I always aim for villages rather than towns. Just a shame there’s still no ‘avoid towns and cities’ feature on the Garmin, but with a little planning they’re easily avoided
Yep, mid June. I’m pretty much going to go down the east of France, so Reims, then Dijon, then across to Bordeaux, Toulouse, Limoges and back to Calais.
Have a look at Chartres and or Orleans on the trip back from Limoges to Calais. Interesting Resistance museum in Limoges, worth a visit.
You will need a Crit air sticker for Reims. https://entreprendre.service-public.fr/vosdroits/R44284?lang=en
I wouldn’t worry too much about Crit Air for a bike. I haven’t seen or heard about it being enforced. Yet. Do you need tips about some interesting chunks of roads on your trip or are you all set?
When I last went to France on a bike, I tried to plan my route around Ducati based road numbers…I recall going on D999, D748 etc.
Yes please, that would be handy. I’m planning on seeing the Millau bridge (want to get a pic of the bike with it in the background!), have got a few roads that I’ve ridden several times before in mind, but any suggestions would be great, thanks.
Yes, probably, on your Dijon -> Toulouse -> Bordeaux leg. We live in « Beaujolais vert » (highlands covered with pine forests and plenty of nice twisty roads). From Dijon (don’t miss « la Place des Ducs » and « la rue de la Chouette », there) check the following itinerary : - D33: Ste Marie sur Ouche -> Pont d’Ouche (very nice little Vallée de l’Ouche). - Further down south, La Clayette -> Tarare. Our area (we live in Lamure sur Azergues). I could escort you along some of that and offer accommodation and a garage for your bike, depending on your dates (let me know via PM if you’re interested). - D996: Montbrison -> Ambert -> Issoire -> Mont Dore. Absolutely awesome ride! Then head south into Cantal and Aubrac to reach les Gorges du Tarn (St Enimie) and Millau. The « Viaduc de Millau » is at the southern edge of les Gorges du Tarn.
our group of friends have a circuit of about 110 miles called the Dijon triangle. Great riding, especially enthusiastically, let me know if you want the roads, but the last time we did it, before being kindly asked by the local gendarmes to consider other areas to ride in for tomorrow, is about 10 years ago. Doubt much has changed, so do let me know.
Tarn is excellent but ride it early in the morning, (that posh hotel is also there…) Buy a Michelin map book and follow the green edged roads. The Simon Weir book is also very good for route planning https://www.amazon.co.uk/Z-Europe-B...2&hvtargid=pla-1712615745545&psc=1&th=1&psc=1
Be careful riding the Gorge du Tarn road, it is very changeable in nature, narrow, overhangs etc, often just when you start to get ‘in the swing’. Highly recommended though.
One thing to bear in mind when riding down gorges in France, and this is experience from living there in a mountainous area. Beware of the areas of the road in the shade early in the morning, they will very likely be slightly damp and greasy until mid to late morning and certainly in my area they catch out quite a few visiting bikers every year. Still great riding though! Enjoy.....
For traveling in France to find nice and characterful country accommodation with decent food I used to use the red Guide Michelin of hotels and restaurants (note, not just the restaurants version).The book served me very well in the past, but they have an app now and that may be as good.
I’ll probably still be in bed mid to late morning, depending how much of the local plonk gets consumed in the evening!
