We are going to bike in France next year. Would like some opinions on areas to go and self guided vs. self contained. We know zero french but that won't stop us. Any information anyone has would be appreciated. We plan on going in June 2009.
Posted by
Daytona Beach, FL
220 posts
Sarah, France is great for biking. I can recommend the following self-guided tours that I have done in the past 10 years: Burgandy with Randonnee Tours (www.randonneetours.com), the Dordonge and the Lot tours with Scottish Cycling Holidays(www.scotcycle.co.uk), and the Loire Valley tours, 3 different itineraries from Orleans to the sea with Forum International(www.foruminternational.com). Burgandy was my favorite, but all of the areas are fascinating. If you have time, you could do a week tour in Burgandy and a week tour in the Loire Valley. I have never tried the self-contained option, so I can't comment on that. Self-guided is a snap. I don't speak French, but always get by with a few key phrases and polite greetings and I take Rick's small phrase book.
Posted by
Portland, OR
1090 posts
Hi Sarah,
My husband and I just returned from Europe and we did a bike tour. We went with Breaking Away tours and it was fantastic because they took care of every detail. We just rode our bikes; in fact we even rented bikes from them. This was a wonderful way to go, since we didn't speak the language either. I highly recommend checking out their French tour. http://www.breakingaway.com/pages/3011/Alsace/_Vosges_Tour.htm
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
I biked in Burgundy with a friend a few years ago. It was a marvelous experience and here are some of the things I learned.
First, many tour and rental shops will provide whatever level of assistance you want. Bourgogne Randonnées, in Beaune, rented us the bikes we wanted but also offered to make reservations for us and (for a fee) ferry our bags from place to place.
They were in no way pushy about it and even referred us to a competitor for part of our trip (it made sense logistically). There were other services too--so you basically customize your experience by ordering from a menu. And of course the itinerary advice we got from them and the other rental shop was invaluable.
Second, it is very hard to rent road bikes in France. Hard-core cyclists bring their own. Many places provide velos toutes terraine (VTTs), basically souped-up hybrids. I was worried about this but found them to be very suitable, especially for cobbles and tow-paths.
Of course if you are planning to ride long distances you may need road machines--my longest ride was about 45 miles.
Third, Lonely Planet published a book on cycling in France that I found very useful both for planning and inspiration. It's out of print but you might find it in a library. Good maps were also essential--I used the IGN Topo maps.
Finally, Burgundy is great for cycling, but I think other parts of France must be too. (I'd like to find out!) For reference, it is neither the flattest nor hilliest place to ride. It is quite rural, and has food and of course wine to die for. Bourgogne Randonnées does business in some other parts of France.
I'm happy to tell you more about my trip, but perhaps this is enough. No French is required, I think, with the right attitude, though out in the countryside you will not always find English speakers.