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 14th March 2010
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Cycling Holidays in France Graham Davidson Topic Host Hello and welcome to the cycling holiday zone. We have, with the help of our topic host Graham Davidson, brought together every resource about French cycling holidays on a single site. Packed full of independent information from why to take a bike to France and why France is such a good place to cycle, to holiday reviews, recommendations and links, hints on cycling safety and what to take, and how to make your holiday a success. Graham operates Bordeaux Cycle Tours, a cycling holiday business, organising self-guided bike trips through the vineyards, valleys and forests of South West France. He used to do community development in Peckham, London but reluctantly reached the conclusion that there was insufficient demand for cycle tours in the vicinity of Peckham High Street, New Cross and Bermondsey and so decamped to this ‘Port of the Moon.' His primary qualification (if that is what it is!) for advising others on cycle touring in France is a series of jaunts across France undertaken in middle age on decrepit bicycles. His only other credential of note is such rudimentary grasp of the French language that he stands as living proof that if he can survive France, then anyone can. If you have a cycling related question for Graham or some suggestions for the zone, please get in touch. Bonnes Vacances Newsletter CONTRIBUTE!We want to hear from you about cycling in France. Tell us your experiences, and send us your reviews, articles and reccommendations. We want this site to reflect our reader's experiences, and your advice and contributions are essential. email us Useful VocabularyFrench cycling terms and holiday vocab.Print off our list of useful words, and take it with you to France! If you're French goes little farther than 'bonjour', this guide will be invaluable for your cycling holiday... French cycling vocabulary...Flying to France? Visit the FrenchEntrée Flights to France map to view the airlines flying from the UK airports to France. |
Cycling Holidays - Latest Articles
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Evasion Travel
Ride the Ardèche and Rhone Valley
.jpg) Supported tours and hotel based trips. Join a group or bring your own! The Ardèche Gorges, Cevennes forests, Rhone Valley vineyards, Mont Ventoux – superb variety for all tastes... www.evasiontravel.co.ukCarefree Cycling Holidays through Bordeaux’s vineyards & valleys
 At your pace, on safe routes with comfortable bikes and charming accommodation - a cycling adventure through the real France that you lead and we support. www.cyclebordeaux.co.ukHooked on cycling
 Specialists in providing quality cycling vacations across France. Experience culture, history, great scenery and lovely local food. www.hookedoncycling.co.ukVelo Velo boutique cycling tours
 Serene not extreme cycling tours of Hidden Burgundy. Gentle pace, beautiful countryside, luxury living, fabulous food and perfect picnics. Go on, slow down!
Self guided bike tours in Provence
 Hybrid bikes with GPS and pre-programmed rides to suit you. Accommodation provided in a C17 farmhouse.www.provence-cycling-holidays.com  
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Sportif RidesEvents for the serious cyclist in France Try these useful links to find out where and when Sportif and Grand Trophee events will take place... The calendar section here is excellent: cyclosport.com Use this link for Grand Trophee events. sportcommunication.com These sites are kept up-to-date. Feedback & SuggestionsTell us your experiences!If you have any stories, information or advice for FrenchEntrée's Cycling Holidays in France, please get in touch. We'd love to hear about your experiences, and also of anything you would like to see on this site. Is there something you need to know about cycling holidays in France, which you can't find here? Let us know! |
There are many great reasons to go on a cycling holiday in France from the health benefits to the opportunity to enjoy the scenery off-route, as Graham Davidson reveals...
With its varied terrain and spectacular scenery France is even more beautiful when seen on bike. Graham Davidson shares his cycling knowledge to tell us why France is in a league of its own as a cyclists' playground...
If you are considering a first cycling trip in France you could probably use a checklist. Using his cycling knowledge and experience Graham Davidson advises on the practicalities of organising a cycling holiday and how to decide when and where to go. 
The best way to approach whether or not to use a cycling tour operator when going on a cycling holiday in France is to ask what would be the tasks you would need to undertake yourself, if you were going to cycle tour through France completely self-supporting...
When packing for any holiday, it’s easy to leave out something important. Avoid getting caught out with these hints and tips designed to equip you for a break with a bike.
‘Where is Burgundy?’ – The question most of my friends back in Britain have asked. Some have even asked it more than once. My well rehearsed geographical summary goes along the lines of, ‘it’s just to the right of the middle of France, six hours drive from Calais or one hour by TGV from Paris’. I ignore people who follow this answer with, ‘ok, but where’s Paris?’...
The Loire Valley boasts the well-known Chàteaux of Villandry, Blois and Azay-le-Rideau and the bustling wine towns of Saumur, Bourgueil and Chinon, to name a few. Perhaps less well-known is the fact that it also offers superb cycling opportunities...
From Charleville-Mézières you can take a boat, walk or cycle to Givet on the Belgian border. The new purpose built cycle path, La Voie Verte, takes a fabulous flat route by the Meuse through forests and riverside villages, in parts cutting through a steep sided valley.
Cycling in Brittany and Normandy is a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. The countryside and coastal regions are very beautiful and the area is criss-crossed with a network of virtually traffic-free roads and by-ways. To help you have fun on your cycling holiday and avoid any mishaps on your bike, here are a few guide-lines to cycling safely from the experts at Brittany Borders Bicycling...
In 2002, one man, his bike and a spare pair of pants set off to conquer the world. Or at least a little corner of France. And thus, Bike Bus was born. Some people say Joel was born on a bike, and it is clear that he has a deep seated passion for all things bicycle. Coupled with his native Frenchness perhaps it was destiny that he would end up there. Here, Joel explains how the business came to be...
We’d enjoyed a long freewheel down to the sleepy village of Branne on the Dordogne. Rather than take an afternoon break here we continued cycling through Bordeaux’s autumn sunshine to cross the flat valley floor. We had been glimpsing St Emilion’s mellow stone and pantiles in the distance for the last half hour and were looking forward to reaching our hotel before going out to discover what the town could offer.
Jane Barnes of French Oasis Holidays, tells of how cycling from Land's End to John O’Groats with her husband, inspired them to finally make their dream a reality and move to the Dordogne. Once in the Dordogne, they established French Oasis Holidays where their guests can enjoy cycling, classic car driving or wine tasting holidays...
Denise Carver tells how a cycle holiday in the Landes changed her life. As well as the flat cycle routes, Denise recommends places to eat and gives crucial tips for a successful cycling holiday…
By Paul Smith.
FUBicy (Fédération française des Usagers de la Bicyclette) campaign on behalf of cyclists in France. They are trying to get SNCF to adopt more coherent and logical policies regarding allowing bikes on French trains. Here is their detailed advice and information, which will help you to understand the complex system currently in place, to deal with bookings, and how to prepare for discussions with inspectors...
France is the cycling centre of the known world and yellow jerseys are very fashionable we understand. Certainly, much respect is given to riders by all, especially by motorists...
If you're planning a mega cycling route in the breathtaking Pyrenees, you need look no further than this essential list of the 28 cols (sumits) on the 'Raid Pyrénéen', made famous by the Tour de France...
The Creuse, which is part of the Limousin Region of central France isn't terribly well-known, even to the French as a tourist location. If you ask them, the majority would even have a hard time locating it on a map. Its position, with its south-east border known as the first step of the...