Cycling holiday this summer (04) ?
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Hi all,
Me and my mates (there is 4 of us) are taking a cycling
holiday this summer. But we have not set an actual route
yet. We have a return flight that drops us in Paris between
the 28th July > 18th August. I know these will be
particulary hot months, so wheres the best place to go ?
Please don't tell me I should have a route by now - because
I am heavily aware of that.
We plan to cycle for about 2 weeks, stay somewhere for a
week then go home. We intend to catch a train between
Paris and wherever we start/end - so our possibilities
are endless.
We can go either to the two extremes, beach holiday/skiing
holiday. Has anyone been on any routes in France that may
appeal to us? We did cycle the WHW (West Highland Way)
,against the odds, last year. We had struggled a little, as
we were cycling a completely off road route and were laiden
with weight. We covered about 140 miles in the end in 5 days
- I know its slow pace, but it was a somewhat leasurely
cycle. We loved the views, the weather was fantastic and it
turned out to be a really good trip (apart from
Kingshouse!).
If its a beachy holiday, we would like to end up somewhere
in a big city. If its skiing - I wouldnt mind. We are
taking our own accomodation, in the form of a large tent.
We managed to steal a deal of a tent at 10kgs, its a
spacious 4 man, with living space (to store the bikes). We
had two separate tents last year, which meant leaving the
bikes outside most of the time, so this year we have a
bigger tent.
We also carried breakfast and tea last time, and we would
buy lunch from a Pub. But we aren't that sure of what the
plan is this time.
So, where do you all think we should go, and what we should
do about food etc. We aren't afraid of big hills, hot
weather nor most other things. We are up for a laugh and
want a good holiday. Bear in mind, we are 18....so some
party atmosphere somewhere would be cool!
Thanks All,
All responses are appreciated, unless they bear no
relavance - then they are not , well depends on the topic.
You get the idea.
Benjamin
On 28 Jun 2004 09:46:37 -0700, lessani@nildram.co.uk (Ben Lessani)
wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>Me and my mates (there is 4 of us) are taking a cycling
>holiday this summer. But we have not set an actual route
>yet. We have a return flight that drops us in Paris between
>the 28th July > 18th August. I know these will be
>particulary hot months, so wheres the best place to go ?
>Please don't tell me I should have a route by now - because
>I am heavily aware of that.
>
>We plan to cycle for about 2 weeks, stay somewhere for a
>week then go home. We intend to catch a train between
>Paris and wherever we start/end - so our possibilities
>are endless.
Train to Bayonne on the Atlantic Coast - you have to
take the slow one if you don't want to have to dismantle
your bike.
Cycle to Cebere on the Mediterranean Coast - 10 Days.
Cycle south into Spain and have a week in the sun on the
Portlligat Peninsular.
The slow train back to Paris starts at Cebere. The TGV
goes from Perpignan - but your bike will have to go in
a bike bag.
The whole of the Raid Pyrenean is on road - the Cols are
long and steep, up to 12% in some sections if I recall
correctly. The summits are cool the valleys hot.
>We can go either to the two extremes, beach holiday/skiing
>holiday. Has anyone been on any routes in France that may
>appeal to us? We did cycle the WHW (West Highland Way)
>,against the odds, last year. We had struggled a little, as
>we were cycling a completely off road route and were laiden
>with weight. We covered about 140 miles in the end in 5
>days - I know its slow pace, but it was a somewhat
>leasurely cycle. We loved the views, the weather was
>fantastic and it turned out to be a really good trip (apart
>from Kingshouse!).
>
>If its a beachy holiday, we would like to end up somewhere
>in a big city. If its skiing - I wouldnt mind. We are
>taking our own accomodation, in the form of a large tent.
>We managed to steal a deal of a tent at 10kgs, its a
>spacious 4 man, with living space (to store the bikes). We
>had two separate tents last year, which meant leaving the
>bikes outside most of the time, so this year we have a
>bigger tent.
>
>We also carried breakfast and tea last time, and we would
>buy lunch from a Pub. But we aren't that sure of what the
>plan is this time.
>
>So, where do you all think we should go, and what we should
>do about food etc. We aren't afraid of big hills, hot
>weather nor most other things. We are up for a laugh and
>want a good holiday. Bear in mind, we are 18....so some
>party atmosphere somewhere would be cool!
>
>Thanks All,
>
>All responses are appreciated, unless they bear no
>relavance - then they are not , well depends on the topic.
>You get the idea.
>
>Benjamin
lessani@nildram.co.uk (Ben Lessani) wrote in message news:<523c2a98.0406291215.12fefff6@posting.google.com>...
> Anyone ?
I'm sure more than 1 of you must have an idea. C'mon people,
help me out.....
Ben
Ben Lessani wrote:
>
> I'm sure more than 1 of you must have an idea. C'mon
> people, help me out.....
Sorry, but I really wouldn't start from there (Paris).
James
--
If I have seen further than others, it is by treading on the
toes of giants. http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/
James Annan <still_the_same_me@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> Sorry, but I really wouldn't start from there (Paris).
I would second that. Rather than getting into Paris and back
out look at ferries to Normandy/Brittany and work a route
out from there. Either circular or to South of France for
the beachy bit. Iain
iarocu@hotmail.com (iarocu) wrote in message news:<776fb9de.0407031138.391f6a1f@posting.google.com>...
> James Annan <still_the_same_me@hotmail.com> wrote in
> message
> >
> > Sorry, but I really wouldn't start from there (Paris).
>
> I would second that. Rather than getting into Paris and
> back out look at ferries to Normandy/Brittany and work a
> route out from there. Either circular or to South of
> France for the beachy bit. Iain
Ferries are ridiculously expensive, hence the flight. We
intend to catch the train to where we want to start, so it
doesn't matter where we land anyway. I already have the
flight - so I am not changing it for a ferry.
So any route you would like to specify - go ahead, because
we can catch a train to there.
Ben Lessani wrote:
>
> So any route you would like to specify - go ahead, because
> we can catch a train to there.
Well, in that case...I would head straight for the hills.
Not sure what the best train would be, we usually start from
Nice (Easyjet) and head north.
James
--
If I have seen further than others, it is by treading on the
toes of giants. http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/
James Annan <still_the_same_me@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<2kst0rF5r8ruU1@uni-berlin.de>...
> Ben Lessani wrote:
>
>
> >
> > So any route you would like to specify - go ahead,
> > because we can catch a train to there.
>
> Well, in that case...I would head straight for the hills.
> Not sure what the best train would be, we usually start
> from Nice (Easyjet) and head north.
>
> James
anywhere in particular, any routes we should choose ? even
some cities etc. would be helpful.
> > Well, in that case...I would head straight for the
> > hills. Not sure what the best train would be, we usually
> > start from Nice (Easyjet) and head north.
you can get some quite good deals on TGV's these days -
visit www.tgv.co.uk
lessani@nildram.co.uk (Ben Lessani) wrote in message news:<523c2a98.0407101636.7f57f132@posting.google.com>...
> James Annan <still_the_same_me@hotmail.com> wrote in
> message news:<2kst0rF5r8ruU1@uni-berlin.de>...
> > Ben Lessani wrote:
> >
> >
> > >
> > > So any route you would like to specify - go ahead,
> > > because we can catch a train to there.
> >
> > Well, in that case...I would head straight for the
> > hills. Not sure what the best train would be, we usually
> > start from Nice (Easyjet) and head north.
> >
> > James
>
> anywhere in particular, any routes we should choose ? even
> some cities etc. would be helpful.
Have you thought of looking at a map?
cheers
Jacob
"Ben Lessani" <lessani@nildram.co.uk> wrote in message
news:523c2a98.0407101636.7f57f132@posting.google.com...
> James Annan <still_the_same_me@hotmail.com> wrote in
> message
news:<2kst0rF5r8ruU1@uni-berlin.de>...
> > Ben Lessani wrote:
>
> > > So any route you would like to specify - go ahead,
> > > because we can catch a train to there.
> >
> > Well, in that case...I would head straight for the
> > hills. Not sure what the best train would be, we usually
> > start from Nice (Easyjet) and head north.
> >
> > James
>
> anywhere in particular, any routes we should choose ? even
> some cities etc. would be helpful.
Get a map which gives some idea of terrain (Michelin road
atlas?). Look for the lumpy bits. Pick a route using the D
roads. The end.
Honestly, that's all there is to it. Little french roads in
the hills are great, so you can't really go wrong.
This is why you're not getting any specific advice - there
is just too much to choose from.
Cycling the cols the TDF goes over is quite fun though -
would that be a suitable starting point?
cheers, clive
On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 13:04:11 +0100, Clive George wrote:
>
> This is why you're not getting any specific advice - there
> is just too much to choose from.
>
I think this is probably very true of France.
I've travelled quite widely in France but haven't cycled
much. However, if I was in your situation I'd think it would
be fun to start in Dijon and cycle south along the Saone and
Rhone valleys towards Lyon and the Med. Not hilly if you
stay in the valley but hills to the west if you want them.
Plenty of cheap wine. Down on the Med you can go east or
west. You'll find loads of tottie in both directions but
places like St Tropez, St Raphael and Nice are worth taking
a look at (or do I mean that the girls on the beaches are
worth taking a look at and getting to know?).
Don't think you've got to ride your bikes everywhere. Use
the train to move you round if you're bored or the
weather's bad.
--
Michael MacClancy Random putdown - "They never open their
mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge."
- Thomas Brackett Reed www.macclancy.demon.co.uk
www.macclancy.co.uk
In article <1ab3kx970mrxz.1rc4u8yq8lq6m$.dlg@40tude.net>,
herzelNOSPAM@o2.co.uk says...
> > This is why you're not getting any specific advice -
> > there is just too much to choose from.
>
> I think this is probably very true of France.
>
> I've travelled quite widely in France but haven't cycled
> much. However, if I was in your situation I'd think it
> would be fun to start in Dijon and cycle south along the
> Saone and Rhone valleys towards Lyon and the Med. Not
> hilly if you stay in the valley but hills to the west if
> you want them. Plenty of cheap wine. Down on the Med you
> can go east or west. You'll find loads of tottie in both
> directions but places like St Tropez, St Raphael and
> Nice are worth taking a look at (or do I mean that the
> girls on the beaches are worth taking a look at and
> getting to know?).
I think that you're definately referring to the girls, Nice
is horrific (despite the name). Large white high-rise flats
with balconies looking out over the sea and crammed with
coarse British tourists and restaurants to cater for them.
That said, them there Alps are supposed to be good cycling.
> Don't think you've got to ride your bikes everywhere. Use
> the train to move you round if you're bored or the
> weather's bad.
I would suggest that you head south west and aim for
Normandy and Brittany. You could even consider doing your
own slow-time Paris-Brest- Paris ride. Brittany is
fantastic cycling country and the people are used to seeing
lots of cyclists so you are treated with courtesy by other
road users.
If you're feeling a bit braver, just make sure that you've
got some good maps and good enough French to buy more and
just ride. I would suggest that you buy an up-to-date copy
of the Chambre d'Hotes guide. Remember if it has more than 3
stars, the jam will be home made! In about 10 years of using
them, we've only had one bad experience which we could
really have anticipated if we'd thought about it!
Most importantly; enjoy yourselves.
Jon
Clive George wrote:
>
> This is why you're not getting any specific advice - there
> is just too much to choose from.
What's worse, I believe that there are even some people who
do not particularly enjoy climbing big hills but would
rather pootle around the wine-growing areas. Without any
idea whether the OP falls into this category or not, it's a
bit of a waste of time me offering advice.
James
--
If I have seen further than others, it is by treading on the
toes of giants. http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/
On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 16:33:19 +0100, Jon Senior wrote:
> In article <1ab3kx970mrxz.1rc4u8yq8lq6m$.dlg@40tude.net>,
> herzelNOSPAM@o2.co.uk says...
>>> This is why you're not getting any specific advice -
>>> there is just too much to choose from.
>>
>> I think this is probably very true of France.
>>
>> I've travelled quite widely in France but haven't cycled
>> much. However, if I was in your situation I'd think it
>> would be fun to start in Dijon and cycle south along the
>> Saone and Rhone valleys towards Lyon and the Med. Not
>> hilly if you stay in the valley but hills to the west if
>> you want them. Plenty of cheap wine. Down on the Med you
>> can go east or west. You'll find loads of tottie in both
>> directions but places like St Tropez, St Raphael and Nice
>> are worth taking a look at (or do I mean that the girls
>> on the beaches are worth taking a look at and getting to
>> know?).
>
> I think that you're definately referring to the girls,
> Nice is horrific (despite the name). Large white high-
> rise flats with balconies looking out over the sea and
> crammed with coarse British tourists and restaurants to
> cater for them.
I spent a few days there in the late 80's and didn't
encounter many Brits. It was full of Italians. I suppose
it's changed.
>> Don't think you've got to ride your bikes everywhere. Use
>> the train to move you round if you're bored or the
>> weather's bad.
>
> I would suggest that you head south west and aim for
> Normandy and Brittany. You could even consider doing your
> own slow-time Paris-Brest- Paris ride. Brittany is
> fantastic cycling country and the people are used to
> seeing lots of cyclists so you are treated with courtesy
> by other road users.
I've been there in mid Summer and the weather's been awful.
I travelled to Nice just to get some sun.
>
> If you're feeling a bit braver, just make sure that you've
> got some good maps and good enough French to buy more and
> just ride. I would suggest that you buy an up-to-date copy
> of the Chambre d'Hotes guide. Remember if it has more than
> 3 stars, the jam will be home made! In about 10 years of
> using them, we've only had one bad experience which we
> could really have anticipated if we'd thought about it!
Jon, these are 18 year olds on a camping holiday! ;-)
>
> Most importantly; enjoy yourselves.
I'm sure they will, whatever ;-)
--
Michael MacClancy Random putdown - "He has Van Gogh's ear
for music." - Billy Wilder www.macclancy.demon.co.uk
www.macclancy.co.uk
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