Tag: CyclingToParis

Garry McGivern (Travelsonabike2) cycling to Paris, France on his trusty bike, Passepartout

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Cycling France: Paris to Pacy-sur-Eure On This Day 20th March 2019 | Travelsonabike2

Travelsonabike2 this day 20th-March-2019 Ornate building

Bicycle Touring France on this day in 2019

My on this day bicycle touring post comes from France on the 20th of March 2019. This ride took a long time to come. I’d been trying to get to France since April the previous year. Paris was a bit of a mess after some riots over the weekend, and I was a prime suspect for being part of them!

Wednesday, 20th March 2019. Paris to Pacy-sur-Eure. 61 miles.

Well, that was an enjoyable day, hard work but enjoyable. There’s been some steep climbs, as well as some long climbs that went on forever.

Paris was fun first thing this morning, although there was definitely something a bit different. It just didn’t feel the same, whether it’s because I’ve been there a few times now, I don’t know. Or maybe what I really think it was was the aftermath of the protests/riots that happened over the weekend! There was definitely a bad feeling in the air.

A boarded up shop
A boarded-up shop along the Champs-Élysées

Shops along the Champs-Élysées had smashed windows, other shops were boarded up, and there was debris all along the street, still waiting to be cleared up. And the mood along the Champs-Élysées seemed to reverberate around the whole city.

Speaking of the protests/riots, I think my choice of top probably wasn’t the best. I seemed to get a lot more thumbs up today. I even heard somebody at the hotel tonight, as I was checking in, say, “Gilet Jaunes!”

After leaving Paris, I went to Versailles and played the tourist there. Only from afar, though; you’re not allowed too close with a bike. After I’d finished prating around Versailles and decided to start cycling, it was gone midday. Not leaving a lot of time for cycling, but it doesn’t matter; as I said earlier, I’ve had an enjoyable day.

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Follow & Support

If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. Or subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page.

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Post-Sepsis Cycling: France, Neufchatel-en-Bray To Paris | Travelsonabike2

Path trees mist

Cycling France: Neufchatel-en-Bray to Paris

Post-sepsis bicycle tour update: cycling in France, Neufchatel-en-Bray to Paris. 81 miles. Early start again today, some idiot forgot to change his alarm clock! Three o’clock, the blooming thing went off! And of course, you can guarantee that you won’t be able to get back to sleep, well, not until it’s time to get up anyway!

Path, trees and mist
A misty start to the day

It’s been an enjoyable ride for the best part of the day. I started off on the Avenue Verte, until Forges-les-Eaux, where the off-road part of it finishes, and you then follow quiet country lanes.

I decided to leave the Avenue Verte at that point and get to Paris my way! Which was along the main roads!

Man in a lane
Some idiot in a high viz jacket

I’m not very good at quiet country roads, I find I’m forever stopping to look at a map, making sure I’ve taken the right road! No, I much prefer the main road where I can easily navigate!

All was going well until about 30 miles from Paris, when the road I was on just ended! They’d changed the layout, and the road was more like a motorway now!

Chateau in fields
Some chateau along the way today

No problem, I’ll just get the phone out and get Google to direct me! That worked out fine until we were on the outskirts of Paris. It then started taking me down dirt tracks and around the houses. And to top it all down a flight of stairs! But at least it got me here, and the last five miles were enjoyable, as I knew where I was going. It was just that bit with Google in charge, I don’t like not knowing where I am!

Made It

I didn’t arrive at the campsite until nearly eight o’clock tonight. And I just about managed to get the tent up before it was really dark.

Man in street playing accordion
A very French sound in Gournay-en-Bray with this man playing the accordion

I might go and get the obligatory photo of myself and the Eiffel Tower tomorrow, seeing as I didn’t have time today. I’ll see in the morning as I head home. I’ve got to be back for Friday.

Sepsis Recovery Ride Information:

Follow & Support

If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. Or subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.

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Post-Sepsis Cycling: Bognor Regis, England To Neufchatel-en-Bray, France | Travelsonabike2

Sea cliffs

Cycling France: Bognor Regis, England to Neufchatel-en-Bray

Post-sepsis bicycle tour update: cycling Bognor Regis, England to Neufchatel-en-Bray, France. 60 miles. Sorry about the email you may have received earlier, it was just me and technology not getting on!

Bonjour bonjour! Finally, I’ve made it to France!

Sea and white cliffs
The Sussex coastline as I left this morning

I’ve been trying to get here for weeks now. In fact, I think I’ve been trying since last April, if I remember correctly! Every time I’ve tried to get here, something has always gone wrong, or we’ve had bad weather, like we’ve had for the past couple of weeks, gale force winds! But now there’s a break in the weather, and I’m feeling good. So that’s it, I’m off!

It was an early start this morning, and I was on the road by 4.30 am heading for Newhaven to catch the ferry to Dieppe.

Railway station
One of the many old stations along the Avenue Verte

Nice easy ride to Newhaven, and I arrived at about 8 o’clock. In plenty of time for the 10 o’clock sailing.

The crossing was very smooth, and it didn’t seem to take too long at all, although it was still four hours!

I met a lovely young couple, Mike and Pip, on the ferry this morning, who were also on bikes. They’re heading for Switzerland in a roundabout way! It was nice talking to them.

French chateau
Chateau de Mesnieres-en-Bray

Finally, I’m In France

I arrived in Dieppe around 3/3.30 and, as per normal, got lost trying to find my way out! Well, not lost, I was just on the wrong road, the busier main road, instead of the quieter small road! But it didn’t really matter. It took me to the same place!

Green sign
One of the many Avenue Verte signs along the route

Nice ride along the Avenue Verte with a nice tailwind.

I’m hoping to get to Paris tomorrow. I know I always used to do it, but I’m not so sure these days, we’ll see! If I do, I do. If I don’t, I don’t! It’s not a problem, either way. It’s just nice to be able to ride!

Sepsis Recovery Ride Information:

Follow & Support

If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel my next mile, you can always support me by buying me a beer. Or subscribe to my blog and follow me as I travel around on my bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow me on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. I’m also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all my tours, along with regular photo updates that I generally publish each month.

If you want to find out if I’m away touring at the moment and check my location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And for an insight into the gear and logistics that keep me on the road, see my Life at 10mph Guide.

Follow Garry on his travels

Subscribe to my email and follow me on my travels