France

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France

France is a relatively easy country to cycle in. Though it's not as cyclists friendly as The Netherlands can be, you'll find many small, beautiful and quiet roads. Infrastructure wise, with a density of around 100 inhabitants per sq.km, there's no problem finding food or water. Though wild camping is prohibited, there are a huge amount of publicly or privately owned camp sites where you'll find everything you need.

The Mont St Michel

A road forbidden to cyclists in France. Sometimes you just can't avoid it...

[edit] Where to go

Here are some of the most famous rides in France, it sure not is complete, if you know some please edit !

Canal du Midi and Canal lateral a la Garonne

Canal du Midi near Toulouse

Those 2 canals link Sete on the Mediterranean sea with Bordeaux on the Atlantic ocean and it's an amazing 450km ride ! The canal dates back from the 17th century and most of it is still intact, though in dire needs of restoration. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site the canal du midi is a treat for cyclists. It's in a very sunny and warm part of France, it's easy to get to Sete or Bordeaux by train from Paris and the area, being very touristic, is well provided in camp grounds, grocery, bed and breakfast, restaurants... It's better to go there outside of July and August (french school holidays) for it can get really crowded. May, late September or early June are the best dates, not so many people, better prices and better chances to find hosting. There are some assisted bike tours on the canal du midi (check the links below).
La Loire: The biggest french rivers offers amazing sceneries
Mountains, The Alps and Pyrenees: For hardcore cyclists. If you need to cross them, to go to Italy or Spain, remain on the coast line, it won't climb that much.
Wine regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and Eastern France
Beer regions, Northern France: You can read Eul Biclou Tour 2, a small travelogue about a week long trip from Lille in Northern France to Brittany.
Languedoc and Provence: Incredible variety of terrain, eternal sun, and laid-back locals make the south of France ideal for cycling.; Check out Mr. Patterson Goes to Languedoc for lots of routes in the region and beyond.

[edit] Budget

France is expensive. Prices depend on the season and the area. Count around $30 to $40 for a day's food and night's camp ground in summer in Southern France, little less in Northern France and little less again outside summer. Hotels are expensive, starting at around $60 a night. Hostels are definitely a better bet, especially with the card. Cheap food can be bought in discount shops like Lidl, Norma or Penny Market, but eh, you're not touring in France for cheap food right ?

[edit] Camping

So camping in the wilderness is officially forbidden in France. But the french law is vague enough to allow emergency camping. Emergency camping is camping with minimal equipment, from the sunset to the sunrise, and far away from villages, towns and roads. I know, it's vague. In any case, you can always ask a farmer to camp in his fields (but ask first !) or in the backyard of a house. Rejection rate in France is pretty low, about 15%. Remember to be polite, smile, take off your gloves and helmet and show your bicycle when you ask. If you don't speak french, an introduction text can be helpful (see below). France is packed with camp grounds, they're usually cheap (except in Southern France but that's because they have swimming pools, discos and stuff like that) and can usually sell you food.

[edit] Introduction Text for camping

[edit] French

Bonjour,

Je m'appelle [Insert your Name Here]. J'ai [Insert your age here] ans. Je fais un voyage a vélo entre [Insert your departure point] et [Insert your arrival point] qui va durer [Insert the length of your trip] [jours / semaines / mois / annees]. Je n'ai pas d'endroit pour dormir ce soir et j'aimerais savoir s'il me serait possible de monter ma tente dans votre jardin pour la nuit. Je n'ai besoin de rien d'autre sauf peut-etre de l'eau si possible. Je partirai demain matin. Je ne parle pas français mais j'ai plein de photos de mon voyage a vous montrer si vous voulez.

Merci d'avance, [Your name again]

[edit] English

Hello,

My name is [Your name]. I'm [Your age] years old. I am doing a bicycle trip between [Departure] and [Arrival] that will last [Duration] [days / weeks / months / years]. I have no place to sleep tonight and I'd like to know if I could put my tent in your backyard for the night. I don't need anything else except maybe some water. I'll be gone tomorrow morning. I don't speak french but I have a lot of pictures from my trip to show you.

Thanks in advance, [Your name]

[edit] Cycle shops

No problems here. Every medium size town has at least one, they're usually well equipped with standard bicycle parts. You'll have a hard time finding touring brands like Ortlieb, Bob, Brooks though. Schwalbe tires are common, even the latest Marathon tires. France is covered by big outdoor shops called Decathlon, though the quality of their brand products ranges from bad to not so bad, they have other bigger brands which you can trust. Just don't put your life into any of their brand products.

[edit] Roads and orientation

France road system

Local name for roads authorized to cyclists

Chemin Vicinal (CV), Departementale (D)

Local name for roads forbidden to cyclists

Nationale (N), Route pour Automobiles (N), Autoroute (A)

The road system is very good in France. Wherever you're going, you'll always find small, quiet and pretty roads going there. You can buy precise maps (IGN, Michelin) in gas stations, they'll take you everywhere. Road signs are amazingly everywhere and precise to the half kilometer, in a general manner, you can trust them blindly.

[edit] Cars

French drivers will usually pass you with enough space. The french law says the space between the car and the cyclist should be 1 meter in town and 1.5 meters outside towns. Drivers attitudes towards cyclists, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst (like Italy, Bolivia or Greece) and 10 being the most secure and respectful (Japan, Germany or Sweden), France would score a 5. Right in the middle. As always, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

[edit] Cycling rules

Cycling rules in France

Wearing a helmet is optional.

Wearing a reflective vest is compulsory !

Bicycle lights are compulsory !

Reflectors on wheels and pedals are compulsory !

Bicycle bells are optional.

Cycling on the sidewalk is forbidden.

Bicycle are supposed to follow the same rules as cars. Cycling on the pavement is forbidden as well as not stopping at a red light, police will fine you (a lot) if they caught you so respect the lights. Though it's under discussion, it's not compulsory to wear a helmet in France, but wear one, seriously. Front and rear lights, as well as reflectors on the wheels and the pedals are compulsory. And since October 2008, a reflective vest at night outside towns is also compulsory.

[edit] Internet Access

Internet Cafe are nearly non existant in France, mainly because a lot of french have internet access at home. You will have a hard time finding internet access. Larger towns will have McDonald's with WiFi (pronounced Weefee) which is "gratuit et illimite" for the cost of a coffee. If you're in a large city, your best chances are public libraries, universities and some LAN Gaming places. Finally, if you happen to be hosted by french people, don't be afraid to ask if you can use their internet access.

[edit] Opening hours

Shops in France usually open from 9 to 19, with a two or three hours break around lunchtime (except in cities). Shops are normally opened on Saturday but everything is closed on Sundays and many shops are also closed on Mondays (some are opened on Monday afternoon). So if you're riding during the weekend, which is a good idea because traffic is low, make sure you have enough food to go through Sunday.

[edit] Food and Water

Finding food shouldn't be a problem. Even small villages will often have a small grocery shop. In the deep rural France, if you can't find grocery shops, a farm will usually be able to provide you with eggs and veggies. Water won't be a problem, though there are no public fountains, you can easily find water in cemeteries and camping sites. You can also ask in a Cafe for water, though some bartenders will bitch a little about it, insist, smile and joke if you know some french... Here again, farms can help you with water. Don't take water from rivers, lakes or ponds except if you're very high up in the mountains.