London to Newhaven

[Rymo]

Yeah sometimes the walking directions can take you down one way streets the wrong way etc. but I usually just get the general direction and a list of towns then head on my way and ask for directions if needed on route

 

[CopperBrompton]

I'm lazier than that, and hate stopping all the time, so prefer a known good route I can load into my GPS and then let that take care of the navigation while I sit back and enjoy the scenery. :-)

Of course, the French side of the ride won't be quite like that, so I'm supplementing the GPS route with PDFs on my iPad and even paper maps!

 

[dellzeqq]

if you're leaving from Hyde Park Corner...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Hyde Park Corner&daddr=51.315271,-0.150289 to:51.2524151,-0.1959373 to:51.19831,-0.18332 to:51.152808,-0.1466269 to:51.142383,-0.0984139 to:51.0186782,-0.0761082 to:50.94689,-0.05783 to:N Way/A259&hl=en&ll=51.487155,-0.155869&spn=0.089041,0.154324&sll=50.816999,0.034504&sspn=0.090343,0.154324&geocode=FbbfEQMdnKz9_yk_c5E1JQV2SDEflY3ow3Phrw;FUcCDwMd77T9_ylvGdUpG_11SDExQKmqLa4OEw;Fb8MDgMdnwL9_ykNpOjbr-R1SDGQHdCqLa4OEw;FWY5DQMd6DP9_yl1Z0sStfp1SDGBC2Y2xoUREw;FaiHDAMdPsP9_yk3uo6SW_B1SDFR0CHRA2mvBw;Fe9eDAMdk3_-_yknknZV0fB1SDE1nzb_QOPD8g;FbZ7CgMdtNb-_ykRA9BDsfR1SDEQHM6tLa4OEw;FUpjCQMdGh7__yldSOMsxot1SDFQ6X-tLa4OEw;FbgQBwMdzMkAAA&oq=newhaven&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=8&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7&t=m&z=13

and Dieppe to Paris

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Dieppe, France&daddr=Saint-Saëns, France to:49.59185,1.35144 to:49.43042,1.55119 to:49.1473,1.97355 to:49.11902,2.01448 to:49.0817859,2.0692337 to:49.04877,2.10175 to:49.0251401,2.1386971 to:48.9945772,2.1939412 to:48.9856442,2.2240142 to:48.9730811,2.2542151 to:48.9577556,2.3023075 to:48.94005,2.34478 to:48.8861,2.35942 to:48.8755,2.3567 to:Av. Victoria&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sll=48.891132,2.378197&sspn=0.094017,0.154324&geocode=FbDD-QId63AQACn5GQZnB6LgRzFFhUF4PQqirg;FXr09QIdL5YTACkXqyoSMsjgRzFWIfMK7bSdpA;FSq29AIdEJ8UACmNXKL7DczgRzFnwAQm0AnkWA;FZQ_8gIdVqsXACmVtgLjKSnnRzEx1xw7SBQMEw;FaTt7QIdLh0eAClj05uZUvDmRzHRDrWHw4ILEw;FSx_7QIdEL0eACnDAjrDRfHmRzEDY9vjmWyk9Q;Fbnt7AId8ZIfACkz1fe9SvTmRzFB49WHw4ILEw;FcJs7AId9hEgACn37mKUZfXmRzGv6TfsDleYsQ;FXQQ7AIdSaIgACnB33613l_mRzE4-uyAEOEecw;FRGZ6wIdFXohACkZ3uUGzGDmRzG4b5ARXVwuNg;FSx26wIdju8hACnffMo9GWfmRzFxiBhKw4ILEw;FRlF6wIdh2UiACnhZgMOTmbmRzGgehpMw4ILEw;FTsJ6wIdYyEjACl_lFcDvmjmRzF_6uffsJZy3A;FRLE6gIdTMcjACkzzn6-M2nmRzGA8WdJw4ILEw;FVTx6QIdfAAkACmTxpmhem7mRzFfECskpietqw;FezH6QId3PUjACmP9duvEm7mRzGwFhiIw4ILEw;FVqC6QIdhtMjAA&oq=paris&mra=dpe&mrsp=15&sz=13&via=2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15&t=m&z=13

although you can go straight through the centre of Marines on a bike. And good luck finding your way through the centre of Pontoise - the signage is non-existent. Lots of the D915 isn't fun, but it gets you there, and there's not much by way of alternative. We skipped the pony cycle paths beside the road because they stopped at every roundabout.

It goes without saying that the sensible thing to do is to start at midnight, catch the morning crossing and continue that afternoon, get an early night and make the rest of the distance the next day

 

[CopperBrompton]

Thanks, I'm assuming that's a FNRttC route? Gatwick for 24H food ... but probably a bit urban in the day, especially as I'm doing it on a weekday.

 

[Crankarm]

Why not just buy the OS maps and plot your own route?

I would definitely take the train from London to Croydon or Redhill then bike the rest. Or just take the train all the way to Newhaven and just cycle onto the ferry and start riding proper in France.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Because recommendations from people who've actually cycled a route are worth much more than guesses based on looking at a map.

And it wouldn't be London to Paris if I took the train part of the way!

 

[Russell Allen]

I have just cycled from Big Ben to near Newhaven and went almost exclusively on cycle paths and small roads until the last 20 miles. NCN21 is indeed very badly signed but if you have a garmin or similar I will send you the route. I downloaded this from someone else, its far from perfect but with a little interpretation and common sense it will get you out of london without going on any main roads.

Russell

 

[CopperBrompton]

Thanks, Russell, but I'm not a great fan of UK cycle paths. I've basically combined the Bikehike route with advice from here on the backroads to take from Haywards Heath.

I'm sticking with main roads until I'm out of London as you tend to be keeping pace with the flow of traffic anyway, it's only once on the open road that I like to get onto quieter roads to avoid a big speed differential.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Was a really nice route, aside from the obvious hilliness of the South Downs (when I'm world dictator, I shall have a few tunnels installed). Will post the GPX of the route when I get home.

 

[steve rastall]

I have just cycled from Big Ben to near Newhaven and went almost exclusively on cycle paths and small roads until the last 20 miles. NCN21 is indeed very badly signed but if you have a garmin or similar I will send you the route. I downloaded this from someone else, its far from perfect but with a little interpretation and common sense it will get you out of london without going on any main roads.

Russell

Hi Russell,
Myself and 8 other riders are doing the London to Paris ride for charity and I have the route on my Garmin from Dieppe to Paris but need a good route from London to Newhaven can you help me please. I would be very grateful if you could send me your Garmin map. I have tried downloading some GPX files from the Donald Hirsche site but they do not work on the Garmin.

Many thanks
Steve (Sheffield)

 

[andym]

I have tried downloading some GPX files from the Donald Hirsche site but they do not work on the Garmin.

I can't see anything wrong with the files on donaldhirsch.com - you just need to remove the .txt suffix. I've used Basecamp to convert the route file to a track. I've redownloaded the track and opened it in Basecamp so you shouldn't have any problem using it on your gps - although, as the track has 1313 trackpoints, if you have an old gpx you might need to simplify it or chop it into chunks (of 500 track points or fewer).

The route itself looks sensible, but I don't know the area very well so I'll leave other people to comment on whether it's your best option.

 

[craig malkin]

Hi andym,

Just looking at the route you`ve done above which I`ve put on basecamp and into my garmin. Is it the route that is on the Donald Hirsch Avenue Verte site which has been done by Chris Smith?

Thanks

Craig