Embarking on a bike tour of Versailles, recommended by Rick Steves, was anticipated to be a highlight of our Paris family trip. We chose Fat Tire Bike Tours, a company endorsed by Steves, for a day trip from Paris. Unfortunately, our experience on June 17th turned out to be a significant disappointment, and it’s important to share why, especially for those considering Fat Tire for their Versailles visit.
Upon arriving at Versailles, it became immediately clear that our planned bike tour was impossible. Unbeknownst to Fat Tire, a major road race was taking place in Versailles that day. The race, advertised on the official website http://gosportrunning-chateaudeversailles.com/, involved 15,000 runners and numerous spectators, effectively closing all the designated bike paths throughout the Versailles grounds.
The sheer lack of preparedness from Fat Tire Tours was astonishing. For a company specializing in bike tours, especially in a well-known tourist destination like Versailles, failing to check for pre-scheduled public events is remarkably unprofessional. It is reasonable to expect a reputable tour operator to be aware of events that would directly impede their tours. Our guide, visibly overwhelmed and unprepared, seemed as surprised as we were.
Despite the closed paths, the tour proceeded, albeit in a severely compromised manner. We ended up biking across grassy areas, unable to access any of the intended routes or properly tour Versailles as advertised. Furthermore, Fat Tire’s tour structure, with a single guide responsible for up to 20 cyclists, proved inadequate. In such a large group, hearing the guide and gaining any insightful information was virtually impossible, even under normal circumstances, let alone amidst the chaos of a disrupted tour.
The cost of the tour was considerable, making the lack of professionalism and the significantly diminished experience particularly frustrating. To send a group of over 100 tourists into a situation where biking was essentially prohibited, especially when the conflicting event was publicly advertised and not an unforeseen circumstance, reflects poorly on Fat Tire Tours. We would have undoubtedly had a more enjoyable and informative day simply exploring Versailles on foot, independently. Based on this experience, we cannot recommend Fat Tire bike tours and would advise potential customers to consider alternatives.
