We're in the early stages of planning a trip from London to Murcia for a year or two's time. We'll be on road bikes, finding accommodation as we go but with bivvy bags / tarps for use if required.
Does anyone have any knowledge of the EuroVelo cycle routes, in particular Route 3 between Paris and Tours or Nantes, Route 1 from Nantes to the Spanish border and also Route 8 in Spain.
Also, the Canal du Midi and Canal du Garronne.
Any comments on the route, places to stay, things to see etc and where to cross the Pyrenees would be greatly appreciated
Hi, I couldn't find the routes specified on the map maps.google.esmaps.google.esOpen ↗ I have cycled a lot in Spain, but not in Murcia. I presume you will be crossing the west Pyrrenies to Navarra?
We're in the early stages of planning a trip from London to Murcia for a year or two's time. We'll be on road bikes, finding accommodation as we go but with bivvy bags / tarps for use if required.
Does anyone have any knowledge of the EuroVelo cycle routes, in particular Route 3 between Paris and Tours or Nantes, Route 1 from Nantes to the Spanish border and also Route 8 in Spain.
Also, the Canal du Midi and Canal du Garronne.
Any comments on the route, places to stay, things to see etc and where to cross the Pyrenees would be greatly appreciated
Hi, I couldn't find the routes specified on the map maps.google.esmaps.google.esOpen ↗ I have cycled a lot in Spain, but not in Murcia. I presume you will be crossing the west Pyrrenies to Navarra?
If I was cycling from London to Murcia, I think he should try to cross the border at Hendaye, on the French/Spanish border so as to avoid trying to climb the really high Pyrenees - especially if he's touring.
Hendaye is the flattest part of that Pyrenean region.
I have cycled the Canal du Midi from Royan to Agde but this will not help you to get to Murcia. You could cycle from St Malo via the Canal d'Ille et Rance to Rennes then down the Vilaine to Redon then by the Canal de Nantes a Brest.From Nantes you could get to Royan and go down the Gironde to Bordeaux. You could then head south to pick up the new GR99 which follows the river Ebro fron its source 50km south of Santander to the Med 1000km south. You would still be about 250km from Murcia. Eventually the Loire cycle path is to go from Hendaye on the France/ Spain border to the Black Sea but now only goes from St Brevin les Pins to Briare. I am planning to do the Ebro path this year.
I have cycled the Canal du Midi from Royan to Agde but this will not help you to get to Murcia. You could cycle from St Malo via the Canal d'Ille et Rance to Rennes then down the Vilaine to Redon then by the Canal de Nantes a Brest.From Nantes you could get to Royan and go down the Gironde to Bordeaux. You could then head south to pick up the new GR99 which follows the river Ebro fron its source 50km south of Santander to the Med 1000km south. You would still be about 250km from Murcia. Eventually the Loire cycle path is to go from Hendaye on the France/ Spain border to the Black Sea but now only goes from St Brevin les Pins to Briare. I am planning to do the Ebro path this year.
I'm gonna cycle the Camino some day. I've covered part of the route from France but as I was cycling toward Pamplona naturally I didn't cycle the full Camino route. But some day I will do so!
I live in Murcia and I am just about to do the reverse journey! This summer I will set off (although as I now the terrain very well between Murcia and Barcelona and I have to make sure I get to London in time for a mates wedding, I will start from Girona) I am not going through central France butI am going to head from Girona to Avignon, up to Lyon across to Geneva, up the rhine valley and then back across to Metz and up through Luxembourg and into Belgium up to Brugge and then down to Calais where I will get the ferry to Dover. A the moment I am planning to use the eurovelo route 8 then the jura route in switzerland and then up eurovelo 5 until Brussels. I know its not the same route that you are going on but I will let you know how I get on once I have finished - end of July 2012. I'm not sure how well signposted the eurovelo routes are but with a list of the towns and some local advice on the way I hope to make it!
