Bike friendly hotels in Northern France?i

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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MarkEdmo
Posts: 3
Joined: 4 Jan 2015, 11:27am

Bike friendly hotels in Northern France?i

Post by MarkEdmo »

Am arranging a multi day group ride from Calais taking in the Somme, Arras, Ypres area and finishing in Bruges. Looking for advice on which hotels are bike friendly around Amiens and Ypres in particular.
It'll be quite a large group, maybe 16 or so.
Any advice welcome.............Thanks!
Emyr Parry
Posts: 35
Joined: 16 Nov 2009, 6:44pm

Re: Bike friendly hotels in Northern France?i

Post by Emyr Parry »

Talbot House in Poperinge (near Ypres) is very highly recommended, especially if your are visiting some of the WW1 sites etc

http://www.talbothouse.be

Emyr
MarkEdmo
Posts: 3
Joined: 4 Jan 2015, 11:27am

Re: Bike friendly hotels in Northern France?i

Post by MarkEdmo »

Many thanks Emyr, will see if they can put us up.
Good cycling in 2015
MarkEdmo
Posts: 3
Joined: 4 Jan 2015, 11:27am

Re: Bike friendly hotels in Northern France?i

Post by MarkEdmo »

Hi Emyr,
Thanks for the tip, booked today!
chocjohn9
Posts: 300
Joined: 20 Mar 2012, 10:07pm
Location: Sunny Belgium

Re: Bike friendly hotels in Northern France?i

Post by chocjohn9 »

For Northern France, I recommend Formula1 hotels. Basic, cheap and they let you put your bikes in the rooms. Often there is a supermarket very close by.

For Belgium, you are sorted but note the following -
* If there is a cycle path, you HAVE TO use it. Car drivers will be very unkind to you if you don't. But if you have right of way, they are very nice :D
* Make sure you have good maps/GPS. The signposts are terrible. The road surfaces aren't great either.
* Other cyclists will blank you. I think this is a club thing and there are loads of cyclists about and you can not spend all day waving :D

Have a good trip.
tatanab
Posts: 5033
Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: Bike friendly hotels in Northern France?i

Post by tatanab »

chocjohn9 wrote:* If there is a cycle path, you HAVE TO use it. Car drivers will be very unkind to you if you don't. But if you have right of way, they are very nice :D
Disagree. I was last in Belgium in 2006 and looked careful into this and found that you have to use the path unless it is "unsuitable". I found one alongside a main road which was sub standard even by UK standards. I did not use it and had no problems whatsoever. Other paths were fine. Agree that the drivers are excellent at watching for you.
* Make sure you have good maps/GPS. The signposts are terrible. The road surfaces aren't great either.
Agree entirely. I used IGN 1:100,000 maps because that is what I use in France. The Belgian ones were poor. Signposts in the lanes barely exist, but on the other hand the road might have a name like Rue de Next Town which helps. Road surfaces often seemed to be concrete slabs so you hit a join every 10 yards of so.

It's a different experience.
chocjohn9
Posts: 300
Joined: 20 Mar 2012, 10:07pm
Location: Sunny Belgium

Re: Bike friendly hotels in Northern France?i

Post by chocjohn9 »

I live in Belgium :D and there has been a change in the law. You have to use them. If you do not, car drivers have a lovely habit of letting you know their grievance by driving very close to you and/or papping their horn aggressively as they pass, which always frightens the life out of me. Yes, sometimes the cycle paths are in a terrible state but it's tough, I'm afraid.
james01
Posts: 2116
Joined: 6 Aug 2007, 4:48am

Re: Bike friendly hotels in Northern France?i

Post by james01 »

chocjohn9 wrote:I live in Belgium :D and there has been a change in the law. You have to use them. If you do not, car drivers have a lovely habit of letting you know their grievance by driving very close to you and/or papping their horn aggressively as they pass, which always frightens the life out of me. Yes, sometimes the cycle paths are in a terrible state but it's tough, I'm afraid.



I've experienced this aggression in Belgium. What the locals don't appreciate is that a stranger without local knowledge is unlikely to spot some half-hidden entry-point onto a bike path. Hope this rule never crosses to the UK.
Back to topic: I've never found a bike UNfriendly hotel in France. They've always been welcoming and fully understand the need for securing the bike overnight. As in the UK, bike usage levels vary regionally and utility cycling seems to be fast-disappearing in some rural areas of France. Recently our country guest-house proprietor in Normandy was shocked when we cycled into the local town (4 miles) for an evening meal instead of booking a taxi.
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