French End to End 2010

[The Ws]

Hello everyone.

We're at the very beginning of thinking about planning a French End to End for summer 2010. We thought we'd do it properly - start at the French/Belgian border on the coast and end up at the Spanish border south of Perpignan. It sounds better than Channel to Med!

We're thinking about June, and wondering about planning about 180 miles every three days, with accomodation pre-booked every three nights. That way we've got some pre-defined structure but enough flexibility if the weather's terrible or there's a particularly pretty place to stay or we need a rest. We'll be travelling relatively light - using B&Bs and hotels, since neither of us likes camping! That should make for about a 17-day trip, with days ranging from nil to 100 miles. It'll be a challenge, but we've got plenty of time to get fitter.

If anyone's got experience of getting accomodation on spec in la France profonde in June that would be useful.

Currently our ideas about route-planning are to borrow someone else's outline! We've found two commercial companies with skeleton Channel-Med routes on the web, and there are a few CTC routes covering the same ground, plus the macride CD (on order!). Are there any others anyone knows about? The idea is to come up with a skeleton that looks good, adapt it if necessary to go right the way down to the border, then use a map!

Any bright ideas would be welcomed.

 

[andym]

Gites d'étapes (sometimes referred to as gites du séjour) are well worth considering. Bed, dinner and breakfast for €30 or so.

http://www.gites-de-france.com/gites/fr/gites_d_etape_sejour

and

http://www.rando-accueil.com/Label/RandoPlume.htm

Are good places to start.

Also check out

http://www.bienvenue-a-la-ferme.com/en/

and

http://www.accueil-paysan.com/indexen.htm

for camping and B&B on farms (look for 'tables d'hôtes' if you want dinner as well)

Google maps is a very useful tool for finding campsites/gites/hotels etc in an area.

I'd look on bikely.com for possible routes.

 

[jay clock]

You should have very little problem getting accommodation on spec in June. Sounds like a lovely ride.

My most recent trip might be worth a read just to cover the last couple of days. The bit of coast from Marseille down to just past Perpignan is pretty uninspiring, so I went slightly inland. see here www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/france2009

For finding good hotels I use Tripadvisor, then narrow it down from there based on reviews. I have booked hotels through www.venere.com with great success in France

Bon voyage!

Jay

 

[dragon72]

I'm flying to Marseille tomorrow morning and pedalling back to Le Havre via the Gorge du Verdon and the big Alpine cols. Planning about 50-100kms a day. I'll let you know if I discover anything useful for you.

 

[robgul]

I would suggest avoiding the "B&B" type places for several reasons ... they are in my experience : frequently more expensive than hotels; off the beaten track; some way from eating places in the evening (you don't want to ride!) and very variable in quality/facilities/attitude of the owners.

The best bet is to look at the Accor hotel chain (their IBIS or Etap range of hotels) - good value, good breakfast, consistent and reliable .. with an excellent online booking facility. Also Logis de France - small privately run hotels, frequently with a dinner, bed and breakfast deal - again, a good website.

We did Calais to Montpellier last year (via Champagne and Burgundy) using exclusively Logis, Ibis or Etap hotels - excellent, and no hitches with bookings.

There are also even cheaper (Formule 1 for example) motels but they really are basic, with no en suite bathroom.

Enjoy - France is a great country for cycling

Rob

 

[andym]

If you're going off the beaten track then chambres d'hôtes may be the only option. They are more expensive, but no more variable than independent French hotels. I've stayed in some great places (though I tend to go by the Guide Routard recommendations).

Staying in places like fermes-auberges, chambres d'hôtes, and privately-owned hotels like the Logis de France means you're putting more money into the local economy.

I suppose it depends on how much you value precitability/dependability: you know what you are getting with McDonalds or Starbucks but is predictablity what you go away for? I'd far rather stay somewhere with personality than an identikit formula chain hotel on an industrial estate by the ring road. Check the options for evening meals though.

 

[The Ws]

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments - keep 'em coming. We've got quite a long time to go!

 

[Robert]

One of the main problems of Chambre d'hotes is the table d'hotes. On the face of it, it sounds great - eating a communal meal cooked by the landlady. The reality isn't so good. A no choice meal eaten with other guests, often cooked with a view to minimising materials costs. Unless you're quite assertive you can end up leaving the table hungry, especially when the guests are left to fight it out for themselves. If you're alone with a large family group, the patriarch takes it on himself to distribute the victuals. A shared meal sounds fine, but when we tour we want to talk over our day, not make small talk with strangers with whom we have nothing in common in French. We stayed in Cd'Hs on last year's tour to South West France, and we vowed never to again. they were on average around 80 - 90 euros and the meals were all in excess of 20 euros. The worst meal we had was here €27 for a starter that consisted of a small aperitif, one piece of bayonne ham and a slice of melon. A small amount of veal stew with carrots, a couple of pieces of bread, one glass of wine box wine and pain perdu for pudding, with no cream or ice cream. It was outrageous and certainly not the sort of thing you want after a day's cycling. Never again.

I agree that I'd rather not stay in chain hotels, especially since they're often near motorways. My vote goes to small independent hotels like the Logis de France in small towns, but towns that are big enough to have a choice of restaurants. It's no fun being part of a captive audience in France.

 

[andym]

Sounds to me like you've been unlucky. I've only stayed in a few CDH in Corsica (I go to gites d'étape or camp if I can) but the people I've stayed with have without exception been charming and hospitable and the food has been fine. Perhaps if you're running a CDH in somewhere remote in Corsica you have to try a bit harder, or perhaps I just haven't stayed in enough places. The bad places can tend to stick in the mind longer than the good ones. Anyway, I'll raise your anecdote with the lunch I had at Chez Pierrot a ferme-equestré on the edge of the plateau of Coscione in Corsica, where the tourists mixed with the family/friends who stopped by for lunch - a great meal and a memorable experience. One of the more memorable moments of that trip.

Yes it does help if you're comfortable speaking French. Personally I don't want to travel in a little English bubble (it's one of the things I really don't like about supported group tours), I actually want to engage with the local people.

 

[Robert]

You're right Andym, the bad experiences do stick in the mind. The chambre d'hotes were all friendly, too friendly in some cases, and a lot of the food was very good, but importantly, lacking in carbohydrate. On last year's tour, we found the nights we stayed in hotels rather than B&Bs much better. I think if Chambre d'hotes were on average cheaper than hotels it would change the equation, but they're not. There's something nice about getting to a hotel, having a shower and then going out to explore the town, look at the restaurants and finding what you fancy, rather than sitting in someone's kitchen-diner. We're more than happy speaking in French, and certainly don't seek the company of the English either on our bike tour or when we're at our house

 

[andym]

There's something nice about getting to a hotel, having a shower and then going out to explore the town, look at the restaurants and finding what you fancy, rather than sitting in someone's kitchen-diner.

I agree, and in towns I'd generally stay in hotels. When I've stayed in CDH it's been because I was a long way from the nearest town. If you're off the beaten track they are well worth considering (or may be the only option other than wild camping!).

 

[Cathryn]

The Logis de France chain generally throw up some quirky little independent hotels across the country. Some have been awesome, some less thrilling but all have been clean and safe.

 

[ataction]

I have done a bit of touring in France. Usually fly to Bergerac and then head south, how I love those D roads..... I am off there again in October, from Bergerac to Avignon. I travel very light, with a carbon toothbrush and lightweight credit card! I send jeans and t shirts on ahead. Try staying at Aux Chardonnerets west of Cahor when you get south. (Bagat-en-Quercy). Geared up for cyclists and the owner (Graham) has a fully equipped bike workshop.