Narbonne to Roscoff: The Cheese Tour

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Bogawski
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Re: Canal Entre Deux Mers Route

Post by Bogawski »

Try and take in Brouage north of Royan. It is a fortified supply town from Napoleon's time, one hotel on the main street, scenic and interesting.
bohrsatom
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Re: Canal Entre Deux Mers Route

Post by bohrsatom »

On the Garonne I'd be tempted to skip Montauban and stay in Moissac instead. Both are nice - Moissac has a very large Benedictine Abbey - but I'm not sure Montauban is worth the extra KMs of riding there and back on the same route.

Also to take a small detour south of Valence D'Agen to visit Auvillar, a very small but extremely picturesque village with fantastic views over the Garonne river: https://imgur.com/a/LX7FIcd
Euro-Paul
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Re: Canal Entre Deux Mers Route

Post by Euro-Paul »

Hi - I rode from Cherbourg to Narbonne in May this year, using the Canal Entre Deux Mers for this part of the tour, and I would also suggest not bothering with the detour into Montauban, only to have to return to the canal the following morning. I stayed on the outskirts of a small town called Montech instead. I found a really nice but small new-build self catering chalet called "Chalet piscine Montech" on Booking.com. Address is Route de Montagne, 82700 Montech, France. (Just search for it on Booking).

Regarding the canal - most of it was good canal-side riding, and pleasant, but I didn't bother with the rough parts of the Canal du Midi - switched to small roads down past Toulouse and Carcassonne, largely following the Komoot app, set to the "cycle touring" option.

Hope that helps - have a great ride. :-)
Paul.
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MrsHJ
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Re: Canal Entre Deux Mers Route

Post by MrsHJ »

Bump, and thanks for all the advice. I’m going to book my ferry over Xmas and tweak things a bit.

Edit: Ok, ferry is booked for 2 weeks in May ( before half term!). I know that May can be wet in western France but overall I prefer comfortable cycling temperatures to hot weather and so I’ll take a bit of rain (hopefully not too much!).

NB Brittany ferries are offering fully flexible tickets for the same price as semi flex at the moment so I took that. My return ticket (one overnight and one day sailing) including a cabin in each direction from Plymouth-Roscoff-Plymouth was £244.

I’ll book my train tickets as soon as they’re released including the overnight couchette down to the med so that will probably be around £100 one way. On the way back it’s local trains so should be less than £50. Only other travel costs should be pain au chocolats etc for the engine- not cheap overall but also not terrible (the cabin is me using a 2 berth for one person). I’ll budget around £65 per day for modest hotels. I’ll be looking for 15 nights accommodation (I leave on a Thursday night and get back on a Sunday but have a night on the boat and one on a train) and giving myself a bit of leeway I’ll have a budget of £1600. Food isn’t a big budget for me so that’s not a concern as I don’t eat out much NB I’m on holiday not trying to travel round the world on a shoestring so I am happy to spend a bit to have a hotel that’s in a nice location etc.

Updated route to get me back to Roscoff. Tempted just to extend my time by a few days and get back to the port. Luckily the ferry is a flexible booking so I can extend it. https://cycle.travel/map/journey/385150
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MrsHJ
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From the Med to Roscoff with Cheese.

Post by MrsHJ »

Ok, all booked except the train trip down (waiting for those seats to be released- booking currently runs to the Wednesday in May and I want the Saturday).

I’m keeping an eye open for train strikes which are apparently a particularly big risk in May. I’d be ok to go a day or so earlier, any more complex than that and I think I’ll be flying.

I’ve taken on board comments and I’ll be tweaking away from the rougher bits of the canal du midi.

Even the hotels and so on are booked (I’ve mostly gone for places with a kitchenette) - cancellable but there are a few pinch points with limited options and I wanted those tackled before I travel. Hopefully it means I’ve had a decent choice and got some reasonable prices. I think prices have gone up slightly from last year- I’ve increased my budget by around 10%. The priciest section overall is the canal in Brittany- not lots of choice and prices on the high side.
I
I’ve also been working on me - it wouldn’t stop me doing this trip but I’ve been focusing on weight and health doing a 75 day programme and I’ve lost over a stone so far, hopefully a stone and a half by the mid point next week(six pack revolution- and no I don’t have a six pack or want one). This is more about being in better shape for future trips, not for a fairly flat one like this.

I already have a title for this trip. It will be the Cheese Tour as I’ve only been having cottage cheese for the last 5 weeks! I realise this isn’t the cheesiest part of France but I don’t think I’ll mind.
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/385963
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bohrsatom
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Re: From the Med to Roscoff with Cheese.

Post by bohrsatom »

MrsHJ wrote: 18 Feb 2023, 10:43am realise this isn’t the cheesiest part of France but I don’t think I’ll mind.
It's still France :D so you can put the cottage cheese to the back of your mind and treat yourself to something different every day

MrsHJ wrote: 18 Feb 2023, 10:43am I’ve taken on board comments and I’ll be tweaking away from the rougher bits of the canal du midi.
If you find yourself in the area on a Sunday, don't be afraid of going for a busier road than you might usually choose. We ended up on the D33 between Castelnaudary and Carcassonne with the most fantastic tailwind and barely another car on the road. I remember riding fully laden at 20mph without having to turn the pedals, it was great
bg
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Re: Narbonne to Roscoff: The Cheese Tour

Post by bg »

Hi
I will be just outside Royan for most of May.

Little bit of local knowledge:-
The cycle path from La Palmyre to Ronce is narrow and bit bumpy I much prefer to stick to the D25.
Also the ferry at Soubise does not run at low tide.
Good luck.
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MrsHJ
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Re: Narbonne to Roscoff: The Cheese Tour

Post by MrsHJ »

bg wrote: 21 Feb 2023, 3:00pm Hi
I will be just outside Royan for most of May.

Little bit of local knowledge:-
The cycle path from La Palmyre to Ronce is narrow and bit bumpy I much prefer to stick to the D25.
Also the ferry at Soubise does not run at low tide.
Good luck.
Hi all, I’m hoping to take the Soubise ferry tomorrow but there seems to be no schedule- does that mean no sailings as it’s not a weekend or school holiday or just that I need to arrange it? Thanks all- if it’s a problem I’ll reroute.

Photo from today:
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simonhill
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Re: Narbonne to Roscoff: The Cheese Tour

Post by simonhill »

This is from their website (assuming I've got the right ferry).

"April, May, June and September - Weekends, public holidays and school holidays.
July and August - Daily."

http://www.riveo-rochefortocean.com/
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MrsHJ
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Re: Narbonne to Roscoff: The Cheese Tour

Post by MrsHJ »

simonhill wrote: 30 May 2023, 5:28pm This is from their website (assuming I've got the right ferry).

"April, May, June and September - Weekends, public holidays and school holidays.
July and August - Daily."

http://www.riveo-rochefortocean.com/
Yeah- I’m sure I saw daily from c 1 May somewhere else but I’m not inclined to risk it- experience with French opening hours warns me not to be over optimistic! Ah well- I will reroute a little.
simonhill
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Re: Narbonne to Roscoff: The Cheese Tour

Post by simonhill »

What's the weather like there?
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MrsHJ
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Re: Narbonne to Roscoff: The Cheese Tour

Post by MrsHJ »

29c in the afternoons. 18c at 9am. Toasty but not too bad except a bit hot for sleeping. I’m aiming to do the bulk of my cycling by about 2pm and I’m only pottering after that plus the route has had a lot of shaded sections.

There has though not been enough cheese- I must work on that!
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simonhill
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Re: Narbonne to Roscoff: The Cheese Tour

Post by simonhill »

Thanks.

I'm happy with around 30. Better than the cold NE wind blowing across East Anglia at the moment.
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MrsHJ
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Re: Narbonne to Roscoff: The Cheese Tour

Post by MrsHJ »

simonhill wrote: 30 May 2023, 7:14pm Thanks.

I'm happy with around 30. Better than the cold NE wind blowing across East Anglia at the moment.
Sounds better I agree. Where are you thinking of going (other than south!).

My accommodations have been mostly really nice (a big improvement in the ones I stayed in on La Voie Bleue)- the only annoyance is they often don’t open for check in until 5pm. I think that’s a thing in France- I’ve been finding a local park or tea shop and chilling with my book. If it was cooler I’d just start a couple of hours later but cycling in the hot afternoons isn’t my favourite.

Observation for the canal du midi- if the wind is blowing (it tends to get strong north easterly winds called La Tramontane) then sometimes the ropey canal path is a lot more sheltered than surrounding roads- pays your money takes your choice etc.
simonhill
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Re: Narbonne to Roscoff: The Cheese Tour

Post by simonhill »

Get to Bordeaux Sat evening.

Planning to do a little circle. I'm heading for St Jean Pied de Porte, where I started The Camino, about 30 years ago. A bit of a walk down memory lane and also filling in my personal Manche to Gibraltar. Then back to Bordeaux with option of train if necessary.

Only planned (and booked) first day. Ride the Piste Cyclable Roger Lapébie. That'll probably be enough cycle path for me. After that play it by ear.

Unfortunately rain forecast for next week - but I'm hopeful.

Enjoy your ride up north, hopefully it will warm up as you go - Roscoff currently 16C and 18+ mph N E wind.
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