Discovering Paris with Fat Tire Bike Tours

The Paris Fat Tire Bike Tour Peloton

I always say that Paris is a city best explored by foot. True. But there’s a lot to cover, so I’m suggesting more and more that people first take a bike tour of the City of Light.

If you’ve read my travel memoir, A Tour of the Heart:  A Seductive Cycling Trip Through France, you know that I’m into bike riding, so this recommendation should come as no surprise. Although my book features two Paris chapters, which highlight taking in the sites of the French capital, I’ve never pedaled around Paree myself. Mon dieu! I long to do it, however, in the meantime I charged a friend and occasional contributor, Peter Hans, from Discovery Maps and Guides, to check out a tour with Paris Fat Tire Bike Tours himself.

Les Vélos

Actually Pete went with his wife and two girls, ages nine and eleven, earlier this summer and had a blast. “The riding was fun,” Pete told me. “The narrative was fun. And, of course, Paris is beautiful, ” he continued as he provided me with details of the more-than-three-hour tour they took on town cruisers to many of the major sites in Paris. “Anya, the guide, was great with the kids and knowledgeable about the history of Paris,” Pete added. I admitted my trepidation about cycling around big cities, but Pete told me enough about this tour that I can’t wait to try it some day on my own.

Peter and His Family

“More than half of the riding was done on bike paths and through gardens,” he explained. “Anya encouraged us to travel as a big pack—we were about twenty people—and to be forceful with traffic while sporting a tough face. She made us laugh by showing us the recommended grimace. It worked amazingly well.”

Bike Tour Lunch Break: French Style

Alrighty then, Paris Fat Tire Bike Tours have just made it to the top of my list of must-dos in Paris. It’s now right up there with strolling through the Luxembourg Gardens and the Tuileries and along the banks of the Seine. And, of course, there’s the Bateaux Mouches—I think I’ll always be a fan of taking a boat ride on the Seine.

So much to see, so much to do—it’s no wonder Paris is the top tourist destination of the world!

Touring Paris on a Bike: A Great Way to See One of the Most Beautiful Cities in the World

A variety of tours, including walking and segway tours, are offered by this company in Paris, Barcelona, London and Washington DC. Some tours, such as the ones to Versailles and Monet’s Gardens, are even provided outside of these capital cities. Read Tour Mania Versus Zee Segway to learn about my take on the Paris segway tours.