My tips for cycling in France

[Jimmy Doug]

Well, good luck. Have you reported it to the police? I think you'll be expected to do so for any claims that might be made.

 

[mikeIow]

Well, good luck. Have you reported it to the police? I think you'll be expected to do so for any claims that might be made.

Thanks, yes, we did spend an hour or two of our precious Paris time at the station getting a statement taken....the claim will be in with Campanile in a couple of weeks, when the holidays end!

 

[glenn forger]

Anyone seen the new restaurant signs that promise local produce?

 

[Merv from Wellington]

I just completed 2 weeks loosely centred on the Lot, between Aurillac in the north and Revel in the south. One suggestion is to use the IGN 100,000 series maps, as this is the smallest scale that has contour lines. They are much better than Michelin. Bizarrely, they are not widely available in rural France, unlike the 25,000 series (for walkers), so order them on line before you go. You might also like the IGN app for smart phone or similar (I used an iPad Mini, good screen for maps and just the right size for a handlebar bag) as this enables you to zoom in on whereever you might be lost. You will need an Orange sim card (the former France Telecom) as they have far and away the best coverage in the remoter parts.

 

[briantrumpet]

One suggestion is to use the IGN 100,000 series maps, as this is the smallest scale that has contour lines. They are much better than Michelin. Bizarrely, they are not widely available in rural France, unlike the 25,000 series (for walkers), so order them on line before you go.

Yes, they are very good cycling maps, though printed on paper that degrades very quickly and tears along the folds, if you're not careful. You can often get them in French supermarkets, incidentally, for the area you're in.

 

[Merv from Wellington]

Indeed, supermarkets do have the 100,000 series, although they are often located on big/ busy roads so can be a drag to get to. When I did a similar trip in the same area 25 years ago every little bookshop stocked them, but Michelin seems to have cornered the market since. Incidentally my 25 year old maps were still quite serviceable, apart from the odd missing motorway that has got built in the meantime, perhaps more durable paper back then.

And for the closet cartographers amongst you, IGN also does a 75,000 series (like a large print version of the 100,000, maybe for the partially sighted), and a 150,000 series, goodness knows why.

One quirk I noticed about road signs (which are almost invariably very good) is that, at least on the smaller D roads, only the towns on the road number you are on are signposted. So if you are on the D41 and on the map it appears to go to Quercy, but halfway along the road number changes to the D58, you won't see a sign for Quercy until you get to the D58 section. Signposts on the bigger/ more touristy roads are generally more helpful.

 

[memoman]

Small scale maps like the 100,000 series are essential, especially if you're relying on a paper map. I cycled around Northern France and Belgium during August and got lost countless times, especially in Dunkirk. Agree with the road signs point too, they can be misleading at times.

If you're staying in campsites be prepared for extremely temperamental WiFi. Other than that I loved it, the drivers treat you with respect and, whilst cycle lanes aren't on every road like they seem to be in Belgium, I never felt in danger on the road like I sometimes do in this country.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Agreed that a good map is essential. Following rural French signposts is an art-form! For example, don't forget to look over your shoulder as you pass a turn-off - sometimes signs are only on one side of the road, only visible if you're coming from that direction; alternatively they could be hidden in bushes; and many appear to be pointing to the left when they mean straight on. Navigating in cities presents another problem: finding street names. Although signposts are usually good in urban areas, road names are written on tiny little plaques, sometimes placed very high up - and often they aren't marked at all.
Incidentally, to those who want to use GPS: http://osmand.net/ is a great application you can put on your phone. GPS tracking and voice guidance that works offline, and is therefore free. Potentially a very handy resource in rural France - where missing a sign could send you miles and miles off track. It was tremendously useful to me in Norway.
Totally agreed that the French motorists are overwhelmingly courteous to cyclists. Just a shame that they still haven't learned to share the road with each other!

 

[Bellabow]

Hi all,

I have been living and cycling in France since 1998, which is starting to feel like a long time! Now, a few months ago, I had the idea of creating a web site about cycling in France. However, through lack of time, illness, and seeing that other people have done a far better job than I could ever do, I abandoned the idea. But I thought I could at least salvage some of the work I'd done - and the part that I thought would be most useful would be the section where I gave some general practical advice on cycling in France. Maybe this could be useful to people who are thinking of cycling in France for the first time. Perhaps other people could do something similar on the countries where they live? That'd be really great!
Anyway, here it is. I hope it will be of use to someone sometime. I must remind you though that these are my personal opinions, and so others may not agree with everything I've written - especially my tirade on the priorité à droite rule!

Bonne lecture!


France is reputably one of the best countries in the world for cycling. I have probably lived here for too long now to be truly objective, but certainly compared to Britain (my home country) France does have a lot to offer. First of all, there can surely be few countries of such a relatively small size that can offer as much diversity. If you like the mountains, France has its fair share (The Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Centrale...); if you prefer cycling on the flat, France can cater (especially in the north); France has some fantastic forests too - the ideal venue for many a cyclist; and if you prefer historical sites, France has some real world-class venues like the Chateaux de la Loire, the Normandy beaches or the relics in the Pays Cathare - and that still leaves you with some great towns and cities like Paris, Bordeaux, Lille, Chârtres...
Here are some points about cycling in France:

Driver mentality
Despite considerable progress in recent years, some of the French motorists are still very aggressive. I know you'll meet this problem wherever you go, and some countries have a much bigger driver attitude problem than France, but France nevertheless seems to have more than its fair share of drivers who treat other road users like their enemy. This aggression, together with the fact that too many people seem to consider the maximum speed limit to be more a minimum speed limit, is obviously more dangerous to cyclists than probably any other road user. Be particularly careful crossing main roads. You may estimate that a car is approaching at 90 kmh, but it could be more like 130 kmh! However, despite this problem, I do feel safer on French roads than I do on British ones (and much safer than I do in Italy, for example!). Although there is a lot of "road rage" in France, the French motorist does tend to be very considerate to cyclists. It's rare that they pass too close to you, and cars will sometimes even slow down behind you and wait for a clear view before overtaking. In a word, so long as you're careful of the speed of motorised traffic and do what you can to be seen (wear yellow or lime green vests, for example) you should be able to cycle in France in absolute safety.

Priorité à droite

​

Now there's an admission! The rules of the road are there to keep everyone safe. If a rule needs a sign like this, surely there's something wrong with that rule?


Here starts my number one rant about French roads - but I suspect other cyclists used to riding in France will sympathise with it. On a lot of French roads, you can't assume that just because you're on the main road this means that you have the priority. In many cases, especially in towns and villages, this just isn't the case - on some roads the traffic coming from the right has priority over you, which means that you must stop and let them through - even if you're on a road limited to 90 kmh (although, on a bike, you're hopefully not travelling at that speed!). The basis for this rule is twofold. First, it means that people trying to join a busy road can do so safely (I think there is something to be said about this - but in my opinion a mini-roundabout solution, as in Britain, would be clearer and safer); secondly, it slows down the traffic - it keeps you alert as a car can pull out in front of you at any time. Personally, I think this last justification is pure stupidity: it's a bit like the authorities leaving the occasional real live bomb on trains to keep people alert to the terrorist threat.
Whatever the justification for the priorité à droite rule, I think I'd be able to live with it much better if there was any consistency or clarity. Unfortunately there is neither. There's no consistency because in any town you can have the priority on one junction, only to not have it on the junction immediately next to it; or the priorité à droite rule will be applied religiously in one village, but not at all in the village further down the road; and it's not clear because it's either signalled by a small sign like the one shown here with a cross on it at the entrance to a village (which doesn't tell you just which junction the rule applies to)




or by the absence of a white line going across the road which takes priority. Actually, I think I'll say that again because it's so illogical you may have missed it. Yes, you only know it's priorité à droite by the absence of a line across the road you're not on! This means that if you don't see the road and a car suddenly pulls out in front of you and hits you, the fault is yours and not his.
Now, all of this is bad enough if you're driving. After all, if a driver hits you because he arrogantly pulled out in front of you without looking, the most it'll probably cost you is your no-claims bonus; but on a bike this situation could literally cost you your life. And the best bit is that it'd still technically be your fault! And really, I'm not exaggerating at all, some of these priorité à droite roads aren't visible until it's potentially too late. Take a look at this example from one of the villages in my area. In the photo below, you can see there's a zebra crossing in the road. After this, there appears to be a bend:

However, juet after you get past the house on the right (about 20 metres), you realise that what appears to be a bend is, in fact, another road crossing the road you're on. The picture isn't that good, but you can see that this is the case because there's another zebra crossing. Both the zebra crossing and the road itself are only visible a few metres before you actually get to them - and notice there's no sign - nothing to warn you that you're going to have to stop and give way:

Even when you arrive here, it's only by craning your neck that you can really see the road! If a car was coming down this way and hit you, you'd be at fault and not him! Junctions as bad as this one are thankfully rare, but you must always stay alert in French villages and towns for cars suddenly pulling out in front of you on roads you can't even see!

So, whenever you're out cycling in France, be always attentive to this rule which is a potential menace to anyone going through a part of France they don't know, especially if they're on a bike. If you see the sign like the one above, be careful because a car could pull out of at least one of the roads you're about to pass; and if you don't see this sign, be careful anyway because the presence of the priorité à droite rule isn't always signalled.


Roads
French road surfaces are usually good to excellent. This is obviously great news to cyclists - and it's one of the reasons why France is so attractive to cyclists. However, there is a potential cost - road closures. If you're out in Summer particularly, be prepared to change your route unexpectedly. During the summer the authorities take advantage of the fact that most people are on holiday to repair the roads - and sometimes the roadworks are enormous. When this happens, out come the Diversion signs - and as a cyclist you can't always trust them. For one thing, they're notoriously unreliable as they can disappear; for another thing, the alternative route they take you on can literally add miles to your journey. In fact, it's probably best to dismount and walk past the roadworks if you can, or maybe ask the workers if it's OK for you to cycle through (they'll usually usher you through). However, I have encountered roadworks that are so huge there's really nothing to do but go round. If this happens, take out your map and plan your route yourself - do not blindly follow the Diversion signs!
Whilst on the subject of roads, I think I should warn you about the N roads. When you look at a map, they seem OK - and they often are. However, N roads can be very busy and very fast - and some of them are more like motorways than normal roads, and you may even not be authorised to cycle on them. So, stick to D roads or the smaller C roads - (which are precisely the roads most likely to be closed in the summer, by the way!)

Trains
If you need to take a train in France with a bike, it is generally not a problem if you are taking a conventional (ie, a non TGV) train. Modern trains have at least one coach where you can store your bicycle, usually by hanging it from the front wheel. These wagons are great, because it's easy to wheel your bike onto the train, there are seats right next door to where you store the bike (so you can keep an eye on it) and the bike is easily stored and removed. These wagons are signalled by bike logo, like this one (or variants):

[Image link no longer available]

The actual position of the wagon is difficult to predict, so best stand on the platform and watch out carefully for the bike wagon - and be prepared to run to it - on some stations the train won't wait for long! On older trains, you have to put the bicycle at the front of the train, in the controller's wagon.
If you are taking a TGV, note that it can be much more difficult to take a bike (although it can be done on certain trains). If you do try to take a TGV with a bike, you have to pay €10 extra and on some lines you must take the bicycle to pieces and put it in a bicycle bag. This is obviously no use to touring cyclists who can't cart a bulky bike bag around with them. For these people, it may be necessary to re-route your journey so as to take non-TGV trains (called Train Corail). Note that on some routes (eg, Paris to Lyon) this can be a very long process involving many changes - but it can be done! However, do check with the SNCF before you go, as the rules concerning bike transport on the TGV seem to be depend on the line, but probably also on other things.
Don't forget that before you enter any French train, you must punch your ticket. You'll find in the station a punching machine, into which you must put your ticket (the right way round). When you hear a punch you know that the ticket has been validated. Failure to do this can result in a fine (although some controllers, knowing you're not French, might feel generous). If you get on a train and realise you've forgotten to punch your ticket, seek out the controller before he asks you for your ticket and you should be OK (I've forgotten to punch my ticket is J'ai oublié de composter mon billet). There are two types of punching machines. The older ones look like this:

The newer ones look like this:

Note that not all non-TGV trains are equipped to carry bikes - and at some times you may not be allowed to put your bike on some of the trains. However, this is quite rare. Also, did I forget to say that bikes on non-TGV travel free?
Finally, if you're going to Paris, do not try to put your bike on the metro! It isn't allowed, and you'd have a very hard job squeezing your pride and joy through the small gates and getting up and down the stairs. Besides, if you did make it down to the metro platform, you'd never get out of the metro alive! Your bike's presence would not be appreciated by the Parisians who are generally squeezed together more intimately than they'd like anyway, and who already have a big job not getting irritated by rucksacks!

Dogs
In some parts of the world dogs are a threat to cyclists. However, I have never ever had any problems related to dogs in France.

Hunters
France is the European country which counts most hunters - and you'll often see them walking along the side of the road, sometimes dressed like Rambo in full combat gear. They're not as much of a danger to cyclists as they are to themselves - and actually you do hear stories of them getting shot. Nevertheless, be aware that they're around - especially in the forests. High visibility clothing is a good idea!

Accomodation
Camping sites are very easy to find in France. Most big towns have a municipal campground at very reasonable rates. Although the quality of the campsites do vary greatly, they are mostly very clean. Do remember to bring toilet paper however, as this is rarely provided. Note that wild camping in France is illegal, but if you are caught out and can't find the landowner, if you are discrete and adopt the arrive late, leave early principle you shouldn't have any trouble wild camping in the more remote areas. Be aware that in some parts of France (for example the Lozère or the Jura) there are attempts to re-introduce wolves, lynxes and the like, but I haven't ever heard of any attacks on humans.
If you don't like the idea of camping, there are obviously a huge number of hotels all over France. Compared to the UK, the prices tend to be very reasonable. In most towns you will find budget hotels, but on a bicycle they can be difficult to locate as they tend to be situated at the exterior of the town, visible from ring roads that you are not allowed to cycle on. Some of the main budget chains are B&B, which is my personal favourite but a little more expensive than some of the other budget hotels as the rooms have en-suite bathrooms and are a little more comfortable; F1, which is cheaper but where you have to be prepared to share the bathroom facilities with other guests (the showers and toilets are cleaned after every use so this doesn't usually cause any trouble); and Etap, which offers a greater variety of rooms from budget to comfortable.
Finally, you should have no problems finding youth hostels in the bigger towns or the more touristic places. You'll find details about these here.

French
There is no doubt that any attempt you make to speak French will be greatly appreciated. You don't need to be fluent, if you at least make the attempt to say "Bonjour" and "Merci" you will probably be rewarded with a smile and more likely to get a helpful response than if you just assume that the person will understand English. Note that it is far from certain that the person you're talking to will be able to communicate in English (except in places like hotels and tourist centres): although most children do English at school, the lessons are for the moment far too theoretical and the class sizes far too big to allow children to have a true language learning environment - hence a lot of French people can write and read English adequately, but have great trouble speaking and understanding it. As I said, you don't need to be bilingual, but a small grounding in French will help. Take the time to acquire the basics and you'll be amazed how polite and helpful you'll find people. You'll find a lot of good material to learn beginner French here.

Thank you jimmy Doug. I will study this in detail for my first touring trip in France this summer Very helpful

 

[LouiseSJPP]

I don't wish to disagree with a French domicile but I've cycled many times in France and toured 1000's of miles there and never once come across priorite a droite.

Are you sure you're not over-egging it a bit?

Maybe you just lucky as you went through them, @rich p!! They certainly do exist, but more so in some parts than others. I don't see many here in the Pays Basque, but there were plenty where I used to live in the Alpes Maritime.

The other trick you need to look out for in France is in how to use roundabouts: many French drivers cruise happily, and often slowly, right around the outside even when taking third or fourth exits. That, and the tendency of car drivers to overtake cyclists on the approach to a roundabout and then slam on the anchors in front of you make roundabouts an interesting experience....

 

[Dave Davenport]

Whilst it's nice to have larger scale maps, if you're doing a long'ish trip you need a lot of them. We managed with a 1-400,000 road atlas of France (£1.50 from The Works) last year and managed to get from Genoa to Caen OK. The only time we got lost was on the Italian side of the Alps for which we were using a 1-150,000 Michelin map. Going off piste now and again adds to the fun IMO and if you're in Europe you'll always end up somewhere.

 

[briantrumpet]

The priorité à droite still exists, for sure, but they are few in practice, and those that are there are bring phased out, it seems (at least in Rhône-Alpes) though it's often the default in small towns and villages (where you'd want to be extra cautious anyway). But it's still worth being aware of them: beware of old blokes in caps who have been driving their 2CVs along their roads for the past 60 years on their way to market. A little bit about the area I'm familiar with on my blog here.

Re maps - I still like the Michelin 1:200,000 road atlas for longer tours, pages torn out for wherever I'm going. The entire atlas is only about £10, and the paper is very light, so several pages can be stored in a jersey pocket - enough to do the length of France.

 

[LouiseSJPP]

France IGN maps can be used on a smart phone or tablet and are not expensive. It just takes a bit of care to make sure you have the right tiles downloaded for each area BEFORE losing phone signal! I'm playing with MyTrails and ViewRanger apps, bith of which will allow subscriptions to the mapping service. Swapping the IGN with Open Cycle Map gives a lot of detail, the IGN gives a good terrain overview, the OCM gives finer detail.

 

[briantrumpet]

France IGN maps can be used on a smart phone or tablet and are not expensive. It just takes a bit of care to make sure you have the right tiles downloaded for each area BEFORE losing phone signal! I'm playing with MyTrails and ViewRanger apps, bith of which will allow subscriptions to the mapping service. Swapping the IGN with Open Cycle Map gives a lot of detail, the IGN gives a good terrain overview, the OCM gives finer detail.

Interesting - I didn't know you could get IGN tiles ... though I have to admit I do like paper maps, as the batteries last longer, the screen's much bigger, and you don't need a signal.

 

[itchybeard]

An interesting read. I do like to read the perspective of others non-French French residents, there's often a great deal I can empathise with or at least recognise. I've lived in France for 4 years now and am starting to settle to it (that is, what was once foreign is becoming the norm and taken for granted). I do still try to make allowances for difference and try not to be judgemental but I'll admit it is difficult sometimes!

Priorité à droite can catch you out. Fortunately for me, it's not that often that it is an issue - since where I live is rural so there is very little traffic. It's worth keeping in mind that in rural France, many people do drive as if there'll be nothing coming the other way, or crossing an unmarked junction at the same time. You can understand why - usually they're right! So don't be surprised to see something coming towards you in the middle of the road! That is simply how many people drive. It's regularly remarked upon by ex-pat Brits but completely unremarkable as far as the French are concerned - vive la difference eh!

I can see the sense in priorité à driote in some situations. Where 2 roads of equal significance cross in the middle of the nowhere (both are 'main' roads, who is to say which is the 'route principale?) then priorité à driote is a clear and unambiguous rule.

But equally there are situations where I am completely dumbfounded as to the wisdom of it... in towns particularly. Yes, you should stop to allow traffic to join from a side road! I know it's only my perspective but my lord it seems weird!

I 've have looked into living and working in France.
How and what to do you do to get a working visa, a job etc
thanks