Paris by Bicycle

Having visited Paris several times over the last decade or so, I have seen firsthand the great strides the city has made in becoming a world-class cycling city. While on a long planned vacation in France and inspired by the May 2025 Momentum Magazine article Four Great Cycling Routes for a Paris by Bicycle Trip this Spring, I set out on my own to explore Paris and surrounding areas by bicycle. On a borrowed bicycle, on loan from the ever-gracious friends with whom we are staying, the city was open for exploration. In an attempt at a bit of cycling humor, I invited my 17-year-old son to come along for the ride in the kid seat, of course. Acknowledging my attempt at humor, with feigned interest, he declined my offer and wished me a safe and enjoyable ride.

Although the Momentum Magazine article recommends cycling around Bois de Boulogne, former royal hunting grounds, now a public park with lakes, nature trails, and botanical gardens, on the western side of Paris, given my starting point southeast of Paris, I instead opted for Bois de Vincennes, the largest public park in Paris. This choice turned out to be a solid alternative destination, and I would highly recommend incorporating Bois de Vincennes into any Paris cycling outing.

Departing from the commune of Alfortville, a southeastern suburb of Paris where we are staying with longtime friends, I first ventured to Bois de Vincennes, a green space on 995 hectares (2,460 acres) with biking/hiking trails, lakes, a botanical garden and zoo. The ride to Bois de Vincennes took me through the communes of Alfortville, Maisons-Alfort, and across the Marne River into Saint-Maurice. The route comprised a range of active transportation infrastructure to include bike lanes and cycle tracks, shared use paths, crosswalks with pedestrian and bicycle signals, signage, and pavement markings.

Within Bois de Vincennes, cycling infrastructure includes a Vélib’ bike share station and miles of paved shared use paths and natural surface trails. Vélib’ is Paris’ docked bike share system with the name being a portmanteau of the French words vélo (bicycle) and liberté (freedom).

After pedaling around Bois de Vincennes for a while, I exited the park and rode through Saint-Maurice, largely on a two-way cycle track, to access a shared use path that parallels the Marne River near its confluence with the Seine River.

Continuing along on the Marne River, through the commune of Charenton-le-Pont, to its confluence with the Seine River, I arrived in Paris, stopping briefly at Chez Daniel, a small riverside cafe, to refuel with a beer and simple ham and cheese sandwich while enjoying views of the Seine and Paris skyline.

Refueled, I continued along the Seine River, occasionally exiting the path up to street level to check out the various landmarks and active transportation infrastructure. After riding along the north side of the Seine River, I crossed over to the south side, repeating the process.

As recommended in the Momemtum magazine article, I left the Seine, winding my way through the city, eventually  arriving at Canal Saint-Martin. The area is popular with locals and tourists with many restaurants and bars along the remaining open parts of the canal. While taking a quick break from the bike, I watched locals play Pétanque in the public space along the canal. Pétanque is a boules sport, similar to bocce, in which players or teams play their balls (boules) towards a target ball (cochonnet) with points scored by landing your boules closer to the cochonnet than your opponent’s boules.

Having rested and soaking up a bit of Parisian sporting culture along Canal St-Martin, I pedaled back towards the Seine to begin the journey back to Alfortville, making note of active transportation infrastructure along the way.

Reaching the Seine River, I retraced my route back to the Marne River and through Charenton-le-Pont, Saint-Maurice, Maisons-Alfort, and eventually to Alfortville. Along the way, I passed the Gymnases Tony Parker in Charenton-le-Pont, a gymnasium and community center, complete with a rain garden and several beehives. For those not familiar with the name, Tony Parker is a French basketball legend and 4-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs.

By the end of my ride, I had covered nearly 30 miles, mostly on dedicated, separated active transportation infrastructure. In doing so, I was able to witness and briefly participate in Parisian cycling culture. While comparisons across different cities, countries, and continents are often of limited utility, Paris’ cycling infrastructure is world-class by any standard and can serve as a model for other cities around the world. Vive la France!