Bonjour à tous !
Désireux de rejoindre Istanbul à vélo depuis Toulouse, je recherche des partages d'expérience afin d'envisager un itinéraire.
Je serai heureux de connaitre les itinéraires de celles et ceux qui ont pédalé vers la Turquie.
Bonne journée à tous.
Jean Jacques.
Merci beaucoup.
Je suis à la genèse de mon projet. Je programme un départ fin mai / début juin 2020.
Si tu avais une carte ou un plan de ton itinéraire, ce serait le début d'une nouvelle aventure.
Merci à toi.
Amicalement !
Bonjour Jean Jacques,
je réponds avec un peu de retard...
Concernant les différents itinéraires possibles je n'ai pas de carte à te transmettre mais je peux te décrire approximativement le trajet aller et celui du retour.
A l'aller , partant de haute Savoie j'ai opté pour suivre l'eurovélo 6 depuis Bale jusqu'a l'entrée en Bulgarie ou il fallait bien que je "trace" vers Istanbul.
J'étais pas très chaud pour cet itinéraire craignant de m'ennuyer à suivre aussi longtemps un fleuve, un ami m'a convaincu et finalement je ne regrette pas , il y a beaucoup de villes très belles le long du Danube et les paysages plus variés que je ne l'imaginais.
En Bulgarie je suis resté sur la rive sud du fleuve jusqu'a KLOZLODUY avant d'obliquer vers PLEVEN. Ensuite GABROVO, passage d'un col à 1300m environ , STARA ZAGORA, DIMITROVGRAD, SVILENGRAD, Frontiere et EDIRNE en Turquie.
Ensuite , LULEBURGAZ par la D100, TEKIRDAG via MURATLI et ensuite j'ai longé la mer de marmara jusqu'au bout.
Bilan: L'EV6 jusqu'a l'entrée en Bulgarie est balisée, principalement sur piste cyclable en suisse, Allemagne et Autriche. ça se gate un peu en Hongrie et en Serbie mais ça va. Ensuite en Bulgarie je n'ai pas tenu compte des balisages et j'ai essayé de rouler au maximum sur le réseau secondaire. Le trafic routier est assez faible en Bulgarie y faire du vélo est assez sympa malgré l'état parfois très moyen des routes.
Je garde un assez mauvais souvenir de la Hongrie ou les automobilistes ne sont absolument pas respectueux des cyclos .
L'arrivée en Turquie est étonnante, le trafic routier devient beaucoup plus important, il faut se méfier de certains véhicules comme les DOLMUS (petits bus) qui s'arrêtent n'importe ou, redémarrent a fond sans se préoccuper si tu passais a coté.
Se méfier également des bus de transport scolaire . Sinon les Turcs sont très accueillants .Tu peux manger très bien et pour moins de 5€ dans les Locantasi (sorte de self service populaire)
Globalement l'arrivée par le coté Européen de la Turquie n'est pas recommandable à vélo a cause du très fort trafic automobile et aux innombrables poids lourds. J'ajouterais qu'il est ABSOLUMENT impossible de trouver une carte routière en Turquie.
Le kilométrage est de 3200km
Au retour j'ai expérimenté un autre parcours, je le recommande !
D'istanbul j'ai pris un bateau jusqu'a YALOVA (rive asiatique) l'avantage c'est que ça t'évite de traverser toute la partie asiatique d'Istanbul qui est absolument infernale à vélo, et en plus ça ne coute pas cher .
Ensuite j'ai longé la cote de la mer de marmara jusqu'a çardak ou j'ai pris un bateau pour Gelibolu.Sur l'ensemble de de ce parcours le trafic est moins intense, c'est plus joli et il est facile de trouver un réseau secondaire.
J'ai continué à longer les cotes de la mer Egée jusqu'a THESSALONIQUE/LARISSA/ATHENES/CORINTHE/PATRAS.
La région de Thessalonique n'est pas extraordinaire. Par contre la cote entre Athenes et Patras est tranquille et agréable.
a Patras : ferry pour Ancona(Italie) traversée de la botte via: ARREZO et FIRENZE . Ferry entre LIVOURNE et BASTIA, ferry pour MARSEILLE et remontée vers les alpes par la via rhona.
Certains passent par le nord de l'Italie jusqu'a Venise mais cette partie n'est pas terrible heureusement les villes italiennes sont intéressantes.
longer ensuite la cote Croate vers le Montenegro, l'Albanie, la Macedoine et la Grece.
En mai juin ça doit aller en Croatie (pas encore envahie par les touristes)
C'est un itinéraire nettement plus montagneux !
Voila quelques infos, a ta disposition pour les questions !
Génial, merci beaucoup.
Je ne sais pas quand tu as posté cette réponse, je viens de la découvrir.
En tous cas elle correspond absolument à ma demande. A partir de ces informations je vais créer mon itinéraire.
Je pars avec un ami, début juin 2020.
Bonjour Jean Jacques,
Avec mon mari nous avons le même projet, rejoindre Istanbul à vélo depuis la périphérie toulousaine. Nous souhaitons également partir en mai 2020.On se donne 3/4 mois car nous avons un petit garçon qui aura 3 ans et demi et nous souhaitons prendre notre temps.
En discutant de ce projet autour de nous, on nous a conseillé de le faire dans l'autre sens, soit Istanbul => Toulouse , comme ça nous profiterions de la douceur du climat d'Istanbul en mai et surtout nous éviterions les fortes chaleurs de juillet/aout.
Du coup on est en pleine réflexion sur l'itinéraire... Sachant que partir d'Istanbul à vélo a l'air vraiment dangeureux d'après les commentaires sur le forum...
Je serai intéressée de savoir quel itinéraire vous avez finalement choisi avec votre ami .
Audrey
Nous n'avons pas décidé ni encore réellement discuté du trajet avec mon coéquipier.
Néanmoins la réponse de Nomade743 est intéressante et suivre le Danube me parait une belle option. Nous allons y travailler.
Parcourir ce trajet au départ d'Istanbul se comprend d'un point de vue météorologique, perso, je préférerait "partir" que "revenir", mais ça reste subjectif.
Je garde vos coordonnées sur le forum et, promis, dés que nous avons réalisé ébauche de l'itinéraire choisi, nous vous en ferons part.
Dans le projet de m'évader en vélo de façon itinérante et indépendante, je souhaiterais rallier Toulouse à Istambul, via l'Italie, la Grèce... Connaissez-vous…
Je recherche des infos sur la route idéale à emprunter pour aller de Thessalonique en Grèce jusqu'à Istanbul en Turquie. Je commence lundi prochain, le 14 mars…
Pouvez vous m'indiquez si il existe un moyen d'éviter les montagnes et les côtes au maximum depuis Istanbul jusqu'à l'eurovelo6 (bucharest ou autre...)? Au…
J'ai prévu d'arriver à Bodrum depuis la grèce en Ferry et de rejoindre Istambul (liaison depuis Bandirma en ferry) et ce à vélo (je transporte mon matériel de…
Je suis en train de développer une application Web gratuite et open source permettant de planifier des voyages à pied et à vélo (voire en voiture). Un itinéraire peut être créé en cliquant directement sur la carte pour ajouter des points de passage et il peut être composé de plusieurs étapes. L'application fournit des outils pour modifier les étapes et l'itinéraire global, pour afficher des informations utiles (distances, altitudes et dénivelés). Un profil de relief peut être affiché sous forme de graphique pour une étapes particulière ou pour l'ensemble de l'itinéraire.
Quand l'itinéraire est prêt, il peut être exporté sous forme de fichier GPX, qui peut enseuite être utilisé avec un GPS ou une application mobile de navigation.
L'application est implémentée en JavaScript et exécutée entièrement dans le navigateur Web. Elle utilise la bibliothèque Leaflet et plusieurs services basés sur OpenStreetMap. Initialement développé pour mes besoins personnels (je pratique la randonnées pédestre et le cyclo-tourisme), je serais heureux de la partager avec tous ceux qui peuvent la trouver utile. Elle est libre d'utilisation, ne nécessite pas de création de compte et le code source est disponible.
Hi there, I’m planning a cross-Canada bike trip, and I’ve got a question that might seem silly, but could someone tell me how to pack a bike (in a box, with a fragile sticker... I don’t know) for a flight? Thanks in advance!
This summer, we’re planning to cycle along the EV 19 that follows the Meuse River from Langres all the way to Rotterdam.
My question is about getting back to Nantes.
Do any of you know what the best return option might be? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
I saw that FlixBus doesn’t take bikes.
By train, I think it’s possible but would involve multiple local trains.
We were also wondering if there’s a boat from Rotterdam to Saint-Nazaire that could take passengers with bikes.
Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful—thanks in advance!
Have a great evening
I’ve got my flight ticket sorted—departing in mid-November and returning in mid-March. I’ll arrive in Santiago and leave from Buenos Aires.
I’ve already been to southern Argentina, specifically Torres del Paine National Park, and I’d love to go back to do the full W trek (I only did the shorter version last time).
I also want to do some hiking and maybe even tackle a summit. I climb and occasionally do some mountaineering, so I’ll definitely be going with a guide.
I plan to start around Temuco in Chile, with the idea of heading toward the lakes, then taking the Carretera Austral.
I’m not sure if I’ll go all the way to Ushuaia—it’s supposed to not be *that* worth it, except for the bragging rights of saying you’ve been to the end of the world.
I saw there are lakes in Argentina too.
I don’t have a precise itinerary, but what I’d love is, once I reach the southernmost point of my trip, to take a mini-cruise to see some wildlife. Any tips for that?
What kind of sleeping bag did you take? Is a 0°C (32°F) one enough?
And one last question: white gas stove or can I get by with my gas stove?
I’ve gotten used to crossing Europe by bus to return by bike.
It was really convenient to take the bike without having to disassemble it.
But FlixBus no longer accepts bikes...
What alternatives do you know about?
Thanks.
Hi there,
I’m planning to ride the Dutch section of the EuroVelo 19, from Maastricht to Rotterdam.
Since it’s too complicated to bring my bike on the train, I’m looking to rent one locally.
I’d love any tips or bike rental shop recommendations—I’m struggling to find options even in Rotterdam.
The plan is to rent in Rotterdam, take the train to Maastricht with the bike, then cycle back to Rotterdam.
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!
Nath
I’m planning to cycle from Morlaix to Brest (via Roscoff and the V45 coastal route). We’ll start riding on August 16th for 13 days (with stops for island visits, surfing, etc.). Is there a lot of traffic at this time of year? I’ve got two kids, 11 and 13, and we don’t like riding in the middle of cars (we’ve already done the Vélomaritime—Caen to Cherbourg—the Loire route from Orléans to Saumur, the Vélodyssée from Nantes to Royans, and the canals like the Nivernais and Bourgogne, where there were plenty of bike-only lanes, which isn’t the case on this route).
Thanks for your help if you’ve already done this route in late August!
Virginie
Hi there,
I’ve been road cycling for several years, and I’m about to switch to gravel in the next few days—I’m waiting for my bike, which should arrive this week.
I’m planning a bikepacking trip in a few weeks along the Véloroute V81, also known as the Vélosud, from Biarritz to Le Barcarès.
Has anyone here already done this route? Any info is welcome, whether it’s about the route itself, gear, or accommodation. I’ll prioritize staying with locals as much as possible. On that note, I just signed up for the brand-new site *Guidon et Couette* ((www.guidon-et-couette.fr)), which offers free accommodation between cyclists across the country, but there’s almost no one listed along my route!
Thanks in advance.
Laurent.
I’m planning to build a new touring bike.
I want to prioritize lightness.
That said, I’m tempted by a suspension fork that could offer some comfort on rougher roads.
The recent appearance of gravel suspension forks on the market might meet my needs—at least on paper.
I’m particularly considering the RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork.
Unlike MTB forks, its travel is short: either 30 mm or 40 mm.
It weighs 1400 g, which is 400/500 g more than a steel fork.
Any thoughts or real-world feedback on this?
I’m also wondering about the durability of magnesium (lower leg) for long-distance bike touring.
And what’s the impact of skipping the manufacturer-recommended maintenance every 50 and 200 hours? That’s bound to happen on a long trip unless you carry extra gear.
More generally, how reliable are these kinds of forks?
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share with you the incredible feat my friend José, who’s 72 years old, is currently undertaking. He left Auterive near Toulouse on Monday, May 18, 2026, on his non-electric bike, heading for the North Cape in Norway!
You can follow his route on the link below—he’s currently in Sweden:
https://thierry-thomas.travelmap.net/jose-de-toulouse-a-nord-cap-2026
You can zoom in on the map and click on each stopover town to see the photos
I’m making an exception and creating a separate post this time, since it’s all about France. In May, we spent a week in Provence, specifically in the Luberon, exploring the cycling routes *Autour du Luberon à Vélo*, the *Véloroute du Calavon* (part of EuroVelo 8), and the shorter *Les Ocres à Vélo* route. Together, they gave us an amazing journey through rolling hills, vineyards, lavender fields still green in spring, and some of the most stunning landscapes in southern France.
It was, of course, the perched villages that impressed us the most. We visited Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lacoste, Lourmarin, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux, Cucuron, and Lauris. Many of them are among the most beautiful villages in Provence, and it’s hard not to agree with that reputation.
One interesting point is the route of EuroVelo 8 in this part of the region. The official path mainly follows the old railway line of the *Véloroute du Calavon*, which is very comfortable and safe. But in our opinion, cyclists traveling EuroVelo 8 around the Mediterranean would discover even more treasures if the route passed through villages like Bonnieux, Lacoste, or Oppède-le-Vieux.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how safe cycling felt. Most of the route takes small local roads, but traffic is light, drivers are respectful, and road design really takes cyclists into account. It’s one of those places where you can ride peacefully even without separated bike lanes.
Our full story:
Around Luberon by bicycle - the most beautiful villages of Provence
You can also find all our cycling travel stories on the forum:
Cycling Thread - Europe’s most beautiful bike routes
Hi there, we’re a group of 4 cyclists looking to get from Treviso in Italy to Munich with our 4 non-folding bikes. It seems complicated! Are there any solutions? Thanks so much.
hello fellow cycling enthusiasts
here’s a travel journal of the cycling tour through the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne region by Claudio
zouli
it was the plan
http://cbandiera.free.fr/parcours/auvergne-Ralpes/
the trip was completed
story being posted online soon
1100 km in 11 days
beautiful and varied regions
Hi there, we’re planning a Munich to Venice bike trip at the end of June 2026. Getting back from Venice to Toulouse by train with 4 bikes isn’t straightforward. What return options have others who’ve done this trip chosen? Any tips or great deals would be much appreciated. Thanks a bunch! !
Hi everyone,
Happy owner of a Pegasus Estremo bike with a Rohloff hub, which is giving me trouble with the SF11-NCX-FT-E-LITE 700C TS 300/0 fork (serial number TD01329060). It’s starting to show its age, and I’d like to repair it to extend the life of my beloved bike.
The suspension is gone, and there’s an oil leak from the seals.
Does anyone know how to repair it? Where can I find parts that are about fifteen years old? Or where to find an identical replacement fork? Just to clarify, the Magura HS11 brakes are mounted using Firm Tech, meaning they’re on pivots behind the fork, facing the frame.
Hi, I'd like to know if anyone has done this route recently or has reliable info.
Does the track exist, and most importantly, is there sand (for biking)?
Any info is welcome.
Cheers,
diego ambilobe: mangaoka, manondro, ramena
vohemar sambava: masondrono, tanambao
Hi there,
New to bike touring,
I’d love to start with a section of the Via Rhona to explore and share (route to be decided).
Looking forward to exchanging tips!
I’m landing in Madagascar with a buddy before the end of April 2026. We’re planning to bike around for about twenty days or so. We don’t have a specific goal other than exploring the country and meeting the locals.
Ideally, we’d prefer a loop route starting from Antananarivo with a good chunk of it along the coast. On the bike side, we’re used to riding 6 to 8 hours a day, depending on the needs, encounters, and mood 😉 Any feedback or tips from trips around this length?
A big thank you to Lazarou for all the info you share in this forum!
I'm passionate about Morocco, which I cycled through back in 2009.
Last year, my wife and I explored the High Atlas by tandem. Completely smitten, we're heading back in April (Anti Atlas) and May (High and Middle Atlas), still on our tandem.
Do you have any info on the track between Amezri and Ali Ait Nito? Are the river crossings in the Tessaout still there? It's not easy to navigate with a loaded tandem... especially if the river level is high due to this year's heavy snowmelt!
Thanks in advance for any tips you might have, and best wishes for health in this new year!
Claudio specializes in the route of the Savoie lakes
Here are his travels
Between Bornes, Chartreuse, the Savoie foothills, and Dauphiné
Five lakes: Léman, Annecy, Paladru, Aiguebelette, Bourget, not to mention a few ponds along the way
Plenty of accommodation options: camping, hotels, and more...
A lovely route not far from his place
Rural and quite peaceful
A road cycling route created by Serge B...
First of all... happy New Year! Wishing you great roads in 2017!
I’ve been traveling for a few years now with a high-quality mountain bike, but it’s equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. I live (pedal) with the constant worry of a breakdown (leak, air bubble, heat causing the fluid to...). My bike mechanic tells me it’s impossible to switch them out for V-brakes.
What do you all think? Am I taking a big risk continuing (alone) with these brakes? Thanks in advance for your great tips!
First post here to share a quick recap of our west-to-east bike trip along Algeria’s coast in January 2025.
It was just the two of us—my partner and I—with French passports and not a word of Arabic. No friends or welcoming hosts in the country.
Under those conditions, we’d strongly advise against going.
Our original plan was to follow the coast from Algiers to Tunis. We ended up cycling from Algiers to Béjaia, then took the train from Béjaia to Annaba (with a stop in Constantine), and finally biked to the border.
We were tailed by police the whole way—whether on our bikes, on the train, or even on foot while exploring towns. On top of that, we couldn’t wild camp and were limited to the few state-approved hotels that accept foreigners. Under those circumstances, connecting with locals was especially tough.
With such an omnipresent and intrusive police presence, we’d definitely recommend against this destination for bike touring. A really sad situation that completely cuts you off from the local population...
We’d been warned, we went to check it out, and we weren’t disappointed!
Hi there,
I’m planning the route to cycle from Lille to Nordkapp with my partner.
Duration: 3 months, from May 1st to July 31st, 2026.
In the attached details below, I need to add some "non-riding" days (rest days, basically).
So I’m looking to "shorten" the trip by taking ferries or trains for some stretches. Which areas could I skip?
Thanks in advance for your great tips.
Have a good evening.
https://www.komoot.com/fr-fr/collection/4023980/-lille-cap-nord-1er-mai-au-31-juillet-2026?ref=collection
I’m planning to bike back from Poland this summer. Does anyone know a way to ship it there without having to take it apart? Otherwise, it’s a real hassle to fine-tune all the settings before departure!
Thanks in advance.
Hi, has anyone recently bought Primus or Butagaz gas, possibly puncture-style, in Dubrovnik or the surrounding area? Same question for Albania... thanks. aichatou
Just a few words about the loop I did by bike in Yunnan.
Entry and exit
I entered China through the Sino-Vietnamese border crossing at Lào Cai / Hekou under the 30-day visa exemption currently available to French nationals and others.
The process was simple and quick. A Chinese police officer even helped me complete my electronic pre-registration at a computer kiosk. I wasn’t aware this formality was required—it’s similar to Thailand’s TM6.
No issues with the bike.
I left the country via the Sino-Laotian border crossing at Mohan / Boten.
The atmosphere was a bit chaotic there, but again, no problems with the bike.
The timing
I visited Yunnan in February 2026.
Weather-wise, at higher altitudes (between 1,500 and 2,000 meters), it was around ten degrees at night and in the mornings, and around twenty degrees at the hottest part of the day.
I had two days of rain, so I took the bus to keep moving. Otherwise, clear blue skies.
Culturally, Chinese New Year fell on February 17th (and the 15 days following), right in the middle of my trip. Because of this, my take on the traffic might be off.
Accommodation and food
I always found a hotel to stay in for prices ranging from 8 to 15 €. Except in Kunming (the capital), where many hotels were fully booked (Chinese New Year). I ended up at a 100 € hotel with great value for money.
A bowl of noodles costs about 1.5 € on average.
Onboard electronics
Since my smartphone doesn’t support eSIMs, I subscribed to a China plan with my carrier. Otherwise, for much cheaper, Alipay offers eSIMs for foreigners that allow access to services usually blocked for Chinese users (WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.).
An internet connection is essential for paying with Alipay or WeChat, as this payment method is widespread.
I only managed to use Alipay.
Either way, always carry cash because sometimes there’s no signal, or the merchant only accepts WeChat.
Also, it’s best to bring a power adapter when you arrive rather than struggling to find one.
Traffic and roads
The Chinese aren’t reckless drivers. They follow traffic rules and watch out for cyclists. This is slightly less true in Xishuangbanna (the region bordering Myanmar and Laos).
In urban areas, there are almost always wide bike lanes, separated from other roads, where bikes, electric mini-scooters, and scooters share the space pretty harmoniously.
The roads are in great condition, and traffic is generally manageable—even light—except for one stretch (Eshan -> Yangwu).
Most traffic is absorbed by expressways, China’s equivalent of highways: toll roads that are off-limits to slow vehicles.
You’re never far from these expressways; sometimes you even ride alongside them, which can be noisy at times.
The climbs are usually reasonable, around 5% to 6%. From what I remember, the steepest section was between Menglun and Mengla, with gradients of 8% to 10%, sometimes more.
Riding at these altitudes—though modest—took a bit of getting used to.
The route
I didn’t plan anything in advance. My only goal was to reach Kunming. I don’t know why, but just hearing the name of that city, like Yunnan, always felt dreamy to me.
Hi! I’m planning to visit the Stockholm Archipelago by bike in early April.
Do you know if the boats will be running between the different islands at that time of year? For those who’ve already been, all your tips and recommendations are welcome—accommodation, etc. Also, do you know where I can rent a bike in Stockholm? Thanks so much in advance for your help!
