France – South To North Cycle Ride 2025

This May I set out on a new a new challenge – cycling from the Mediterranean coast back to the English Channel!

For details of journey photos and daily diary click HERE

Whilst on, and after, the 1000 mile ride I raised donations for medical and other civilian aid to be sent to Ukraine. You can still donate:

Please Click HERE to DONATE Thank you!

Overview

I have completed the 1000 mile cycle ride from the South of France to Dieppe then returning to England via the ferry to Newhaven. My aim was to complete the journey in about a month. It took me 22 days! I followed the Route Napoléon from Golfe-Juan, near Cannes on the south coast of France to Grenoble at the foot of the French Alps. From there I travelled to the source of the River Loire in the Massif Central and then follow the course of the Loire to Orléans. Then turning north across to the cathedral city of Chartres and to the River Seine, crossing west of Rouen and finally to the Normandy coast and Dieppe

I am 78, and will use an electrically assisted bike. This is my longest cycling trip yet.

For details of the route CLICK HERE

Summary

Stage 1 – Route Napoléon

After getting off the night train from Paris at Nice we will cycle a short distance along the Côte d’Azur to the place where Napoléon landed in 1815 after his escape from Elba.

We will then follow the Route Napoléon, a 325-kilometer (200-mile) historical route from the French Riviera at Golfe-Juan, near Cannes through the road in southern France. This is the route taken by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815 on his return from exile on the island of Elba. We will try to follow the French long distance footpath route the GR 406 but the maps indicate that we may be on roads most of the time. By all accounts this is a beautiful scenic route through the mountains of Alpes-Maritimes and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. 

Stage 2 – Grenoble to Massif Central 

We will then cycle about 320 km (120 miles) west up to the source of the River Loire (1,350 m.  4,430 ft) which is in the southeastern quarter of the French Massif Central in the Cévennes range near Mont Gerbier de Jonc. 

Stage 3 – Massif Central to Orléans

The route will then follow the Loire River from a tiny stream to a large river, at Orleans. It is a journey of about 603 km (375 miles).  The Kindle book by Mike Wells ‘River Loire Cycle Route’ will be of great help guiding us through all of the twists and turns at the early stages of cycling the River Loire route. We will soon join EuroVelo 6.   We will travel through beautiful landscapes and scenery from mountains through to alluvial plains.

Stage 4 – Orléans to the River Seine 

Our route now takes us North via the cathedral city of Chartres to the River Seine; a journey of about  240 km (150 miles).  We aim to cross the river using one of the free ferries.  Our destination is the riverside town of Caudebec-en-Caux. 

Stage 5 – River Seine to Dieppe

This section is about 260 km (160 miles) through the Normandy countryside. This is familiar countryside for us as we have been over to France and cycled through this area many times. 

Statistics

Start: 20th May – Nice at Gare de Nice-Ville

Possible finish Date: 20th June – Dieppe at the ferry port 

Distance = 1,485 km (923 miles)

Elevation Gain = 14,646  (48,054 ft)

Map 

Click map to enlarge

Link to Map My Ride: https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/6484499572/

Elevation graph

Map of France – Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation

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