Cycling in the Fontainebleau Area, gentle routes to go green

The gentle links of the Fontainebleau area connect Fontainebleau, Bois-le-Roi, Barbizon, and Samois-sur-Seine for free via marked forest trails, to be explored on foot or by bike throughout 2026. We hopped on our bikes to test them, and here’s what we found.

Craving to explore the Fontainebleau forest by bike without a single car in sight? In Seine-et-Marne (77), less than an hour from Paris, the soft links of the Pays de Fontainebleau sketch out clearly marked, safe routes that connect towns and villages, shared by walkers and cyclists alike. We tested the route starting from Fontainebleau-Avon station, heading toward Bois-le-Roi and back, and here are our impressions, our favorites, and practical tips.

What are the gentle, easy routes that connect the Pays de Fontainebleau?

Four gentle links now connect Fontainebleau, Bois-le-Roi, Samois-sur-Seine and Barbizon. Recognizable by the green markers painted on the trees and by the small plaques indicating the remaining distance, these developed routes let you string together stages at your own pace, between heritage sites, banks of the Seine and characterful villages.

The first, known as the Green Way, links the Fontainebleau-Avon railway station to the Grand Parquet equestrian stadium over 7 kilometers (14 km round trip). It’s a smooth, gently undulating route that runs past elegant mansions typical of the imperial city before arriving at the Faisanderie ecotourism center, a starting point for many hikes, with wooden tables that are perfect for a picnic. The city outlines this amenity on the site of Fontainebleau.

From Fontainebleau to Bois-le-Roi, a stroll along the Seine

For our test, we picked up our rides at the friendly shop À la Petite Reine, a Bellifontaine institution that has been supporting cyclists since 1980. Bold but not reckless, we opted for electric bikes, which let us go farther and tackle the hills with little effort. Expect about 20 euros a day for a standard bike, a touch more for electric assist.

Next, follow the gentle Fontainebleau–Bois-le-Roi link, a 7.7-kilometer route that winds into the forest before reaching the banks of the Seine.

Along the way, a short detour lets you climb up to the Tour Denecourt, this stone belvedere from the 19th century built by Claude-François Denecourt, the pioneer of marked trails. From the top, the view sweeps over the Fontainebleau forest and the surrounding countryside as far as the eye can see, a panorama that more than justifies the effort of the ascent.

To reach Bois-le-Roi, keep in mind you’ll be mostly downhill. The ride there is easy, but the return can be tougher. That said, with electric bikes, it’s a breeze.

Good to know: Bois-le-Roi is about a 40-minute ride from Paris-Gare de Lyon on a single ticket, which also makes it easy to do the route in the opposite direction.

Towards Barbizon, tracing the painters' footsteps

From Bois-le-Roi, a scenic, easy-going link leads to Barbizon via Chailly-en-Bière, spanning 13 kilometers. The village is famed for its church, captured in the background of Jean-François Millet’s The Angelus, painted in a nearby field. The route, outlined by the Office de Tourisme du Pays de Fontainebleau on Cirkwi, winds through increasingly woodland scenery before arriving at the painters’ village, tucked on the forest’s edge.

Locally, the Departmental Museum of Barbizon Painters and the Jean-François Millet Workshop-Museum deepen the immersion, while the Painter’s Trail invites you to rediscover the landscapes that inspired 19th-century painters. It could turn a bike outing into a genuine cultural interlude.

Our take and tips before you head out

Admittedly, the markers can be a touch discreet. When in doubt, use the green-painted bars along the path to guide yourself, and download the maps in advance from the Fontainebleau Tourisme site. An app helps you stay on the right track, but the network doesn’t reach everywhere in the forest, and let’s be honest, one tree looks a lot like another.

Ultimately, we loved this green, serene way of linking the villages of the Pays de Fontainebleau, far from cars and closely connected to nature. These gentle connections suit both families and casual cyclists, with electric assist smoothing over the few hills along the route, depending on how much effort you want to put in. La majorité du parcours stays fairly flat, and the challenges arise more from the ground itself—sand and dirt. Hikers will also find plenty to enjoy, since the trails are shared with pedestrians and cyclists.

Want to extend your walking escape? We also recommend our favorite hiking routes in the Fontainebleau forest massif, as well as the Erosion Trail — an easy stroll to discover the Apremont gorges — located between Barbizon and Fontainebleau.

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.