Houseboat on Marne.

Old choclate factory.

Maps:  Paris map, Michelin suburban maps 19 (northeast)and 23 (southeast)
                 IGN Map # 9 and (for the loop) #21.

Nature of the Ride:

The Marne River cycle route, which continues for about 30 kilometers (18 miles) to the east of Paris, is a favorite of these rides — a gem.  You leave central Paris by a bike lane, and then by a converted rail bed, the "Viaduct of Arts" and the “Promenade Plantée”, adorned with flowers and bordered by small parks and new apartment neighborhoods .

The Promenade Plantee, 4,5 km long (photos available here) was began in 1993 on the emplacement of an ancient rail line.  The elevated part, which runs along the Avenue Daumesnil, is called the "Viaduct of Arts", and beneath its 71 arcades are found artists' workshops and art and antique stores.  On the roof above the arcades, and further along, at ground level, are found a succession of pretty flower gardens.  Vou will come across new appartment buildings, unrestricted grass lawns, and playgrounds.

Next you visit a large part of the Bois de Vincennes, a very large park to the east of Paris.  You have the option of shortening your trip by returning to the center of Paris using the bicycle path of the close-in Marne and the Seine (part of Route 3).

Continuing, after crossing through a few blocks of streets with available sidewalks, you arrive at the beautiful Marne River. You follow the Marne for 15 kilometers on scenic riverside lanes with almost no traffic.  The end of the outbound portion is a huge lake with grassy banks, used primarily for what the French call “Aviron” (crew).

You may return to Paris the way you came; or by the shortcut along the close-in Marne and Seine bicycle paths (part of Route 3) or by the Canal de l’Ourcq (Route 1). The Ourcq Canal alternative (which gives a 70 kilometer total ride) makes for a long but interesting day — the very best day circuit both leaving and returning to Paris by bike. The route between the Marne and the Ourcq passes through towns, sleepy villages and farmland.

Destinations:

Because the Marne River is sinuous, while the straighter, Ourcq Canal of Ride 1 aims in the same general direction, and because the riverside lane ends within the Paris suburbs while the Ourcq Canal reaches the countryside, this route is not recommended as a rapid escape route from Paris for a longer bike trip to the Northeast.  None the less, with the shortcut mentioned on the page for Route 3, and with some riding in light to moderate traffic, this is the quickest way if you are heading due east towards Coulommiers, or east-southeast .

Directions:

To print itinerary, select the text below, and choose print selection.

Please follow this link for an explanation of the author's traffic ratings.

From the Bastille, ride southeast (with the Opera of the Bastille on your left) on Rue de Lyon (bike lane), for 250 m to the traffic light. Immediately after the light, at the back of the little triangle, turn left and immediately bear right into the bike lane of Avenue Daumesnil. Your bike lane runs on the right side of the street, against traffic, with its own stoplights; use great care in crossing these intersections, where oncoming vehicles often turn accross your path. On your left of Avenue Daumesnil, there is a series of similar buildings, with, on the roof, a walkway that crosses the streets below (this is called the Viaduct des Arts). A train line once ran here.

If it is after 8:00 in the morning, and if you are willing to walk your bike for 10 blocks, the author recommends carrying your bike up four flights of stairs to the top of the Viaduct Des Arts, along Avenue Daumesnil.  You will probably want to walk your bicycle on the aerial walkway – which is lined with flowers and which has many interesting views.  The Viaduct runs for 1 kilometer.  – leads to an attractive footbridge over a playground, amidst an apartment complex, and then directly into the bike path at the Allée Vivaldi.

If you decide, rather to stay in the bicycle lane, after the end of the viaduct, you cross at an angle the major street, “Rue de Charenton”.  If it is after 8:00 AM (9:00 on weekends) in one block turn left onto Rue Henard (sign:  "Jardin de Reuilly") and right at the next intersection onto the Allée Vivaldi.

Follow the bike path along the Allée Vivaldi past a gate (see below for directions if it is before 8AM or 9AM on weekends, and the gate is locked) through the tunnel, and then along the Promenade Plantée. Pay careful attention to the bike path signs, to avoid the pedestrian paths, as you wind among the flowers and plants.

At the end of the Promenade Plantée, follow the bikeway up a little hill, through the gate, as it turns right , downhill, as it turns left after two blocks, and passes under the Périphérique Highway.  Turn right (south), and continue following the bike path beside the Boulevard de la Guyane to the Bois de Vincennes.  Cross the road at the traffic light in front of Lake Daumesnil..

If it is before 8:00 AM the gates to the Promenade Plantée will be locked, and you will have to miss it. Or perhaps you will wish to take the fastest route out of Paris.  If so, simply continue southeast on Avenue de Daumesnil until the Lac (lake) Dausmenil in the Bois de Vincennes.

No matter how you come, now walk or ride your bike with Lake Daumesnil on the right, either on the path along the lake, bearing left to exit back to the road just before the lake’s "end" (where the shore curves sharply);  or for a faster, less scenic route, on the road which runs near the lake, until the first traffic light.  At this point there is a complex intersection with two lights (see the photo below).  Just to the south of the first light, where the path comes out from the lake just north of where the two roads meet, cross the road using the three pedestrian crossings.  Continue straight ahead on a dirt path for 300 m until the Route des Batteries, and turn left (towards the northeast).  This "road" curves gradually to the right.

The End of Lake Daumesnil (follow the bllue dots) — Click to enlarge.

Route — Bois de Vincinnes : Click to Enlarge

When the "Route Des Batteries" starts to curve left after 300 meters (0.2 mi), assuming that you wish to take the shortest and quickest route, and that your bike can handle a slightly rough gravel path (the only non-smooth segment of this trip), proceed as follows:  bear right onto the gravel path behind a barrier, called the Avenue Des Tribunes.  In 600 meters (0.3 - 0.4 mi), at a little triangle, bear right into the paved Route de Tourelles.

If you want to avoid the gravel path, stay on the Route des Batteries as it curves left. The second road merginging in from the right (in 500 m - 0.3 mi) is the Route de la Tourelles. Make a very sharp right turn (almost a u-turn) into this and follow it southwards. (This routing adds about 600 meters to your ride.)

The Route de la Tourelles leads to the southeast corner of the Bois de Vincennes. (After the road has curved left and is going mainly eastward, just before the barrier you will see a sign indicating a bicycle route to the Marne River.  If you wish to chorten your trip, follow all the signs.  You will cross the Avenue de Gravelle at a light, the follow along the far side of it, then descend on the Route des Barrières (closed to motor traffic).  You will come out of the Bois at a road, the D123 in front of a huge highway bridge.  Turn left, go under the bridge, then, when possible, turn right (sign: "Ëglise de Saint-Agnès Gardien").  You will arrive at a little square , the "Place de l'Écluse".There is an interesting little neighborhood near this square. To return to Paris along the Marne River, exit the little square on the bike path (sign) at the back right (north-west). The bike path lead along the Marne and the Seine almost to Notre Dame Cathedral in central Paris.)  To ride the "Meander of the Marne" from the square, see Route 3.

After the barrier, you may encounter a little light traffic.  With the hippodrome on your left, and just after the little lake on your right, bear right to exit the Bois.

Continue eastward on a wide road (Avenue de Gravelle – light traffic), pass over the freeway, and at the light turn left on a multi-lane road (N4 – light to moderate traffic), which curves right under a rail bridge, and leads in four blocks to a bridge over the Marne River. If you are skittish about the traffic, you may utilize the sidewalks, or avoid the underpass. Cross the Pont de Joinville bridge, and, when possible, turn right very sharply (180 degrees), backtracking to the riverside. 

The Marne River:

If you have an odometer, note your reading.  Turn right, head north under the bridge, on an almost traffic-free suburban lane along the Marne River.  Auto barriers every few kilometers eliminate through traffic.  The Marne soon turns east.  You can follow the lane – bike path – along the south side of the Marne for 13 to 16 kilometers (8 miles) - a very pretty ride indeed.

In the town of Gournay-sur-Marne (after the sinuous river has once again curved sharply back to the east — 13 km), note the bridge which crosses the Marne. If you are planning to cycle to destinations to the east of Paris, it is here that you should leave the route, heading south (see partial directions below).

Continue along the Marne for another 900 meters (0.5 mi) and take the pedestrian bridge over the Marne to an island formed by the Marne and a canal. Continue on this bank in the same direction as before, eventually passing a horse pasture, until the very end, about 2 kilometers. Walk your bike through the gate into the park of the Nautical Basin of Vaires.

Two alternative routes to arrive at the Nautical Basin deserve mention; both routes bypass the first pedestrian bridge:  You can bycontinue straight along the river for 1.3 kilometers on a smooth gravel lane.  Watch on your left for a temporary, pontoon foot bridge that crosses the Marne, just where the lane becomes very rough and unsuitable for a road bike. Walk your bike across the bridge, and into the park of the Nautical Basin of Vaires. The pontoon bridge was still there in early 2007.

The other alternative, a bumpy detour, takes you another 1.4 kilometers (0.9 mi) past the second pedestrian bridge to a beautiful, old, ex-chocolate factory, now a "protected site" (exterior architecture cannot be changed), and presently the Nestle headquarters in France.  To visit the factory, at the end of the paved lane mentioned in the previous paragraph, rather than crossing the temporary pontoon bridge, continue ahead on a rough dirt and stone road through the woods .  Walk your bike if it is not robust.  When this emerges at a road, turn left to a parking lot.  A wooden bridge, which may be closed by a low chain,  aparently to prevent vehicular traffic, crosses to an island.  You can cross the bridge on foot, with or without your bike, and follow the path to the viewpoint, then on to the scenic rapids. Go back the way you came, to the temporary pontoon bridge,  and cross to the park of the Nautical Basin of Vaires.

(Although you can exit from the rapids by continuing straight ahead on a road, I do not recommend doing so, unless you have a sturdy mountain bike and enjoy rough terrain:  The road eventually leads to a trail blocked with briars and fallen trees; then trail passes under a road bridge that crosses the Marne, which is gained by three right turns.  After crossing the bridge, the road leads past the far end of the nautical park. If you are riding the loop described below, you could bypass the park, continuing straight over the canal. To enjoy the nautical basin, which is well worth a visit, turn left twice before the canal, into the park.)

The Park of the Nautical Basin of Vaires is a huge, attractive, open park with a two kilometers-long lake – used bythe French national aviron (crew) teams to train.  Go along the North side of this lake (clockwise) on a bicycle path. If you are lucky you will see some racing shells. You may stop for lunch or a snack near the athletic club at the far end; the grass is soft, and there is a nice view of the water. Or you may eat at the club's snack bar (if you did not bring a sandwich), which is entered by going into the brown wooden building and climbing the stairs there.  The snack bar also has a wash room.

Return to Paris or Continuation:

For your return trip to Paris, you may (1) backtrack the way you came – about 30 kilometers; or (2) backtrack as far as the Pont de Joinville bridge over the Marne, and take the bicycle paths of the close Marne and the Seine back to central Paris — about 30 kilometers; or (3)continue, with a longer circuit that leads back to Paris via low traffic roads through towns, a village, the countryside, and the Ourcq canal – about 36 kilometers from the Athletic Club at Vaires to the Bastille, 38 km to Notre Dame .

(1) If backtracking the way you came, when you arrive at Joinville-le-Pont just before the big bridge, turn left, then 180 degrees right, to gain the bridge.  After crossing this, and after passing under the rail bridge, take the first right on Route de la Pyramide, which enters the Bois de Vincennes.  Take the second left at Route de la Ferme, which becomes Route de la Tourelle. Cross behind the barrier. Retrace your path through the Bois, under the Périphérique, and into Paris.

(2) For variety and a shortcut (in time), you can link to the close-in bicycle paths along the Marne and Seine detailed in Itinerary 3 that leads back to central Paris.  To do so, after crossing the Marne by the Pont de Joinville, leave the N4 road by angling right when this starts to descends to pass under a bridge.  Immediately turn left on the Rue de Paris.  After 300 meters, at the traffic light, turn right.  Descend the steep hill.and cross over the Avenue St. Maurice du Valais. You will see the underground canal that bypasses the 13 kilometer long Marne Meander emerging from its tunnel in front of you. Immediately turn right onto the Rue du Maréchal Leclerc, and continue through the traffic circle. Turn left at the second permitted turn, one block before the huge highway overpass, and ride one block to a little square. There is an interesting little neighborhood near this square. From the right-rear (northwest) of this square the Marne bike path follows the Marne River (and the Seine) directly into central Paris. The bike path lanes lead almost to Notre Dame. (See Itinerary #3 “Meander of the Marne” for details of the itinerary in the oposite direction .)

Directions for the Marne to Ourcq Loop:

(3) If you have decided to take the loop ride via the Ourcq, continue east from the athletic club (away from Paris), exiting the grounds on a driveway that turns north.  Bear right (east) at the road, then left when it dead ends in one block.  Cross the canal.  Bear right immediately onto the Rue de Torcy (heading northeast at a 45 degree angle from the bridge – keep riding in the same direction), which, with two jogs (bear left, then right each time).  The road becomes the Chemin de Gué de Launay.  After crossing a  rail bridge (the main rail line from Paris to Strasbourg), you will reach, at a traffic circle, an important highway (RN34). 

At the traffic circle, turn right (bike lane), go only 150 meters (0.1 mi) along this major road, then turn left (cross the traffic lanes carefully) at the sign for Pomponnette onto a very calm road (rue de la Libération).  Bear left when possible, heading straight north (Chemin des Grès).  The street merges with Rue de Villevaudé, and curves left.  Turn right (north) at Route de Brou, cross the bridge over the superhighway, cross the next highway (Route de Lagny — note the green bike lanes), and continue through farmland (the road is now called rue Fréderic Lève) on a minor road, bearing left up a long hill (the only one on this circuit - the street is now called Grande Rue) into Villevaudé. The street curves right (north)

After the village, when the street hits a highway, turn left for one block to the traffic circle.  Cross D34, taking D105 to the northwest through fields, then trees, first slightly uphill, then steeply downhill (light-moderate traffic).

Cross under the superhighway; at the traffic circle continue straight (Route de Villevaudé, pass under a highway, then, when your road makes a right turn, bear left (sign:  “Parisis—Centre Cultural Jacques Prevert”).  At the light in 200 meters, turn right (north) onto Rue de la République, which becomes Avenue General De Gaulle (light traffic).  The continual downhill grade takes you north and northwest through the town of Villeparasis (very light traffic).  (At the traffic light in two blocks, stores sell groceries and fruit.)

  Continue straight.  At the traffic circle by the school, turn left and immediately right (keeping the school on your right) - sign: “Marché”.  After 1.2 km (0.7 mi), at the “do not enter” sign, turn left for one block, then turn right; ride through the market place for two blocks, until the canal. (On Sunday until 1 PM, a large outdoor market takes place, and you will have to walk your bike through the crowds.)  Turn left onto the Ourcq bicycle path just at the beginning of the bridge.

The Ourcq Canal Back to Paris:

.When riding the Ourcq bicycle path in the westerly direction, ride slowly down the steeper inclines. Along the south bank, always choose to ride to the left, up on the hill; the pedestrian path (tow path) goes straight ahead by the canal.

At the point where the path appears to make a complete U-turn to the left, you should turn moderately left into the forest. At the end of the forest entrance path, you turn right, parallel to the canal, and at the end of this you turn right again to regain the Canal.

You eventually cross to the right (north) side of the canal. The path veers right away from the canal, and follows beside a rail yard for a kilomèter, before swinging left back to waterside. You might wish to walk your bike over a few short sections with rough pavement. Close to Paris, you cross back to the left (south) bank, and just before Paris you turn left, right, right and left to pass around a cement plant. You pass under the highway and enter the Vilette Park.

In Paris, after passing the Géode ball, in the Villette Park, stay close to the water, keeping straight, along the canal.  Follow the bike path, beside the street (with one jog), until it ends, at complicated multi-street intersection with an elevated metro line.  Here you need to pick up the bike lane on the street on the west (right) side of the Canal Saint Martin that lies more or less in a direct line from where you were coming.  To do so you ou will have to walk your bike across three or four intersections.  The best bet to do is to ignore the markings and  to cross to the right, then to the left.  The Canal St. Martin bike lane, first on the right, then on the left, leads to the Bastille. Be very careful in this lane of obstructions and careless pedestrians.  Near the Bastille, on the Boulevard Richard Lenoir, an outdoor market takes place on Saturday, until 7:30 PM and on Sunday until 3 PM.  The street is clogged, so you will either need to walk your bicycle, or make a detour through back streets.

To bike out of Paris to the East [route from the study of maps] , from the Gourmay-sur-Marne bridge 13 km from Paris, cross the road (D104) and ride south away from the bridge, branching left after about 3 km.  (This road is called successively Avenue Paul Doumier, Avenue des Champs, Avenue des Princes, Avenue des Pyramides.) (You can cut the angle — see this city map on  Google.) Turn left  (east) on the minor east-west running road that becomes D217b, and follow it to Guermantes, the follow D10 accross the Autoroute, and then D88 to Villeneuve-St.-Dennis.  Now follow little roads that you will have traced out in the Grand Morin River valley to Coulommiers.

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