HELP!! Dover to Barcelona - First time

[Londoner121]

Hello (Im new to here so please be kind!)

For some time i've been wanting to cycle from to Barcelona with a number of friends.

Currently the plan is to get the train to Dover, from there the ferry to france. Thats the plan so far, hence why Im here haha.

From my research, we have suitable tourer bikes. However my questions are:
-How to make a route to barcelona from calais?
-How do we navigate and know where we are going?
-Should we use maps or invest in some bike gps system (how reliable is the gps systems?)
-When cycling, how/where will we find a place to stay the night? I understand you can't wild camp in france
-I like the idea of camping, what about showers
-How will we find shops/food/water? I don't want to die of hunger
-I'd like to think we would do 50 miles a day, how does this sound?
-How many days will it take us roughly?

I appreciate I sound like an amateur, its because I am in terms of touring. However it is something we do want to do, and hence trying to find out as much as possible. Essentially, the aim is to get to Barcelona and back to London alive and in one piece.

Hope that some people can help.
Thank you kindly in advance

 

[Tigerbiten]

Where are you starting from ??
You could aim for Portsmouth, then something like Nantes -> Bordeaux -> Med -> Barcelona. Easy to navigate.
Another option is Harwich -> Rhine -> Rhone -> etc. Further but flat.
For long distance routes check out Eurovelo -> http://www.eurovelo.com/en/eurovelos
Your probably looking at 1,000-1,500 miles depending on exact route. So I'd give yourself 4 weeks to make it easy.

I did +8 weeks cycling around France last summer, supermarkets/campsites where fairly easy to find.
I use a Tablet & Garmin GPS to navigate, but you do need a source of power to keep them charged up.

 

[Brains]

Start by becoming an 'expert'

This will be achieved by loading up your bike with all the kit you will take on a month long trip, cycling 30 miles from home, buying food en-route finding a campsite (no booking ahead allowed) setting up for the night and next day cycling home via a different route.

Make a written note of ALL the stuff you took and used, and all the rest of the stuff you took and did not use.

Next weekend, so the same thing, but pack only what you need, different route out and back, different camp site, again no booking ahead, no food taken from home, and write down what you used, and what you did not, on your return.

You can now award yourself the 'Touring Expert' certificate (Beginner Class)
Of course in reality it's multiple trips, thousands of miles of cycling and so many nights under canvass that you cant even guess the number, and even then you learn every day.


.

 

[Brains]

How to make a route to barcelona from calais?

Draw a route on a map of France, follow the river valleys and the coast, France is flatter on the left side below Brittany/Normandy (which are hilly) ​

-How do we navigate and know where we are going?

Paper map to see where you are going, GPS to see where you are​

-Should we use maps or invest in some bike gps system (how reliable is the gps systems?)

See above (GPS is 99% reliable, as long as you have the batteries to power it)​

-When cycling, how/where will we find a place to stay the night? I understand you can't wild camp in france

I have spent multiple nights wild camping and a few nights stealth camping in France, its perfectly possible if you are discreet. Also many villages have 'Camping Municipal', France probably has more campsites per square mile than any other country in Europe ​

-I like the idea of camping, what about showers

Rivers, lakes, horse troughs all work, (done them all) as do the showers in the Camping Municipal's ​

-How will we find shops/food/water? I don't want to die of hunger

You will find France quite civilised these days, most towns even have shops!​

-I'd like to think we would do 50 miles a day, how does this sound?

Start on 30 miles a day, build up to 40, 50 or even 60 on the flat bits, but ensure you build in time to see stuff. I work on about 250 miles a week and around 50 miles a day with the odd day more or less and the odd day off ​

-How many days will it take us roughly?

250 miles per 7 days, I'd guess it's around 1,000 miles, so call it a month​

 

[andym]

Excellent advice there. Although at risk of stating the obvious if you do wash in a horse tough please think of the horses and don't use soap.

 

[chriswoody]

Just to add a little to the already excellent advice by Brians. I cycled a similar route 13 years ago, before GPS. We went with a very vague notion of keeping pointing south. Detailed Michelin maps are readily available everywhere, so each night we'd plan the next days ride. Once we'd ridden off one map, we'd buy the next. Keep away from major roads though and stick to the quite back roads.

We'd either discreetly camp away from the road or pick a camping municipal. There cheap as chips and every where.

Shopping wise just remember that the shops shut early on Saturday and don't open again until Monday. Though bike shops often have innertube vending machines on the wall outside, just in case!

Remember France is a great cycling country and everything is readily available, so you can easily buy anything you forget. Pack a few clothes, a tent and a toothbrush and enjoy yourself!

 

[rich p]

How are you getting back?

 

[Brains]

How are you getting back?

Look into 'European Bike Express'