Cycle Touring in France

Cycle Touring in France concentrates on eight selected one- or two-week bicycle tours which endeavour to offer cyclists of all levels a taste of France’s diverse landscapes and superb scenery.

From rugged mountain ranges to vast, variegated patchworks of farmland, from beautiful, tranquil forests full of wildlife to high, remote, sweeping plains, from deep, snaking gorges to gentle valley slopes covered with vineyards, France is undoubtedly one of the most inviting countries in the world for cycle touring, a country understandably proud of hosting the greatest cycle race on Earth, the Tour de France. Peppered with hundreds of charming villages that time seems to have forgotten, here you will encounter friendly people, sample fine wines and enjoy exquisite, regional cuisines.

Covering some of the most picturesque parts of Brittany, Picardy, Alsace, Auvergne/Languedoc, Provence, Dordogne/Lot, the Alps and Pyrenees, the tours in this guide are accompanied by detailed route descriptions and maps, lists of campsites, bed and breakfasts and hotels, airport and rail connections, and practical information including tips on when to go and what to take, transporting your bicycle and being prepared for carrying out bicycle repairs on the road.

The blue IGN (Institut Geographic National) 1:100 000 Carte Topographique Top 100 maps are highly recommended for the tours in this guide. There are 74 in all, covering the whole of France. They are detailed maps complete with contour lines, aimed especially at cyclists and walkers. Most good bookshops can order them in, or you can buy them online at www.stanfords.co.uk or www.mapsworldwide.com.

This is a list of the relevant map numbers for the tours in this guidebook:

• Brittany tour 13 (Brest/Quimper), 14 (St Brieuc/Morlaix)

• Marne Valley and Picardy tour 09 (Paris/Laon)

• Alsace tour 12 (Strasbourg/Forbach), 31 (St Dié/Mulhouse/Basle)

• Alps tour 45 (Annecy/Lausanne), 53 (Grenoble/Mont Blanc), 54 (Grenoble/Gap)

• Provence tour 60 (Cavaillon/Digne les Bains), 66 (Avignon/Montpellier), 67 (Marseille/Carpentras)

• Pyrénées tour 70 (Pau/Bagnères de Luchon), 71 (St Gaudens/Andorre)

• Dordogne and Lot tour 48 (Périgueux/Tulle), 57 (Cahors/Montauban)

• Auvergne and Languedoc tour 49 (Clermont-Ferrand/Aurillac), 58 (Rodez/Mende), 59 (Privas/Alès)

Michelin publish the very useful France 1:200 000 Motorist and Motoring Atlas, updated annually. It covers the whole of France, indicates most recommended campsites, and includes some city and town maps. The campsites in this atlas are described in detail in Michelin’s Camping Caravaning le guide, which is also updated annually.

August 2013

The length of Tour 7 day 4 is 80km not rather than 69.

November 2007

The Eurostar terminal in London is now at St. Pancras International, not Waterloo, and there is also a new station in Kent, Ebbsfleet. For train information and to book tickets go to www.eurostar.com

'Written by a cyclist, for cyclists. Each tour has a detailed route description plus maps, lists of campsites and tips on what to take and how to deal with roadside repairs.'

(France Magazine / September 2006)

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'Having toured extensively through France, it came as a surprise to find how much superb information is contained within this handily-sized guide. There is an excellent set of 8 routes in different areas of France, each well set out in stages easy enough for most cyclists to follow, complete with an altitude graph when there is a climb of some difficulty.

This book is not just ideal for planning a first visit, but also to inspire those who wish to explore further afield within the country.'

(Cycling World / November 2006)

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'This little guide is a gem. The author has carefully selected eight varied, linear routes dotted around Fance and then gone into great detail about how to get to the start and back from the finish, where to stay and what to see.

Routes are between four and six days' long and range from between 131 and 221 miles in length. Also contained within the book are numerous useful sections including using French railways, what to take on tour, parts of the bike in French.

On the whole, there's everything here that you need in one neat volume to get you on tour - and what better place to go than France?'

(Cycle magazine / June - July 2007)