cycling from santander to cherbourg

[newbootclimbco]

Regarding my recent post about the above, now thinking if possible. Catch a ferry from Portsmouth down to Santander and cycle back to Cherbourg. Questions , Due to a back problem occuring 18 months ago whilst touring France with a loaded bike, i'v decided to dump the tent and extra weight and ,so will I find accommodation along the Eurovelo 1, is it sign posted well enough ? Thinking of August/sept time. I can cycle to Portsmouth from my home town of Wimborne in a day and after Cherbourg its only a short hop to home. As usual any thoughts and ideas etc ,gratefully received, thanks T.

[eileithyia]

i've never worried about accommodation, just used to head off in the pre internet days and assume i would find somewhere to stay....
It didn't fail, I also had my hostel card and relevant pages from the international handbook with me... either head for a hostel or for a village / small town at the end of the day... there was always somewhere to stay.

[ossie]

You could always do Santander - St Malo - Poole if you find the legs are struggling to get to Cherbourg. Just a thought..Ive done St Malo - Poole several times and you can even break it up with a night in Jersey as that will be you first port of call. The ferry terminal at Cherbourg is excellent though, very bike friendly with a nice little restaurant. You have the choice of both however knowing when you disembark you have a nice short ride up Holesbay Road and along the old rail line to Wimborne !

As for accommodation, although I always take a tent and prefer to camp, I do have the 'Booking. com ' app on my phone which is excellent for sourcing last minute accommodation abroad at low prices. You may prefer to aim for the tourist information office but in my experience they tend to open and close when they feel like it.

[newbootclimbco]

Thanks eileithyia , just been looking at the Eurovelo route and accommodation, so thinking I may do as you say and chance my luck and just have a go. Also thanks to ossie , I know Cherbourg port well and it is a nice place and a good place to put my feet up ready for the last 8 miles back home. My bike knows the trail way so well I just sit back and let it get on with it. You must be local to me somewhere. Thanks Tim.

[borisface]

Why you going from Santander to Cherbourg - its all uphill.

In France, Gites d'etape are worth looking, just google. A bit like YHAs but cheaper.

[newbootclimbco]

Thanks borisface, well i'v cycled downhill so now uphill, and as I have plenty of time if I'm still able I can mess about in Normandy.and i'l look out for Gites. Cheers T.

[Tigerbiten]

Eurovelo 1, is it sign posted well enough ?

I did Lacanau Océan to Saint-Nazaire roughly following EV1 and then followed the coast right around to Mont Saint-Michel 2 years ago.
I found the signage along cycle routes in France variable, as it's a bit like in England.
Some parts where well signposted and easy to follow and then you get a blank bit with no signposts.
So I followed the "official" route where it was obvious and made up my own sections where I lost the official route.
But I think I only wild camped once on that leg of my tour.

[Ben@Forest]

Cycled St Malo - Bilbao in 2005. No set route so can't equate it to EV1 or any other route and mainly camped but we stopped at hostels in Nantes, Bordeaux, Biarritz and Bilbao no problem at all, no pre-booking. In fact we got to Nantes really quite late and chanced the hostel because didn't fancy pitching or cooking and the hostel at Bilbao was huge - low rise in fact.

[ossie]

Thanks eileithyia , just been looking at the Eurovelo route and accommodation, so thinking I may do as you say and chance my luck and just have a go. Also thanks to ossie , I know Cherbourg port well and it is a nice place and a good place to put my feet up ready for the last 8 miles back home. My bike knows the trail way so well I just sit back and let it get on with it. You must be local to me somewhere. Thanks Tim.

[newbootclimbco]

Thanks ossie, so it was your dog that took a chunk out of my ankle recently, [only joking] .yes its a great place to live, I cycled the trail yesterday down to the Baiter, shore road .I'd forgotten it was half term so the prom was really busy but it was nice to get down there. came off at Boscombe pier and home 30 miles just right. If I see a chap with 2 dogs along the trail i'll ask who he is. thanks T.

[embee]

In 2014,I rode the west coast of France following the Velodyssee (http://www.velodyssey.com) from French/Spanish border at Irun to Roscoff, then ferry to Plymouth. I too cruised to Santander, from Portsmouth. To get from Santander to Irun I put my bike on the express bus. (http://www.alsa.es/en/travel-plans/the-santiago-trail) Departed Santander around 8.30 hrs, in Irun 13.00hrs. As for the bike, removed panniers and secured front wheel to frame. Then just wrapped the whole lot well it in cling film ! Used up two rolls bought from a nearby supermarket.
No problems. I just had to stow it in undercoach hold myself. Alsa advised this method of wrapping for transporting bike when I travelled with them on my return from Santiago de Compostela to Santander the previous year. Tickets bought in UK via their website. Alsa is the Spanish subsidiary of...National Express. Could this method of conveying a bike be applied to their UK network ?
Hope to add photo later of bike ready for transit.

[bretonbikes]

In 2014,I rode the west coast of France following the Velodyssee (http://www.velodyssey.com) from French/Spanish border at Irun to Roscoff, then ferry to Plymouth. I too cruised to Santander, from Portsmouth. To get from Santander to Irun I put my bike on the express bus. (http://www.alsa.es/en/travel-plans/the-santiago-trail) Departed Santander around 8.30 hrs, in Irun 13.00hrs. As for the bike, removed panniers and secured front wheel to frame. Then just wrapped the whole lot well it in cling film ! Used up two rolls bought from a nearby supermarket.
No problems. I just had to stow it in undercoach hold myself. Alsa advised this method of wrapping for transporting bike when I travelled with them on my return from Santiago de Compostela to Santander the previous year. Tickets bought in UK via their website. Alsa is the Spanish subsidiary of...National Express. Could this method of conveying a bike be applied to their UK network ?
Hope to add photo later of bike ready for transit.

Clingfilm! Brilliant!

[bikepacker]

To get from Santander to Irun I put my bike on the express bus. (http://www.alsa.es/en/travel-plans/the-santiago-trail) Departed Santander around 8.30 hrs, in Irun 13.00hrs. As for the bike, removed panniers and secured front wheel to frame. Then just wrapped the whole lot well it in cling film ! Used up two rolls bought from a nearby supermarket.

Each time I have done those routes I have just cycled them. Much more enjoyment than sitting on a coach and no cling film needed.