It was one of those scenes that plays out in slow motion as you watch it unfold, and yet it also goes so fast that you can’t seem to react in time.

A sweet little French family is on their way home from Sunday services in the city of Versailles when suddenly an American tourist on a bicycle is heading straight toward their youngest daughter and waving like an imbécile.

I was that imbécile, and it was my first time back on a bicycle in longer than I could remember. You may not forget how to ride a bike, but you can certainly get very rusty at it.

Luckily, no major injuries were incurred, as I managed to get some control before I totally flattened her. And the family was super nice to brush off the incident. My own daughter, who had been slightly in front of me in the group of cyclists heading toward the marché, pretended she didn’t know me and just kept going. 

That near-miss notwithstanding, this Versailles day trip remains my favorite day from our entire Paris vacation.

How We Booked the Versailles Bike Tour 

I booked the experience through Airbnb Experiences on the recommendation of a coworker who had done it previously with her daughter. It’s a full day’s excursion, and completely worth it.

The train ride from Paris to Versailles was quick and straightforward. The bicycle shop where we met up with our guides and a small group of fellow tourists was right next to the station. 

Pro tip: If you're on the shorter side, ask for a smaller bike frame so your feet can comfortably reach the ground. I did not do this. Learn from my mistakes.

Morning: The Carrés Notre-Dame Market

After getting everyone outfitted with bikes and baskets, our guide led us to the Carrés Notre-Dame, one of the oldest and largest outdoor markets in France — established by Louis XII in the 17th century and reportedly the second largest market in the country.
This is where we shopped for our picnic lunch. Cherries were in season and everywhere. We loaded up on:

  • Fresh cherries and strawberries
  • A wedge of local cheese
  • Roasted chicken
  • A proper baguette

Everything fit neatly into the bike baskets along with folded blankets — perfectly practical for what came next.

Midday: Marie Antoinette's Hamlet and a Grand Canal Picnic

From the market, we rode toward the Palace of Versailles grounds, where traffic thinned out, and I started to feel like a competent cyclist again.

Our first stop was Marie Antoinette's Hamlet — a miniature village and working farm that the queen had built so her children could experience life outside the Grand Palace. According to our guide, the "farm experience" was still something of a royal fantasy: workers reportedly gathered eggs, cleaned them, and placed them back in the nests for the royal children to "discover."

Next, we cycled to the Grand Canal, a cross-shaped waterway covering 59 acres. We spread out our blankets on the bank, unpacked lunch, and watched boats drift by in what was genuinely perfect weather. It was one of those moments that needed no filter.

Afternoon: The Palace of Versailles — No Waiting Required

After letting the meal settle, we pedaled up to the main event: the Palace of Versailles itself. With 2,300 rooms spread across 2,014 acres, the palace is enormous — and the lines to match.

One of the best parts of joining a guided group tour is skipping the queue entirely. We went straight to the highlights:

  • The Hall of Mirrors
  • The King's and Queen's bedchambers
  • The room where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, formally ending World War I

We also had time to wander the formal gardens and fountains before heading back to the train station.

Is a Versailles Bike Tour Worth It?

For us, absolutely. The combination of the market, the picnic, the guided history, and the palace access made for a day that was far more memorable than a solo visit would have been. The bike format keeps the day active and gives you a feel for the scale of the estate that you just can't get on foot.

Just maybe practice riding a bike before you go.

Total time: ~10 hours from Paris Booked via: Airbnb Experiences Best for: Families, mother-daughter trips, first-time visitors to Versailles

© Laura Pevehouse