By Bike: The Orléans Canal Greenway

Fancy travelling with the wind in your hair? Centre-Val de Loire is the perfect playground. It is quite simply France’s leading region for cycle tourism, with 2 million cyclists exploring its roads and paths every year. Among the newest cycling routes is the Orléans Canal Greenway.

An 80 km Cycle Route Between Montargis and Orléans

Since 2025, the Orléans Canal Greenway has joined the region's existing network of more than 5,000 km of cycling routes.

The route stretches for 80 km, linking Montargis to Orléans, often following closely along the banks of the canal.

Looking for peace and quiet? This route stays away from the main tourist hotspots and passes through forests, lakes, farmland and charming villages.

A Journey to Enjoy in Several Stages

You can complete the route in one, two, three or even four stages, depending on your fitness level and how much time you want to spend discovering the attractions along the way.

Classified as easy, the following stages require less than three hours of cycling each:

• Montargis to Chailly-en-Gâtinais: 21 km
• Chailly-en-Gâtinais to Combreux: 29 km
• Combreux to Donnery: 17.5 km
• Donnery to Orléans: 17.5 km

More practical information is available on the Orléans Canal EuroVelo page.

If you enjoy circular routes or simply want to extend the adventure, set off on a 3 or 4-day journey covering approximately 240 km through the heart of the Loiret department.

Follow the Orléans Canal, then the Loing Canal and the Briare Canal, before joining the Loire à Vélo (EuroVelo 6) route.

A New Section of the Scandibérique

The Orléans Canal cycling route is now part of the Scandibérique, the longest cycling route in France.

It crosses the country from north to south for more than 1,700 km.

The Scandibérique is itself the French section of EuroVelo 3. Stretching over 5,300 km, it links Trondheim (Norway) to Santiago de Compostela (Spain), crossing seven countries along the way.

Ready to Get in the Saddle from the Orléans Canal ?