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Cycling London to Paris

The classic Dover/Calais route and the Avenue Verte

ISBN

9781852849146

Availability

Published

12 Mar 2018

Edition

First

Pages

272

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.60cm

Weight

300g

Delivery & Returns

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Guidebook to the London to Paris Bike Ride, including both the 500km traditional route, which makes use of cycle tracks and quiet roads plus a ferry crossing from Dover, and the 400km Avenue Verte, a waymarked route via Newhaven/Dieppe which makes greater use of dedicated cycle paths. Each takes 5-7 days and they can be combined for a round trip.

Seasons

Both routes can be cycled at any time of year, though April-October is the best period. Off-road sections of Stages 2 (Pilgrims' Way) and 8 (Coulée Verte) of the classic route are best done after a period of dry weather.

Centres

The classic route passes through London, Rochester, Ashford, Folkestone, Dover, Calais, Desvres, Hesdin, Abbeville, Amiens, Beauvais, Chantilly and Paris. The Avenue Verte passes through London, Crawley, East Grinstead, Newhaven, Dieppe, Gournay-en-Bray, Gisors, Cergy and Paris.

Difficulty

Both routes are straightforward, with gently rolling hills and a few short ascents (the maximum altitude reached is only 204m). City street riding in London and Paris can be avoided by using trains to reach the edge of town. Much of the route follows dedicated off-road cycle tracks along old railway track-beds and canal/river towpaths. Where roads are used, these are mostly quiet country lanes or suburban streets. Mainly asphalt or compacted gravel surfaces in good condition, suitable for hybrid or touring cycles. Off-road options in Stages 2 and 8 of the classic route are suitable for mountain bikes at all times and hybrids or tourers in dry weather.

Must See

The two cities of London and Paris, with their many tourist sights, cultural offerings and gastronomic opportunities; the maritime centre of Greenwich; the North Downs with the Pilgrims' Way and White Cliffs of Dover; the Wealden landscape of Sussex and Kent (England) and the Bray (France); the medieval French towns of Calais, Hesdin, Montreuil, Abbeville and Gisors; the Somme and Oise valleys; the cathedral cities of Rochester, Amiens and Beauvais; the chateau of Chantilly; the limestone plateau of the Vexin

ISBN

9781852849146

Availability

Published

12 Mar 2018

Edition

First

Pages

272

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.60cm

Weight

300g

Delivery & Returns

Overview

A guidebook to the London to Paris bike ride through England and France. The classic route (490km, 304 miles) takes 9 days and the Avenue Verte (387km, 240 miles) 11 days to complete. Both routes are suitable for both first-time and experienced long-distance cyclists.

The classic route, via Dover/Calais, is described in 11 stages and the Avenue Verte, via Newhaven/Dieppe, in 9 stages, each between 13 and 63km (8–39 miles) in length. The routes are described north-south but a summary description is also provided for those wanting to cycle in the opposite direction.

1:100,000 maps and profiles included for each stage?
GPX files available to download?
Refreshment and accommodation information given for each stage
Suitable for road bikes
Information on cycle shops along the route

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Route summary tables

Introduction

Background

The routes

Natural environment

Preparation

Getting there and back

Navigation

Accommodation

Food and drink

Amenities and services

What to take

Safety and emergencies

About this guide

Classic route (via Dover–Calais)

Stage 1 Tower of London to Rochester

Stage 2 Rochester to Ashford

Stage 3 Ashford to Dover

Stage 4 Calais to Desvres

Stage 5 Desvres to Hesdin

Stage 6 Hesdin to Abbeville

Stage 7 Abbeville to Amiens

Stage 8 Amiens to Beauvais

Stage 9 Beauvais to Chantilly

Stage 10 Chantilly to St Denis market

Stage 11 St Denis market to Eiffel Tower

Avenue Verte (via Newhaven–Dieppe)

Stage 1 London Eye to Redhill

Stage 2 Redhill to Eridge

Stage 3 Eridge to Newhaven

Stage 4 Dieppe to Neufchâtel-en-Bray

Stage 5 Neufchâtel-en-Bray to Gournay-en-Bray

Stage 6 Gournay-en-Bray to Gisors

Stage 7 Gisors to Neuville-sur-Oise

Stage 8 Neuville-sur-Oise to St Denis station

Stage 9 St Denis station to Notre Dame cathedral

Appendix A Facilities summary tables

Appendix B Tourist information offices

Appendix C Youth hostels

Appendix D Useful contacts

Appendix E Language glossary

Updates

November 2022

Travelling with a cycle on Eurostar

After 3 years since they ‘temporarily’ ceased carrying cycles because of covid, Eurostar have begun carrying them again, but with a very limited service and with conditions of carriage that are not attractive to touring cyclists. Before covid, all trains to Paris and Brussels carried up to six cycles, two fully assembled and four dismantled, in specially designed fibreglass bike cases. Eurostar provided the cases and tools to dismantle/reassemble bikes in an area dedicated to this procedure.

The reinstated service carries bikes only on trains to Paris (not Brussels) on selected departures from London between 07.55 and 15.31 or from Paris between 11.13 and 18.13. Fully assembled bikes are not being carried. Four dismantled bikes can be carried, but cyclists must deliver their bikes already boxed to the baggage counter in either London or Paris. Pre-booking is compulsory and riders must now travel on the same train as their bikes. After completing the journey, boxes must be collected directly from the train and cycles reassembled on the platform.

This is far from ideal, and until Eurostar fully reinstate their previous cycle carriage policy, cyclists are recommended to take their bikes by plane, ferry or Euroshuttle when heading to the European mainland. The situation could potentially change.

The Cycling UK website www.cyclinguk.org has a page dedicated to Eurostar cycle carriage policy, which is updated regularly to contain any new information.

December 2020

Author updates

Mike Wells has provided the following updates:

London to Paris update Dec20 (101.546 KB)

Downloads

Cycling London to Paris - GPX File

By Mike Wells

After a career in marketing, culminating as marketing director of a leading supermarket group, Mike Wells started to write walking and cycling guides in his fifties. He has been a keen cyclist for over 25 years. After completing various UK Sustrans routes, such as Lôn Las Cymru in Wales and the C2C route across northern England, he then moved on to cycling long-distance routes in continental Europe and beyond. These include cycling both the Camino and Ruta de la Plata to Santiago de la Compostela, a traverse of Cuba from end to end, a circumnavigation of Iceland and a trip across Lapland to the North Cape. Even further afield he has ridden the Congo-Nile trail from the Congo basin to the source of the Nile in Rwanda's Nyungwe national park. On all these trips he was accompanied by his partner Christine, who sadly died in 2020.He has written 10 cycling guides for Cicerone, including a series following the great rivers of Europe. For a full list of Cicerone books and articles by Mike Wells, visit his author page.

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