Jack Jackson has been seeking out adventures since his teenage years, and writing about them for almost as long. When he couldn't find a Cicerone guide to La Vélodyssée, France's great Atlantic coast cycle route, he decided to write one himself. We talked to Jack about what makes this 1,300km journey from Brittany to the Spanish border such a compelling ride, who it's for, and why a fresh French pastry always tastes better after a bike ride.
Cycling La Vélodyssée - available as a printed guidebook (£18.95), digital eBook (£18.95) or optimised for mobile on the Cicerone App (£9).
You've been having adventures since your teenage years, hitchhiking to Wales for rock-climbing weekends. How did that turn into writing this guidebook, and what have been some of your favourite adventures along the way?
Planning a trip has always been a fun part of any adventure for me, and it often starts when the glossy guidebook slides from the envelope onto my desk. When I first started thinking about cycling La Vélodyssée, I naturally went to the Cicerone website to see if there was a guide. When I found out there wasn't, I got in touch to say I thought it would make a great guidebook subject, and that if nobody else was going to write it, I would be happy to. And here we are.
I find it hard to pin down a favourite adventure. An Alpine climb that turns out to be much harder than you were expecting offers a different reward to a family canoeing expedition down the River Wye with small children, but both rank highly as great experiences. If pushed to choose one, having just come back from a 3,000-mile bikepacking trip from our front door in Devon to Izmir in Turkey, travelling with my wife Penny through ten very different countries and moving on to the next interesting place on 80 of the 84 days of the trip, I would have to say this one.
La Vélodyssée can be ridden as a day out, a one-week section, or the full route end to end. How does the experience differ depending on which way someone chooses to do it?
The cycle tourers we have met on La Vélodyssée have all had a different story to tell, and they each come to the route from different starting points, always metaphorically and often literally. We have met cyclists who are experienced bikepackers and those undertaking their first bike tour, some who are doing the journey as part of the EuroVelo 1 route from Norway to Spain and some out on a day ride. All of them were creating their own adventure and thoroughly enjoying it.
The route was included in a Lonely Planet list of the world's best bikepacking routes. What do you think it is about La Vélodyssée that earns it that kind of recognition?
La Vélodyssée takes you through three regions of France, possibly the most cycle-tourist-friendly country in the world, reflecting both the essence of the country and its variety. It travels through agricultural landscapes, iconic gastronomic regions and along stunning coastline.
At 1,300km it offers a genuine challenge for experienced long-distance cycle tourers, but as the route is relatively flat and has a high proportion of traffic-free trails, it is a pleasure for cyclists of any level. There are some great routes in the Lonely Planet selection and I think La Vélodyssée is as good as any of them.
It sits alongside the Loire, the Rhône and the Canal du Midi as one of France's big four cycle routes. What makes it stand out from the other three?
Those routes provide great cycle touring, but the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean definitely makes La Vélodyssée unique, with wild forest-lined sandy beaches running for hundreds of kilometres alongside the trail, punctuated by historic seaside towns and some of the chicest locations France has to offer.
The three main sections, Brittany to Nantes, Nantes onwards, and the run down to the Basque coast, each have a very different character. Could you talk us through how the landscape and riding change along the way?
La Vélodyssée runs the full length of France from the English Channel to the Spanish border and is divided into three sections by two major river estuaries, the Loire and the Gironde, with each section having its own character.
The northern section starts on the north coast of Brittany and follows the course of a disused railway then the towpath of the Nantes-Brest canal, contouring through medieval towns and past ancient castles, to the bank of the River Loire at Nantes.
The central section travels adjacent to the sea through the fertile agricultural land created by the drained marshland of Loire Maritime, Vendée and Charente. This section includes the historic port towns of La Rochelle, Rochefort and Royan. The route is very flat and follows a mixture of mostly traffic-free beachside cycle paths, canal towpaths and forest tracks.
The southern section crosses the River Gironde estuary by ferry and then weaves through massive undulating sand dunes and pine forests. It follows forest tracks, with the ocean never far away, from one holiday venue to another. Towards the end, hills start to emerge and the seaside towns become even more stylish.
You've described it as "type 1 fun", proper adventure but still a genuinely nice holiday. How do you think it manages to appeal to serious cycle tourers and complete beginners alike?
La Vélodyssée translates as an odyssey by bike, and it is exactly that: you can make it what you want it to be. It is easy to divide the 1,300km into daily distances that suit you, and the connectivity to other great cycle routes means La Vélodyssée can become a memorable part of a longer journey.
Some cyclists speed along the route and others build generous lunch stops into their itinerary. There are cycle tourists carrying minimal bikepacking equipment and some towing trailers containing children, luggage or pets. And there are plenty of electric bikes on La Vélodyssée.
From cheap campsites to smart hotels, La Vélodyssée seems to suit almost any budget. Is there a particular type of trip or style of travel you would recommend it for?
Those cyclists who race along the route complete the 1,300km in staggeringly quick times, but many more take on La Vélodyssée with an intention of sampling all the delights the regions have to offer.
There is accommodation and dining to suit all tastes and budgets: you can stay in basic campsites and cook for yourself, or in luxury hotels and eat some of the finest food in the world. La Vélodyssée is genuinely for everyone, but it is particularly popular with cycle tourists who want a physical challenge and an enjoyable holiday in equal measure.
There's no need to fly to reach the start, just a ferry crossing. How much do you think that accessibility plays into the appeal of the route for UK riders?
I think this is a significant feature of La Vélodyssée for riders travelling from the UK. Many of us enjoy cycling as a form of transport because it has minimal impact on the environment, which makes it a difficult decision when we want to travel to places that generally require flying. If you continue your ride after La Vélodyssée into northern Spain, a return ferry crossing to the UK is available from Bilbao or Santander, making a great loop. Stowing your bike on a ferry at the start and end of your journey adds to the adventure too.
Bordeaux and the Loire are two of France's great wine regions, and the route runs close to both. Are there any food or drink stops along the way you would go out of your way to recommend?
I think part of the pleasure of cycle touring in France is to let yourself be absorbed into the dining culture, whether that means shopping in phenomenal bakeries for your picnic breakfast, sitting outside a seaside café with a plate of freshly landed seafood, or enjoying a superbly cooked restaurant meal made from fresh local ingredients.
Each of the three sections has its local culinary specialities. In Breton towns there are crêperies serving two types of French pancake: the thin crêpe made with sweetened wheat flour and served with sweet fillings, and the thicker savoury Breton galette made with buckwheat flour.
The cuisine of the central section is unsurprisingly dominated by the sea. You will find moules-frites on the menu at most seaside restaurants, and the world-renowned Marennes Oléron oysters, usually served raw or with a squeeze of lemon, are available in most local restaurants as well as directly from the producers. La Vendée also has a successful poultry farming industry and is the second-largest producer of foie gras in France.
In the Basque country to the south of the Gironde estuary, livestock farming forms a significant part of the economy and this is reflected in the local cuisine. Kintoa pork from the local Pie Noir du Pays Basque pigs is used to make jambon de Bayonne, the most popular French ham. In the region's patisseries you will find colourful Saint-Jean-de-Luz macarons and gâteau Basque, typically filled with locally made black Itxassou cherry jam.
You mention the route has potential to appeal well beyond its current audience, including younger riders and families. What do you think would need to happen for that shift to take place?
I think most of us tend to choose activities we see people like us doing, and avoid those we don't. It is essential that we tell the stories, through as many channels as possible, that reflect the diverse nature of the cycling community. Cycling can be accessible to all, and La Vélodyssée is as good a place as any to start your cycle touring career. I have met young families on tour along the route enjoying a fantastic holiday together. You can only know if it is for you if you give it a go.
Most of those who have had the privilege of undertaking a multi-day bike tour go back for more, and for some it is genuinely life-changing. Many of us are leading more and more sedentary lifestyles and crave opportunities to be more active, and 1,300km of cycling will almost certainly have a positive impact on your physical and mental health. I always think a fresh French pastry tastes even more delicious if it is preceded by a bike ride.
Cycling La Vélodyssée - available as a printed guidebook (£18.95), digital eBook (£18.95) or optimised for mobile on the Cicerone App (£9).
About Jack Jackson, guidebook author:
Jack Jackson started creating adventures for himself as a teenager, hitchhiking to North Wales for rock-climbing weekends, and has not stopped since — whether on a crag, in the mountains, on the trail, on skis, in a kayak, or on a bike. With his love of self-supported journeying, Jack has undertaken many bike odysseys, including the Hebridean Way, the C2C, Lôn Las Cymru, King Alfred's Way, the Kjölur Route in Iceland, the Wolf's Lair in Italy, and La Vélodyssée itself. Having worked as a climbing instructor, maths teacher, secondary school headteacher, and CEO of a Multi-Academy Trust, Jack now spends his time planning, undertaking, and writing about his adventures in the outdoors.
