An extended weekend deep into Franche-Comté: Vauban's UNESCO fortress towering over a near-total river loop, Comté and Morteau sausage country, and — if you've got the extra day — a 27-metre waterfall on the Swiss border.
Besançon is the old town Vauban built his masterpiece around — the Citadelle sits on a rock spur while the Doubs river wraps almost all the way around the peninsula below it, so the old town is a near-island. It's the least-visited of France's big UNESCO fortress towns, which means you actually get to walk the ramparts in peace. Add real Comté- and Morteau-sausage country twenty minutes in any direction, a flat riverside path built for the bike, and — if you stretch to a fourth day — the Saut du Doubs waterfall on the Franco-Swiss border, and it's worth the extra charging stop.
Meudon-la-Forêt → Besançon is about 412 km, roughly 4h15 of driving via the A6/A31/A36 corridor. That's beyond a single charge on a 97%-SOH Model Y Premium (realistic ~330–370 km), so plan one stop each way.
Leave Friday evening or early Saturday, charge at Fontaine-lès-Dijon, roll into Besançon by mid-morning or afternoon. Walk the old town loop along the Doubs first — the river wraps around three sides of the peninsula, so you can circle most of the historic core on foot or bike before the Citadelle even opens its gates. Afternoon at the Citadelle de Besançon itself: Vauban's fortress (UNESCO World Heritage since 2008) holds three museums on a single ticket — the Musée Comtois, the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation, and a small zoo/insectarium built into the ramparts.
Morning walking the full Citadelle ramparts and the Vauban fortifications viewpoint over the river loop — genuinely one of the best panoramas in eastern France. Bike or walk the flat riverside path that traces the Doubs loop around the old town; it connects straight onto the EuroVelo 6 route if you want to extend it. Evening: treat meal of the trip — a Franche-Comté classic (saucisse de Morteau with Comté, or a full comtoise fondue) at one of the old-town specialty restaurants.
With a third full day, two real options: the Loue valley around Ornans (Courbet's hometown, turquoise river reflections under half-timbered houses built right over the water) is the closer, easier half-day. The Saut du Doubs — a 27m waterfall straddling the France–Switzerland border near Villers-le-Lac — is about 70 km / 1h15 from Besançon by road, reachable on foot from the village or via a scenic 14 km boat cruise through the Doubs gorges (boat ticket ≈ €15.90). Either works as a there-and-back before heading home; the waterfall is the bigger detour but the more memorable stop.
Retrace the route via Fontaine-lès-Dijon for the return charge. Leave early to beat Paris-bound Tuesday traffic on the A6.
The Doubs loop path around the old town is flat and mostly car-free — an easy warm-up ride straight off the bat. It also connects to the EuroVelo 6 long-distance route, which runs right past Camping de Besançon if you're staying there, so you can ride from the campsite into the old town instead of driving. Bike loaded inside per the Car Camping & Bike Guide — no rack, no range hit.
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tolls (A6/A31/A36, round trip) | ≈ €35–45 |
| Charging (2× Supercharger stops, round trip) | ≈ €20–28 |
| Lodging, 3 nights (free aire mixed with paid fallback) | €10–40 |
| Citadelle entry (3 museums included) | ≈ €13.50 |
| Saut du Doubs boat (optional add-on) | ≈ €15.90 |
| Specialty meal (Morteau sausage / fondue comtoise) | ≈ €28–33 |
| Food, self-cooked (remaining meals) | ≈ €25–30 |
| Total | €130–170 |