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Via Francigena - Section 2 Cycling
From Reims to Besancon - ""
Walking: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - Guided: 16 - Cycling: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8
The second section of the cycling Via Francigena is heading across the French countryside, between two historic French cities: Reims and Besancon. The Cathedral of Reims, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites has been for a long time the place where French Kings were crowned. Meandering through the Champagne Region, your route will be surrounded by vineyards and little valleys until Besancon. In there, the historic centre and the outstanding Citadelle are the highlights of the city and make Besancon city centre one of the most beautiful of any major towns in France. Don’t forget to taste the Champagne in Chalons-en-Champagne, the capital of the Champagne Region, on your way.
Your way on the Via Francigena is made easy by sign posting. Also, in our holiday pack is included detailed walking notes and maps making navigation even easier.
Following the footsteps of centuries of pilgrim, you will stay in 1,2,3 star hotel, and farmstay accommodation all en-suite. We transfer your luggage from hotel to hotel so you can travel comfortably with just a small backpack.
How to get there? Click here
Day by Day & Hotels
Hotels & country cottages have been carefully selected for their location, comfort, character, food, and friendliness of the staff. They are subject to availability and if the hotel described is not available, we will provide you with one of the same standard of comfort & price. Please click on hotel information below.
There are 8 days
Day 1: Reims
You will be booked in an en-suite hotel room in the centre of the town. Renowned all over ... .. read more >
Meals: N/A Luggage Transfer: Yes
You will be booked in an en-suite hotel room in the centre of the town. Renowned all over the world, Reims is home to some of the best known champagne labels, the “grandes marques”. Plus, Reims was one of the most important cities in French History. So you have to see the outstanding Gothic Cathedral (where a lot of Kings have been crowned), the Place Royale with its statue of Louis XV and the one of Joan of Arc and the Porte de Mars, the oldest monument in Reims.
Day 2: Reims to Chalons-en-Champagne
52km, +633 m / -638 m: Mainly following off-road parts, this section has a very flat start ... .. read more >
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Luggage Transfer: Yes
52km, +633 m / -638 m: Mainly following off-road parts, this section has a very flat start, but is a little bit harder after few kilometres, as you have to climb a steep hill between vineyards and woodland, toward the Montagne de Reims (Reims’Mountain). After the descent of it, the route will follow the towpath of the Canal Lateral a La Marne. Chalons, the capital of the Champagne region, is a nice town where you have to see at least the Notre-Dame-en-Vaux Church, part of the UNESCO World Heritage and the Saint Etienne’s cathedral.
Day 3: Chalons-en-Champagne to Brienne-le- ...
73km, +640 m / -596 m : Long part of your cycling day will follow the quiet ancient Roman ... .. read more >
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Luggage Transfer: Yes
73km, +640 m / -596 m : Long part of your cycling day will follow the quiet ancient Roman road, crossing open countries, passing through small typical villages, until you reach Brienne-le-Chateau on minor roads. In there, you will find all the facilities you may need, as well as a beautiful castle that you must see. That is in Brienne-le-Chateau that the young Napoleon studied at the military school.
Day 4: Brienne-le-Chateau to Chateauvillai ...
62km, +818 m / -706 m: For some kilometres until Bar-sur-Aube, you route will follow some ... .. read more >
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Luggage Transfer: Yes
62km, +818 m / -706 m: For some kilometres until Bar-sur-Aube, you route will follow some beautiful tight paths or minor roads along the river Aube, through several small lakesides and riversides villages. Sometimes, you could see pathways running parallel to some of the road sections, but they could be overgrown. After bar-sur-Aube, your route uses off-road paths, through vineyards and the beautiful forest of Clairvaux, where you will meet a very steep climb. The last kilometres are a really nice, using a lot of woodland paths. In Chateauvillain, you can see the remains of the ancient fortifications, and a park of 272 hectares.
Day 5: Chateauvillain to Langres
45km: Just like yesterday, the route you follow uses off-road paths, mainly into woodland. ... .. read more >
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Luggage Transfer: Yes
45km: Just like yesterday, the route you follow uses off-road paths, mainly into woodland. You will first cross the large forest of Chateauvillain, until you reach the small hamlet of Mormant and its old abbey. Then, after Humes, your route will follow the N19 road which can be busy, with a steep climb, until Langres. In there, you can see the beautiful Saint Mammes Cathedral, the statue of Diderot, a French philosopher, and taste the local cheese.
Day 6: Langres to Dampierre sur salon
56km: After Langres, you will quickly reach Chalindrey through nice quiet roads. Woodlands ... .. read more >
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Luggage Transfer: Yes
56km: After Langres, you will quickly reach Chalindrey through nice quiet roads. Woodlands, farmlands and small typical villages will form the background of your cycle. Then, you will follow tree-shaded quiet roads, through forest, that are easily followed and lead you to the nice fortified town of Champlitte, where you can visit the castle-museum. Finally arriving in Dampierre sur Salon.
Day 7: Dampierre sur Salon to Besancon
59km: You will enjoy shadowed and quiet paths the whole day. You will particularly cross t ... .. read more >
Meals: Breakfast Luggage Transfer: Yes
59km: You will enjoy shadowed and quiet paths the whole day. You will particularly cross the "Grands Bois de Gy" (the large forest of Gy), and its castle. It becomes more undulated after that, and you will alternately cross farmlands and woodlands until you reach Besancon, the final stage of your trip. In there, beside all the facilities you may need, you will enjoy the historic centre, one of the most beautiful of any major towns in France, as well as the Vauban’s citadel or the St Jean Cathedral, two highlights of the town.
Day 8: Besancon
This is the end of your holiday after breakfast. .. read more >
Meals: Breakfast Luggage Transfer: Yes
This is the end of your holiday after breakfast.
Prices & Booking
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There is no intermediaries when booking with us, so feel free to contact us for advice, customisation or if you wish to combine several sections together. If you just wish to make a quick payment, submit your credit card and reference on our booking page. |
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Classic |
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Note:
Options: We can upgrade your holiday in 4, 5* and Paradors. We can also offer extra nights and airport transfers. Ask us!
Families: We are now offering 40% off prices for children aged between 3-9 years old, and 20% off prices for children aged between 10-17 years old. Children under 3 come free.
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Price € PPS |
Single Room |
Extra Nights |
Solo departure |
Airport Transfer |
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High Season |
859 |
1043 |
Single: 95 |
416 |
ask us |
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Mid Season |
839 |
999 |
Single: 90 |
416 |
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Low Season |
779 |
916 |
Single: 90 |
416 |
PPS: Per person sharing
Currency Converter by OANDA |
General details
Difficulty: 1 2 3 4 5 What is this?
Distance: 312km
Duration: 7 nights
Activity: 
Cycling
Comfort: In Style
Meals: Half Board
Available:
Price: From €779
10 reasons to book with us
Smartphones & Tablets
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(1,2) Leisurely (3,4) Stimulating (5) A Challenge
Our holidays are graded by 3 categories of difficulty: Leisurely, Stimulating and A Challenge. This grading system will allow you to select the ideal holiday for yourself or your group. We aim to offer you the best experiences and unforgettable memories on a holiday where your desire for a challenge, comfort and safety are our priority. As the abilities of everybody are different, it’s important that you decide on a holiday which best suits your own needs and capabilities. You should take some time to look over our grading system so you can decide which holiday is best for you!
How do we grade?
When grading our holidays we take 3 main factors into consideration: Distance, Gradient and Trail Type (i.e. mountain track, forest road, surfaced road, etc.)
Our Easy walking and cycling holidays are best for families with young children. With older children, experience and fitness level should be considered when deciding on a holiday.
Leisurely(1,2)
• Time: Under 5 hours per day on average.
• Gradient: Gentle, no steep climbs
• Trail Type: Walking path, easily accessible
• Suitable for: Everybody. Some easy preparation walks should increase your enjoyment.
Stimulating(3,4)
• Time: 5 to 7 hours / less than 20km per day on average
• Gradient: Up to 1000m ascent per day on average, possibility of some steep climbing
• Trail Type: Walking paths, mountain trails, not technically difficult
• Suitable for: Moderate level of fitness required. Some weekend walks of around 3-4 hours should help your preparation.
A Challenge (5)
• Time: Days can be over 7 hours / 20km
• Gradient: Days can be more than 1000m, some steep climbing
• Trail Type: Walking paths, mountain trails, can be technically difficult
• Suitable for: Good level of fitness required. Previous experience would be best. Regular weekend walks of 4-5 hours or more are advisable in the months leading up to your holiday. These should include some mountain walks.
Please find below information on how to get to your destination and back. You can also look at our "Camino flight Finder" page, and our airport guide.
To Reims
The best way to travel to Reims is to fly to Paris airports. In Paris, you can land in 3 different airports: Orly and Charles de Gaulle are in Paris so they are served by the public transport. The third, Paris Beauvais, is 1h away from Paris, so you have to take a shuttle to Paris, on this website for example: http://www.aeroportbeauvais.com/bus.php?lang=eng.
A direct train between Paris and Reims takes less than 1hour and cost roughly 40€ pp. You can see this website http://www.raileurope.com/index.html for more details.
From Besancon
Besançon is located 400 km East of Paris, France, close to the Swiss border. There is no airport immediately nearby, but there is a TGV (high-speed train) station in the city center with direct and frequent TGVs from and to Paris. The central railway station of Besançon is “Besançon-Viotte”.
Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport, France: is 3 h 00 of TGV (high- speed train) from Besançon, either directly (a direct train is available from CDG to Besançon) or from Paris, station “Gare de Lyon” (every 2 hours). It is 4 h 00 hours away from Besançon by motorway.
Bâle-Mulhouse EuroAirport, France/Switzerland: is 1 h 30 away from Besançon by motorway, and 2h30 by shuttle + train. For more information, go to the airport’s website at: http://www.euroairport.com
Geneva International Airport, Switzerland : is 4 h 00 away by TGV (high-speed train) + local train. For more information, go to the airport’s website at: http://www.gva.ch
Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport, France, : is 3 h 00 away by train (from Lyon, station “Part-Dieu” + shuttle bus “Satobus” from the airport to Lyon-Part Dieu). For more information, go to the airport’s website at: http://www.lyon.aeroport.fr
Included:
Luggage transferred from hotel to hotel
Rooms en-suite
Half Board during the hike
Holiday Pack: inc. notes & map(s) & pilgrim passport, what to bring, language book
Not Included:
Flights
Insurance (recommended)
Drinks
Dinner first and last nights
Transfer from/to airport
Bike rental (extra)
