Cycling UK Forum

After doing LeJog in 8 days this summer, next year we are planning this (very approximate) route http://tinyurl.com/yakszu5.
The UK part will not be a problem. But I've never cycled in France and though I've been to the Alps a lot, that's the only area I've been.
What are the must ride through places that are roughly on the route above? And what places/roads must be avoided?
I'll be doing it by GPS, so an intricate route is not a problem.

We must go through the following places
Nottingham, Luton, Gillingham, Dover, Callais, Paris, Mont Ventoux, Giens.

There is no ferry service between Dover and Boulogne.

For Boulogne read Calais

Rather than go to the west of the Vercors, why not go over them. Superb scenery and surperb cycling.

Jack wrote:Rather than go to the west of the Vercors, why not go over them. Superb scenery and surperb cycling.

Because we have 9 days to cover 1000 miles. We've allowed ourselves Ventoux as our only 'treat'.
However, if we were gong well and the weather was decent, I'd like to go over a decent range. The Vercors look like the ones to go for. Any particular route?

110 miles a day. And how, pray, are you going to see anything with that schedule? Doesn't matter where you go.

Now if you were doing 70/day, I could give you some advice.

I've cycled Paris to Nice in my time.

jake wrote:There is no ferry service between Dover and Boulogne.

LD Lines run a CAT service from Dover to Boulogne. Price with bike is £12 one way.

Hi,
Sorry to jump on this link.
I did e2e in 9 days a couple of years ago and have the same hope of doing France E2E.

Do you have a working link to your route please?

Can anyone advise how easy it is to navigate France by bike solo?

If you go to www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk (I'm the webmaster) and then the Journals link on the RH side there is one abut France ... it is the ride we did in Sept 2008

Not unlike your route, except that we did Calais - Reims - Dijon to take in some Champagne tasting. Great ride - we took 2 weeks with some half-days for sightseeing/wine-tasting etc .. south of Dijon it was pretty flat for the most part, and certainly S of Lyon when it follows the Rhone it's a fast route, especially if you get the Mistral behind you.

Sent an enquiry to the website if you want any more info

Rob

@tpark The link in my original post does work. Some people have problems with google maps, if this is you then google have a help page to sort that out. I will be honing the route over the coming months and being a total map head and after an extremely successful e2e route, I am confident that this will also be quality.

@Gearoidmuar Well why not help me anyway, and leave me to worry about where the boundary lies between tourist and challenge mileage.

@robgul Cheers, will do

Robgul - I paid for the CD of your trip back on July - still not arrived.