Focus · 1 Mar 2022
Hiking in France, or cycling, or skiing... France has it all
From cycling to snowshoeing, Alpine hiking to flower-spotting, caminos to canals, France has got it all. Here's a selection of our favourite things to do in France.
Articles
22 articles found
Article · 24 Jul 2021
Grand Traverse of the Central Massif by mountain bike
The Grand Traverse of the Massif Central (the route from Avallon to Besse-en-Chandesse) provided Joost Ameye with 14 days of beautiful landscapes and exhilarating rides on a...
Article · 2 Jun 2019
Hidden Gem – the best area of the French Alps for a multi-activity holiday
Are you someone who wants to visit an Alpine region for a couple of weeks to explore and enjoy a number of mountain activities perhaps with different companions? The Chamonix...
Feature · 12 Jan 2019
The Canal de la Garonne from Bordeaux to Toulouse – a cyclist’s dream
The Canal de la Garonne links the two historical cities of Bordeaux and Toulouse. It passes through countryside laden with charm and culture, all of it haunted by the shadow of...
Article · 11 Aug 2018
Top tips for cycling the Route des Grandes Alpes
Jonathan cycled the Route des Grandes Alpes to celebrate his birthday and learned vital lessons along the way. He now has an abundance of advice to share with others on how to...
Feature · 15 Jul 2018
Route des Grandes Alpes – cycling through the French Alps
Jonathan and I took on our biggest cycling challenge yet, to ride 650km and climb 15000 metres in 9 days, creating a sort of elegant reversed question mark shape as we tackled the...
Article · 4 Jul 2018
Hidden Gem – have you ever visited the Cathar castles of southern France?
Dating from the religious turmoil of a period between 1000 to 1250AD, the castles built and occupied by the Cathars are found on high rocky outcrops, and command fantastic views...
Feature · 17 Mar 2018
A Trail of Two Cities: A new route from London to Paris by bicycle
Mike Wells’ new guidebook to cycling from London to Paris outlines a proposed route to reach Paris by bike for the 2024 Olympics, but you can ride it now!
Feature · 28 Feb 2018
An intro to… The Way of St James - France
An intro to… The Way of St James - France, answering questions like 'What's so special about St James?', 'What does the scallop shell mean?' and 'How fit do I need to be?'.
Article · 21 Jul 2017
A brief history of the Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual cycling spectacle held primarily in France. But how did it start? Why does the leader wear a yellow jersey? Here is a brief history of the race from the Cicerone guidebook to Cycle Touring in France.
Article · 21 Jun 2017
5 great days out along the Canal du Midi cycle route
Cycling the Canal du Midi makes for a wonderful and not too difficult tour from Toulouse to Sète in France. The 260km route can easily be cycled in a week although it is worth...
Feature · 5 Jun 2017
Cycling in the Pyrenees – Col des Tentes and Cirque de Troumouse
Seen the Tour de France? Cycled the Col du Tourmalet? Want to do something else? Why not try these two huge and stunning lesser-known climbs in the heart of the Pyrenees?
Feature · 5 Jun 2017
Cycling the Canal du Midi – history, route planning and more
Declan Lyons, author of Cicerone's guide to cycling the Canal du Midi, shares his personal relationship with the route, as well as discussing the history of the canal, what it's...
Article · 24 May 2017
The history of the Cathars along the Canal du Midi
In this extract from his guidebook, Declan Lyons gives a little background to the Cathars - signs of whom still exist along the Canal du Midi cycle route.
Feature · 8 May 2017
Challenges and surprises cycling the River Loire Route
For the past two summers, Mike Wells has been cycling up and down the Loire Valley in central France researching his new guide to the Loire cycle route. Here he recaps some of the...
Article · 22 Apr 2017
An intro to... the Loire Cycle Route
Have you ever wanted to do the Loire Cycle Route? Here is a very quick introduction to this delightful cycle tour through France.
Article · 21 Oct 2016
An intro to...the River Rhone Cycle Route
Everything you need to know about the River Rhone Cycle Route, because everyone should do at least one European cycle touring adventure.
Feature · 8 Feb 2016
The Velo Francette - France's newest long-distance cycle route
Gillian Thomas explores France’s newest long-distance cycle route the Velo Francette, through Normandy, Pays de la Loire and Poitou Charentes from Ouistreham to La Rochelle.
Feature · 13 Oct 2015
The Haute Route Alps – a long tough cyclosportive
The Haute Route Alps is 791km and almost 22,000m of ascent over seven consecutive days in some of the world’s most spectacular scenery. Regular Cicerone Extra contributor...
Feature · 5 Jul 2015
Cycling the 'Tour' cols of the Maurienne
In May Andy Hodges and a fellow cyclo-grimpeur Lee Rounce visited the Maurienne to taste the charms and challenges of some of the most famous climbs of the cycling world – before the Tour de France peloton gets its wheels on them at the end of...