Bordeaux to Nice

[dingdongdead]

Hey guys,

First ever cycle touring trip is booked in for the 4th July - 19th July this year (didn't realise TdF was on then, whoops).

We're looking to fly from London to Bordeaux and then make our way across to Nice to then fly back. Our fitness levels differ but we're looking at starting with 50miles a day and then progress from there, camping along the way. I'd love to take on a few hills / mountains but nothing too extravagant.

My questions are as followed...

- Has anyone done this trip before?
- Is it a decent / pretty ride?
- Is there anything we should see / do / check out along our way?
- Any places to avoid?

Thanks for any tips or help, it's massively appreciated!

Best,
Tom

 

[StuartG]

I did it the lazy way last June - following the Canal de Garonne and Canal du Midi from Bordeaux to Agde (on the Med coast). It was flat, it was beautiful, easy to follow and if you have a weakness for rustic Languedoc-Rousillon wine then it is heaven.

I did it in 5 days at about 100km/day (62.5 miles) on a Brompton carrying my own stuff and staying in B&B or budget motels. I met an elderly NZ couple on matching Bromptons towing trailers with all their camping gear coming the other way. There are hills either side if you get bored. But how do you get bored in France?

That's the good bit. I gather its hell when you get past Sete on the coast to Nice. Busy, busy traffic and it will be very, very hot. Think about turning right when you get near the Med - down to Perpignan and, if you need a climb, there is a nice coastal road over the Pyrenees to Llana and the old Spanish fishing villages. Barcelona might be a bit far but you could fly back cheap from Girona?

PS Google images of Carcassonne if you want something to look forward to.. It is also just beyond the navigable tow paths of the Midi which are mostly good tarmac. 28mm would be very comfortable, narrower would work. Use nice country roads after that through vineyards, vineyards and vineyards. Toulouse is pleasant by canal path. Horrible by road.

PPS Get some Michelin maps to get the feel. For cities I pre-downloaded Google Maps which work beautifully with GPS on my mobile phone for free (no data charges) making it impossible to get lost. Though this year Three PAYG gives you 'at home' so you could get 100 mins, 500Mb +texts for a tenner. Much more for £15.

It was the greatest ride of my life.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Mt Ventoux

 

[srw]

Take a look at the link in my sig for the bit between Bordeaux and Carcassonne. From there I'd be inclined to keep inland, away from the coast as far as the other side of Montpellier - as Stuart says the coast gets hellishly busy while the inland strip is a bit lumpier, much prettier and much quieter. I'd then head for Aix and again keep away from the coast.

(Never ridden it, but I have visited a few times - we have friends who used to live outside Montpellier)

 

[dingdongdead]

Thanks for the answers so far guys.

What do people think of Bordeaux as a starting point and Nice being the end?

Are they both worth while? Can you get to countryside / beautiful parts of France easily enough? Do they make sense or would starting in Paris and ending up in Marseille make more sense (as an example)?

 

[srw]

Bordeaux is a lovely city - built around a wide river with a great sweep of buildings. I've only been to Nice once, and have to admit I didn't think much of it - so I'd be inclined to go the other way. Outside of the grottiest cities, the whole of France is attractive and worth riding through. If you want some hilly countryside, the Dordogne is roughly on the line between the two places.

 

[dingdongdead]

Thanks guys, so far you've all be super helpful.

I've done some more basic research and was thinking about this as a (very) rough plan.

- Bordeaux to Toulouse via the canals.
- Head towards Parc National Des Cevennes and explore.
- Tackle Mont Ventoux.
- Head to Gorges du Verdon.
- Head to Nice to fly back.

Do able? Too much? Predictable? Too busy?

 

[StuartG]

- Bordeaux to Toulouse via the canals

No, no you miss the best bit. Carry on to Carcassonne at least its about 10 or 20 miles by road after the tarmacked canal path ends (don't even think of going past that point by canal). Easyjet or Ryanair fly from Carcassonne. But as you are so close to the Med you might as well wet your feet.

There are some interesting villages and towns on the coast. Marseillan is a small town and worth a try. Fly back from nearby Beziers airport by Ryanair or carry on to Sete (the Venice of France). Fly back from Montpellier or Nimes.

 

[dingdongdead]

Are the canals worth it altogether...?

 

[rich p]

Are the canals worth it altogether...?

Boring as buggery, IMHO

 

[Brains]

Six of us did this back in about 2001, it was my first proper bike tour and gave me the touring bug
We used the European Bike Express to l'Orange http://www.bike-express.co.uk/Tour/Med_A_Out_with_any_Return_inc_Atlantic
l'Orange is 150 miles from Nice (we could have caught a train to Nice, but decided against it)
Wed EBE Atlantic route from Saintes (50 miles above Bordeaux) for the return http://www.bike-express.co.uk/Tour/Atlantic_To_UK_One_Way_Only

• Our route was down to Avignon (pretty)
• Down to Marseilles (not good)
• to Fos (Avoid, Naval/military town full of theives )
• Arles (nice)
• And then followed the coast (literally on the beach in some places)
• The carmargue was great cycling country
• Montpellier (OK)
• Sete (nice)
• Agde
• And we then turned inland at Narbonne and followed the Canal du Midi
• Carcasonne - (a MUST on the route)
• Toulouse,
• At Agen we turned off the canal and went due west to the sea and spent a couple of days on the beach

• then onto Bordeaux via the vinyards

Where we found you can only fit 7 bottles of wine on each fully loaded tourer (42 bottles in total) So having bought 4 cases (48 bottles) we were forced to drink the remaining 6 bottles over a long lunch
We also found each bike is now so heavy that you are unable to lift it up and down the stairs of the platforms of Saintes station (and a bottle of wine inside did not help either)

We went in August, we camped all the way
We used a GPS to fix our position and 1:75,000 maps to plan the route
Our main problem was the heat, we found that anything above 36c it becomes difficult to ride and at 40c you have to stop
We therefore got into the habit of long late lunches between about 2.30 and 4.30 in a shady village square