Où dormir à vélo en hiver ou périodes froides?
by Spacebird
This discussion is in French, the community’s main language.
Original post
Hello,
Comme le voyage à vélo "autonome" rime souvent avec tente, matériel pour camper et donc camping libre (ou sauvage), en tous cas pour certains, j'aimerais savoir les choix que prennent ceux qui voyagent à vélo en "saisons froides", quand même les campings officiels sont fermés ou inexistants, pour rester assez autonome et rester à un budget dépense raisonnable, voire toujours "pas cher" ?
Bien sûr, le couchsurfing, warmshower, quand c'est possible, est une bonne option; Est-ce que certains en ont d'autres, ou continuer à camper sauvage en s'equipant pour l'hiver ? Demander directement chez l'habitant en fin de journée, faisable ?
Aller vers les pompiers ou les églises ?
Quelles autres possibilités gratuites ou pas cheres, pour ne pas se "rendre vers les guesthouses, auberges et autres hotels souvent chers ?
Merci s'il y a des réponses
Bonjour Spacebird, ton interrogation sur le voyage à vélo en période hivernale c'est la quadrature du cercle. Mon expérience personnelle à vélo n'a jamais dépassée le 20 novembre et une fois début mars, et à pied jusqu'au mois de février.
La première réponse qui me vient à l'esprit c'est de partir en hiver dans des pays chauds comme Thaïlande, Laos ou autres. Et là c'est royal.
Rester en France à ces périodes pose plusieurs problèmes, et donne au voyage à vélo une autre dimension.
Tout d'abord les journées courtes ne permettent pas de longues périodes de pédalage.
Ensuite le temps devient un facteur plus prépondérant qu'en été. S'il fait beau même par grand froid on y arrive, mais quand il fait gris ou qu'il pleut ça devient vite inhumain.
Paradoxalement le matériel de bivouac n'a pas à être très différent de celui de l'été. Si tu rajoutes un sac à viande (si tu n'en utilises pas en été) 200g et un sursac 700 g, sans oublier de mettre une couverture de survie entre le sol et la tente, cela suffit généralement, car en France en hiver les températures restent assez tempérées. Par contre les nuits sont longues et l'humidité généralement très importante.
La nuit qui arrive rapidement pousse parfois à rouler de nuit et le risque de ne pas être vu est bien réel malgré les phares.
J'aurais tendance à dire que le principal problème du bivouac en hiver en France c'est la durée de la nuit et pas forcément le froid que l'on maîtrise bien avec nos matériels. Une douzaine d'heures sous la tente, il faut une bonne frontale et de bons bouquins.
Trouver à dormir chez les pompiers dans les églises je n'y crois pas trop, mais n'ai jamais essayé. Il m'est arrivé de mettre ma tente à l'abri d'une église mais pas de dormir dedans. Par contre les gîtes communaux sont une solution qui dépanne bien, et nombreux sont les villages qui en ont. Ils ne sont pas très chers.
Essayer dans toute la mesure du possible de choisir une période pas défavorable au point de vue précipitations. En tout cas le voyage à vélo en hiver en France c'est une belle expérience qui demande de la conviction, mais ça vaut la peine de la tenter ne fusse qu'une petite semaine. Mais je dois reconnaître que dans ces périodes je peux rapidement me laisser tenter par l'hôtel.
Luc
Hello Luc,
Merci pour ta réponse,
Je ne parlais pas forcement que de la periode hiver en france, mais en general les periodes froides quelquesoit les pays;
Pour cet exemple, j'ai prevu un itineraire avec depart le 3 octobre (dans trois jours) pour toulon -corse, puis corse -italie et italie grèce, mais si ca deroule "comme envisagé" ca devrait se faire dans la periode octobre et 12 novembre (pour l'arrivée à athènes), donc pour le froid, je pense que ca devrait etre encore raisonnable a cette latitude et periode pour camper; et j'essayerais de prendre un peu de trains en plus des ferries pour arriver à temps à athènes le 12 novembre, où j'ai un vol athenes -tokyo qui m'attends (retour au japon pour moi et de là-bas peut-etre plus)
Mais au japon dans la periode hiver, je ne compterais vraiment plus sur le camping, sauvage ou pas ;), et là bas je miserais a nouveau soit sur les "net cafés", mais aussi sur le couchsurfing ou warmshower, si possible; Je n'ai pas trouvé "d'autres solutions" pour l'instant
bjr nous au japon nous étions au mois de decembre et avion camper pratiquement tout le temps dans les parcs publics impeccable et les douches souvent signaler ou demander et les seven ouvert 24 h sur 24 pour dejeuner car les hebergements dans les villes sont vraiment trop cher le japon est vraiment idéal pour camper et étre sécure bon voyage
Hello Francis,
Merci pour "tes retours d'experience"
Pas trop froid le camping en decembre au japon ?
Tout depend aussi de la latitude et de l'equipement ;)
J'ai deja campé plusieurs fois au japon en octobre (et maxi debut novembre) sur Honshu, puis en avril - mai, sur shikoku (camping sauvage et "officiel");
J'ai un duvet qui theoriquement a pour limites extrêmes - 15, et transition 0 à -5 degrés, et un drap de sac "thermolite reactor" , qui ajoute 5 à 8 degré en principe;
Je verrais bien si je me decide a tester en plein hiver là bas !
on avait privilligié le kyushu avec le kansai mais dans l aso san on avait pris la neige et c est la police qui nousa fait traverser le col vraiment il n y a qu au japon .mais avec tout ton barda tu n aura pas froid par contre hokkaido cela risque etre plus roots au niveau température je ne m y risquerais pas a toi de voir salut francis
L'hiver, voyager à vélo est différent. Finis les petits plaisirs de l'été ou tu peux te permettre des siestes, rouler longtemps, te baigner dans les lacs, rivières, ou tu recherches un banc à l'ombre d'un arbre ...
Le froid n'est pas un problème sur le vélo, il suffit de bien couvrir les extrémités. Par contre dès que tu t'arrêtes, ne serait-ce que pour manger le midi, tu te refroidis vite.
Quand tu dors dans la tente, les nuits sont très très longues. En Suède en ce moment, tu finis de rouler à 16h, voire 15h30. tu te laves pendant que tu es encore chaud et ensuite ? Ensuite, c'est le duvet car que veux/peux-tu faire quand il fait déjà nuit à 5h ? Perso, j'écoute la radio/musique.
Mais surtout le plus important à mes yeux, c'est de trouver un "toit" pour la tente afin d'éviter l'humidité au maximum car ce n'est pas dit que le lendemain la météo te permettra de faire sécher la tente.
A chaque saison ses plaisirs !
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Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful—thanks in advance! Have a great evening
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
Coming soon:
https://www.Biclou.com/parcours/durance/
Starting from Faverges: 900 km over 9 days

Here’s the detailed Durance route starting from Briançon

Here’s the detailed Durance route starting from Briançon

Hi there,
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?
Thanks in advance
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?
Thanks in advance
Hi there!
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
S.
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
S.







