Last updated: 25 June 2023
The City of Lights, the City of Love, no matter what you call it Paris can be pretty spectacular. A Paris bike tour has been on my to do list for quite a few years, so on our recent trip I jumped at the chance. We connected with Fat Tire Tours for the opportunity to see the city from two wheels.
Despite being very flat except most Montmartre, Paris is a big city. Sure you can use the Metro to get from point to point but you won’t see anything other than fellow commuters.
Don’t you want to leisurely cycle along a flat path and look up and see the Eiffel Tower? I had envisaged wearing a beret, having a baguette sticking out of a wicker basket and humming La Vie en Rose as I cycled along the embankment. That’s the stuff of fairy tales!
We arrived at the Fat Tire office in 15th arrondissement and met our guide Victor. Lucky for us, the meeting place, Dupleix Métro station, wasn’t too far from our hotel. I kept an eye out for the ‘Fat Tire Tours’ sign and when I saw it I knew we were definitely in the right place.
Gathered as a group we were each fitted with a bike suitable to our height and weight. We had a quick briefing about the Parisians road rules and the hand signals Victor would use throughout the tour. Gloves and helmets were available to borrow if you wanted to use them. I grabbed some gloves on the off chance it’d be cold, I was later so glad I did!
Different bike options are available depending on your circumstances. Our group consisted of two small children, who were able to easily join in the fun by riding tandem with a parent.
It’s been a while since I was on a bike so I took the opportunity to get familiarised with cycling again before hitting the major roads. As they say, it’s just like riding a bike, and the skills came flooding back to me. Each bike has a name. Mine was “You’re my bike blue” but I called her Bluey.
First stop was Champ des Mars, a large green space near the Eiffel Tower. As we all ooo’d and ahh’d about the view, Victor adjusted anyone’s bike that needed it. Some history about the area and a quick orientation and we were soon off again.
As we rode through the streets of Paris, Victor gave us historical and amusing facts we’d otherwise miss, all the while dark cloud gathered force and loomed overhead.
As we stood on Alexander III Bridge admiring Les Invalides, the clouds gathered momentum, Victor brought our rest stop forward. We left the bikes with one of the crew in the 17th-century formal garden of Tuileries Gardens, as we all dashed for cover, huddled under an eave to take refuge from the hail. Yes hail! The single rest stop on the tour allows time for coffee and food for anyone that needed it, and a loo (a free one at that). Once the Spring storm had passed eventually, we jumped back on and headed for the Louvre Museum.
This tour is a perfect orientation to the city. Suitable for anyone on their first to fiftieth visit, you’ll easily see a side to Paris you’ve not seen before. Unlike some tours, you don’t have to be a super athlete to participate in this tour. Bikes are well maintained and the pace is steady but not challenging. The route is mostly flat and often on a cycle route segregated from traffic.
If you’re interested in seeing some of the big sights in a different mode, I definitely recommend a Paris bike tour with Fat Tire Tours.
The Essentials | Paris Bike Tour with Fat Tire
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Pace/Fitness: Easy
- Tour options: Fat Tire Tours offer day, night tours in Paris as well as specialised tours such as Versailles or on Segway.
- To book or for more information: Fat Tire Paris
