Cycle route along the Canal entre Champagne & Bourgogne

Canals & intimate rivers

1 week or more

278 Km

I begin / Family

Vitry-le-François

Dijon

From the Champagne region’s lakes to the heart of Burgundy, the well-named Véloroute du Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne is a cycle route made for contemplative cyclists. Following the valleys of the Marne, Vingeanne and Saône, it leads you through beautiful countryside featuring forests, lakes and gentle-sided valleys. Starting from the town of Vitry-le-François, ride peacefully alongside the canal, away from motorized traffic, leaving the everyday bustle behind. Going through unspoilt parts, from one traditional village to the next, numerous further cycle trails have been laid out, presenting additional options, enabling riders to reach the lakes of Le Der, La Liez and La Vingeanne. Bathing is possible in these, making for particularly refreshing pauses on your route towards Burgundy and its capital, Dijon.

Elevation of the route

344 m 491 m

Waytypes of the cycle route

Cycle path: 225,80 km By road: 41,90 km Unknown: 10,15 km

Surface of the cycle route

Smooth: 214,65 km Rough: 16,78 km Unpaved: 4,00 km Unknown: 42,41 km

260km from the Marne to the Saône - from Vitry-le-François to Dijon

The Route

We present here the last stage of the Cycle Route which arrives in Burgundy and marks the confluence of the canal and the Saône.

Signposting and the state of the route

The Véloroute du Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne is fully open in both directions. It is signposted all the way along, with dedicated signage. The surface is rough and rustic south of the town of St-Dizier, between locks (écluses in French) No.50 and No.46, as well as on certain stretches between Percey-le-Grand and Pouilly-sur-Vingeanne.

Most of the cycle route follows the canal’s towpath, with just a few short stretches on roads shared with motorized vehicles, notably around the town of Langres.

Accueil Vélo services and accommodation on the Cycle route along the Canal entre Champagne & Bourgogne

Accueil Vélo accredited accommodation providers are to be found along the Canal entre Champagne et Bourgogne. However, note that, given that there are few villages set close to the canal, it can be complicated at certain times of year to find either accommodation or places to buy provisions. So, plan your stage stopovers well ahead of time, reserving accommodation in advance.

Trains and transporting your bike along the Canal entre Bourgogne & Champagne

From Paris, head either for the train station at Vitry-le-François or that at Langres, to then cycle directly southwards towards Burgundy.
TER Bourgogne (Burgundy regional train services), with SNCF train station at Is-sur-Tille, 25km west of Beaumont-sur-Vingeanne; or then make use of either the train station at Dijon or the station at Auxonne if you want to join the cycle route from the south.
Specific transport information is given in each stage description.