York - Paris - Rome

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Golden balls

New Member
Ladies and gents,

I am planning a trip this summer and wanted some advise on routes. I hope to cycle from York, down to London, then dover-calais, across to paris, through the Alps and down to Rome.

Can anyone make some suggestions on routes? There seem to be loads of trips from the UK to Italy but all via Holland and Germany. How is the cycling in France? I plan to complete the route over 20days in September. Any good cycle maps of france you can recommend? How tough is it crossing the Alps?

Thanks for your help
 

JackE

Über Member
Location
Hertfordshire
You might want to consider Anne Mustoe's route from London to Rome from her book "A Bike Ride" (available from Amazon). Her route basically follows the Roman road system and the book is full of the history of the Empire etc
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
Golden balls said:
Can anyone make some suggestions on routes? There seem to be loads of trips from the UK to Italy but all via Holland and Germany. How is the cycling in France? I plan to complete the route over 20days in September. Any good cycle maps of france you can recommend? How tough is it crossing the Alps?

Excellent. Drivers treat you with respect, and people along the way don't treat you like a wierdom but say bonjour and smile... (I'm just back from a fortnight over there...)

I don't know about maps - our group had a variety, but I was just following along. In terms of route, if you stick to the D roads, you'll have some very pleasant cycling.

Most larger villages have a bar/tabac where you can get a coffee or orangina*, and your water bottle filled. Get your mid-morning pastries early, before the boulangeries shut.

If you can make the crossing to Dieppe instead, the route to Paris starts with 30 miles or so of old railway cyclepath - like a Sustrans route, only beautifully surfaced and without the narrow barriers/steps etc you get over here. Search on here for Dieppe-Paris, or Avenue Verte.

Are you in York too then?

*Orangina is like Guinness, best enjoyed in its native land...
 
Top Bottom