Touring - Thoughs on landing in Paris?

I am planning a bike tour of France in May, 2008.

I will fly into Paris (CDG) but not visit Paris, as I've been there before and after the tour, my wife and I will be flying out of there and may spend a few days in the city. However, my bike is S&S coupled and fits, disassembled, into a hard case. I need to assemble the bike and then deal with the two cases I will be flying with (one for the bike; one for the stuff that doesn't fit in the bike case, such as, tent, sleeping bag, racks, etc). I intend to ship them down to Avignon, where my tour will end.

My question involves where to spend the first night of the tour. I can't bike anywhere until I assemble the bike and deal with the cases. Thus, I will have to take ground transportation somewhere or stay in a hotel that at/near the airport. I will also need to ship the bike cases before I leave and would like to do that either from my hotel or nearby.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me?

Thanks,

Ray

There are trains that service CDG both into Pars, and to other destinations. In 2003, I assembled the bike at the airport, loaded it, then caught a train that took me all the way through Paris to the far south-western suburbs. There's a fair degree of flexibility there.

Last year, Machka and I caught a high-speed train in Strasbourg that took us all the way to Lille -- via CDG. So it might be worth your while to check out the TGV trains for a starter. And because your bikes will be boxed, you might have slightly fewer challenges getting them on board, but you likely will still have to pay for them. On the urban lines, it's a little less difficult, and travel with bikes is free. Ifyou intend to start your riding in a particular location, you might be able to arrange transport right to it.

You might be able to find something like a Bed and Breakfast in one of the towns where you can organise shipping. I think there is a name for them like pension. I don't recall seeing them on our travels, however.

If you want to, you could take the TGV directly from the airport to Avignon with your cases. There's an SNCF station at the airport with direct trains to Avignon. Hotels down there will be a lot cheaper than near CDG. I imagine you can find a hotel which would store your cases. I've done that many times in many countries with my Bike Friday suitcase, which is admittedly smaller than your case. It's typically stored at the hotel where I spend at least the first and last night of my trip.

Thanks for the comments.

I plan to ride to Avignon so there is no need to take a train there. I want to ride over to Normandy from Paris and would be happy to stay just outside the airport and start riding from there. I wasn't aware of all the train flexibility and will look to see if there is some way to take the train to a nearby town to get everything together.

Ray

There's plenty of hotels --including the relatively (repeat relatively) inexpensive Ibis-- right on the property at CDG. This would also include the Sheraton right in the terminal area. Spend the first night at CDG, take care of the box issue at the TGV station also at the airport and hit the road the next morning. Somewhere on the www there are instructions as to how get off the CDG property and onto the right roads by bike.

If you were talking about the USA, I would call hotels near the airport to see if they had a shuttle from the airport for their guests, and see if the concierge can arrange the boxes to be shipped. I would imagine things would be similar in France, other than any potential language barrier.

Go to Traveling with Bikes. You will find all the suggestions you need to finalize your plan. This is the link to airports and the miasma of issues faced by others.

http://www.bikeaccess.net/BikeAccess/SelectArea_db.cfm?Q=Airport&Area=France

No one can make your plan but you. But, I would eliminate the idea of riding the bike out of the airport. I did it once against the good advice gleaned from the experience of members on this list. Don't do it unless your insurance premiums are all paid in advance (health, life, and disability). And unlike the advice you get from those who have never been there, I have been there.:roflmao:

My plan for this summer is to fly into CDG, and catch a train away from the airport, whether it be Paris or beyond. Getting to lodging close to the airport will take as much effort as getting away from the airport. If you are flying from the US, jet lag is an issue. Hang in there long enough to get on a train that will get you to Paris or within an hour on the train and find a place to lay your head. Then charge on to a vacation of a life time.

And I would arrange for a room ahead of time. Find a hotel that will agree to store your luggage while you are on tour. Many should agree to do it for free.

Hi Ray,
Probably the Novotel at CDG 2 Roissypole is the best choice I am aware of. They have a shuttle to and from the air terminal and a baggage storage room. If you book your first and last night there you can leave extra stuff there and not have to ship to Avignon. There is direct TGV to CDG 2 from Avignon I believe and you could take your S&S cases. Shipping the cases is another matter. I am not sure about where to do that. There is a large Post Office at CDG but you would probably have to take a taxi. The RER station , just out the back door of the Novotel, is the best way into Paris. I doubt if you can ship things from there or from the TGV station in Terminal 2. The Ibis, same location, is cheaper but has no storage.
Good luck and have a great trip.
Dick Powell, www.outfittertours.com

I agree with Bruce--take the train away from the airport before you start riding your bike. Airports and autoroutes are no places for bikes, and the train system is so good over there.