First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

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davetb
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First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by davetb »

Chris and I just returned from a month in France St. Malo to Agen on the Garonne by a zig zaggy route (700 miles). The only thing booked was the ferry out and car parking in Portsmouth (Park at my Place). Used tent, Gites, Chambre de Hote, small hotels & mobile homes. Used cycle paths, canal paths (some good some bad), minor roads and a few mainer ones. Met loads of fantastic people. Hired a Ford Ka to drive back to Caen and then back along the great canal path to the Ferry. A very good trip. Very pleased with the bikes Specialized Tricross Sports. Only one puncture and had to clean and regrease both had sets, still creaking a bit. As you can tell from the distance this was not meant as a fast big distance trip, but some thing suitable for us both, and it worked well. There are some photos on my Facebook page but I don't now had to share them here, if its allowed. :o)
Goinridin
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by Goinridin »

Well done both of you.
johnnyhamster
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by johnnyhamster »

Sounds like a great trip. Did you find accommodation expensive ?
PJ520
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by PJ520 »

Congratulations Dave. The Mrs and I are planning on doing something very similar next September; St Malo to Nice or as far as we can get (after a mere 30 years). We'll be flying in from the US. Any tips on getting to St Malo from the Paris airports? I haven't booked flights yet so I'm not sure where we'll be flying into. Many years ago I spent a week in Agen. Glorious time. (I wonder if Monique is still around. She's a granny now I suppose.) The car hiring is an interesting idea I hadn't thought of. We were thinking trains for getting back because we'd like to spend a couple of days in Paris.
You only live once, which is enough if you do it right. - Mae West
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bikes4two
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by bikes4two »

Pete Jack wrote: The car hiring is an interesting idea I hadn't thought of. We were thinking trains for getting back because we'd like to spend a couple of days in Paris.


In Germany (and the UK) I've used Hertz for one-way car rental for our tandem to get back to a channel port. Not all car rental companies offer one-way hire across borders, but Hertz were happy for me to hire in Baden Baden and leave in Calais.

I've also used the Bike Express for internal transfers within France.

I've yet to 'brave' train travel in Europe with the tandem - the booking office clerk in Baden Baden laughed (in a nice way) when I enquired about bike travel and showed her a picture of the tandem!
Without my stoker, every trip would only be half a journey
PJ520
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by PJ520 »

We may have better luck with trains, we'll have a bike each. I believe the TGV can be a rigmarole, you have to book in advance or some such.
You only live once, which is enough if you do it right. - Mae West
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jamesgilbert
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by jamesgilbert »

Pete Jack wrote:I believe the TGV can be a rigmarole, you have to book in advance or some such.


You do have to book bike spaces on TGVs in advance, it costs 10 euros per bike whatever the route. It used to be difficult to book, but it's now possible online (and even in English!) using this website: https://www.capitainetrain.com
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al_yrpal
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by al_yrpal »

Pete Jack wrote:Congratulations Dave. The Mrs and I are planning on doing something very similar next September; St Malo to Nice or as far as we can get (after a mere 30 years). We'll be flying in from the US. Any tips on getting to St Malo from the Paris airports? I haven't booked flights yet so I'm not sure where we'll be flying into. Many years ago I spent a week in Agen. Glorious time. (I wonder if Monique is still around. She's a granny now I suppose.) The car hiring is an interesting idea I hadn't thought of. We were thinking trains for getting back because we'd like to spend a couple of days in Paris.

There is a train station at St Malo, its on the route from Rennes. I think there is a connection to Paris from there. You can take bikes on trains, but not every train. So, look online and book your trains to get to St Malo. Cycling in Britany is very nice, or, you can head East to cycle along the invasion beaches to Caen and Honfleur. Lots to see - Omaha Beach, the Bayeux tapestry, the museum at Aromanches, the Mulberry Harbour, Pegasus Bridge all acompanied by Camembert, Liverot, Pont L'Eveque and Normandy Cider!

Enjoy..

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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simonineaston
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by simonineaston »

As usual when I hear about any trip to northern France, I am green with envy! :shock:
BTW just for info, the last time I went to Brittany via St Malo, I came across a decent little campsite less than half a mile from the ferry, here:
Camping in St Malo
Camping in St Malo

Some how I had managed to be unaware of said site for about 20 years, so include it here in case others are like me!
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
davetb
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by davetb »

Sorry everyone not to reply, have been rather busy since return, harvesting our little plot & trying to stay fit!!

Accom Johnny Hamster, was about what we expected. We had set ourselves a target of everything Ferries, accom, meals, car hire and getting down to the port of £100/day away (the longer away the cheaper per day!) Which we did:o)

All costs for TWO.
Hotels accom ranged from €40 to €75 plus if you had them Breakfast & dinner. Outside towns & tourist areas cheapest
Chambre d Hotes (B&B) €45 to €70. We often made our own dinner
Gite Etape (Hostel like) €34 to €40. Our own food
Gite €50. Own food
Mobile home; some very small €35 to €60/night. Own food
Campsites one only €8. Tent was only carried for emergencies but sleeping bags were used extensively in mobile homes and some Gites etc. We both find the ground a bit hard to get up from these days:o( Use our very small caravan normally, or the back of the van.
We always carried a spare dinner and breakfast material as some places were a bit awkward to get food

I would now always recommend car hire as it allows you to start or stop virtually any where; but local trains evidently are easy to get bikes on. Ours was almost the smallest you could get a Ford Ka.

Pete Jack, I am sure Monique, in Argen, is still lovely, the one we met was anyway :o)

We had a really great time, and came back full of go. Next trip is planned already :D
southerly
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by southerly »

Hi davetb,
my first post on the forum - I have lived in France 12 (the Aveyron) for 5 years now, due to illness for 4 of those years unable to get out and about on the bike. At 69 I need to get my fitness back little by little. I have had to endure seeing the local club riders pass right by my door every weekend, lots of old timers fit as fleas in their 70s'.

IMO France is just too enjoyable to rush through. Thousands and thousands of kilometres of GRs, a whole system of small roads where you will be lucky to see a couple of cars per hour, best described as brain massage.

I'm surprised you had to spend so much on accomodation. Breakfast is just too expensive and always loaded with sugary things. Of course July and August should always be avoided. Spring and Autumn are way better and cheaper. Menu de le jour/formulae where I live fantastic @ €11 but up to €15, eating at night is always more expensive. Don't forget Lidls very rarely in town centres and - you can look online to see the nearest to your planned route - €5 should buy you a very very good cold meal and fresh baked bread on the premises. If you've finished cycling for the day, Fink Brau beer €0.32c a can, easily better than French beers.

There used to be a system for bikes which cost the equivalent of £8 from anywhere to anywhere in France, allow 3 days for the bike to arrive and the French knew how to treat bikes, at Newhaven you could watch while they literally threw bikes onto a flatbed. Now TER trains are easy to use and your bike goes for free,there are a few racks to hang them from. Might be worth buying a Leisure/Loisirs Carte @ €20, this does'nt apply at the morning and evening rush hours. Very useful also in bad weather or heat waves (why suffer).

Once I've got my fitness somewhere where it used to be I shall ride to my chosen GR and change my road tyres for off-roadies - nice and easy no need to go faster.

If I can be of assistance to those planning to visit la belle France let me know.
Stuart
davetb
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by davetb »

Hi Stuart, Thanks for the tips.
Hope you can get out riding again soon.

Yes you are right France is too good to rush through.

We nearly always had our own breakfasts, because we like our muesli:o) But in Chambre d Hotes it comes as part of the package and often meant you had a nice chat to the owners. In Hotels the breakfast were more of a buffet which is much better value and often lots of fruit etc.

Evening meals yes I agree about good cold food, we didn't have a stove but ate our bought locally food often in the rooms or in the Gites in a communal kitchen.
However we never went out of the way to buy food so a couple of times had to get an evening meal, often plate de jour, or a couple of times had lunch because we new it would be difficult later.

As far as the cost of accom was concerned we normally took the first available, which some times was after a hrs hunting and on one occasion the only place in town, and the first time they had had availability for 6 months. Evening meal and breakfast there! Several times we got an amazing amount of help from locals, shop keepers and other accom proprietors.

If we had had internet access we might have been able to sort things better, but I think we both in the main enjoyed the adventure of hunting and being surprised with what we got. We met some fantastic people and slept in some amazing rooms. Something you wouldn't always get by camping.

Remember the prices I gave were Euros so a good 5 to 10% cheaper in pounds.
southerly
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by southerly »

davetb,
Time of year is critical if you are visiting touristy areas, this especially applies to France's Atlantic or Med coasts. But travel inland and even in July or August there is always accommodation. Agree about breakfast, I find it impossible to buy muesli that is'nt loaded with sugar - take your own.

Totally agree about NOT planning everything - it takes all the excitement and adventure out of a vacation. Late Spring/ early Autumn are the best and accommodation and prices drop. Also agree about camping, great when your young but old bones like a bit of comfort. Also spot on about avoiding town/city centres. The internet is so invaluable it cannot be overstated. You can easily see the contours of the places you think you would like to visit, then visit the tourist office sites and you will see all the available accomodation and places of interest. If your not into mountains check out the train lines this way you can avoid them and get to where you want to be with your energy intact. As I said the Loisirs Carte is invaluable.

Whereabouts are you in the UK, this can decide where/how you get to France. for me it was Newhaven-Dieppe as I lived in Hove and then onto Evreux. La Perche is beautiful, some hills but nothing serious. Down to Le Man easy cycling. La Vendee flat and for me a little boring. Charente Maritime, easy riding and delightful vinyard scenery. If the female mosquito likes you avoid Les Lande /Aquitaine but those Atlantic beaches are so profound. The Rhone is easy and enjoyable cycling. Lyon - the foodies capital of France and it has some micro breweries that are worth a visit (without the bike). For me the South - Bouche de Rhone is way too expensive. The Ardeche is something else, just stay to the river roads. I live in the south of the Aveyron in an area known as the Hundred valleys. You can stay on the high ground or swoop down to the rivers but you had better be fit for going up. Pas de Calais, no hard cycling but a very emotional experience if you visit the Cemetaries of all those who were slaughtered - British/French and German - what a waste to satisfy the European elites.

If you have any specific questions you can always PM me.

Bon Route - Stuart
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Monsieur
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by Monsieur »

Hi Dave
Sounds like a great trip!
Do you have a map of the route you took?
Solvitur ambulando
PaulSB
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Re: First tour in France after 50yrs together:o)

Post by PaulSB »

Pete Jack. Your post made me wonder if you are following the route in the book Francs en Velo. Below is a post I made on another site re part of the route.

I rode part of it last week - St Malo to Les Eyzies - before heading off to Bordeaux. Overall the route is very good and the directions are so good it's almost unbelievable. I followed the directions all the way to Les Eyzies and didn't need to consult a map once, which is quite an achievement on behalf of the authors. For example one direction was "turn on to the D913 but it will be signed D 1 because the 9 and 3 have fallen off" - that's true!!! There are a few points where a new roundabout has been built so use some commonsense as well.

I had difficulty getting out of St Malo and couldn't say if that was the directions or me - more likely me as it was the first day. All you have to do is keep the sea on your left and eventually you pick up signs for Cancale which will get you on the route in the town. I did go wrong on a couple of occasions but this was my fault - see below.

My strategy for using the book was to note each direction for each section in a small note book which I kept in my shirt pocket. I ran my Garmin to record the ride and calibrated this in miles and had a cycle computer calibrated in kms. I used the cycle computer to judge the distance between directions so if the direction was "4km out of xxx watch for a left turn" I had a good idea of when the turn was coming up. I then whipped out the note book and glanced at the next direction while still riding. The ONLY times I went wrong - and you get a gut feel before it happens - were the two occasions when I missed out a turn in my written notes which was given in the book. Both times I sensed something was wrong and stopped to consult the book before continuing.

Overall the route is excellent though there are two horrible sections on the part I rode. Segre to St Georges-sur-Loire on the D961 - this is dead straight for 20km, quite fast traffic and boring as can be. The other REALLY tedious bit is Fountevraud-l'Abbaye to Loudon which once you hit the main road is 22km straight with one blissful climb to break the monotony, after this there are more very long, boring straights en route to Parthenay. At the end of this day I was cursing the authors, the Romans, the French, myself, everyone and everything. I found these long straight roads mentally exhausting as you can see the next village 10-12kms ahead and never seem to get there!

The tough bits above are more than compensated for by some glorious riding which truly made me well-up emotionally at times. It was just fantastic in places. The Loire stretch and Val de Vienne especially so.

Overall there is more climbing than I had anticipated but I found nothing that couldn't be tackled with a nice steady climbing rhythm.

if you camp I guess anywhere will do. If you want accommodation I suggest researching this carefully. I literally slept in a hedge one night as there were no rooms to be had in Parthenay. The recommended hotel in Hautefort is closed but fortunately there is a brand new Travelodge style hotel (Euro 55) about 4 km away in St Agnan as there is very little else for a long way. I would definetley book accommodation ahead in the morning or the previous evening. If wanted I can post the details of the places I stayed.

Some of the riding is very rural and you will need to carry the basic spares. I strongly suggest carrying at least three litres of water all the time and replenish at every opportunity. Also be sure you are carrying enough to eat with one spare meal, i.e. if you've eaten lunch be sure to have your evening meal with you in case you get really stuck and can't find a shop.

Anything else just ask. If the whole route is as good as the part I rode you will have a great journey. DO IT!!

The book is advertised in places as coming with GPX files but I couldn't find anywhere that actually had these. I've now got them as far as Les Eyzies. This toute is the one Saddle Skedaddle advertise. There main trip is 16 days with I think two rest days. Based on my experience to La Dordogne area I think I could ride it in 13-14 days.
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