Long-distance cycle route London - Paris
The name is no coincidence: in France and England, avenues verte or greenways are small paths on which cyclists and pedestrians have right of way. An attempt was also made to route the metropolis route mainly along avenues vertes. This route between the French and British capitals was inaugurated on the occasion of the 2012 Summer Olympics. The route starts on the River Thames and heads south through side streets and parks through Greater London. The well-signposted National Cycle Network points the way. After some lively kilometres through the chalk hills of the North Downs and South Downs, you reach the White Cliffs of the south coast at Newhaven, where the bikes are loaded onto the canal ferry to Dieppe. From there, you follow small roads through Normandy with its many castles and monasteries further south-east. In Saint-Germer-de-Fly, a pretty village in Picardy, you can choose between two routes towards Paris.
Journey:
From Germany to London, you can take a flight or long-distance coach. You can also travel to Paris by flight, long-distance coach or train. The Eurostar express train with bike transport runs between London and Paris. www.bahn.de
Tour combinations:
Paris-Brussels cycle route, EuroVelo 3, Tour de MancheNCN 2 (South Coast Cycle Route Dover to Cornwall), NCN 21 (Greenwich to Pevensy)
Accommodation tips:
London Southwark (Tate Modern) in London South Bank, www.premierinn.com
Best Western Reigate Manor Hotel in Reigate, www.reigatemanor.co.uk
Hotel Les Arcades in Dieppe, www.lesarcades-dieppe.fr
Hotel Grand Cerf in Neufchatel-en-Bray, www.hotel-grandcerf.fr
Hotel Le Green des Impressionistes in Ennery, green-des-impressionnistes.com
Worth seeing:
- Brighton seaside resort
- Artists' village of Auvers-sur-Oise
- Old town of Beauvais,
- the monasteries of Moncel and Royaumont
- the castle of Chantilly
Organised trip:
An 8- or 9-day cycle tour from London to Paris at www.eurobike.at, www.wikinger.de and www.pedalo.com
Maps and literature:
Flyer for free download at avenuevertelondonparis.co.uk;
Sustrans Guide "Avenue Verte - London to Paris by Bike" 144 pages for £12.95 online at shop.sustrans.org.uk
Information:
avenuevertelondonparis.co.uk
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 3/2017. You can download the issue in the Trekkingbike app (iTunes and Google Play) or in the DK-Shop order.
