Cycling/travelling in France

[kelownagirl]

My sweetie and I are spending 2 weeks of our honeymoon in France next summer, most likely in July. We don't have tons of money and we want to stick to the southern area I think. We imagine ourselves renting a car, touring the country-side, staying in B&B's or other small places, visiting wineries. We'd like to rent bikes and do some in and out touring along the way, and definitely want to do parts of the TDF route, maybe even try climbing Alpe D'Huez (ok that's dh's dream, I may have to stop a few times ). We'd love to do a supported tour but can't afford it. SO... I'm looking for any advice from people who've been there, done that in the past few years. Is there a particular area you'd recommend? Can you rent bikes any place or would be want to rent them for a longer period and haul them with us? Any advice?

[maillotpois]

I don't know about the bike rental, but I have plenty of suggestions on where to stay, eat, camp or whatever in southern France between Avignon and the Alpes. We've ridden a lot of those roads (including A d-H) and have camped in a few great spots.

I have not looked too closely at the tour route for next year (since we can't afford to go, I don't wnat to torture myself yet ). I'll take a look and shoot you a PM with some suggestions. I will say that:

- Briancon is generally a great stopping place. The camp ground there is great - good facilities, pool/snack bar, common room with TV, etc.
- The food in Avignon is the best EVER. Better than Paris by a huge margin.
- The little dry sausages at Serre Chevalier ROCK.
- The Galibier is an EASY ride from the Briancon side and a heart stopper from the Telegraphe side.
- The almost naked Dutch guys at half way on the Alpe d'Hues make it SO worth it. Plus, have Nutella and ice cream crepes at the top...

I SO wish we were going. (Can you tell?)

[maillotpois]

Oh - and stop HERE for great candy and the most egotistical yet cinematographically beautiful show about nougat you have ever seen:

http://nougat-silvain-freres.fr/01/nougats.php

[kelownagirl]

So should we focus on Provence or take in some of the other regions as well? We only have about 2 weeks. I am more into small quaint towns than anything else. Can you rent a car with a bike rack and rent/haul bikes?

[Grog]

Hey Kelowna Girl!

Great news that you're going there! You'll have a great time I'm sure.

Rental road bikes are very hard to come by if you are not with an organized tour.

In all of Grenoble - the biggest city near the Alpe d'Huez - I have found ONE place that rents bikes and it's the tiniest hole-in-the-wall shop, they were pricy and the bikes were not top. I could find the address again for you if needed, but frankly I recommend you don't count on walking in any city and finding a road bike for rent. I called EVERY bike shop in the greater Grenoble area and people usually were really puzzled when I asked for a road bike to rent. I would have been better buying an inexpensive one at GO Sport and selling it when I left, I think. (Or taking it with me back home!) However, in Bourg d'Oisans, there is one bike shop and they rent lots of bikes. It's a popular destination for people climbing the Alpe d'Huez. You will find them here: http://www.cyclesetsports.com/accueil_fr.html

(I read somewhere about bike shops in Paris where you can rent road bikes. That would be an option. I'd be afraid of getting them stolen, though, if you're going to keep them in your car for long... And there's not necessarily room for two bikes PLUS bags in a small European car... But if that option interests you let me know and I'll find my source again.)

This being said, there are many rides which might be more interesting than the Bourg d'Oisans, like the Croix de Fer and the Galibier etc. I have a book with 21 rides in the area, and it's in both English and French. Send me your address by private message and I'll mail a photocopy to you.

In a different area: the Cathare Castles are impressive structures. I have been to Carcassonne and although I wouldn't have stayed there for long if I hadn't been there on business, I thought it was an impressive sight.

Again, totally different area: the Bordeaux area (south west) is wonderful, easy to travel, has the best wines (for my taste at least), and is close to Spain. Nice cycling, too, less challenging but very beautiful too.

There would be lots to say...

Just a detail, assuming you've never been to France: rental cars always have standard transmission unless you ask for an automatic, and the numbers might be limited. Also expect car rentals to be much more expensive than they are in America, and gas is about twice the price. But for the type of trip you want to take I think it's worth it. I have wonderful memories of a road trip around Bordeaux...

Santé!

[Thorn]

Ooohh...sounds like fun....the previous posts have much more information than I can give you, but here are some other things to consider:

Depending upon the area, good rental bikes can be hard to find. Consider looking at some of the small touring companies to see if they will rent you a bike out of their fleet. I know that at one time Experience Plus did fleet rentals (Cannondale road bikes delivered to your door). Rondonee also did fleet rentals, but they were heavy hybrid style bikes. Note: make sure you ask what you're getting. While our Rondonee bikes were heavy, many Europeans who had rented from other companies drooled over the quality of our bikes.

Consider sticking to one area. If you take the time to absorb an area, you'll start to feel more of the culture of the area (not to mention you'll get better at hearing the French through the local accent :-). If you try to cover too much, you miss out on some of subtleties. But, that's my preference.

Provence is lovely (we did it hiking from city to city). I can also vouch for the Dordogne (we did it by bicycle semi-self catered with Rondonee). They're very different not just in terrain and climate. The Dordogne is dominated by castles from the 100-year war; Provence is so Mediterranean.

No matter what area you pick, you'll enjoy it.

[maillotpois]

I would definitely stick to Provence and the Southern Alpes. Plan to spend several days in each of a few little towns and just explore from there.

I'm not sure about rental cars with racks, but I am sure you could do it - the bigger question for me would be how to store your bike boxes. When we did the bike tour, the tour company kept our bike box. The next year when we rented an RV, the RV rental company would have kept our bike boxes for us, but we ended up not bringing bikes. I would ask the car rental company in advance if they would store your bike boxes for you.

I know plenty of people (including my husband) who've taken bikes on the TGV from Charles de Gaulle to another city. They make it seem harder to do than it really is. Helps if your bike box is moderately sized.

[kelownagirl]

Thanks for the info! I think we may just have to rent touring bikes for a few days in one area, or maybe even see if we can find a cheap supported tour for one part and then see if we can rent a good road bike for day to ride the mountain. I checked out the one bike rental site and they are $20-30 Euros/day. Yikes, I need more money.

[kelownagirl]

Anyone know anything about the Loire valley? It's good for wineries isn't it? How about cycling?

[Grog]

Anyone know anything about the Loire valley? It's good for wineries isn't it? How about cycling?

I just drove through there on the way back from the SouthWest towards Paris. I heard very good things about wines and visiting the castles... No clue about the cycling! (No serious hills there though.)

[Thorn]

The Loire? It has been on our list for a while. I've done more research on the history than the cycling (geography as taught by Eleanor of Aquitaine). While the tour often goes through it, when I've looked into the routes that tour groups use (yes, I steal ideas from tour brochures), I notice a lot of "and then we'll pack your bike in a cab/our van and get you to the next starting point". For that reason, I'd suggest really doing research. My guess is that the roads might be too busy or the pretty bits are intermixed with working world bits. Or, maybe not--it just might be a really big area.

As for the wine....all of France has great wine. Speaking of the US, we only ever see a fraction of the types and varieties of wine that France and the rest of Europe produce. The best part of travelling in France is finding the local wines and cheeses. The ultimate "cost saving extravegence" is the picnic lunch--wine, cheese, and a loaf of bread. Pick the region and find the good wines; don't pick the wine and travel the region (unless, of course, it is the top place you want to go).

[margo49]

The best part of travelling in France is finding the local wines and cheeses. The ultimate "cost saving extravegence" is the picnic lunch--wine, cheese, and a loaf of bread.

Biked a month through France 25 years ago (toute seule).
That is why I haven't posted till now - a. it was a zillion years ago and b.I was totally self-contained.
To this I would add the absolutely critical caloric intake (uptake, cup cake) from morning and afternoon teas/snacks from little tiny village boulangeries and learning all the names of all the little creamy cakes and pastries and fruity glazed tartes...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[EBD]

If bike rentals are so expensive, consider bringing your bikes with you! There is a surcharge to take them on the plane (checked in a box) and you'd have to reassemble (and bring good locks), but it might be cheaper, and you'd be more comfortable. Some friends of mine did a tandem tour of Europe, and brought their bike on the plane - it was their first tour as a couple and let me tell you, the romance almost ended when they arrived and he realized he'd forgotten his bike tool for the reassembly! My boyfriend has also checked his touring bike to fly home from a cross-country tour (biked from NC to CA) - I think it cost $60-80 and some airport hassle.

A friend and I travelled through the South of France a few years ago - we rented a car and found it reasonable - we rented for a whole week, that may have made it cheaper. We stayed in mostly 2-star hotels - there isn't really an equivalent here, but they were maybe $80 a night with our own bathroom. Worth it! We made extensive use of Lonely Planet to find good cheap lodgings.

Tiny winery hint - stay away from the town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape - yes the wine is delicious, but there isn't a bottle in town for less than $60.