London to Paris - help required

[dodd82]

Hello everyone

Myself and a group of friends will be cycling from London to Paris this summer.

There are a range of riders; from the unexperienced to the reasonably experienced rush hour commuters (used to the traffic!).

I'm having trouble planning the route from central London to Newhaven.

Ideally I'd like to stick to a route that isn't more than 60-70 miles. Avoiding busy/dangerous roads will be necessary to ensure the safety of the less experienced riders, but we don't want to go too far off the beaten track, and up too many steep hills!

I've seen many threads on here and they are useful.

However, all of the descriptions I've seen don't mention distances.

Could you offer some advice on the route option that might be best for me and my friends, with some thoughts about how far those options are?

Thanks in advance

 

[DWiggy]

We are arranging the same, were not going through the organised routes as very expensive, the following website is quite useful http://london2paris.co.uk/routes/3-day-cycle-routes/ we are thinking about the 3 day via Eastbourne/Dieppe. Our group will also have mixed abilities but all are relatively fit individuals. Cant wait!

 

[dodd82]

Thanks David - yes, a good web site - though doesn't really help with the finer points of the route out of London and down to the South Coast.

Have you planned that detail yet?

I am very much looking forward to it, though need to start working on those hills!

 

[Lee_M]

mapmyride reckons you should go tto brighton and turn left.

Looks a fairly direct route, but is still 66 miles from kings cross, so you might be pushing it to get a ride any shorter

 

[dodd82]

I was basing it on the distances here:

http://london2paris.co.uk/routes/3-day-cycle-routes/#newhavendieppe

If it's a bit longer that's not necessarily a problem!

 

[DWiggy]

You can take his map, just need click "View larger map" on the route on his web page with will open it in Google maps, them you can see the turn by turn route he has taken, you should then be able to download it to put in your sat nav
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=203776074048951368737.0004d12111b98c6ef0a5f&msa=0

Hope this helps!!
It also it looks like it avoids/skirts most of the major hills

 

[Lee_M]

Personally I'd probbly prefer to go a bit further and avoid the A23

but maybe that's just me?

 

[dodd82]

You can take his map, just need click "View larger map" on the route on his web page with will open it in Google maps, them you can see the turn by turn route he has taken, you should then be able to download it to put in your sat nav
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=203776074048951368737.0004d12111b98c6ef0a5f&msa=0

Hope this helps!!
It also it looks like it avoids/skirts most of the major hills

Brilliant, thanks!

Are you taking a different route?

 

[dodd82]

Personally I'd probbly prefer to go a bit further and avoid the A23

but maybe that's just me?

Is the A23 likely to be a trick road then?

 

[dodd82]

tricky*

 

[dodd82]

Another query.

Just looking at the ferry sites, and it seems that the only ferries are now departing at 11.30pm or 11.30am - not ideal!

The 11.30am ferry would effectively rule out a whole day of cycling, if we use that route.

Any thoughts?

 

[Lee_M]

Is the A23 likely to be a trick road then?

Busy busy busy.

Random pic from google streetview - note big queue and nice chevrons to reduce road width and squeeze cyclists

 

[dodd82]

Cheers Lee.

Is there an alternative that doesn't add on too much distance, do you think?

I'm not particularly fussed about busy roads, but not sure my friends will feel the same way!

 

[Lee_M]

not my area tbh sorry, just happen to know the A23.

anything else will be smaller but hence longer and slower

 

[dodd82]

not my area tbh sorry, just happen to know the A23.

anything else will be smaller but hence longer and slower

No worries - thanks