Cycle tour: The Voie Bleue along the Saône, in two or three days

Route specs

• 95% cycle paths
• Linear route starting at Place des Terreaux in Lyon city centre
• Distance: 134 kilometres
• Altitude difference: less than 200 metres' ascending elevation 
• Level: Easy, but if you’re cycling with children, make sure they are able to manage the distance.
• Estimated time to complete the route: 2 or 3 days depending on the daily distance covered.
• Departure and arrival: Place des Terreaux, Lyon - Chalon-sur-Saône
• Suitable route for “special” bicycles: long-tail and cargo bikes, tandems, bike trailers for children or pets
• If you prefer to avoid leaving Lyon by bicycle, you can take the TER train to Couzon-au-Mont d’Or and start your journey from there (frequent TER train departures from Vaise station).

Komoot route map

Points of interest and locations along the route 

• Follow part of La Voie Bleue, a 700-kilometre cycle path along the water’s edge, running from Lyon all the way to Luxembourg.
• Visit of Trévoux, a former feudal city,
• Visit of Mâcon, capital of southern Burgundy,
• Visit of Tournus, famed for the produces of its terroir,
• Visit of Chalon-sur-Saône, from the cathedral Saint-Vincent to the banks of the Saône.

Route description

Leaving from Lyon city centre, enjoy a two-day getaway along the Saône as you follow the marked-out path of La Voie Bleue, which runs for 700 km all the way to Luxembourg. . 

First, cycle past the colourful façades lining the banks of the Saône, and then Île Barbe, before gradually leaving the city and its roads behind you. You will soon find yourself on the wooded banks of the Saône, on a green path dedicated to cycling and non-motorised transport modes. 

As you make your way up the Saône towards Chalon-sur-Saône, you will pass through or near a string of characterful little towns: the medieval city of Trévoux; Saint-Didier-sur-Chalaronne and its Water Garden; Cormoranche-sur-Saône and its leisure park; the ancient fortified town of Pont-de-Veyle, known as the “Little Venice of Bresse”; the old town of Tournus and its Saint-Philibert abbey, a masterpiece of First Romanesque architecture; and finally the pleasant pedestrianised centre of Chalon, with its beautiful medieval homes and its Saint-Vincent cathedral. 

You can make your way back by TER train, or by bicycle if you wish of course! 

Recommended accommodation

• Camping du Val de Saône, , Thoissey, with tent pitches and roofed accommodation, including wooden huts and trailers.  
• Camping Aux Rives du Soleil, Pont-de-Vaux. Option of renting pre-erected tents, such as the Coco Sweet for 4 people.