Cycling Tour in Champagne France

Introduction:

Time is precious when visiting Europe on a vacation and so fitting in a bicycling trip while visiting Paris can be challenging. But escaping the Paris crowds and getting out in the countryside on a bicycle is heaven! The Champagne region is only one hour outside of Paris by train and it is home to the world famous bubbly drink.

We did this ride in 2009 as a weekend escape from Paris with just one small backpack per person. From Paris we took the train from Gare de l’Est to Épernay,  a small town located one hour to the east). It is known as the “capitale du champagne” and the town also makes a great place to spend the night for exploring the Champagne region.

In this post:

  • History of the Champagne region
  • Information about the ride and logistics
  • Renting a bicycle in France (How-to)
  • Other cycling events in the region (How-to)
  • Day 1 – Montagne de Reims
  • Day 2  – Côte de Blancs
  • Day 3 –  Vallée de la Marne
  • Helpful Resources

History of the Region:

n Roman times Champange was known as Campania meaning Land of Plains and makes up two regions that have different terrior (or soil and land formations) that help create the flavor and taste in the grapes. Champagne crayuse has more chalky soil that was once an ancient sea bed. The other terroir is called Champagne humide and has damp soil with areas of forests and pastures.In Roman times Champange was known as Campania meaning Land of Plains and makes up two regions that have different terrior (or soil and land formations) that help create the flavor and taste in the grapes. Champagne crayuse has more chalky soil that was once an ancient sea bed. The other terroir is called Champagne humide and has damp soil with areas of forests and pastures.

monk Dom Pérignon invented champagne by adding yeast to wine that Champange This region was once home to Clovis I who in 496 was baptized in Reims and become known as the warrior king of the Franks. Reims became the place of coronation for kings to follow.

Another neighboring town, Troyes became the epicenter of trade during the Middle Ages and it was not until the 18th century when the monk Dom Pérignon invented champagne by adding yeast to wine that Champange regained prominence. Today according to the AOC (appellation d’origine controlée, the regulated wine naming system) only sparkling wines from the Marne and Aube regions can be called Champange. All other sparkling wines must use different names, such as crémant, blanquette, and mousseux.

Information about the ride and getting there:

  • Starting Location: Épernay, France
  • Route options: 1 to 3 days, all loops from the same location in Épernay, France
  • Best time of year to ride: May through October (May it gets warm with less rainy weather and in October is the harvest)
  • Closest Airport: Paris CDG, with Paris’ Gare de l’Est train station serving Épernay.
  • SNCF Train Station: Épernay, France (within the region – http://www.ter.sncf.com/champagne-ardenne/)
  • Bicycles + Trains: Book tickets through http://www.voyages-sncf.com/. Look for a bicycle symbol next to a scheduled train which means there is a bicycle car Sometimes you have to buy a special ticket for the bicycle and this can be done at the train station. This is particularly important for the high speed trains (TGV).  When boarding, and always look for the train cars with the bike symbol on the door.  This is the car that has hooks for hanging bikes. Don’t forget to validate your ticket by stamping it at the train station platform before boarding or the conductor will give you a ticket.

Guide to bringing a bike on the train in France, SNCF and bikes

Bicycle Rental in France

Where to rent a quality road, mountain or tandem bike in France?

If you need to rent a bicycle in any town in France, go to Google maps, put the town in the center of the map and type “location de vélo” (“bicycle rental” in French) into the search box, then check out the dots that appear. There are different types of bikes, of course, so make sure you get the kind of bicycle you are looking for. Here is a quick guide:

  • Road bike = Vélo de route or vélo de course;
  • Mountain bike = VTT, pronounced “vay-tay-tay” (vélo tout-terrain);
  • Hybrid bike = VTC, pronounced “vay-tay-say” (vélo tout chemin), vélo hybride, or vélo de trekking
  • City bike = Vélo de ville.

French translation of types of bicycles

Here are a few bike shops that popped up in my quick search:

  • Allo Vélo in Paris rents every kind of bicycle imaginable plus all the accessories including kid carriers; check out their website.

Here are some places to rent bicycles in Champagne:

Other Cycling Events in the Region:

One way to break down the communication barrier is to join a local organized event. Even though it may be all in French, there is bound to be someone that can speak English to help you navigate the course. Be aware, though, that for organized sporting events in France you must have a signed release form from your doctor saying that it is okay for you to participate in the sport. Make sure you take care of this before departing for France.  Click here for a template: CERTIFICAT MÉDICAL ANNUEL PRÉALABLE

French Federation that is specific to cycling in a non-competitive manner, or bike rides or toursThere is an official federation in France dedicated to bicycle rides (non-race bicycle events) called Fédération française de cyclotourisme (FFCT) – http://ffct.org. They have an event calendar (“calendrier”) on their web site, which shouldn’t require any French skill to follow.

The FFCT has a number of challenge events for which they issue a certificate (brevet) upon completion; hence the ride names often begin with “Brevet”.  Some are oriented towards beginners and some towards more advanced riders.  If you follow a specific formula of events and obtain the required certificates, you can eventually obtain the coveted Brevet Cyclotouriste des Cimes Françaises (Touring cyclist certificate of the French peaks).  Other names to look out for are Cyclotourisme, Randonnée (or simply Rando), and Balade.  If you enter these words with the region name in Google, something is bound to pop up. The events are usually cost anywhere from $3 to $20 (also you may have to buy a one day event license which is about $5). Many places accept day of registration and only have paper registration.

Here are a just couple of bicycle ride events in the Champagne Region:

  • Last weekend in June – there is the “Brevet Cyclotouriste de la Montagne de Reims” sponsored by the local association Cyclo Club Bremois. Distances include 50 km, 90km, 115km, 155km and a walking event as well. Departs from Reims. http://www.cycloclubremois.fr/
  • Last weekend in July – Circuit des Dolmens, hosted by the Cyclo-club Troyen Savinien, offers a road cycling and a mountain biking course (VTT). http://ccts.free.fr/
  • 3rd Weekend in October – Brevets d’Automne, by the Cyclo-club Reims Bezannes, including a 30 km and a 50 km course. http://www.cycloreimsbezannes.fr/

Rules of the Roads in France:

Veni Vidi Velo - How to Bicycle in FranceOn the roads in France one must yield to the right at all times. Many anglophone cycling tour guides do not know this which can lead to dangerous situations whether in a car or on a bicycle. This rule is especially important in small towns with blind corners and limited signage, where the rule is most frequently applied. Always yield to right even if you don’t have a stop or yield sign, unless you see a sign indicating that you have the priority. Many times the need to yield to the right is indicated by a seemingly innocuous yellow diamond road sign but the lack of such sign does not negate the rule.

Many times the need to yield to the right is indicated by a seemingly innocuous yellow diamond road sign

Here is what Wikipedia says:

Priority to the right is a right-of-way system, in which a driver of a vehicle is required to give way to vehicles approaching from the right at intersections. The system is stipulated in Article 18.4.a of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic for countries where traffic keeps to the right and applies to all intersections where it is not overridden by priority signs (uncontrolled intersections), including side roads and roundabouts (but not paths or earth-tracks). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priority_to_the_right

Mary Michael’s Original Blog Post:

A Cycling Weekend in Champagne, France

This is an original blog post written in May 2009 while living in France.

Veni Vidi Velo - Cycling Champagne FranceOk, so I got this book called Cycling France by Lonely Planet (printed in 2001 and now out of print, but the Paris libraries still have copies) and it has plans of multi-day rides in different regions in France. Mike and I decided to go to Champagne. It is only a one hour train ride from Paris with very affordable train tickets that cost less than 20 euro each way per person. We stayed in a small town called Épernay (south of Reims).

Lonely Planet Cycling France (Travel Guide) (affiliate link)

We stayed at Hôtel la Cloche (http://www.hotel-la-cloche.com), only a block away from the train station (la gare) and next door to the town’s cathedral. The hotel had two stars which means it is very small but do-able. We were able to convince the staff to let us keep the bikes in their back room where they serve breakfast. Normally they will not guard bikes, but they were nice enough to let us put our bikes in their restaurant during the night.

Day 1 – Friday, May 22nd – Montagne de Reims

We left our Paris apartment with our small day packs and our bikes and rode 4 miles through Paris to the Gare de Nord. Yes, it can be scary when taxi cab drivers try to run you off the road but you just take the middle of the bus lane and give them mean looks. We got on our train at 10am and one hour later we were in sunny Champagne.

We sat next to an older couple on the train that lived through World War II and they were telling us how appreciative they were that Americans came to help give France their freedom. The woman said she had never smoked a cigarette until she met an American soldier in Paris during the liberation in 1945 who taught her to smoke.  She quit smoking 40 year later. Along the way they pointed out World War I monuments out the window of the train. Of course as always many French people are impressed with Americans that can speak French.

Veni Vidi Velo - Cycling in Champagne France

When we finally got checked into the hotel and dropped off our bags and put on our cycling gear, we first stopped at a local grocery store to get some lunch for a re-fueling stop along the way.  Then we were ready to hit the road! The first day we did the ride called “Montagne de Reims,” a 58km (we estimated about 45 miles with all of our little detours) bike ride loop starting and ending in Épernay. After climbing a hill, we went through the Faux de Verzy (Forest of Verzy) where there are naturally occurring midget bonzai-looking beech trees. There are only 3 places in the world that have these rare genetically deformed trees.

After that we went to an old World War I German bunker / view point and then headed down a hill past a lighthouse. Yes, past a lighthouse (une phare). This inland lighthouse was built in 1909 to promote tourism in the region – now it is a cheesy tourist museum. We also went past a moulin à vent (windmill) which is now part of a famous champagne maker.

The lighthouse in Champagne France

We saw Reims off in the distance but decided not to venture off the course and save it for another time. We rode back to Épernay through vineyards and beautiful sunny weather. As we headed back to Épernay, we stopped at an ancient fountain/wash basin in a small village to wash off our muddy bikes from going through the forest. Many towns have a watering hole of some sort in the middle and it is great for washing off muddy bikes. The water from the fountains in these towns was not drinkable but bikes don’t know the difference.

We even did a little bit of off-roading on our road bikes because the road was closed down due to construction. At the end we found Jesus Points! (A game we invented in Austria because of the number of Jesus statues on crosses on the side of the road.  The first one to sprint past Jesus gets Jesus points, and the one with the most points at the end of the day wins. Michael always proves his sprinting power for Jesus and wins. I guess Jesus doesn’t hand out endurance points…)

Day 1 - Cycling in Champagne France, Dizy France,We even rode through a town named “Dizy”- yes, as in how you feel after drinking too much Champagne. So it made for a perfect photo. Dizy in Champagne…

Dizy France - Champagne France - Veni Vidi Velo

After the ride Mike noted pain in his right knee and we checked everything from cleat to bike position and could not determine the source of the problem.

We ate dinner outdoors at a pizza place next door from our hotel and watched the locals speed by on their obnoxiously loud dirt bikes and mopeds that seriously need a muffler. It has become a norm on hot days in France – you hear very loud scooters and they can be very irritating because the drivers love to drive like maniacs through the streets and on sidewalks and have no sense of anything. I call them Kamikaze Scooters.

Day 2 – Saturday, May 23, 2009 – “Côte de Blancs”

The Largest Champagne Bottle in France

On the second day we had our routine down – go to the store for our lunch for the day and do the second planned ride in the book. The start and end was in Épernay and it was 57.5km (another 40 mile day). As I was running into the store, Mike was waiting outside with the bikes. When I finally came out with food for the day, two old French ladies who were chatting to each other near Mike noticed our bikes and uniforms and the pile of food I had bought.  They noted to us about how clearly we were stocking up on fuel for the day, and then started asking us where we were from.  Rather than just telling them, we like to ask people to guess to see what they think.  The women, noticing our green “Emerald City” uniforms and our anglophone accents guessed Ireland.  Their next guesses were England, the Netherlands (Dutch people typically speak English quite well) and then Canada, at which point we said “close!” and told them we were from the United States.  One of the two women was a little slow or hard of hearing and still thought we were from Ireland.  So the first woman had to correct her and tell her that we were American.  When she finally hear that, she responded, “but… they are speaking French!” and again the first woman had to assure her that we were Americans that could speak French, astonishing the second woman.

Avenue de Champagne and past all the famous champagne houses

Avenue de Champagne is where all the famous champagne houses are located. Can you find the statue of the famous monk who started it all?

 

The second day was full of ups and downs on back country no-traffic roads on what I call the Route 66 of Champagne with large cheesy looking champagne bottles (great for a photo op). Cycling Paradise! We started the ride by rolling down Avenue de Champagne and past all the famous champagne houses. Then we went into the white grape (chardonnay) territory. About 11km into the ride we took a picture next to a large Champagne bottle so big it would take about 3 to 4 people to hug it.

Day 2 - Cycling in Champagne France, Bicycle Champagne

Villages in the Champange region love to compete in flower competitions and there is even a Conseil Nationale, a national council on town floral installations. It is a way to get some clout and encourage tourism. Towns labeled “village fleuri” with a sign and the number of flowers indicates their seriousness about making their town the most decorated with flowers. More flowers on the sign means the National Council voted that they rank higher than other towns.

Village Fleurri

Another highlight is seeing the Château de Montmort, a medieval castle in the commune of Montmort-Lucy. There are only group visits of 20 people or more allowed. More information, visit their website: http://www.montmort.com/index_fichiers/visites.htm

Day 3 – “Vallée de la Marne”

Large Champagne Bottle with a bicycle

A beautiful sunny hot day for a ride – I love it! We headed out through vineyards galore and really cute villages decked out in flowers. The ride started out with a nice 2 mile climb and we climbed and climbed, stopping at the top to check out the panoramic view.  Also stopped at the overlook was a large family group stopped for a lunch, touring on motorcycles.  They probably had 6 or more motorcycles, some with sidecars attached.  As we rode up their jaws all dropped with amazement that we could climb the hill. One of the French motorcyclists said to Mike in French, “You know, it would be easier if you rode the other direction (downhill)!”  Hey, when you have 27 gears and a lightweight bike anything is possible – a Ve’lib (a short term city bike rental system in Paris), on the other hand, would make for one heck of a monster climb! We passed through the village where Dom Pérignon was born. Dom Pérignon is the monk that invented champagne by adding yeast to wine. Amazing what monks will do to drink alcohol. We took a picture with his statue on the Avenue de Champagne (see above).

Bicycle in France with Veni Vidi VeloNext we went to see the giant statue of Pope Urban II. We had to do a bit of hill climbing to see this Pope statue that stands on a hill in the middle of the medieval hilltop town of Châtillon-sur-Marne.  It seems to be almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty. At the top where the statue is located is a reward for those that climb the hill – an awesome viewpoint with lots of trees and shade. Why is Pope Urban II so big here? Well first, Pope Urban II was born in the Champagne region, and second, he declared that the wine here was the best in the world (a little biased you might say). This was between 1042 and 1099 before the invention of champagne by Dom Pérignon (1638 – 1715). The statue was built in the 19th century – another cheesy means of attracting tourists, 1800’s-style.

Veni Vidi Velo - Champagne France

Stay tuned to see our adventures for the next weekend …

Veni Vidi Velo Champagne Region France - Bouzy, France

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