Planning a bike trip?

Hey Dave, I just put together a travel journal for one of my upcoming trips to the Netherlands (2016 or 2017). If it helps... http://mesrandosvelo.e-monsite.com/medias/files/carnet-de-route-132.pdf Cheers, Roger

Thanks Roger, I’ll check that out right away. And say hi from your group’s stay at "Camping chez Dave"!

For summer 2016, I’m planning to do the Camino de Santiago route starting from my place to reach Figeac or Cahors (46) round trip, sticking as close as possible to the path. The Netherlands is really tempting me—probably a project for 2017.

So why not meet up and ride a stretch together? That's the idea behind "mesrandosvelo.e-monsite.com/". For the Netherlands, I already have friends from Brittany, Normandy, Charente, Alsace, Paris, the North, and Belgium who are interested. Stay tuned... Roger

Why not—it also depends on the dates, right?

2020 seems far away, you might say? But the project is well into the planning stage... So, a long preparation to take me to the North Cape right after I retire. I’ll need 4 to 5 months for my journey: France (Grenoble) - Switzerland - Germany - Austria - Slovakia - Poland - Lithuania - Latvia - Estonia - Russia - Finland - Norway - Sweden - Denmark - Germany - Netherlands - Belgium - France. There, it’s written down... now I just have to do it...

Personally, I’m planning my very first trip for May or June.

I live in Nantes, so I’d take the train to Strasbourg. Then, I’ll follow the EuroVelo 15 through Germany and the Netherlands. Small detour to Amsterdam, then terminus in Rotterdam where I’ll take the train (with my bike, roughly disassembled...) back to Paris, then Paris to Nantes with the bike fully intact :)

Really hoping I can make this happen!

Hi there, It’s probably a bit late to ask, but after 20 months and 23,000 km, we’ve made it to Bangkok. How about you—where are you at with your plans? Fred and Brigitte polop.blogspot.com

Well, I’m also thinking of heading to Santiago de Compostela in the spring or fall. The Pyrenees foothills route passes right by my place. I see pilgrims going by my window—why not me? I’m not sure if I’ll do a round trip; it’ll depend on work. Or maybe the Vélodyssée all the way to Nantes via the Canal du Midi. Nadine

My project is moving along. I leave on July 10, 2016, heading to Saint, and after that, I’m not sure which way to return—it’ll depend on how I’m feeling. I can either come back via the northern route or continue to Porto and return via another road to Burgos, or take the Camino Francés back and see what I missed on the way out.

Hi Dave,

I’m looking for ideas for our next bike ride, probably in June 2016, and I’d love to hear about your experience on the "Tour des Rivières du Sud-Ouest" route. I’d thought about following the Dordogne from Aurillac to the ocean—seems doable in about ten days, I think. But since we’re planning to go for two weeks, I’d like to extend the route a bit to make the most of it 😛 We’re leaving from Toulouse, so I need a starting and ending point that’s easy to reach by train (preferably TER) without too much hassle. That’s why I was thinking of Aurillac (accessible by TER) and then returning from Bordeaux (if needed, TER from the ocean and Intercités from Bordeaux to Toulouse).

Thanks in advance for your tips, and see you soon.

Hi Millie, Thanks for your interest in our 2015 route! You really need to distinguish between Aurillac and Auriac because the first is 50 km from the Dordogne (Argentat) via the D120, which seems quite busy, or 70 km via small roads from Puybrun (OpenRunner). Auriac is almost on the Dordogne, 30 km upstream from Argentat. We followed the Dordogne from Castillon to Lacave, then cut across to Rocamadour via mountain-bike trails. After the big climb up to the heights of Rocamadour, we took fairly busy roads to Gramat, then Figeac (along the Célé), then a small climb and descent to reach the Lot. So we didn’t cycle between Lacave and Argentat (but we did it by canoe a few years ago). Crossing the Gramat Causses wasn’t necessarily the most enjoyable part of our trip (heat, elevation, and cars). The Lot was charming if you’re not afraid of riding on departmental roads. From Espalion (Lot) to Bertholène, there’s a bike path, but it’s unpaved with a pretty long climb. From there, we joined the Tarn at Le Truel on a greenway marked on OpenRunner, but we never saw any signs on the ground! Big positive elevation gain with a section at 900 m. The return via the Tarn is pleasant, but you’ll need to "manage" a few tricky or bike-prohibited tunnels. We went back up from Montauban to Bordeaux via the canal. Done in 15 days with one rest day to visit Albi and another short 35 km stage due to rain. Three days at 100 km/day, the others between 60 and 80 km. Stayed in campgrounds and ate a lot at restaurants. 900 km total. So for your trip: Pay attention to your starting point—check your map carefully. Aurillac and/or Auriac—neither is in a flat region of France! If you’re not afraid of small roads or even departmental roads, you can easily follow the Dordogne. There’s a bike path around Sarlat (16 km along the river, plus a short detour to visit Sarlat if you don’t know the town). Then you’ll quickly reach one of the busiest parts of the Dordogne: Domme (camp at Rive Verte on the way out of Cénac—the owner was a cyclist), Beynac, Roq Gageac. You’ll cross to the right bank, and you won’t be alone on the D703. Further downstream, you’ll reach Le Buisson de Cadouin on the D25. Here, you can cross and continue on the other bank. We came (upstream) from Bergerac on the other side because we wanted to cover more kilometers faster, but it was a mistake. Very busy road and a detour around Bergerac on the national highway in the rain (luckily, it was Sunday evening) all the way to Sainte-Foy. From Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, it’s pleasant on the left bank to Castillon (cheap municipal campground) and Saint-Jean-de-Blaignac, where we cut over to the Lapébie bike path from Sauveterre to Bordeaux. But you can also keep following the Dordogne by choosing small roads. If you do all that up to Royan or Soulac (Médoc side), you’ll cover between 400 and 500 km. Plan for sightseeing days if you’re not familiar with the tourist towns along the way. We were really put off by the crowds, and almost all our planned visits were cut short or skipped to come back off-season. If you go north of the Gironde estuary, there’s the Corniche road, starting from the northern Blayais to Royan—it’s hilly but very pleasant (visit Talmont). You can take the ferry at Royan and ride down the coast (EV1) to the Lacanau-Bordeaux bike path, then take a train or even cycle all the way back to Toulouse via the canal (DM me if you want to camp in the garden along the Lapébie path). It all depends on how many km/day you can or want to do, and whether you mind climbs or national roads. Our route included connecting sections between rivers, so we inevitably had to cross watershed lines. By TER (regional train), you might also face bus connections since some lines no longer have trains (e.g., Villeneuve-sur-Lot, unless I’m mistaken), and bikes aren’t always allowed (again, unless I’m wrong). I recommend studying OpenRunner carefully, using the different map layers (plan, OpenCycleMap, IGN, and even satellite), but also paper maps for an overview. There’s also a good option starting from Toulouse to go up the Tarn to Saint-Enimie or Quézac—only 15 km to reach the Lot at Balsièges near Mende, then go down the Lot and join the Dordogne via the Gramat Causses. These inland routes have the advantage of beautiful landscapes, great encounters, and lower prices compared to classic tourist spots, with food that’s perfect for refueling a cyclist who’s put in a good ride! Happy mapping!! Don’t hesitate to ask again if I missed something

Personally, I'm making "slow but steady" progress after my last adventure cycling from France to Corsica, Greece, and Japan, and returning to France in early January due to bike damage on the flight. Now, I'm preparing to leave again, possibly before summer 2016. I’ll definitely take a bike again (otherwise, backpacking), either my folding bike or my Giant MTB as a "backup," which I need to refit for travel—reinforced, of course. From France, maybe heading "west" (USA and Canada, then back to Japan via the west), in which case I’ll need maximum bike protection in the hold. Alternatively, heading east (Trans-Siberian Railway or a flight to Southeast Asia, then back to Japan). And this time, maybe no return to France planned at all!

Hello to all you bike travelers, I’m pleasantly surprised this post—created over 6 years ago—still connects freedom lovers and adventurers. Wishing a great prep to those folks and everyone else. Best regards and see you soon,

Jean-Luc MERCIER aka JANODOU www.janodou.com

After our first bike getaways as a couple last summer, we covered Le Lot for 8 days / Vallée du Célé for 3 days. Solo starting from Tarn... Hérault for 4 days / Aveyron for 6 days. Coming up in June, guess what??? La Loire à Vélo Probably from Nevers to Nantes... Original, right? 😉 Solo starting from Tarn, Haute Ardèche "my homeland" 🙂 Gonna need to train for that one 😛 Cheers and have a great weekend! Pascal

The Loire by bike—you're in for a treat! I did it in July 2015, but from Nantes to Nevers to have the prevailing wind at my back. I’m glad I went with that option.

So many bike trip ideas are blooming in my head...

Paris -> Loire Valley, to visit the Loire châteaux! Paris -> Netherlands

These are just ideas for now, since I’ve never done this kind of trip before, but this forum gives me so many inspirations... I’m starry-eyed, but not enough paid leave :(

I’ll keep reading all the stories here to get inspired, dream a little, and escape for a bit :)

Hey Le Claude 😉 I just got the guide "The Loire by Bike." Before setting off ... Which direction? Traditionally, it follows the river’s flow and starts in Nevers, ending on the Atlantic coast to take advantage of more favorable winds. It’s also possible to do it the other way around since the signage is in both directions.

Question—do the winds really shift? 😛

hi

I set off from Saint-Étienne to reach NEVERS, heading due WEST.

I made it all the way to PORNIC. Nice route, but the wind is a bit of a gamble. Personally, it was hit or miss.

Hey Pascal, since I’ve done the Loire by bike, I agree with Claisse—the wind is a toss-up, or it’s basically poker. But we go downstream with the current since I’ve also done it by canoe. Otherwise, the landscapes are gorgeous, and the bivouac spots are great, especially between Orléans and Chalonnes (Maine-et-Loire). Wishing you a great trip in advance! Cheers, Manu

hi

prepping a few options

1 www.lavelofrancette.com/

2 www.canaldes2mersavelo.com/ ( mild temps starting in April )

3 www.lavelodyssee.com/itineraire/europe

for a warm-up, get your legs ready as soon as the good weather hits www.viarhona.com/ by doing option 2 you’ll end up in SÈTE, then just take the VIARHONA back up toward VALENCE

NEXT

Hi there, As mentioned, it’s true that it’s a bit of a gamble... For the guide, since I started from Nantes, I read it backward—😏—it’s well signposted in both directions. Just in big cities like Orléans or Tours, be careful not to miss a sign, but you can easily find your way by following the flow 😏

Well, my plan is coming together and getting confirmed: it’ll be the EV, along the Rhine from Strasbourg to Rotterdam, with a little detour to Amsterdam, I think :)

hi pascal

my wife and I cycled the Loire last summer

Nevers - Saint-Brevin and back to Nantes

the hardest part was the train from Nantes to Nevers

we did the trip in 11 days

I’m happy to email you all our stages if you’d like

the weak points: - you don’t really follow the Loire the whole way, but it’s still beautiful - if you want to visit the châteaux, you’ll need to make detours - the towpath gets narrow after OUDON—tricky with a trailer - there’s a missing sign on the Pont du Cher in Tours

otherwise, it was a fantastic journey, all in municipal campsites

let me know if you need anything

claude and cath

Thanks Claude for the info! I’ll send you a PM.

Hi there,

Back in June 2016, I cycled from Pointe du Raz to Basel—1,517 km in 17 days.

I followed the coast as closely as possible until Lorient, then joined the EuroVelo 6 in Saint-Nazaire and stuck with it all the way to Basel. Apart from the Breton section, which I found a bit tough at times, the rest wasn’t difficult at all. Going in this direction (the opposite of the roadbook) really helped because I had the wind at my back almost the whole way. Lucky, too, since out of 17 days, I had 9 days of rain—and major flooding along the Loire that forced me off my route more than once. Still, it was an amazing adventure, full of stunning landscapes and old castles. The only downside was how popular the EuroVelo 6 is between Angers and Blois—so many cyclists that it kind of lost that super-friendly vibe you usually find (and look for) on bike trips. Oh well… It was still awesome, and I’d totally encourage everyone to do it!

2016 isn’t over yet, actually— still writing up the stories. cbandiera.free.fr/recits/

But 2017’s already shaping up, and if Vélocio wills it, we’ll hit the road again— just dialing back the speed a notch, like every year. The list is ready: cbandiera.free.fr/parcours/projets.php Though we won’t make it everywhere. We’ll see how it goes. Here’s hoping winter doesn’t add too many extra grams!

Claudio from La Faverges

Claudio, we're eagerly waiting for your stories—are you planning to post videos too?

On our end, after last year’s success (thanks mostly to the great weather), we’re planning to start the 2016 raid where it ended: at Clelles (Mens) train station. Just to recap, we took small roads to admire these mountain ranges: Bauges, Chartreuse, Vercors, Drôme, Buëch, Dévoluy, and Trièves. In 2017, we’re thinking of crossing the Drôme via different routes to climb Montagne de Lure, cross the Luberon, and then… head back up through Ardèche? Or maybe the Loire’s source if we’re still in shape and the weather doesn’t turn the adventure into a disaster!

Yeah, I do have a few videos lying around, but they're not very good—I couldn’t film properly when I was rushing like that. You’ve got to take your time and think about what you're filming.

For now, I’m struggling to finish the Spanish travel journal: http://cbandiera.free.fr/recits/2016-barcelone/e8.php I’ll have to go back and proofread everything to fix the mistakes. The next part is still in the works. -- Bravo on your project! Your routes are really nice—Drôme, yeah, and Ardèche too. The downside is they’re pretty tough, but it all depends on the captain’s age, fitness, and, of course, motivation. Good luck with your prep!

As for me, I’ve had my fill—now I ride more on flat terrain… and yeah, at 97 kg for 1.66 m and 40 kg of bike (total weight), it’s getting pretty tough.

For the return through Ardèche and Gerbier de Jonc, I’ll take inspiration from your route, Claudio. I’m still climbing pretty well (touch wood), as long as I keep the stages short (50-60 km). The whole point is to avoid traffic by taking the back roads. By the way, I have a question about this: I’ve spotted the Col Saint Pierre / La Fairotte, which connects the Méouge Valley (starting from Lachau D24/D224) with the Jabron Valley (D603, Le Couvent, Noyers-sur-Jabron). It’s an unpaved pass—does anyone know it? I’d like to know if it’s doable on a hybrid bike or if a mountain bike would be better.

Hi Jean-Marie, We were there in June for ...Blois / Pornic ...headwind, rain too 😛. Campsite closed or even flooded, and mosquitoes everywhere ...just like they say 😉 But it was still really fun despite the idiots who slashed our tent with a box cutter in the middle of the night at the Montsoreau campsite ...(Candes Saint-Martin). Otherwise, great memories—can’t wait for spring 2017 for new adventures ...probably Nantes to Brest and back partly along the coast. Pascal



On the road ...

Hey Pascal, We must’ve crossed paths at some point... What are your plans for 2017?

Me, I’ve got two projects in the pipeline... Following the EuroVelo 6 from Basel to the Black Sea... or the Blues Route from Mobile (Alabama) to Toronto (Ontario). I’m torn between the two, but both routes are ready to go. Winter will help me decide... Inshallah. Jihem

What a great project you’ve got! Mine will probably be a bit more modest ;)

Hey everyone, 2017 will be the year of my retirement. So I’m thinking of marking the transition with a big bike trip—I’d leave on the first day of my newfound freedom (mid-September). Nothing’s set in stone yet, but I’m really drawn to the Middle East or the Maghreb. We’ll see...

Well, I'm leaving Monday 😉 for Santiago de Compostela—the route passes right by my place. Starting from Le Mas-d'Azil via the Voie des Piémonts, then Oloron-Sainte-Marie, the Somport Pass, and a little detour south of Pamplona to see the Bardenas Reales desert. Nadine

Great plan, Nadine! 😜 Safe travels!!

This post has been going for seven years—it’s awesome, and the ideas just keep coming. Long live cycling! www.janodou.com

Hi there! For my part, I’m leaving on March 9th or 10th for Portugal by mountain bike (MTB), taking the "Northern Way" via Santiago de Compostela. I’ll stick to back roads since the main path isn’t bike-friendly, and I’d rather not... carry it...

I’ll return via Salamanca, Burgos, and the Basque Way to get back to San Sebastián. Planned return is 4 to 5 weeks later...

I’m always surprised and delighted to see travel plans that are either very far-flung or just in a neighboring region. What a joy to share these encounters and understand this thirst for freedom expressed in all these posts! Safe travels to everyone!

This post is great! For my part, I’m planning a tour of Burgundy from May 3rd to 13th along the Burgundy Canals and Greenways and the Wine Route, but I won’t be going alone—about fifteen of my friends will be joining me. They’re coming from Belgium, northern France, the Paris region, Berry, Toulouse, Metz, and more... It’ll be like a "summer camp for adults," with bike-camping or staying in gîtes. We’ve put together a travel journal you can check out here: http://mesrandosvelo.e-monsite.com/agenda/tour-de-bourgogne-10-etapes-700-km.html

Safe travels to everyone, and enjoy your own adventure!

Beaune to Dijon: 40 km – you’ll definitely need an extra day!!! (3 wineries per km on average – but you’ll want to leave the greenway a bit, since it’s not that interesting...) Have a great summer camp!

Thanks. Between Beaune and Dijon, we’re planning to ride on the road since there’s no greenway on this section.

Bike touring project from Arronnes in Allier to Le Lavandou So far there are 2 of us, equipped with e-bikes 1100 km, 6784 m of elevation gain Out via the Rhône Valley and back through the Massif Central

What’s the nicest cycling route to reach the ViaRhôna from Saint-Étienne?

More trip details here: randolavandou.blogspot.fr/ Thanks in advance

Starting from Saint-Étienne, you can reach the ViaRhôna in Givors by taking the departmental roads. In Givors, you're at the start of the ViaRhôna heading south via Vienne, Condrieu, Saint-Vallier, Valence, etc.

Thanks for your reply

Hey everyone, I’m taking 4 or 5 days off without pay along with my 3 weeks of vacation this summer to do a longer bike tour starting in England. Flying from Bordeaux to Bristol (to visit my dad), then taking a ferry to Rotterdam and crossing the Netherlands (to see our son), then northern Germany, and depending on the weather, either continuing to Scandinavia or heading south via Prague. I’d like to bike back home, otherwise take the train depending on how I feel and the time left.

This is a long-term test for us since we only go away for 2 or 3 weeks every summer, before eventually taking a 6-month trip for retirement in a few years. Wondering if my wife will put up with me in a two-person tent for 8 weeks though!

If you see a thread about a cyclist looking for a small dog that loves bike travel, you’ll know why come September!

For us, we're still starting from the Hautes-Pyrénées, then the Bardenas Desert in Spain, Burgos, and back via Roncevaux—1,100 km in 3 weeks. This year, no unpaid leave, sniff!! tandamour.e-monsite.com/

Hey Dave! What an awesome project—biking across Europe and visiting family along the way. That’s the dream!

Yeah, but "camping chez Dave" will be closed in July and August, Roger!

Hi everyone,

I finalized my roadbook this weekend. For 2017, it’s heading to Nîmes!! Because the Vuelta a España starts from this city 🤪 on August 19th, and I’ve never been to the Cévennes. Departure on Wednesday the 9th and arrival on Thursday the 17th. I plan to camp at: La Guyonnière (85) - Saint-Maixent (79) - Chabanais (16) - Juillac (19) - Saint-Céré (46) - Rodez (12) - Meyrueis (48) - Saint-Jean-du-Gard (30) - Nîmes (30). That’s 9 stages and about 900 km. I’m open to any tips!

Safe travels, and may Sainte Gamelle protect you!! 😇