N94, French roads

[Simon_m]

Hey there. Wonder if anyone has any experience of the N94 between Embrun and Chorges down in the Alps. I have found "N" roads a mixture of good and bad with heavy and light traffic. We would be there in summer though, July / August. Looking at Streetview it doesn't look too nice, no cyclists on it compared to other "N" roads. I am kinda stuck as it would mean a long detour and some more heavy climbing. Thanks

 

[Brains]

Use this app to get the route
https://cycle.travel/map
We have used it in France (and the UK) and found it great for getting the best cycle routes

If you check the route the only bit of the N94 you need to be on is as it crosses the Durance

 

[Simon_m]

ooo that is a nifty tool! not come across that before. I use a mixture of streetview, google earth and the garmin basecamp, as well as google maps. Thanks.

Any hints on tunnels in France? are there certain laws we need to be aware of?

 

[johnblack]

We used this one for the Alpes last year, may be of help to you. It also uses the names of the Cols as well as the road names so really helps cyclists looking for the passes they know from the Tour which are not always named that way on maps.

https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Maps?address=bourg d'ousins

 

[Simon_m]

thanks, will take a look too

 

[andrew_s]

ooo that is a nifty tool! not come across that before. I use a mixture of streetview, google earth and the garmin basecamp, as well as google maps. Thanks.

Any hints on tunnels in France? are there certain laws we need to be aware of?

If you click on a bit of cycle.travel route, there's a link for Streetview of the click location. For the UK, you also get a link for photos from geograph.org, which can be handy for checking the surface of tracks where streetview hasn't been.

Bikes may be banned in some of the longer tunnels. I'd take "will cycle.travel create a route through" as the easiest advance indicator - streetview may be old enough to predate the cycle ban (eg Bielsa tunnel, Pyrenees, 3 km @ 5%, where Streetview dates from 2009, and since 2011 it's alternating 1-way with traffic lights, so you'd have to get through in 10 min, no cycles aside).
Mostly, however, it's just a matter of obeying the "allumez vos feux" signs

 

[Simon_m]

Hi there, just back from NZ. Ah ok thanks again for that info. helpful stuff