Le Havre to Paris for the arrival of Le Tour

moorehen

I've hatched a plan to ride from Worthing to Paris via Portsmouth to Le Havre to catch the arrival of the TDF on the 26th July.

Had a look on Bikely and via Michelin and the route looks fairly simple - approx 140miles. Planning to do this over 3 days - 60ish miles day 1, 60ish miles day 2 and 20ish miles day 3. I'll be doing this on my road bike and taking a rucksack (packing very light!!) - staying in b&b accomodation.

So has anyone else here done this trip or similair? Any advice on roads as I've not cycled in France before?

Any general advice would be much appreciated.

mz__jo

Be very careful with your route planning - you're going into areas with very heavy traffic, most of it very unsympathetic towards cyclists, even in july. Avoid all major roads. There must be a (or several) urban cycling organisation in the Paris region who might be able to give general advice. For a start these links may have something useful (can't guarantee it though); you will have to browse a bit.

http://voiescyclables.free.fr/eurovelo.html

http://fubicy.org/

http://af3v.org/

If I come across anything else likely to be of use I will post it on this thread. I don't know much about cycling in Ile de France; I hate having to go near it even in a company van!
Getting out of Le Havre on a bike may be quite complicated. Take time to study your route, you might have to go in a rather indirect direction. Once on the good side of the Seine there should be plenty of départementale roads for the first and second days, it's the third day that will cause headaches.
The route used for the Paris-Honfleur randonnée (I think it's Levallois-Honfleur) might be quite informative. They do it in one day!
Cheers Jo

moorehen

Hi Jo - thanks for the advice, just the sort of pratical stuff I was looking for.

Rob_L

This site has some route suggestions for getting in and out of Paris.
http://www.mayq.com/Cycling_out_of_paris/Best_bycling_routes_from_Paris.htm
I've used the one in from the North East along the canal which was a good route in (path was quite bumpy though)

harrywolper

We did Le Harve to Paris this year but via the Normandy coast. I followed a very quiet route and can provide the route via Garmin format (or probably GOX) format if needed. It's available on BikeRouteToaster.com as well. We took 8 days going very steady.

My route was to follow the Seine as much as we could. The route into Paris was fairly OK so long as you avoid the Arc De Triomphe !!
.
pm me if you need any more info.

Regards, Harry.

zonc

you have several choices;


All routes seem to head you out towards Pont du Normandie and they are mainly dual cariageways. It does have a cycle lane alongside...sort of!

Head NNE on N15 towards Bolbec - was a busy road but not so now then drop down towards the seine OR follow E along harbour and industrial sites towards St Viger, Quillebeuf ending on the D982 towards Rouen stopping at Duglair there are some fabulous wee routes along the seine and you can criss cross the river cutting the corners.

i did it in a day in 19871 things do change but the wee roads still exist.

rsd

zonc

andrew_s

From le Havre, I'd leave via the docks on the road that runs under the end of the Pont de Normandie. Stay south of the canal, over the lock gates below the end of the Pont de Tancarville, pass below the bridge, and then keep right to reach the ferry at Quillebeuf (free, every 15-20 mins during the day).
That sees you clear onto minor roads. Downstream of Rouen, all the bridges are major roads, but there are a number of free ferries like the Quillebeuf one - they should be obvious from maps.

moorehen

Thanks for all the advice guys, loads of ideas for routes - Thanks.

fortribble

I did a similar weekend trip from brighton to Honfleur a few years ago via newhaven not portsmouth. But i did cycle accross pont de Normandie but it was tough to find a route that wasnt like the M25! Try CTC routes accross Pde N as it worked v well for us but we did hit le harve on a Sunday when docks were closed and the back road that is used by the trucks was v v empty. try to hit le H on a sunday and most of dock heavy traffic is gone. P de N is a great ride.
there is also a route, possibly a route vert along the Seine to paris worth checking out. Definitely buy French IGN maps at 25000:1 perfect scale and cycle specific. excellent

hope this has helped.
enjoy
fortribble

Slipknotjonny

Having done both Le Harve - Paris & Dieppe - Paris, I would definately do the Newhaven - Dieppe Ferry Route.

The route to Paris is much, much quieter, you can even use the Avenue Vert for great big chunks of it.

I would never do the Le Harve route again by choice.

moorehen

Cheers for the advice slipknot - I don't really know why I hadn't already considered the newhaven - dieppe option. Looks like we'll be going for this route instead.

Is the reason you wouldn't do it down to the traffic? or any other particular reason?