From Rome to Spain via France
04-05-10, 11:32 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
From Rome to Spain via France
First of all, since this is my first post, I just want to say a brief thanks to all the active people on this forum. I only found it the other day and I'm impressed and inspired by the wealth of information and spirit that I've found here already. Thanks so much!
I had a few questions for you all. I'm planning a trip from Rome to close to Santander in Spain and I had a question concerning maps. I love the TCI maps I've seen of Italy and I was wondering if there was an equivalent version for France and Spain. I've looked over some Michelin maps and those seem to be of some high quality too. I see that IGN is a great form of map for France but I'm not really sure where to get them and how much better they are than Michelin (i.e. what do they have that is more beneficial?)
My next question is pretty specific. When traveling via bike from the west coast of Italy into the French Riviera is it possible to follow the road along the coast (generally Via Aurelia or Via Genova)? It is marked red on most maps and I was looking through some of the google earth pictures of the area and it looks a little precarious. Does anyone know if it is possible or if there is an alternate route?
I'm sure I'll have more questions soon but thanks so much. The more I learn the more I hope to be able to help out.
S
I had a few questions for you all. I'm planning a trip from Rome to close to Santander in Spain and I had a question concerning maps. I love the TCI maps I've seen of Italy and I was wondering if there was an equivalent version for France and Spain. I've looked over some Michelin maps and those seem to be of some high quality too. I see that IGN is a great form of map for France but I'm not really sure where to get them and how much better they are than Michelin (i.e. what do they have that is more beneficial?)
My next question is pretty specific. When traveling via bike from the west coast of Italy into the French Riviera is it possible to follow the road along the coast (generally Via Aurelia or Via Genova)? It is marked red on most maps and I was looking through some of the google earth pictures of the area and it looks a little precarious. Does anyone know if it is possible or if there is an alternate route?
I'm sure I'll have more questions soon but thanks so much. The more I learn the more I hope to be able to help out.
S
04-06-10, 06:46 AM
#2
Member
Michelin maps are great (are you aware of viamichelin.com ?), but IGN maps are even better. I love their 1:100,000 scale maps. They're easy to find throughout France. They've got a wealth of information and are superb for planning routes. With that scale, they obviously have more detail than the 1:200,000 Michelin maps.
The road along the coast from Genova to the French border is awful for cycling. It's endless development and traffic. I rode it years ago and absolutely hated it. On the French side of the border, it's only somewhat better, but there are more alternatives. You'll find much better cycling inland in France.
The road along the coast from Genova to the French border is awful for cycling. It's endless development and traffic. I rode it years ago and absolutely hated it. On the French side of the border, it's only somewhat better, but there are more alternatives. You'll find much better cycling inland in France.
04-09-10, 05:30 PM
#3
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 2
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks so much!
I was looking at google earth pictures and it looks monstrous. I guess I'll grab some maps and try and figure out a better route. Do you (or anyone else) know of a better route across the border? Research time.
I was looking at google earth pictures and it looks monstrous. I guess I'll grab some maps and try and figure out a better route. Do you (or anyone else) know of a better route across the border? Research time.
04-09-10, 08:22 PM
#4
Member
Here's an idea: Take a ferry from Italy to Corsica. Then tour on Corsica (it's fantastic, one of the very best places I've ever toured), and then take a ferry from Corsica to France. Here's a webpage showing some of the ferry routes to Corsica:
https://www.aferry.com/ferries-to-cor...FZdM5Qod8lSNvg
Note the map doesn't show ferries to Marseille, but it does have a link to them. Or, take a ferry from mainland Italy to Sardinia, then after Sardinia, a short ferry to Corsica, then later to mainland France. Just about all of Corsica is wonderful except the east coast which is flat, boring, and has more traffic than the rest of the island. The west coast of Corsica is gorgeous, as is the mountain interior, as well as Cap Corse (the peninsula in the northeast).
I haven't been to Sardinia but I've read fairly good things about it concerning touring. From the top of a mountain pass in southern Corsica, it looked much drier than Corsica, not that Corsica is all that wet in summer.
https://www.aferry.com/ferries-to-cor...FZdM5Qod8lSNvg
Note the map doesn't show ferries to Marseille, but it does have a link to them. Or, take a ferry from mainland Italy to Sardinia, then after Sardinia, a short ferry to Corsica, then later to mainland France. Just about all of Corsica is wonderful except the east coast which is flat, boring, and has more traffic than the rest of the island. The west coast of Corsica is gorgeous, as is the mountain interior, as well as Cap Corse (the peninsula in the northeast).
I haven't been to Sardinia but I've read fairly good things about it concerning touring. From the top of a mountain pass in southern Corsica, it looked much drier than Corsica, not that Corsica is all that wet in summer.
