First European cycle tour suggestions

[Isotonicake]

Hi,

My girlfriend and I are planning our first European cycle tour this summer around the last week July / first week Aug.

We had a successful wee trip round mull & Ardnamurchan in autumn last year but for this trip looking for some summer warmth.

I think we want an easy ride of around perhaps 80km ish per day - I will be starting your immediately after an ironman triathlon so likely to be quite broken at the start.

Thinking was to camp, cycle a couple of hours, leisurely lunch, cycle another couple of hours the enjoy some wine cheese & good* food with a hotel every 3/4 nights.

The route which keeps springing up is the euro velo route 6, but is there something better we are overlooking?

My girlfriend is fairly keen on doing some surfing too if at all possible.

Thanks.

[Wilfy]

I'm looking at cycling through France at some point this year and i like the look of http://www.velodyssey.com/

Wilfy

[MrsHJ]

France.

The velodyssey is nice but pick an area you like and wend through the yellow roads if you prefer, it will all be good.

[pwa]

Sounds like France, and if you want surf and some likelihood of warmth you are looking at Biarritz and the Western Pyrenees / Dordogne etc, down in the SW. Possibly including the Tarn Gorge. One week cycle tour and one week surfing?

[Colgrenfell]

Was, probably still am, a complete newbie to cycle touring... me and the girl did a bit of the velodyssey .. from Nantes to La Rochelle last summer. (Ferry: Plymouth - Roscoff, train from Morlaix to Nantes). It was bliss, no day to day planning required as you can't cycle more than an hour along the route without finding a campsite. We went peak holiday season and never had trouble finding space at a campsite- cost usually about 14euros a night for the two of us. Great food & wine.. some good surfing on the Atlantic coast too..

[Isotonicake]

Thanks all. Booked Portsmouth - St Malo over night ferry. Plan is to get train to Nantes then drift up the ev6, taking each day as it comes and finding campsite space where we want to stay with no fixed reservations.

I can imagine the freshly baguettes, coffee's sat in warm riverside café and the half carrafe of wine with lunch now.

[Colgrenfell]

If you're starting in Nantes, then this campsite http://www.camping-belleriviere.com/default.asp?lang=en was lovely (and cheap). About 15-20 mins outside the city centre. Cyclists really welcome... You could also happily spend a day in Nantes exploring, a great city.

Enjoy

[nirakaro]

Always wise to get most of your mileage in before lunch - it's amazing what a quarter litre of wine does to your legs!

[TrevA]

Always wise to get most of your mileage in before lunch - it's amazing what a quarter litre of wine does to your legs!

Agreed. I made a point of not drinking alcohol at lunchtime on my last Alpine tour. Made up for it at night though .

[neilob]

We have a rule which says no alcohol until within 5 miles of destination and/or your accommodation is sorted. Saves a lot of trouble!!