A Comparison of the Top 5 Parisian Bike Tour Companies


 

With the weather in Paris warming up, taking a bike tour around the city is sounding better and better! While you can certainly chose to do a bike tour no matter what time of year, the spring and summer are definitely ideal.

Does doing a bike tour interest you, but you’re unsure of which one to chose? Don’t worry, I’ve definitely been there! There are a lot of bike tour companies to chose from, and I know it can seem intimidating to wade through countless online reviews to find the right one. Well, I’ve done the heavy lifting for you! Keep reading for my comparison of the top 5 Parisian bike tour companies!

1. Fat Tire Tours

Group of Fat Tire Tour goers

Group of Fat Tire Tour goers by JPC24M – Flickr

Fat Tire Tours is probably one of the most well known companies on my list. You’ve most likely seen them cruising along throughout Paris on their cute red bikes.

Owner David arrived in Paris in 1995, and noticed a lack of guided bike tours for the masses of English speaking tourists that flood Paris everyday. In 1999, he decided to open his own company, which in his words, “stands head and shoulders above the rest”.

There are plenty of different options to chose from with Fat Tire Tours. They offer a classic bike tour, which will take you past all of the most famous Parisian monuments, best picnic spots, and passes through the most popular and well known areas of Paris.

They also offer an “off the beaten path” option, which highlights where the true Parisians can be found hanging out. Last, but not least, they also offer tours in Versailles, through Monet’s gardens in Giverny, and through the stunning Loire Valley!

What sets them apart: This is the first bike tour company based in Paris that I’ve seen offer a bike tour of the Loire Valley. I’m a sucker for a beautiful château, so this really stuck out for me!

More information and booking:

Learn more on Viator.com

2. Blue Bike Tours

Paris by night on a bike

Paris by night on a bike by Nathalie – Flickr

The name Blue Bike tours is certainly fitting for this company, as when you tour with them you’ll be riding around on a bright blue bike! Founded by a pair of French brothers and an American, the company boasts the fact that is it family owned and operated. The owners actually still guide tours!

The tours are limited to a small number of participants, ensuring that you’ll have an intimate experience with your guide and fellow tour goers. As someone who has done a bike tour with upwards of 20 people, I’m definitely a believer in the fact that smaller groups are better!

Blue Bike tours offers 5 different options: a Highlights tour, a Secrets tour, an evening tour including a boat ride on the Bateaux Mouches, a Private Family tour experience, and a Versailles tour. Of course, all of the tours are done in English! 

What sets them apart: Blue Bike Tours offers a bike tour at night, and I’m dying to try it out! Paris is so gorgeous by night, and I think it would be something really special to experience on a bike. From the happy customer’s reviews I’ve read – it sounds like its true!

More information and booking:

Find your bike tour on Viator

3. Bike About Tours

Vineyards in the Champagne region of France

Vineyards in the Champagne region of France by Rob & Lisa Meehan – WikiCommons

Bike About Tours wants you to see the real Paris! That means they stick to the small, back streets of the city, and avoid the touristy areas. While you will definitely pass by major monuments such as the Notre Dame and the Louvre, Bike About is much more interested in showing you their secret Paris, the places that only true locals know about. That just happens to be our mission here at Discover Walks, so of course I’m a huge fan of this!

Bike About Tours offers a tour of Paris, Versailles, Private family and group tours, a tour of the Champagne region, and even tours in French for my French speakers out there!

The company also owns a bike/coffee shop near the Hôtel de Ville called Le Peloton Cafe, and it’s brimming with cuteness. So, if you’re interested in checking out bike rentals, grabbing a cup of coffee, or chatting with the Bike About Tour staff in person, I recommend checking it out!

What sets them apart: Bike About tours offers an exclusive bike tour of the Champagne region! You read that right – a bike tour where you can learn more about Champagne and where it comes from! I’m a bit of a champagne enthusiast myself, so I’m definitely going to be booking one for this summer!

More information and booking:

Find your bike tour on Viator

4. Paris Charms and Secrets

Electric bike

Electric bike by Michi2873 – WikiCommons

Paris Charms and Secrets comes in at #1 out of 184 for the best outdoor activities in Paris on Trip Advisor, so I was immediately intrigued to look more into their company!

Owner Olivier created the company in 2006 when he noticed that Paris was lacking an intimate and unique touring experience on bike in the city. He knew that bike companies already existed all around his lovely home, but he wanted to do something different: tours that were centered on anecdotes about Paris.

Paris Charms and Secrets also features something else a little special: all of their bikes are electric. This is so that everyone, no matter their age or athletic abilities could enjoy a tour! With what started out as 20 bikes, has now reached over 200.

What sets them apart: The fact that all of the bikes on their tours are electric, really sets this company apart for me. I have an aunt that came to visit a few years ago, and we were really limited in what we could do because she has pretty bad knees. If I had known about this company then, I would have for sure signed us up for a tour!

More information and booking:

Find your bike tour on Viator

5. Boutique Bike Tours

Versailles gardens

Versailles gardens by netcfrance – Flickr

Boutique Bike Tours specializes in cruising around one of the most well known monuments outside of Paris: Versailles! Their tour is a bit different from any Versailles tour I’ve come across, as you start the tour at an authentic French market in quaint town surrounding the castle, to pick up some goodies to eat on the Versailles grounds.

The first half of the tour is spent exploring the gardens by bike, and enjoying a picnic lunch made up of your market finds. The second half of the tour is spent inside the château.

Boutique Bike Tours offers a night bike and boat tour of Paris as well. As you can tell by now, I love seeing Paris by night!

What sets them apart: All of the guides at Boutique Bike Tours are licensed, meaning they can enter all monuments included in their tours with you. This is special, as in French it is a pretty long and difficult process to become a licensed tour guide! The laws here are very strict, and unlicensed guides will quickly be ushered out of monuments if they are found there giving tours. Yikes!

More information and booking:

Find your bike tour in Versailles

Conclusion

I hope you walk away from reading this article with all of the knowledge you’ll need to make a decision on which bike tour company to use when you’re in Paris!

Keep in mind that this article is only a comparison. All of the companies I’ve listed have their own individual upsides…you can’t go wrong with any of them.

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