off. The best maxim is two of each, ‘one to wear, one to wash’. Time of year makes a difference as you need more and warmer clothing in April/May and September/October. All of this clothing should be capable of being washed en route, and a small tube or bottle of travel wash is useful. A sun hat and sun glasses are essential, while gloves and a woolly hat are advisable except in high summer.
In addition to your usual toiletries you will need sun cream and lip salve. You should take a simple first-aid kit. If staying in hostels you will need a towel and torch (your cycle light should suffice).
Cycle equipment
A fully equipped cycle
Everything you take needs to be carried on your cycle. If overnighting in accommodation, a pair of rear panniers should be sufficient to carry all your clothing and equipment, although if camping, you may also need front panniers. Panniers should be 100 per cent watertight. If in doubt, pack everything inside a strong polythene lining bag. Rubble bags, obtainable from builders’ merchants, are ideal for this purpose. A bar-bag is a useful way of carrying items you need to access quickly such as maps, sunglasses, camera, spare tubes, puncture-kit and tools. A transparent map case attached to the top of your bar-bag is an ideal way of displaying maps and guide book.
Your cycle should be fitted with mudguards and bell, and be capable of carrying water bottles, pump and lights. Many cyclists fit an odometer to measure distances. A basic tool-kit should consist of puncture repair kit, spanners, Allen keys, adjustable spanner, screwdriver, spoke key and chain repair tool. The only essential spares are two spare tubes. On a long cycle ride, sometimes on dusty tracks, your chain will need regular lubrication and you should either carry a can of spray-lube or make regular visits to cycle shops. A strong lock is advisable.
Safety and emergencies
Weather
The whole route is in the cool temperate zone with warm summers, cool winters and year-round moderate rainfall. Daily weather patterns are highly variable.
Road safety
Where there is no cycle lane, motorists and cyclists are urged partageons la route (share the road)
While in England cycling is on the left, in France it is on the right side of the road. If you have never cycled before on the right you will quickly adapt, but roundabouts may prove challenging. You are most prone to mistakes when setting off each morning.
France is a very cycle-friendly country. Drivers will normally give you plenty of space when overtaking and often wait patiently behind until space is available to pass. Much of the route is on dedicated cycle paths, although care is necessary as these are sometimes shared with pedestrians. Use your bell, politely, when approaching pedestrians from behind. Where you are required to cycle on the road there is often a dedicated cycle lane.
Many city and town centres have pedestrian-only zones. These restrictions are often only loosely enforced and you may find locals cycling within them, indeed many zones have signs allowing cycling. One-way streets in France often have signs permitting contra-flow cycling.
Neither England nor France require compulsory wearing of cycle helmets, although their use is recommended.
Emergencies
In the unlikely event of an accident, the standardised EU emergency phone number is 112. The entire route has mobile phone coverage. Provided you have an EHIC card issued by your home country, medical costs of EU citizens are covered under reciprocal health insurance agreements, although you may have to pay for an ambulance and claim the cost back through insurance.
Theft
Secure cycle storage facility in Gournay-en-Bray (Avenue Verte, Stage 5)
In general, the route is safe and the risk of theft low. However, you should always lock your cycle and watch your belongings, especially in cities.
Insurance
Travel insurance policies usually cover you when cycle touring but they do not normally cover damage to, or theft of, your bicycle. If you have a household contents policy, this may cover cycle theft, but limits may be less than the actual cost of your cycle. Cycle Touring Club (CTC), www.ctc.org.uk, offer a policy tailored to the needs of cycle tourists.
About this guide
Text and maps
There are 20 stages, each covered by separate maps drawn to a scale of 1:100,000. The maps for the English stages 1–3 of both the classic route and Avenue Verte are based upon UK Ordnance Survey mapping and as a result differ slightly in style to those for the French stages. Detailed maps of city centres (including London and Paris) and major towns are drawn to 1:40,000. The route line (shown in red) is mostly bi-directional. Where outward and return routes differ, arrows show direction of travel. Some alternative routes exist. Where these offer a reasonable variant, usually because they are either shorter or offer a better surface, they are mentioned in the text and shown in blue on the maps.
Place names on the maps that are significant for route navigation are shown in bold in the text. Distances shown are cumulative kilometres within each stage and altitude figures are given in metres. Please note that ‘signposted’ is abbreviated to ‘sp’. For each city/town/village passed an indication is given of facilities available (accommodation, refreshments, youth hostel, camping, tourist office, cycle shop, station) when the guide was written. This list is neither exhaustive nor does it guarantee that establishments are still in business. No attempt has been made to list all such facilities as this would require another book the same size as this one. For full accommodation listings, contact local tourist offices. Such details are usually available online. Tourist offices along the route are shown in Appendix B.
While route descriptions were accurate at the time of writing, things do change. Temporary diversions may be necessary to circumnavigate improvement works and permanent diversions to incorporate new sections of cycle track. This is particularly the case in London where on-going work to create a cycle super-highway network will affect Stage 1 of the classic route for a few years. Where construction is in progress you may find signs showing recommended diversions, although these are likely to be in the local language only.
GPX tracks
GPX files are freely available to anyone who has bought this guide on Cicerone’s website at www.cicerone.co.uk/914/gpx.
Language
This guide is written for an English-speaking readership. In France, English is taught as a second language in all schools and many people, especially in the tourist industry, speak at least a few words of English. However, any attempt to speak French is usually warmly appreciated. In this guide, French names are used except for Normandie and Picardie where the English Normandy and Picardy are used. The French word château covers a wide variety of buildings from royal palaces and stately homes to local manor houses and medieval castles.
