1000 miles in France
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1000 miles in France
Hi all, I am new here and also new to bikepacking. Last summer my son and I completed the 'Velodyssey' route across France to the Spanish border in cycle touring mode. For those of you not familiar with the route it is a flattish, off-road path from Roscoff (channel port in the north) to the Spanish border at Hendaye. Although it was supposed to be around 750 miles, we clocked up something like 968 miles by the time we reached the border, and then put on a few more to take the total past 1000 miles in Basque country before getting the ferry home from Bilbao. Although it was not technically a bike packing trip, I thought I would share some photos of it here in case it inspired anyone to give it a go. My son is 12 and was not really much of a cyclist before we left, but was a lot fitter by the time we returned. We took it gently at first and slowly built up from 15 miles a day to 40+ by the end. We travelled in a pattern of cycling for three days, then took a rest day. We also took a week's holiday on Noirmoutier and a few other extra breaks when we found somewhere we liked. Because of this we didn't reach Spain til 54 days after we left Roscoff, though I know that the route can be done in as little as 10 days. To start the trip we drove to Plymouth and left our car at a caravan storage place there, then continued as bike-passengers on the ferry to Roscoff. Two months later the overnight Bilbao ferry returned us to Plymouth and our car once more.
This is my son Joe with the route we took. We travelled north to south. Roscoff to Nantes is mostly along the Nantes-Brest canal, then along the Loire estuary to the coast. The route then follows the coast for the rest of the way, with a ferry crossing needed to get over the Gironde estuary.
On the Nantes-Brest canal tow path. We travelled on ali hard-tail mountain bikes with slick tyres. I pulled the Bob trailer with the camping gear and also had two front panniers plus a bar bag. Joe's contribution was to tote a bar bag with a teddy and a pack of cards in it, though he gathered a lot of other rubbish in it by the end.
The Nantes-Brest canal tow path. We left the UK on the 1st of August so were glad of the shade from the trees along the way.
The amazing steampunk animatronic elephant in Nantes.
The even more amazing puddings from the all-you-can-eat buffet we encountered along the way. I suspect the restaurant may regret chosing this mode of dining so close to a major cycle route.
We took a Berghaus 3 man tent which wasn't too bad for a touring tent at 2.9kg. It had an enormous porch that we could store the trailer and all the gear in on the rare occasions it rained. As we hadn't done this before, I was very concious of the need to make sure Joe enjoyed it and taking a spacious tent was all part of that plan.
We wild-camped a bit, but not anywhere near as much as I thought we would. The campsites were abundant and at between 5-10 Euros for both of us, were stupidly cheap. At that price it seemed daft not to use the facilities and have a shower, use a proper toilet etc. It also gave Joe the chance to find playmates and me drinking mates.
We camped outside an abandoned railway station when the path followed the old track bed.
We spent one night in a kindly old lady's garden but mostly we were in campsites. This is Joe on a rest-day.
A couple of times we stayed at fancy campsites.....
The path was very good....
....and very well signposted.
We ate....
....and drank like heroes...
We cycled through some amazing landscapes....
...and had some unforgettable experiences... here Joe is waiting for the sea to recede before we cross to Noirmoutier on the tidal causeway,
....crossing the Pont de la Fosse....
...visiting the seriously creepy vintage animatronics museum in La Rochelle....
....waiting for the ferry to cross the Gironde....
...visiting Europe's highest sand dune...
or just chilling out on the beach...
When we reached the end and clocked Spain across the river from Hendaye he was incredibly proud of himself and I think felt a real sense of achievement at what he had done.
We carried on into Spain with the intention of cycling to Bilbao to catch the ferry home, but once we lost the safety of the Velodyssey path we encountered some terrifying Spanish roads and I had to put us on the train a couple of times. Having cycled every inch of France I was prepared to compromise on Spain. We had a few days in the Basque country but it was horribly hilly and seriously hard work. Pretty though!
So there you go. Apologies for the rather long and pic-heavy post. I have enjoyed lurking in here reading about your adventures and wanted to give something back. I saw on here that Tom and Rich were also on the Velodyssey path last summer, but we were still in Britanny at that point and so our paths didn't cross, which is a shame as it would have been nice to have met them. I should perhaps say that I home-educate Joe which is why we were able to take our time on this trip. That said, if anyone with kids in school wanted to give it a go, it is perfectly feasible to just do a section of the route as the train network in France is so good.
And yes - we really did do the whole thing wearing only crocs on our feet - they were only footwear we took with us.
Cheers, Bridget
This is my son Joe with the route we took. We travelled north to south. Roscoff to Nantes is mostly along the Nantes-Brest canal, then along the Loire estuary to the coast. The route then follows the coast for the rest of the way, with a ferry crossing needed to get over the Gironde estuary.
On the Nantes-Brest canal tow path. We travelled on ali hard-tail mountain bikes with slick tyres. I pulled the Bob trailer with the camping gear and also had two front panniers plus a bar bag. Joe's contribution was to tote a bar bag with a teddy and a pack of cards in it, though he gathered a lot of other rubbish in it by the end.
The Nantes-Brest canal tow path. We left the UK on the 1st of August so were glad of the shade from the trees along the way.
The amazing steampunk animatronic elephant in Nantes.
The even more amazing puddings from the all-you-can-eat buffet we encountered along the way. I suspect the restaurant may regret chosing this mode of dining so close to a major cycle route.
We took a Berghaus 3 man tent which wasn't too bad for a touring tent at 2.9kg. It had an enormous porch that we could store the trailer and all the gear in on the rare occasions it rained. As we hadn't done this before, I was very concious of the need to make sure Joe enjoyed it and taking a spacious tent was all part of that plan.
We wild-camped a bit, but not anywhere near as much as I thought we would. The campsites were abundant and at between 5-10 Euros for both of us, were stupidly cheap. At that price it seemed daft not to use the facilities and have a shower, use a proper toilet etc. It also gave Joe the chance to find playmates and me drinking mates.
We camped outside an abandoned railway station when the path followed the old track bed.
We spent one night in a kindly old lady's garden but mostly we were in campsites. This is Joe on a rest-day.
A couple of times we stayed at fancy campsites.....
The path was very good....
....and very well signposted.
We ate....
....and drank like heroes...
We cycled through some amazing landscapes....
...and had some unforgettable experiences... here Joe is waiting for the sea to recede before we cross to Noirmoutier on the tidal causeway,
....crossing the Pont de la Fosse....
...visiting the seriously creepy vintage animatronics museum in La Rochelle....
....waiting for the ferry to cross the Gironde....
...visiting Europe's highest sand dune...
or just chilling out on the beach...
When we reached the end and clocked Spain across the river from Hendaye he was incredibly proud of himself and I think felt a real sense of achievement at what he had done.
We carried on into Spain with the intention of cycling to Bilbao to catch the ferry home, but once we lost the safety of the Velodyssey path we encountered some terrifying Spanish roads and I had to put us on the train a couple of times. Having cycled every inch of France I was prepared to compromise on Spain. We had a few days in the Basque country but it was horribly hilly and seriously hard work. Pretty though!
So there you go. Apologies for the rather long and pic-heavy post. I have enjoyed lurking in here reading about your adventures and wanted to give something back. I saw on here that Tom and Rich were also on the Velodyssey path last summer, but we were still in Britanny at that point and so our paths didn't cross, which is a shame as it would have been nice to have met them. I should perhaps say that I home-educate Joe which is why we were able to take our time on this trip. That said, if anyone with kids in school wanted to give it a go, it is perfectly feasible to just do a section of the route as the train network in France is so good.
And yes - we really did do the whole thing wearing only crocs on our feet - they were only footwear we took with us.
Cheers, Bridget
Re: 1000 miles in France
Well done to Joe. That's a big mileage for a first trip. It was good too see an alternative approach with sightseeing and rest days. :)
Blog - thecyclerider.com
Re: 1000 miles in France
I guess I was trying not to put him off as I would love to turn him into a fully-paid-up cyclist if I can. It sounds like you have a wee convert there already...
Re: 1000 miles in France
that looks amazing I hope I can get my kids into that kind of adventure when they're a few years older!
Re: 1000 miles in France
I think this summer we will 'turn left' and head across Holland to Germany to visit friends in Bremerhaven. After that I fancy turning north to have a look at Denmark or we might go south along the Elbe to Prague instead. In the meantime I want to do some bikepacking trips with Joe in Scotland - maybe starting with some bothy trips up north, then moving on to camping once the weather gets a wee bit warmer. We are very fortunate to have the wilds on our doorstep here. Just now we are both laid low with bugs, but it is a good chance to do some serious online research into lighter, more compact gear. If Joe is well enough I might bring him up to Edinburgh to see you guys on the 16th (if there are still tix left). I need to keep him inspired!Richpips wrote:What have you and Joe got planned next?
Go for it There were a lot of families on the route, some with very small kids. It is easy to keep them amused when the weather is good and reassuring to know that if they take a tumble they won't end up falling into the traffic (just maybe the canal!)PaulE wrote: that looks amazing I hope I can get my kids into that kind of adventure when they're a few years older!
:)Sarah wrote:Looks fabby. Thanks for sharing.
Re: 1000 miles in France
Top work
Good to hear about people just getting out there. I'm sure forming memories that will last forever and planning on making more.
Good to hear about people just getting out there. I'm sure forming memories that will last forever and planning on making more.
- Cheeky Monkey
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Re: 1000 miles in France
Excellent . Great (refreshingly different) write up too
Re: 1000 miles in France
That looks like a great trip.
France is an excellent place for riding your bikes, love it!
France is an excellent place for riding your bikes, love it!
Some of my pics https://www.flickr.com/photos/107347896@N06/sets/
We’re gonna need snacks
#TakeLessBike
We’re gonna need snacks
#TakeLessBike
Re: 1000 miles in France
Thanks guys.
I think that was the most important lesson that I learned on the trip. Before we started I had no idea if we could do it, but I thought we would give it a go and see what happened. Joe keeps reminding me of things that happened on the trip (The Night of the Thousand Slugs being his most memorable it seems...) so I hope you are right that he will retain a lot of it.Chew wrote:Top work
Good to hear about people just getting out there. I'm sure forming memories that will last forever and planning on making more.
Thank you :)Cheeky Monkey wrote:Excellent . Great (refreshingly different) write up too
Yep - it's their national sport after all, so if you arrive on a bike or are wearing bike gear you are in their good books right away. Drivers were all extremely considerate and nobody batted an eye when we wild-camped. Combine that with fantastic food, wine and weather and you are really on to a winner.Pickers wrote:That looks like a great trip.
France is an excellent place for riding your bikes, love it!
Re: 1000 miles in France
It'd be good to meet you if you can make it.If Joe is well enough I might bring him up to Edinburgh to see you guys on the 16th (if there are still tix left). I need to keep him inspired!
Blog - thecyclerider.com
Re: 1000 miles in France
When I looked at this post on my phone this morning, the photos were all chopped in half. What should I have done to stop that from happening?
Re: 1000 miles in France
Try rotating your phone to landscape mode.
Re: 1000 miles in France
Looks like an excellent trip
(Apart from the crocs )
(Apart from the crocs )
- thenorthwind
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Re: 1000 miles in France
As far as I can see, your son is smiling in just about all the photos: mission successful. Hope you were smiling too
Re: 1000 miles in France
Thanks, yes I was Ever since he moved onto his own bike at age 6, I have found cycling with him to be a deeply frustrating experience as I have to go very slowly and keep stopping to let him catch up. By handicapping myself with all the gear on this trip I found a way to even things out so that we were able to confortably ride together and I could enjoy cycling again. It is hard not to enjoy yourself when you are on a bike, off-road in the sunshine. We didn't even get a single puncture on the trip.thenorthwind wrote:As far as I can see, your son is smiling in just about all the photos: mission successful. Hope you were smiling too
Last edited by Borderer on Mon Feb 13, 2017 2:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: 1000 miles in France
Hey don't knock the crocs! They were brilliant - we had some stupidly hot weather and our feet stayed cool and unsmelly the whole time. They weigh next to nothing and you can wear them in the sea or river too. I don't care what they look like!benp1 wrote:Looks like an excellent trip
(Apart from the crocs )
Re: 1000 miles in France
Wow. Jealous. I bet he had some tales to tell when he want back to school. What did you do over summer....?
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go - T.S.Eliot.
- Charliecres
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Re: 1000 miles in France
Fantastic! Well done to both of you
Re: 1000 miles in France
Thanks for posting Bridget. Really enjoyed your report. I will let my 9 year old son see it later. Have let him see the Tom & Rich reports in the past. Now I can add you and Joe to the list. He's keen to do some tours so you're report will hopefully inspire him.
Great to see Joe smiling in the pics. I can't even get Fraser to go in a pic!
Great to see Joe smiling in the pics. I can't even get Fraser to go in a pic!
BaM 2021
Re: 1000 miles in France
brilliant post this.
myself and the good lady rode the Brittany section of the Velodyssey last may.
heading back in june, to start in Biarritz to ride back to St Malo. cant bloody wait.
myself and the good lady rode the Brittany section of the Velodyssey last may.
heading back in june, to start in Biarritz to ride back to St Malo. cant bloody wait.
Re: 1000 miles in France
He doesn't go to school, but yes, he has been dining out on it a bit!yeha wrote:Wow. Jealous. I bet he had some tales to tell when he want back to school. What did you do over summer....?
Cheers.Charliecres wrote:Fantastic! Well done to both of you
Thanks Alan. I can definately recommend Velodyssey as a starter.Alan63 wrote:Thanks for posting Bridget. Really enjoyed your report. I will let my 9 year old son see it later. Have let him see the Tom & Rich reports in the past. Now I can add you and Joe to the list. He's keen to do some tours so you're report will hopefully inspire him.
Great to see Joe smiling in the pics. I can't even get Fraser to go in a pic!
Sounds great. I have done some cycling along the Rance from St Malo to Dinan in the past and loved it. I can still taste the gallettes from a wee place by the river in Dinan.... That whole area has some fantastic cycling routes, you could easily spend a summer criss-crossing between the channel and Nantes. St Malo has much better ferry connections too as you can get there from Portsmouth, rather than having to go all the way down to Plymouth to reach Roscoff.ton wrote:brilliant post this.
myself and the good lady rode the Brittany section of the Velodyssey last may.
heading back in june, to start in Biarritz to ride back to St Malo. cant bloody wait.
Edited to add: starting at Biarritz is definately the way to go as the section from there south is the worst in the whole route. Officially you are meant to merrily cycle along the edge of a very busy road, though a sort of unofficial path has been forged along the grass verge. In places though this more closely resembles one of the 7 Stanes downhill routes than a cycle-friendly path.
The photo doesn't really do it justice - my chainring was bottoming out on the rocks and allsorts along there! It would be fun in bikepacking mode, but touring with a trailer - not so much.
Re: 1000 miles in France
Cracking trip! Good for you 2.
We've done the Bassin d'archachon down to Biarritz with our 2, 3 1/2 years ago. I'm glad to know now that we made the right choice stopping where we did!
We've toured with our 2 since the first was 1 1/2. We've done 2 trips to Denmark: and they've both been our best trips. Do get in touch if you want any help planning. danjDOTheywoodATgmailDOTcom. Also toured in Holland, Croatia and the Swiss/Austria/ Border down the Adige valley to Verona and then back via. Lake Garda.
Dan
We've done the Bassin d'archachon down to Biarritz with our 2, 3 1/2 years ago. I'm glad to know now that we made the right choice stopping where we did!
We've toured with our 2 since the first was 1 1/2. We've done 2 trips to Denmark: and they've both been our best trips. Do get in touch if you want any help planning. danjDOTheywoodATgmailDOTcom. Also toured in Holland, Croatia and the Swiss/Austria/ Border down the Adige valley to Verona and then back via. Lake Garda.
Dan