Steve's journey across France

Steve and Heather joined us for an extended cycling adventure in France, combining several French Bike Tours itineraries into a 4-week journey. Here is Steve’s story, in his own words.

 

Who did you travel with and where are you from?

“I travelled with my partner Heather. We live in Sydney, Australia and are fit 69-year-olds looking for active holiday adventures. We have e-bikes at home to get around locally, but we are not ‘Lycra riders’.”

 
Had you done bike tours before?

“In recent years, we did a one-week bike trip with your sister company, Dutch Bike Tours, and the following year a two-week trip from Parma to Rome with Italian Bike Tours. We loved the experience so much that we were looking for a longer ride.”

What were you looking for in your next trip?

“We wanted a tour that was mostly on dedicated cycle paths and to travel outside the busy holiday period in Europe. September and October are ideal for us — not too hot — which usually means travelling in southern Europe so it’s not too cold either.”

Why did you choose France?

“France was the logical choice because it has so many vélo routes.”

How did you choose your itinerary with French Bike Tours?

“French Bike Tours offered many tour options. After studying the possibilities, we realised we could link several tours together with some minor modifications to the second and third tour. That gave us a 4-week ride.”

“FBT were very flexible in tailoring our itinerary change requests and adding extra days for sightseeing in the main towns. They were also able to arrange for us to keep the same bikes for the entire tour.”

 

What type of bikes did you choose?

“We selected the e-bike option. Unlike our previous Italian tour, this route was mostly flat, and we probably could have managed on regular bikes.”

What stands out most from the journey?

“It’s hard to identify a single favourite moment. I think it was the overall experience that is the most memorable.”

“Being in the saddle for 30 days gives you time to settle into the routine of riding and time to appreciate the little things you don’t get on a shorter ride.”

How challenging was the tour?

“While the ride was not strenuous, there was quite a sense of achievement riding self-guided almost 1,500 km.”

What did you see along the way?

“We saw a variety of the French countryside, from the Loire River to the Atlantic coast and along the canals.”

Would you recommend rest days?

“Yes, including several rest days is advised, both to recover and to explore some of the beautiful cities for a full day.”

 

How were the routes and navigation?

“While the routes are well marked, the app that is provided is excellent and essential. Sometimes the recommended route is not exactly the vélo route and can take a more interesting path.”

What about accommodation?

“We selected the higher accommodation option. Many of the places we stayed were very memorable, with authentic older buildings that were nicely renovated and had charming hosts — more four-star than three.”

“In other places the accommodation was more basic, but always clean and comfortable.”

How was the weather during your trip?

“We were very fortunate with the weather. It only rained two or three days during our ride.”

“On those days you don’t see much — just head down and pedal. Not that much fun, but ‘character building’ and part of the experience.”

 

Did you experience any technical issues?

“We did have some bike trouble with one of the bikes — the battery stopped charging.”

“French Bike Tours were able to direct us to a shop near the route. They couldn’t fix the problem there, but they were able to rent us a new bike at no cost to us, so we could keep going.”

How was the luggage transfer?

“Our luggage was collected every morning and arrived at our next hotel before we did. There were no hiccups.”

 

How does bike touring compare to other travel experiences?

“We have done a lot of travel over the years. In the past, we travelled extensively around France by car, and more recently we have city-hopped by train.”

“We have also done guided and self-guided hiking for two weeks in remote areas, which is an amazing way to connect with nature.”

“We found bike touring similar to walking, but four times quicker, not as tiring, and you can see a lot more. It’s a good compromise between travelling by car and walking.”

“We think this will be our go-to travel method for the next few years.”

Three words to describe your trip?

“Adventure. Exercise. Relationship-building.”

Would you recommend French Bike Tours?

“I would recommend French Bike Tours for anyone considering a bike tour in France.”

 

Everyone at French Bike Tours is very happy to hear about Steve and Heather's journey across France with us. It is always a pleasure to receive this kind of feedback.

Team French Bike Tours