Calais to Faro, Portugal 2016 'cos I'll be 70!

[PatBluesman]

It does depend what time of year you go. I have never been in the high season. Out of season it is quiet.

Thanks Steve, figuring on going late March, thru May. Waddya reckon? Pat

 

[Pico Triano]

Sounds like a great trip. Never been to Portugal myself so I don't have any great advice. Love to do the run myself someday.

 

[PatBluesman]

You might want to check out the FNRttC 2014 tour for the trip from Caen as far as Bordeaux. Cherbourg, Caen or even St Malo may be a more convenient ferry crossings than Calais.

Rolling countryside in Normandy, absolutely flat after that. Eight days @ about 100km/day. Our geriatric division didn't waver. Thence round the mountains at Hendaye and over the plains of Spain (cue Julie Andrews). Except it doesn't and IME can be fiendishly hot and dry. What time of year were you thinking?

Thanks Stuart, nice to get some feel of what daily distance your guys did. Does that also apply to Spain? Figuring on going late March thru May. Could you give some idea of your route after France please? Did that include major roads / minor roads?
Thanks mate. Pat.

 

[StuartG]

Could you give some idea of your route after France please? Did that include major roads / minor roads?

I hung a left at Bordeaux to go across to the Med. Here is the track to Bordeaux: http://www.gpsies.com/mapOnly.do?fileId=unvpgapzyaswnqch&isFullScreenLeave=true
We had overnight stops @ Domfront, Laval, Angers, Cholet, La Rochelle & Royan - towns all big enough to sport a choice of hotels and/or B&Bs.

It was a mixture of roads, canal/river paths and cycle paths - all tarmaced so you could maintain a steady 12mph/20kmh. No main roads apart from a few short pinch points and included a river crossing by transporter bridge and an estuary by ferry. If you are a wino you should be warned it goes right past Chateaux Margaux!

The CC thread covering the conception, planning, the ride and reminiscences (warning: 47 pages) is here: http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/the-fridays-tour-2014.139838

 

[chrtho]

Cheers mate for that, would be real boost to know some detail of your route please, was it main or side roads etc

For Spain/Portugal, I used the Michelin 1:400,000 road atlas which looks like the one below - you can tear out the pages you need. The white roads are perfect - quiet but well surfaced - yellow roads ok but try to avoid the red N roads. The roads highlighted in green are scenic routes so I always used these where possible.

For France, I used the 1:200,000 road atlas.

These maps are also online - ideal for general route planning: http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Maps

 

[cbw]

It's @rich p, Shadow, and the other one (RichP) is often flagged instead of me!
Hi Pat, I did Faro to Santander and my report is on the bottom of this post if it's of any help.

Rich
Please can you send me the link/report as I am planning Santander to Faro in Feb/March and would be interested to see your route. Thanks

 

[rich p]

Rich
Please can you send me the link/report as I am planning Santander to Faro in Feb/March and would be interested to see your route. Thanks

Hi cbw, here's the link to my ride report

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/10900

 

[cbw]

Thanks. Looks good but I am looking at strava one more direct via salamanca as got a lot less time. Looks ok on strava but doing it may be a bit harder!

 

[Somerset]

Gooday, I'm 70 in 2016 and want to show the world I can still cut it!

Yeah the route is as above, I've got a buddy who wants to see Portugal. So the plan is for him to follow me down in his caravan, set up doss sites and pretty much look after me back-up wise. When we reach South tip of Portugal he'll keep my bike with him and, after a few beers, I'll fly back.
Have looked at the EuroVelo routes and a few other things but could really do with some help please with routes, stage distance for a fit 70 yr old and anything else you feel you might like to throw my way.
Thank you lots mates. Pat.

 

[Somerset]

In 2014 I cycled Lisbon back to UK. I used the roads beside the Camino (I know it’s primarily for walkers) up into Spain then across the top of Spain again using the Camino route until France when I just camped. If you get a pilgrim passport you can stay in various places at very little cost and there is a supporting infrastructure of some fashion all the way and lots of intresting people. In Portugal I stayed mostly in fire stations but in Spain it was hostels. I know I was doing the route normal in Portugal but back to front in Spain, but it worked. It’s well signposted with the yellow arrows everywhere. It was a great trip. Have a look at the Camino website.