The full La Seine à Vélo bike route from Paris to Le Havre and Deauville on the English Channel via the River Seine.
Distance: More than 500km, give or take, depending on which branch you take to the coast.
Difficulty: Easy. It's not pan-flat but it's a river route so the going is relatively easy.
La Seine à Velo is the official bike route along the river Seine from Paris to the English Channel. It covers more than 500km.
It starts in front of Notre Dame Cathedral and follows the Canal Saint-Martin. This first section in fact shares the Avenue Verte route out of Paris as it heads to Dieppe and London.
The Seine à Velo has two endpoints – one at Le Havre (handy for ferries to Portsmouth) and another at the seaside resort of Deauville. Both options link into La Velomaritime, the French portion of the Euro Velo 4 Central European route. La Havre option takes you along the north bank of the river from Jumièges, in the Seine-Maritime department of Normandy, while the Deauville option journeys on the south side.
The Seine route is a peaceful, rural route ideal for all abilities.
Highlights on the Seine à Velo include Monet's home at Giverny (arrive early if you want to visit or stay nearby for an early start as it can be nightmare with bus loads of tourists) and Rouen - home to one of the most magnificent cathedrals in France and the city in which Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. It's worthy of a decent stopover if you have time for a few days of wandering.
Download the full route in GPX format
You can also see this page from Richard Peace, who created a slight variation – a DIY route prior to the official route actually being developed.
