Timetables can be found on the transilien website.
Bikes can be loaded in the train (SNCF), in the RER (express regional railway) but not in the Metro (parisian subway).
Biking times include biking with the crashpad on the back.
Train from Gare-de-Lyon, dir. Montereau or Montargis
- From Paris-Gare-de-Lyon, it takes 42 minutes with the train (SNCF )to go to the Bois-le-Roi, 47 minutes to go to Fontainebleau-Avon.
There is approximately one train every hour for Bois-le-Roi, and one train every 30 minutes to Fontainebleau-Avon. - There is a stop called Fontainebleau-Forêt, only on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. Trains stopping there leave Garde-de-Lyon on 8:05, 9:05 and 11:05 (timetables valid until the 11th of December 2010).
- Fares are around 7€ one way maximum price. Many reductions. Can even be free for kids. They can be checked here as well.
Boulders accessible from the station of Bois-le-Roi 42 minutes from Paris, the most common stop
Market on Sundays morning.
Rocher Canon
Rocher Canon is accessible in 10 minutes by bike, or by walking 30 minutes. Biking there is perfect for kids : on paths and in forests, only two roads to cross.
Rocher Saint Germain
20 minutes by bike, on the road.
Cuvier
30 minutes by bike, going by Rocher Canon. Steep hill, kids usually have to push the bike. Walking there from the train station requires 60 to 90 minutes.
Cassepot
20-25 minutes by bike. But uneasy biking there.
From the station of Fontainebleau-Avon 47 minutes from Paris
Ussy; Roche d'Hercule
Less than 10 minutes from the train station of Fontainebleau-Avon. Ride 100m on bvd Général Leclerc, first right on Route de la Bonne Dame.
Easy with kids, small routes.
Mont Aigu
15 minutes by bike. Ride on bvd Général Leclerc, then bvd Maréchal Joffre, then Carrefour de la Liberté, then road D409 for 200m.
Easy for kids, though a bit more traffic. In the city, the main avenues can be avoided by going by the cimetery and the Liberation Monument.
Apremont
- Fastest approach : from the station ride on bvd Général Leclerc, then Carrefour de la Libération, then direction Arbonne. After 500m, take a right turn, on a small asphalt road to the Château (cars forbidden here). Small hill (uneasy for kids). Cross a passing road. Take the Route de la Gorge aux Néfliers (one small hill, one long descent).
- 30 minutes by bike to Gorges d'Apremont, and Apremont Bizons ; 45 minutes to Envers d'Apremont. Up to 1 hour with kids.
- Way back on the same way. Or with a mountain bike, it is possible (longer but nicer), from Apremont-Buvette, to go to the Cuvier parking by the Route des Artistes, go by Cuvier-Rempart and Cuvier-Merveille to ride up the Platière (elevated and flat sandstone land), bike down toward Rocher Canon and back to the train station of Bois-le-Roi...
Franchard
- 45 minutes with a mountain bike for Franchard-Isatis, Franchard-Sablons, Franchard-Plaines, Franchard-Cuisinière. Dangerous with kids, especially in the afternoon when cars often drive too fast.
From the train station, take bvd Général Leclerc, then Carrefour de la Libération, the route D409. Cross the Route Ronde, then drive to the Parking of Franchard-Cuisinière. - 30 minutes (from road D409, take the curving road for 300m) for satellite bouldering areas near Franchard-Ermitage : Raymond, Oiseaux de Proie, Le Paradis, Gorges du Houx, Merisiers...
NB: from Franchard-Ermitage and with a moutain bike, it is possible to reach Franchard-Cuisinière. - A mountain bike circuit from Mont-Aigu allows the most courageous to ride to these areas.
Trois-Pignons, southern part
From 50 to 90 minutes by bike (with or without bivy material). Doable with a road bike. Better to get there for a full weekend.
Fontainebleau-Avon > downtown > obelisk > road N152 (2km approx.). At the top of the hill follow the right curve for 200m, then make a left turn on the forest road (asphalted) called Route de la Plaine de la Haute Borne. A few kilometers later, at the parking where it crosses the highway A6
- either turn left on the road to Achères and then by a nice downhill for JA martin , Rocher- Guichot orPotala.
- or through the forest directly to the bouldering areas (map and mountain bike are mandatory, very fine sand path) of Rocher Fin on the Chemin de la Salamandre, or to the other sites on the Chemin de la Mée (no time gain, just the pleasure to bike in the forest).
Trois-Pignons, northern part
Approximately 45 minutes with a road bike, 1 hour with a mountain bike.
- Fontainebleau > Carrefour de la Libération > dir. Arbonne, then Noisy. Take a right through the forest on Route des Grandes Vallées to reach La Gorge aux Châts.
- Going further to the cross called Croix-Saint-Jérôme, access to the boulders of the 95.2.
- From the cross :
- Route de la Ségognole for the area called Ségognole
- Chemin Jean-des-Vignes for other areas : Potet, Souris, Jean-des-Vignes, but also the famous Cul de Chien, 91.1, Roche aux Sabots.
Trois-Pignons, eastern part
Fontainebleau > Carrefour de la Libération > dir. Arbonne, then Achères. Only on roads... From 35 to 60 minutes, whether you ride a road or a mountain bike.
Access to :
- Canche aux Merciers
- Bois-Rond
- and many other bouldering areas.
From the station of Bourron-Marlotte or Montigny-sur-Loing
15 minutes to reach the Maison Forestière (Forest House) de Bourron-Marlotte. OK with kids.
Access to :
- Restant du Long Rocher
From the station of Nemours 1 hour of train from Paris
- 10 minutes for the boulders inside the city of Nemours, like Petit-Bois.
- Larchant Forest is the best area accessible from Nemours. 8 km on a road, possible with kids, but caution!
- Eléphant, 30 minutes.
- Dame Jeanne + Maunoury, 35 minutes.
Regional railways RER D, direction Montargis
From the station of Malesherbes 80 minutes of RER from Gare-de-Lyon as well.
Better for long summer days or weekends. Bivys, swimming pool, tennis...
10 to 15 minutes of downhill to reach Buthiers-Canard or Buthiers-Piscine.
From the station of Mennecy
For bouldering areas like Beauvais, Guinguette, Télégraphe...
From the station of La-Ferté-Alais
Boulders of Videlles.
Regional railways RER C
From the station of Chamarande
Chamarande is worth a bouldering trip.
5 minutes by bike, 20 minutes walking.
Regional railways RER B
From the Station of Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse 45 minutes from downtown Paris
On weekends, one train every 15 minutes.
Access to Dampierre-Maincourt in 30 minutes. Chemin de Coubertin > Route de Rambouillet > village of Chevreuse.