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This is a two week self supported tour, meaning everyone carries own stuff pays own and looks out for each other. There is no, repeat no van support. There are no drive along members. There is always public transport of course especially for folding bikes and there are always taxis. Timing looks like two weeks out of the three week period from July 30 to August 20, 2010 by consensus. The mileages are low, mostly in the 25 to 35 range although you can do more if you wish. Mileages are low because we're actually going places that you'll want to stop and see. Terrain is flat with a very few short climbs. There are only 8 actual days on the road with 3 double nights en route, all in historic places well worth exploring and/or with great loups to do You may want to add in a day or two before and after in Paris. We fly in and out of Paris. We train from Paris to St. Malo, train from Pontorson (near Mont Saint Michel) to Cherbourg, and then train back to Paris from Bayeux. At the end of the trip hang out in Paris if you like before heading home. You really should have a high quality folding bike. With one of these you put it in the suitcase in your home, fly with just a suitcase and carry-on saddle bags, no extra charges or hassle. You unpack it at the hotel in Paris. The hotel in Paris keeps the suitcase and you pedal to the train station. Bag it for the train and unbag in St Malo. Have an incredible ride. Bag again in Bayeux, train to Paris, pedal to the hotel and around town then into the suitcase for the plane. Astoundlingly simple. A high quality folding bike reduces your effort on the road. It rides as well or better than conventional road touring bikes and offers a seamless and instant transit to any public transport if needed. If there is a new bike in your future get a good folder, you'll use it again and again and you won't be sorry. If you have a conventional bike it's necessary to compress and wrap it in the states, put it in a box at the airport, unpack at the airport in Paris but leave it wrapped for the train then unwrap and assemble it in St. Malo. Maybe disassemble it in Pontorson and unwrap in Cherbourg, then do it all one more time to get to Paris. This is possible. I did it for decades, HERE'S HOW and but it's a hassle now that there are high quality folding bikes. If you intend to travel much on a bike a folder is really the best way to go by far. You'll know you can go any place, any time. You can look at it when you get home and remember where it took you. The hotels' websites in each town are listed below when available so you can check the rates and estimate your expenses. Here is a listing for August 2010. As before, I will make the reservations for the train down and the hotels so we all end up at the same place at the same time. At the hotel everyone pays their own way, ditto for meals. Dining outside is mandatory. For the train tickets you can pay me back. People may decide to train back on different days. They are mostly 2 star and the kind of places Europeans stay in; clean, safe and not too expensive. They all are used to bike travelers and will have secure storage for bikes. The prices are in Euros. Check the international exchange rate. A Euro is about $1.40 at the moment. If you print out the route notes (when ready) you can follow the route on a map or on one of the online mapping sites. Google Earth is fun. Notice these are route directions, not a cue sheet. Everybody needs a large scale map to do this. This is a terrific ride. There is no comparison between this and a rather tame commercial ride with obsequious guides and prestige dinners. You can go on one of those and never actually meet a Frenchman. The route is marked with pushpins on the originally included Google Earth link. With the exception of the first 2-3 miles exiting Cherbourg I have actually biked this entire route, parts of it as recently as 2006. This is an incredible trip. The route wasn't chosen randomly. The places and the routes are all worth the ride to get to. This is a pleasure cruise. As all tours should be. Here's a quick preview by day of the week.:
Friday Night over water Saturday Paris Arrive Paris Sunday St. Malo Monday St. Malo Tuesday Mont Saint Michel
Wednesday Mont Saint Michel Thursday St. Vaast la Hougue Friday Ste. Mere Eglise Saturday Grandcamp Maisy
Sunday Arromanches
Monday Bayeux Tuesday Bayeux Wednesday Paris Hotel de Senlis |
