Experience France by Bike

07/19/2022

Sweltering temperatures and devastating wildfires in southwestern France have led to massive evacuations from resort areas along the Atlantic Coast. From Royan south to Arcachon and Cap Ferret to Hendaye, the Gironde has been hit especially hard, with over 35,000 acres of land already destroyed. Thousands of residents and tourists have been evacuated from resorts along the coast as skies near Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat are dark with smoke from fires yet to be controlled. For those cycling or planning to cycle anywhere in the Gironde or along the Atlantic Coast to Spain, consult the local media as access to many areas along cycle paths in these areas will be restricted. There is currently no information online regarding how major routes like EuroVelo 1 are affected by the fires, so my recommendation is to avoid affected areas until the fires are under control. Finding accommodations in these areas will be difficult, as many hotels and inns have been closed due to fire threat, other hotels are filled with displaced tourists and residents, another reason to avoid the area. If I am able to find any updated information, I will post it.

06/20/2022

If you're lucky enough to be traveling to France this summer for a cycling holiday, be prepared for some possible challenges during your trip. Sporadic strikes thoughout the summer among pilots, flight attendants and airline workers will stress already overwhelmed airlines, possibly impacting your arrival, departure or inter-France travel. Rail workers also threaten to strike for more pay and better work conditions. A rail strike could impact your plans to get to your desired cycle route and then back to Paris.

Record-setting high temperatures nearing 100 degrees in parts of France during the last week are already challenging outdoor activities like cycling. If these dangerous temperatures persist, you should consider modifying your schedule to avoid cycling during the heat of the day. Bring plenty of electrolyte mixes with you, as they are very hard to find in France. Transfer the powder or tablets into ziplock bags to save space. Don't run out of water, don't wait till the last minute to replenish your water supply. You'll be competing with local residents for water and you don't want to run out! Odds are, your hotel or B&B will probably not be air conditioned, very few are. If the forecast during your vacation is for heat, think about investing in a small portable fan. It could be the difference between you sleeping and laying awake all night sweating! The Honeywell HTF090B Turbo Portable fan folds flat and is under $15 on Amazon.

Last but not least, if you're traveling in July/early August, you'll be competing with all the French who are on summer holiday too. Don't wait to reserve a place to stay, a rental bike, or reserve a table for dinner, especially if you are in a small town. Buy supplies for picnic lunches, and stop early to get a table in the shade! Your summer 2022 challenges are part of the adventure of traveling by bike. By being proactive and aware of potential issues, you'll be two steps ahead of other travelers. Always travel with a plan B! Stay safe and have a great cycling holiday.

01/09/2022

Will 2022 finally be the year when Covid no longer dominates the news and we can dust off bicycle trip plans that were shelved several years ago? After 2 years of no overseas travel and a virus that doesn't want to go away, would it be premature to start thinking about where I'd want to bicycle if I was able to?...

Will 2022 finally be the year when Covid no longer dominates the news and we can dust off bicycle trip plans that were shelved several years ago? After 2 years of no overseas travel and a virus that…

08/07/2021

Thinking about a bicycling trip along the Loire River in 2022? If so, download the 2021 edition of "Top Resources to Kickstart Your Loire Bike Trip Planning" and before you know it, you'll be planning like a pro! Visit www.experiencefrancebybike.com to get your free copy today!

06/09/2021

Hurray! Beginning today, Americans who are fully vaccinated can travel to France! You can find specific requirements in this article from the French Embassy in the United States website:

Foreign citizens will be able to travel to France depending on their vaccination status and the health situation of their country.

05/20/2021

I can't believe it was 9 years ago that I first cycled La Velodyssey, the Atlantic Cycling Route. It was May 2012, and just a month until this new cycling itinerary would be formally introduced. La Velodyssey has come a long way since then. With the dedication and hard work of 3 French regions and 9 departments, it's become one of the best known and most popular French cycle routes with over 3 million cyclists a year, with the exception of 2020 during the pandemic....

I can't believe it was 9 years ago that I first cycled La Velodyssey, the Atlantic Cycling Route. It was May 2012, and just a month until this new cycling itinerary would be formally introduced.

05/04/2021

It was just over a year ago that I cancelled my summer 2020 bicycling trip to France due to Covid. At the time few of us realized how the coronavirus would impact our lives. I figured this trip delay was just temporary and that I'd soon be rescheduling it for the fall. Obviously that never happened. Here we are, a year later and Americans are still not able to fly to France or many other destinations in Europe....

It was just over a year ago that I cancelled my summer 2020 bicycling trip to France due to Covid. At the time few of us realized how the coronavirus would impact our lives. I figured this trip delay…

01/03/2021

Here we are, just 3 days into 2021 and already it's unclear whether we'll be able to take a cycling trip to France or anywhere else in Europe this year. The recent announcement of several new vaccines prompted many of us to create lists of where we'd like to go first. But then the reality of how long it will take to vaccinate the world set in and put those lists on hold. Unfortunately not everyone can be vaccinated at once. 2021 may very well feature a partially vaccinated world with continuing travel restrictions in some countries for non-residents. This could be true even for those who have received the covid vaccine. Entry requirements for Americans and Australians to European countries continue to evolve on an ongoing basis and will probably continue to do so.

If you have your heart set on cycling somewhere overseas this year, be prepared for an up and down planning season, especially for travel before the fall. Stay flexible and don't feel pressured to make a commitment to an organized tour company. Make sure that any reservations you make for accommodations or bike rentals have a covid escape clause in the event that your trip needs to be cancelled because of travel restrictions.

The next few months will probably be pretty rocky as each country tries tonight the virus, vaccinate residents, and piece their economies back together. France is very excited to welcome cyclists back to its cycle paths, especially to new and expanded itineraries. Stay tuned for information on changes in entry requirements as well as information on some of the exciting new cycle paths waiting for us to explore!

11/24/2020

For those of you who are so patiently waiting for my updated Loire Resource Guide, just a note to let you know it's still in progress. It seems that many French regions are revamping/updating their websites and this is impacting many of the links in my e-book. The changes seem to be slowing down so I hope to have the updated e-book done within the next couple of weeks. I'll send out a note when the new version is posted!

07/13/2020

You may have picked the perfect route, found charming, affordable places to stay and bought a fun cycle jersey to wear, but unfortunately 2020 will not be the year for a great cycling trip in France. With Europe struggling to recover from the impact of the coronavirus and most Americans currently banned from entering France, uncertainty about almost everything makes even thinking about a vacation stressful. [ 230 more words ]

You may have picked the perfect route, found charming, affordable places to stay and bought a fun cycle jersey to wear, but unfortunately 2020 will not be the year for a great cycling trip in France.