Massy / Versailles

Onwards to Louis XIV’s dazzling château at Versailles, following the Bièvre Valley, enjoying an almost rural atmosphere. The wooded hills, streams and grazing cows in their meadows tend to make you forget you’re so close to Paris. A lack of tricky slopes, plus stretches along quiet little roads shared with motorized traffic or then along cycle paths, make this a pleasing stage accessible to all.

💡 On this stage, you need to choose between two alternative routes between Massy and Rambouillet. Wondering which one to opt for? See the paragraph on the matter under our frequently asked questions.

🚲 Stage description and details:

This stage starts at a round-about, the Rond-point du 19 mars 1962, at the southern end of the Promenade des Vallons de la Bièvre. If you continue straight on from here, you’ll take the Limours alternative route. To cycle to Versailles, follow signposting guiding you to branch to the right. 
This stage provides a mix of stretches along cycle paths, tracks with smooth surfacing and then roads. The last are all located in zones with low speed limits for motorized vehicles.

⭐ Don’t miss

• The Musée Français de la Photographie in Bièvres: immerse yourself in the history of photography via the displays of historic cameras and photographic images.  
• The Maison Littéraire de Victor Hugo, nestling in 10 hectares of grounds, recreating the atmosphere that the great 19th-century author enjoyed, displaying many objects and manuscripts of his. 
• Musée de la Toile de Jouy: learn about the history of the skilled craft of making hand-printed fabric, from the foundation of this celebrated factory by Oberkampf in the 18th century to the fabric’s use in novel ways in contemporary fashion.  
• The Château de Versailles, a massive masterpiece of the French arts, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the unmissable apartments designed for the French king and queen, the Hall of Mirrors, and the sumptuous gardens dreamt up by Le Nôtre.

🍴  Food and drink en route: 

• Bièvres: 
  • Many food and drinks shops a hop and a skip from the Veloscenic cycle route in the little towns of Igny and Bièvres. 
  • The Parc de le Martinière, public gardens providing an idyllic bucolic setting for a picnic stop. 
• Jouy-en-Josas:
  • Many food and drinks shops
  • La Ferme de Viltain: a farm offering dairy products, pick-your-own options and a daily outdoor market. To reach it, cross the commune (parish) of Vauboyen, cycling 3.5km along a road beyond our cycle route. Note that this involves a steep climb up to a plateau.
• Versailles: boasting many food and drinks shops. Among the town’s many markets is the one that takes place daily except Mondays within and outside the Halles Notre Dame, a covered food hall.

💡 Bring up Accueil Velo accredited restaurants by clicking on the 🍴 icon on the map. De-select "only show accueil velo accredited services" to view further possibilities.

🔧 Repair Service:

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

🚆 Train + Bike 

• Crossrail RER B line station of Massy-Verrières-le-Buisson
• Crossrail RER C line stations at Igny, Bièvres, Vauboyen, Jouy-en-Josas and Petit Jouy-les-Loges
• Crossrail RER C line station of Versailles Rive Gauche
• Crossrail RER C line station and regional Transilien line station of Versailles Chantiers
• Regional Transilien station of Versailles Rive Droite – on the line La Défense/St Lazare

💡 Also see our section on reaching the veloscenic cycle route, including conditions for taking a bicycle on board trains.