BV25-18 Rambouillet

Rambouillet is located just 50 km from the center of Paris and is a great destination full of history and beauty to explore by bike.

This route heads out of Paris like any typical Chevreuse ride — along the quais and toward Bièvres. Once you reach the Chevreuse Valley floor, you continue until Gif-sur-Yvette, where you turn south and climb back out of the valley. From there, you cut across open fields until you reach the forest surrounding Rambouillet.

There’s so much to explore in this area, but this route takes you fairly directly into town so you can see the château and return to Paris without it becoming an all-day affair. The route follows the main road through Rambouillet, which offers plenty of resupply options, and you can easily pop into the château grounds for a proper look. As with many rides, this gives you just a quick peek at Rambouillet — but it’s certainly worth a visit of its own, as the château and grounds are stunning and steeped in over 600 years of history.

After snapping a few pictures and soaking in the vibe along the canals in front of the château, you begin your return to Paris. The route takes you back via my favorite stretch of road, passing Vaux de Cernay, and then up my favorite climb — 17 Turns. From there, it’s a fairly direct shot back to the city. The return goes through the less crowded but slightly hillier option of Meudon, though you could always take the more direct route through Sèvres if preferred.

This route offers great roads, beautiful scenery, and a dose of history — all doable as a loop starting and ending in central Paris.

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