Touring - London - Paris . Advice please

Hi.

I'm new to these boards so firstly, hello all :)

Me and a mate are going to be cycling to Paris next month (15th - 18th July), 4 Day trip. Going to raise some money for Macmillan Cancer support while we're at it.

We've gone for the London - Dover - Calais - Abeville - Beauvais - Paris route.

Just wondered if anyone had any suggestions of nice roads/routes to get onto or good little towns to stop for lunch etc. Or maybe theres some stuff we should avoid?

Just want some tips from anyone who's done it really.

Thanks very much for any help, it'd be much appreciated.

Rob

Watch the young kids on bicycles in Dover ... nasty bunch.

There was a really nice hostel there in Dover, but he was closing down for some reason (in 2007). I think he was talking about starting up elsewhere in town, so maybe by now he has.

Watch the young kids on bicycles in Dover ... nasty bunch.

LOL .. yep, i'll keep my eye out for em :thumb:

Post the is question on the bikeradar forum for some better local knowledge.
You need to plan a route around entry and exit to urban areas (so you arrive from the correct direction) and take into account pinch point such a bridges or crossing major roads.

I used to ride a lot in mid-kent and there are some lovely routes, its a pity to rush to the French side which is not the prettiest part of France.

Also seek advice on cyclechat.co.uk in their Touring forums. Getting out of London will be the trick. You need to plan that bit carefully. It can take ages to get out of London and the riding is, for the most part, not that nice. There is a cycling group in the UK (and forgive me, I have forgotten their name) that do maps and route notes. Try and look up the route of the London-Brighton bike ride. There are maps you can get for it. That will give you a good start at getting out of the city. And if you have time, I'd take the ferry rather than the train across. It's much more scenic.

I've found that the area north of Paris is the least interesting part of France for cycling. I don't know if going a bit south is an option for you. It will be longer. I biked from Paris to Dieppe and took the ferry to Newhaven. (I have no idea if that ferry still exists) The Seine valley and Normandy are quite nice for cycling.

Thanks very much for the help. I'll try those sites you all suggest.

A route that some friends and I are planning on doing soon.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2840339