Whether you’re visiting the City of Light for the first time or the fifteenth, two things are always true. The first: Paris is always a good idea. The second: Seeing Paris by bike is an even better idea. That’s how the saying goes, right?
Over the last three years, we’ve visited Paris three times. And now, we’re wondering why it took us so long to figure out that second truth. *A Paris Day Bike Tour with Fat Tire Tours Paris is now one of our favorite things to do, while in the French capital!
*This post contains affiliate links.
Paris Day Bike Tour
For our first day, the Paris Day Bike Tour with Fat Tire Tours was the perfect way to reacquaint ourselves with the city and all its sights. The tour lasted about three and a half hours, and it allowed us to see Paris in a new way. On two wheels!
Biking through Paris makes you feel more like a Parisian. Not just a tourist, walking from one tourist site to the next.
Instead, you flow with the traffic, ride down streets that only the locals frequent, and pass by iconic, beautiful monuments that both tourists and Parisians know and love so dearly.
This was our favorite aspect of the tour.
With a group of about 15 other travelers, and our Australian guide named Tom, we mounted our bikes and took to the streets of Paris.
Through the morning and early afternoon, we rode through Paris, stopping occasionally at important monuments and on beautiful streets, so that Tom could tell us interesting stories about what happened in those very places, hundreds of years ago.
As you already know, Paris is a treasure trove of interesting and pivotal history, and if you don’t take a guided city tour like this one, you’ll miss out on what’s really important.
Along the way, the “highlights” we stopped at were the Alexander III Bridge (our favorite bridge in Paris!), the Tuileries Gardens, the Louvre, Les Invalides, Napoléon’s Tomb, and Place de la Concorde.
At each stop, Tom regaled us with his Australian accent, charm, and (most importantly) new, interesting stories that we’d never heard before.
For us, though, the best part of the tour was the lovely café in the Tuileries Gardens, where we stopped for lunch and drinks. Relaxing in a classically beautiful and well-kempt park, wining and dining, is the quintessential Parisian experience. Between the views, the lovely company, the perfect weather, and our plates of quiche, we couldn’t have been happier.
After lunch, we had one final stop to make. And of course, Fat Tire Tours Paris saved the best for last.
Can you guess it?
Yes, of course. La Tour Eiffel. The Eiffel Tower. The Iron Lady.
And I’m sure you can guess what happened next.
Everyone took millions of photos beneath the Eiffel Tower.
Yet once the excitement calmed down, we realized that we were so exhausted from riding bikes in the crazy heat, and were ready to return our bikes to the Fat Tire Tours office. And then take showers and long naps.
We loved our Paris Day Bike Tour. And I think that I can say the same for the rest of the guests, as well.
There was never a time when we weren’t smiling. Between seeing the city’s beautiful sites, our guide cracking lots of jokes, and the notion that we were working off all the croissants and cheese we’d been eating, we were all elated.
Next time you visit Paris, we highly recommend you book at least one tour with Fat Tire Tours Paris.
About Fat Tire Tours Paris
From their city and countryside bike tours, and skip-the-line tours to major monuments like Versailles and La Tour Eiffel, to French cooking and baking classes, Fat Tire Tours Paris offers a tour for everyone.
Whether you’re into food and wine, history, keeping fit, or just having a flat-out great time, Fat Tire Tours Paris has something for you.
But our love for this company goes much deeper than just their great tours!
Fat Tire Tours Paris keeps everything well organized, safe, and professional from beginning to end. But their staff also understands that we’re all in Paris to have the time of our lives. They understand, because that’s why they’re there, too.
No matter what, these tours are all about having an unforgettable time, and learning something new while you’re at it.
Plus, we’re not the only ones who’ve fallen for Fat Tire Tours. Just check out their reviews on TripAdvisor and their own website. Everyone raves about this company. Obviously, there’s a reason for that. You don’t want to miss out, do you?
BOOK YOUR PARIS BIKE TOUR HERE!
What to Pack for France
Remember that the season of your visit to France will help determine what you need to pack!
Of course, summer is warmer, and you can dress as you would in this part of Europe. But as expected the winter is very cold. Always bring a beautiful coat in winter!
Here are a few top tips of what to wear in France:
- Wool coat: During the colder months a beautiful wool coat is essential for style and practicality. You will fit in with the locals with this one.
- Comfortable boots: As expected, you’ll walk a lot, so opt for a comfortable but stylish boot that you’ve worn in. You can’t go wrong with a smart Chelsea boot, like these.
- Floaty dress: In the summer opt for a long floaty dress so you stay cool, and bring a light scarf so you are always prepared to enter religious sites and cover your shoulders.
- Sunscreen: Nothing spoils your trip (and your photos!) more than sunburn. Remember to prepare with a good, natural sunscreen and stay protected.
- Reusable water bottle: Remember to keep hydrated during your adventures; it can’t all be wine and coffee all the time! Bring a reusable water bottle so you can keep topped up.
- Umbrella: There is always a risk of rain! Pack a travel sized umbrella so you don’t get caught short
- Travel insurance: As with any trip, you should ALWAYS purchase travel insurance in case anything goes wrong. I’ve had my fair share of travel mishaps!
Quick France Tips
- HOTEL: I use this website for scoring amazing deals on accommodation worldwide. Find great hotels in France here.
- HOSTELWORLD: If you’re traveling on a budget, this is the best website to score cheap hostel deals.
- VACATION RENTAL: I use this site for finding the perfect vacation rental for an unforgettable getaway.
- TRAVEL INSURANCE: Never go on a trip without travel insurance! If you are a remote worker and/or traveling regularly, SafetyWing has an awesome monthly subscription for digital nomad insurance (I currently use SafetyWing).
- GUIDED TOURS & EXCURSIONS: Many of the tours I recommend are hosted with Viator, which also works with local tour operators. Search them all here.
- CHEAP FLIGHTS: Get great deals on flights using my favorite flight fare aggregator.
- TRAVEL GEAR: A collection of all of my must-have travel gear are all listed here. Most important to remember is comfortable shoes and a scarf to use when visiting religious sites.
- CAR RENTAL: If you need to rent a car book car rental in advance here for the best deals.
Have you ever embarked on a tour with Fat Tire Tours? Share your experience below. If not, does a Paris day bike tour sound like something you’d enjoy?
Maddy’s Avenue experienced a Paris Day Bike Tour as guests of Fat Tire Tours, but as always, all opinions are our own.
*This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase through the links on our website, we will receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We never recommend any products/services that we don’t absolutely love. These commissions help keep Maddy’s Avenue up and running, and we thank you for your support!
Ooo I love to bike! This would be a perfect way to see Paris! I would just have to master holding the handlebars to steer with one hand, while stuffing myself full with macarons with the other :p
Hehehehe we need to master that talent as well! ;)
This. looks. so. fun. I haven’t been to Paris yet. I’m saving it. But I really REALLLYYY want to do a bike tour there. It looks like you had a wonderful experience (and I definitely need to look into the wine tours as well…). As usual, your photos make me want to jump right in and feel the Parisian air.