I rode part of it last week - St Malo to Les Eyzies - before heading off to Bordeaux. Overall the route is very good and the directions are so good it's almost unbelievable. I followed the directions all the way to Les Eyzies and didn't need to consult a map once, which is quite an achievement on behalf of the authors. For example one direction was "turn on to the D913 but it will be signed D 1 because the 9 and 3 have fallen off" - that's true!!! There are a few points where a new roundabout has been built so use some commonsense as well.
I had difficulty getting out of St Malo and couldn't say if that was the directions or me - more likely me as it was the first day. All you have to do is keep the sea on your left and eventually you pick up signs for Cancale which will get you on the route in the town. I did go wrong on a couple of occasions but this was my fault - see below.
My strategy for using the book was to note each direction for each section in a small note book which I kept in my shirt pocket. I ran my Garmin to record the ride and calibrated this in miles and had a cycle computer calibrated in kms. I used the cycle computer to judge the distance between directions so if the direction was "4km out of xxx watch for a left turn" I had a good idea of when the turn was coming up. I then whipped out the note book and glanced at the next direction while still riding. The ONLY times I went wrong - and you get a gut feel before it happens - were the two occasions when I missed out a turn in my written notes which was given in the book. Both times I sensed something was wrong and stopped to consult the book before continuing.
Overall the route is excellent though there are two horrible sections on the part I rode. Segre to St Georges-sur-Loire on the D961 - this is dead straight for 20km, quite fast traffic and boring as can be. The other REALLY tedious bit is Fountevraud-l'Abbaye to Loudon which once you hit the main road is 22km straight with one blissful climb to break the monotony, after this there are more very long, boring straights en route to Parthenay. At the end of this day I was cursing the authors, the Romans, the French, myself, everyone and everything. I found these long straight roads mentally exhausting as you can see the next village 10-12kms ahead and never seem to get there!
The tough bits above are more than compensated for by some glorious riding which truly made me well-up emotionally at times. It was just fantastic in places. The Loire stretch and Val de Vienne especially so.
Overall there is more climbing than I had anticipated but I found nothing that couldn't be tackled with a nice steady climbing rhythm.
if you camp I guess anywhere will do. If you want accommodation I suggest researching this carefully. I literally slept in a hedge one night as there were no rooms to be had in Parthenay. The recommended hotel in Hautefort is closed but fortunately there is a brand new
Travelodge style hotel (Euro 55) about 4 km away in St Agnan as there is very little else for a long way. I would definetley book accommodation ahead in the morning or the previous evening. If wanted I can post the details of the places I stayed.
Some of the riding is very rural and you will need to carry the basic spares. I strongly suggest carrying at least three litres of water all the time and replenish at every opportunity. Also be sure you are carrying enough to eat with one spare meal, i.e. if you've eaten lunch be sure to have your evening meal with you in case you get really stuck and can't find a shop.
Anything else just ask. If the whole route is as good as the part I rode you will have a great journey. DO IT!!
The book is advertised in places as coming with GPX files but I couldn't find anywhere that actually had these. I've now got them as far as Les Eyzies. This toute is the one Saddle Skedaddle advertise. There main trip is 16 days with I think two rest days. Based on my experience to La Dordogne area I think I could ride it in 13-14 days.
