france north to south

paulrjw

hi, i am fairly new to cycling. I have bought a touring bike and intend to travel hull zebrugge ferry and then head south. I am in my early fifties and in reasonable shape and have about a month. My biggest worry is how I secure the bike at campsites. I am also looking for info as to routes. I know there are some specific bike paths in certain areas like the loire and in burgundy etc. but i would appreciate any info regarding a good route to the med bearing in mind i am an avid hill avoider. Any tips would be welcome. Thanks

geoff_ss

The first part of your trip will be in Flanders which is (IMO) cursed with compulsory cycle tracks (some are shared pavements) but once you get further south into the Ardennes you'll have the freedom of proper roads.

We've always used Michelin 1:200,000 maps for long distance cycle touring and it's usually easy to avoid busy roads in France as there are myriad smaller so-called D roads which are very lightly trafficked. As we now cycle tour with the help of a campervan we've invested in a loose leaf book of all the Michelin maps for France and we remove a leaf and Avice has a map holder on her handlebars. We also use IGN 1:100,000 or sometimes 1:50,000 maps but they aren't up to the standard of OS mainly because they obscure detail by shaded contours.

I would avoid setting yourself firm targets. Be flexible - you may find yourself in an attractive area like (say) the Suisse Normande or the Ardennes with lots of things to see. Cycle touring is all about the journey rather than arriving (except when there's ferry to catch ).

We cycle camped a lot and we never had any problems with anyone interfering with either equipment or bikes. We often left our tent and did lightly loaded day rides. To do otherwise would have made our trips a pain. The only time we worried about leaving fully laden bikes was in Bruges when we missed out on a Salvador Dali exhibition because we couldn't find anywhere safe to leave them.

Don't avoid hills. I find the hilly areas to be by far the most attractive. Fit low gears and relish the climbs.

Geoff

paulrjw

thanks for that info, most grateful

paul_smith_srcc

I have ridden from a different Port, but my write up below for "'English Channel to the Med" may be of interest

Paul_Smith
www.bikeplus.co.uk

paulrjw

Thanks Paul, the first bit sounds really good but it sounds a bit daunting when you reached the 'hilly' bit. I'll be looking for a turn off along the route and hopefully find a more leisurely line. Cheers.