup). See the Paris by Neighborhood section for more information on what to see in the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes.
<< Urban Cycling || Sunday Riders >>
