Pisa to Barcelona - any route advice

[mnichols]

Hi, I have posted this before and didn't get much feedback so I'm re-posting in case my first was badly worded or too specific...so I'm going to have another go.

I'm planning a route from Pisa to Barcelona next September - any route advice?

Places to see, places to avoid?

[jacksonz]

Grab the GPS files from this site: https://www.cyclingeurope.nl/ These great routes will take you to Barcelona..

For me the only question would be how to proceed from Pisa to France. You can go along the coast or inland. I passed through Pisa on the way to Rome this year in September, it was very busy.... Too many tourists..... My recommendation would be to go inland.

More routes here: https://www.biroto.eu/en/find-cycle-rou ... urs-on-map

What to see? Well, you better sit down an decide what you are interested in! Get a guide book. You won't be bored.

[mjr]

Two obvious options I'd consider:

The via Aurelia coastal routes of Tuscany and Liguria listed on http://italy-cycling-guide.info/cyclewa ... l-rides/3/ then the part-done Euro velo 8 (the Mediterranean way) from Nice to Barcelona.

The Euro velo 5 (via Francigena) north to its junction with Euro velo 8 which I think is Piacenza, then west along that, which I think crosses mountains to Nice.

[whoof]

If you are camping and want to look around Pisa there is a campsite not far from the Airport and within walking distance of the city centre.
http://www.campingtorrependente.it/

I did a ride from Toulouse to Nice a couple of years ago and stayed inland to avoid any coastal traffic. I remember going through Avignon (including popping over the Mont Ventoux) and Tarascon you could follow a similar route and head for Carcassone. I've also ridden from Cerbere on the French/Spanish border down to Barcelona again you might want to stay inland for quieter roads but the coast is were the majority of the hotels and campsites are.

[mjr]

I've also ridden from Cerbere on the French/Spanish border down to Barcelona again you might want to stay inland for quieter roads but the coast is were the majority of the hotels and campsites are.

That reminds me: I've looked at Barcelona to Montpelier recently and wrote this elsewhere:

Your best bet is probably to print or take www.openStreetMap.org cycle layer, but even then, I think your best bet looks like following the coast road to join EV8 between Barcelona and Sant Feliu de Guíxols - unless you like MTBing, in which case GR-92 seems to be cycleable between Montcada and Lloret del Mar but pretty lumpy: http://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/2329422

This is further north, after EV8 is marked on the map, but maybe isn't that different, as it's still Catalonia:
[youtube]onutGuvmHE8[/youtube]
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onutGuvmHE8

Bending your route off EV8 to visit Perpignan and see Dali's centre of the world, the citadel and the Palace of the Kings of Majorca would probably be worth it IMO. Also, people say nice things about the cycling near Girona and it might not be a huge detour
(source)

I've ridden part of the VV del Ebro in southern Catalonia some years ago and it's great once you're on it but I'm not sure whether I would have found it very easily without our host showing us the access point. I don't remember it being signposted from nearby roads in towns/villages at all. Things may have improved.

I'd check confusing bits on Street View or similar (but watch out for the last updated date on it) and try to have Plan, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency options. Oh and check out cycling-related roadsigns in both Spanish and Catalan. Another thing that was very strange on the VV was an incredibly low speed limit - I think 10km/h (6mph) was common, but thankfully unenforced. I think other stonedust cycleways may have that, too.

I suspect that you might not see a cycle route sign on the coastal route between Palamós and Barcelona... but I hope you'll return later to tell me I'm wrong!

http://www.pirinexus.cat/ has lots of downloads and might take you from Sant Feliu to almost Perpignan. http://www.eurovelo8.com/stages/barcelona-beziers has a map at the bottom showing what's signed, what's built and what's missing...

[ossie]

Crossing the Spanish border.

Four options.

Avoid the coast road in the summer it can be hell, the N11 is doable and has a decent shoulder and has been done several times on here but obviously its a fast road. The 3rd option was done by someone on here about 5 years back on a Recumbent. I believe thats the route the EV8 has adopted that drops you down to Figueres but involves some off road stuff. The fourth option (which I've done) is Camprodon and you don't want to entertain that from the French side trust me (bloody steep).

Many literally jump on a train as there's no easy solution for this crossing.

[3mn]

I'd look to include this route to get from Italy to France if I you have the time and like the mountains

https://torino-nice.weebly.com/intro.html

[mjotad]

Hi,

For the final leg from around Girona to Barcelona, you might want to have a look at:

https://cyclocat.cat/en/whats-cyclocat/

It's an attempt to map out safe cycle routes without traffic around Catalunya, sticking as far as possible to gravel tracks and low transit roads.

[mnichols]

The OP here

Thanks for all the responses, looking at flights I think I’ll be flying out of Girona

Will probably do the coast road around from San Remo to Antibes.

The friend I’m going with also wants to go to Luca (not sure of spelling) everything else is up for discussion

[mnichols]

Two obvious options I'd consider:

The via Aurelia coastal routes of Tuscany and Liguria listed on http://italy-cycling-guide.info/cyclewa ... l-rides/3/ then the part-done Euro velo 8 (the Mediterranean way) from Nice to Barcelona.

The Euro velo 5 (via Francigena) north to its junction with Euro velo 8 which I think is Piacenza, then west along that, which I think crosses mountains to Nice.

Thanks, I'll have a good luck at EV8. Tempted to go a week earlier and start in Venice

[mnichols]

Grab the GPS files from this site: https://www.cyclingeurope.nl/ These great routes will take you to Barcelona..

For me the only question would be how to proceed from Pisa to France. You can go along the coast or inland. I passed through Pisa on the way to Rome this year in September, it was very busy.... Too many tourists..... My recommendation would be to go inland.

More routes here: https://www.biroto.eu/en/find-cycle-rou ... urs-on-map

What to see? Well, you better sit down an decide what you are interested in! Get a guide book. You won't be bored.

Thanks, I've downloaded the routes and will have a look over Xmas

[mnichols]

Can someone tell me how I get the EuroVelo 8 GPX/TCX Files?

[nirakaro]

I passed through Pisa on the way to Rome this year in September, it was very busy.... Too many tourists..... My recommendation would be to go inland.

The thing with Pisa, the only real tourist draw is the leaning tower, so it's a day trip. Anywhere near there, by day, is like being in a football crowd, but if you go in the evening, you'll virtually have the place to yourself, and it's magical. The rest of Pisa is a pleasant town to stroll around in, if you like that.
The campsite's a walk away from the leaning tower, and is excellent.

[ossie]

Can someone tell me how I get the EuroVelo 8 GPX/TCX Files?

I found one here..not sure how it pans out


https://www.gpsies.com/map.do;jsessioni ... anguage=en

[jacksonz]

The friend I’m going with also wants to go to Luca (not sure of spelling) everything else is up for discussion

Lucca is a very nice ride from Pisa. You go along the Serchio River, it's mostly bike path. Get the track details here : https://www.opencyclemap.org/

Old Pisa is very bike friendly, the Lungarno should not be missed, it is one of Italy's great sights.

Pisa camping is busy with mosquitoes but it's OK.... However, the camping is very close to the railway station. It's quite easy to take day trips to interesting places like Florence or even Rome.....