tl;dr
Toured France for 1,440 km, mainly on the Eurovelo 1 and partly on the EV4. Fantastic country for cycling thanks to its infrastructure (camping, bike lanes, supplies, etc.). My personal highlight was the EV4, while I found parts of the EV1 a bit monotonous.
Detailed Report
The Route:
I started in Bordeaux and followed the EV1 (La Vélodyssée) all the way up to Morlaix. From there, I switched to the EV4 (La Vélomaritime) and headed east to Le Mont-Saint-Michel/Pontorson. Afterwards, I took a train to Paris and spent a day “sight-cycling.”
I’m so glad I chose this route. Originally, I planned to ride to Paris via the Véloscénie and skip the Breton coastline (EV4). However, I had heard that the Véloscénie was mostly a “green tunnel” (voie verte) with limited scenery. So I decided to include part of the EV4 instead – and it turned out to be my favourite section of the entire trip. In contrast, the EV1 felt a bit repetitive at times (many kilometres with similar landscapes and few towns), but was still very enjoyable.
Duration: 16 days
Distance: 1,440 km with 7,360 m of elevation gain
Navigation: I used the Coros Dura (didn’t have to charge it once). On the EV1, signage was excellent – you could easily manage without GPS. The EV4 had fewer signs (at least on the sections I rode).
Overnight Stays:
Mostly campsites (many with dedicated cyclist areas or even special bikepacking infrastructure), plus three nights in hotels/guesthouses.
Personal Highlights:
Carcans beach, La Rochelle, Pornic, Nantes, the tiny lock-keeper’s houses at the Nantes-Brest-Canal, Bretagne in general (the charming towns, cute houses with lush flowers everywhere and the beautiful coastline) as well as cycling through Paris.
Cycling in France:
I arrived in Bordeaux straight from cycling in Portugal, and the contrast was striking. While Portugal felt like a real adventure, cycling in France was more of a joyride – thanks to the food and infrastructure.
I don’t speak French well, just very basic. But many people were interested and (tried to) talk to me. I had lots of nice encounters and can’t confirm the stereotype that French people are rude.
With its abundance of supermarkets, restaurants, campsites, bike shops, and cycle lanes, France is perfect for first experiences in bikepacking. I saw so many people on bikes – especially plenty of older cyclists even on bikepacking trips. Super cool and inspiring.
Glitches / Breakdowns:
None, really. However, a truck slightly hit my bike while it was parked in front of a supermarket. I noticed it by chance when I was at the cashier paying. The front wheel got stuck in the bike rack and suffered a small dent. Luckily, I could still use it without any issues, and the brakes worked fine. Since it happened just a few days before the end of my trip, I decided not to have it repaired.
by truffleshuffle3000