From Paris to Meaux: to think of it, the distance seems immense, and yet. All in all, it's a good 50 kilometers between the French capital and the Pays Briard in the Seine-et-Marne département. So, if you want to pick up your Brie de Meaux straight from the farm, or just go for a nice sporty ride, get your two-wheeled scooter, helmet and sun cream ready and head for Meaux!
It all starts at the Bassin de la Villette : this is where the cycle path is most direct. If you don't live very close to this district, it's up to you to reach it to start this bike tour. Then the kilometers begin to roll: first you pass Pantin and the Magasins Généraux, then Bobigny, skirting the Parc Départemental de la Bergère, the bucolic Parc de la Poudrerie in Sevran, the town of Claye-Souilly (and its lock), before arriving in the town of Meaux, recognizable by its pretty Saint-Etienne cathedral (and its bell tower).
Our opinion of the course:
After having covered the distance with the strength of my legs, it is necessary to inform you that the course is not completely linear. In fact, at the start, the GPS indicated a 3-hour ride: in the end, I'd say it took 4 hours, as I wanted to follow the canal as far as possible from the towpath.
In fact, at Gressy, you have to cross a departmental road and use a towpath, even though cycling is forbidden on the path (despite the fact that many cyclists use it). And this will be the case for the rest of the journey: there's still a good twenty kilometers to go, and there's no further signposting to Meaux, but you have to continue along the towpath, still along the Canal. In fact, the path sometimes alternates between slightly stony and less smooth stretches: this is also something to bear in mind before you set off!
Arriving at theTrilbardou power station, I decided to continue pedaling on the secondary road indicated by my GPS, before changing my mind in view of the beautiful hill that awaited me... And the small chainring my bike is equipped with. I end up leaving the towpath a little later, at the Vignely lock, because the time on my GPS keeps increasing, and I'm afraid it'll take me 5 hours to cover the distance (the canal isn't a straight line, unlike the départementales).
From this point on, I've got about 7 kilometers of road to cover, bearing in mind that the roads I've taken aren't dangerous or difficult to take, even with a city bike (which was my case), I'd advise you to proceed in this way if you don't have too much time to waste. You'll arrive in Meaux a few kilometers further along the cycle path. As with any cycling itinerary, even if you take part of the véloroute 52, once you leave it, you're more or less on your own with your GPS, so don't hesitate to shorten the route by opting for a roadside section.
In terms of difficulty, I found the route very accessible, especially if you're only doing the outward journey from Paris! The scenery is magnificent and the cycle path very pleasant to use, so I'd recommend it for a day of good weather!
Meaux has many points of interest, including the Grande Guerre museum, the Palais Épiscopal, the Bossuet garden... Discover them all on this micro-adventure. Then, if you've still got some strength left, you can always pedal back - which will make for a great day at over 100 kilometers - or opt for a return trip from Meaux station on the Transilien line P (arriving at Gare de l'Est). Enjoy the ride!
Dates and Opening Time
From June 7, 2024 to December 31, 2027
Location
Meaux
2 Place de l'Hôtel de Ville
77100 Meaux
Prices
Free
