BV25-37 Quatre Forêts à Rambouillet

If you’re looking for an 80 km ride that is not just another Chevreuse loop, this is a great route that blends the Fairytale Route with Les Mesnuls and the Rambouillet Forest. It features plenty of time in the woods, car-free roads, and peaceful paths. This isn’t a ride for max speed, since some of the roads and trails are a little rough at times. Nothing a road bike can’t handle, so don’t expect to set a land-speed record, but do expect to enjoy a beutiful day out on the bike.

The route follows the Fairytale Route for the first 38 km. Several smaller forests arrive quickly, as you make your way toward the main highlight: the Forêt de Rambouillet. After a few quiet stretches of woods, you’ll cut south toward Les Mesnuls. This section opens up into farmland with rolling hills and sweeping views before bringing you into the village. From there, you enter the vast Rambouillet Forest. One of the highlights along the way is the Étangs de Hollande, a large pond created in the 17th century to supply water to the fountains of Versailles. Today, it has a sandy beach and a floating inflatable water park that looks like the perfect spot to cool off on a hot summer day.

After the pond comes my favorite part of the ride: a 10 km bike path that winds through the forest and feels almost magical. The surface is in great condition, with just a few tree-root bumps, and the gentle curves keep it engaging with new scenery around every bend. The path eventually delivers you close to Rambouillet.

From there, the route takes you straight to the train station. But if you haven’t explored Rambouillet, or even if you have, it’s worth detouring into town. The château is well worth a visit, and there are plenty of spots to grab a snack for the train ride back.

Getting home is easy. The TER runs every hour and gets you to Gare Montparnasse in about 25 minutes. There’s also the more frequent N train, though it makes quite a few more stops. I often feel a point to point ride needs to be longer, but after doing this one I realized how nice it was to not have to deal with riding back through the city, especially since the TER is such a quick alternative.

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