Limours / St-Arnoult

Forests, valleys and extensive meadows provide the elements that create the typical landscapes of the Haute Vallée de Chevreuse. You cycle along a greenway using the former Aérotrain line before continuing along quiet little roads. Bullion, Bonnelles and Rochefort-en-Yvelines are worth a detour, both to admire the Parc Naturel Régional’s typical architecture and to pick up provisions.

 On this stage, you are following one of the two alternative routes between Massy and Rambouillet. Still undecided which to choose? See the dedicated paragraph in our Frequently Asked Questions.

 Stage description

From Limours to Bonnelles, the route follows the track of the former Aérotrain, transformed into a greenway. From Bonnelles, you then follow little roads shared with motorized traffic up to Saint Arnoult.

 Not to be missed:

• The Aérotrain, created by engineer Jean Bertin in 1964, was a precursor of the French high-speed TGV train, a hovertrain capable of reaching 300km/h, moving on a cushion of air above a concrete rail line in inverted T shape. The French State abandoned the experiment in 1974, but just a few portions of the line have survived, including the one from Limours to Gometz-la-Ville.
• Rochefort-en-Yvelines, a little medieval village nestling at the foot of a hill that's worth exploring for its château, church and pretty cobbled, well-flowered lanes.
• The Réserve Naturelle Régionale des Étangs de Bonnelles can be visited by following a discovery trail dotted with informative panels. A bird hide also enables you to admire some 90 bird species that use this site on their migration routes.
• The Maison Elsa Triolet et Aragon, putting on both exhibitions and shows evoking the spirit of this couple, both avant-garde literary figures and members of the Resistance, who once lived in this mill set in five hectares of grounds.

 On the map, activate the Accommodation Useful information Leasure Restauration to discover nearby services and points of interest.

 Food and drink en route

• Limours: markets on Thursday and Sunday mornings, Rue Maurice-Béné.
• Bonnelles: markets on Sunday mornings on the Parking des Écoles. Note that there's a sheltered service area for bikes nearby that's a perfect place to stop for a picnic. The Ferme des Clos sells its produce directly to the public.
• Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines: food and drinks shops and Sunday morning markets on Rue Henri Grivot.

 Bike repair

• La Recyclerie Sportive, Massy.
• Culture Vélo Rambouillet, Gazeran.

 Consult the list of all the bike repairers along or near the route.

 Nearby train stations

• Massy-Verrières-le-Buisson station (RER B)
• Massy-Palaiseau station (RER B / TGV)
• Palaiseau station (RER B)
• Palaiseau-Villebon station (RER B)
• Orsay-Ville station (RER B)
• Bures-sur-Yvette station (RER B)

 See our article on reaching the veloscenic cycle route for more information on options for travelling with a bicycle.