Riding from CDG to Versailles?

Triathlon Forum
1

I have to go to a conference in Versailles where I have VERY light duty (plenty of time to ride if I choose). Is it doable/fun to take the bike and ride from CDG to Versailles, ride for a few days there, then into Paris for a few days before heading back out to CDG for the return flight? I think I can ship all the biz stuff I’d need in advance and carry minimal stuff on the bike.

I don’t want to do this if it’s a major headache…

Thanks for any advice!

2

CDG and Versailles ain’t exactly neighbors. You might consider taking the train from the airport and riding once you reach the SW side of gay ole Paree.

Bonne chance

3

What type of a bike are you flying with/riding? From CDG you can stay well clear of all of Paris and loop outside the city to Versailles. As suggested in Khai’s thread today, ride your bike up to check in, fly to CDG, get off the airplane, turn your handlebars and put your pedals back on, pump up your bike and ride to Versailles. Should be 70-100K max. Just go to Michelin.com and go to the maps section and choose a route that is red, yellow or white Looks like plenty of options if you swing south towards Evry and Orly airport and then back North West to Versailles.

Dev

4

Depends how you define ‘neighbours’…they are actually a distance apart for a nice medium-longish ride. I have not ridden from CDG but riding around there is great.

5

Thanks for the info, guys… I’m actually considering buying a folding bike to do this gig (and others). Here’s the deal - I frequently have gaps in my biz schedule, but rarely big enough gaps to jack with all the “bike stuff” necessary to take my road bike - though Dev’s referral to the “walk the bike to the counter” thread is interesting. Was thinking I’d check a folding bike and hit the road quick at the destination. Won’t be fast, but that’s not my goal - really just want to be on a bike when I have the time…

6

I have to go to a conference in Versailles where I have VERY light duty (plenty of time to ride if I choose). Is it doable/fun to take the bike and ride from CDG to Versailles, ride for a few days there, then into Paris for a few days before heading back out to CDG for the return flight? I think I can ship all the biz stuff I’d need in advance and carry minimal stuff on the bike.

I don’t want to do this if it’s a major headache…

Thanks for any advice!
The hardest part is simply getting out of CDG itself. You’ll end up taking access roads that loop around the airport in the wrong direction – toward the east. Then you can either take unpleasant and boring surface streets, or you can head a tiny bit farther out of the way and head into Paris via the Canal de l’Ourcq. Work your way through Paris via the Canal St. Martin to Bastille, then Rue de Rivoli and maybe Porte de la Muette to the Bois de Boulogne, past the hippodrome at Longchamps, cross over the Seine and through the Parc de St. Cloud. Don’t try this late in the afternoon. If you try this on a Sunday don’t expect to find any food or water until you get to Paris.

Let me repeat: the most tedious part is getting out of CDG. The ride from (roughly) Mitry-Villeparisis along the canal into Paris is pleasant, the ride through Paris is gorgeous, the ride through the Parc St. Cloud (head toward Marne-la-Coquette) and to Versailles via the Ave de l’Imperatrice is great but getting out of the airport is a pain. Better to buy a ticket on the RER to Paris and ride from there.

7

hey there
actually direct option will be more interesting than training ride on this particular route, however, the tricky part will be to get out of CDG, but if you manage well the few traffic nodes then you’ll have a blast =

  • i’d say do not try to get on the bike straight out of CDG, but take the RER B to either parc des expositions (1st stop) or Aulnay (3rd stop). Once there, go south and you’ll hit the canal de l’ourcq.
  • ride along the canal de l’ourcq straight into the parc de la villette, on a dedicated bike path. It’s a great, unknown way to go to paris unharmed.
  • once in paris, i’d say stay on the northern side, why not bd de la chapelle, but you can also go closer to the center, there are a few bike lanes now with the velib. Pretty much any option in Paris is good.
  • i’d target the bois de boulogne and go across (N-E to S-W) or hit Boulogne-Billancourt.
  • exit after the hippodrome de longchamp, and either take N-10 in Sèvres (traffic is fine) to arrive directly in front of the chateau, or cross at the pont de Saint-Cloud and go up through the parc de Saint-Cloud (free for bikes), and you’re pretty much there. If you decide to go across pont de Saint-Cloud, it’s a little tricky but you can see the entrance on your left on the other bank. Just manage your way across traffic (it’s always jammed so you won’t have a problem) and stop right before entering on the highway, dismount, cross the highway exit lane (it is actually less dangerous than it sounds once you see it), jump the curb and you’re safe, it’s this road that climbs to a couple of gates (short paved section). Many different ways to go to Versailles from there.

depending on how much you look at the map and how easy you want to take it, you’re looking at more than 3 hours, even if it’s not much distance wise. It’s a great ride though.

8
  • i’d target the bois de boulogne and go across (N-E to S-W) or hit Boulogne-Billancourt.
  • exit after the hippodrome de longchamp, and either take N-10 in Sèvres (traffic is fine) to arrive directly in front of the chateau, or cross at the pont de Saint-Cloud and go up through the parc de Saint-Cloud (free for bikes), and you’re pretty much there. If you decide to go across pont de Saint-Cloud, it’s a little tricky but you can see the entrance on your left on the other bank. Just manage your way across traffic (it’s always jammed so you won’t have a problem) and stop right before entering on the highway, dismount, cross the highway exit lane (it is actually less dangerous than it sounds once you see it), jump the curb and you’re safe, it’s this road that climbs to a couple of gates (short paved section).
    Much better is to take the pedestrian bridge across the Seine behind Longchamps.
9

Wow… getting pretty excited about this now - sounds like a great adventure! Thanks for all the insight. I like the idea of getting out of CDG on the train to the first stop and then hopping on the bike. I’ll be riding on a Tues during the day and have all day to get to Versialles area. Haven’t decided yet what bike to try to do this on - still like the idea of a folder if it won’t get me killed… Out of Paris to CDG and home on a Sunday with plenty of time to get to my flight