Calais to Beziers - route and accommodation suggestions?

Dansin

Dansin

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We're going down the last week of June. Our usual route is Calais, Le Mans, Brive-La-Gaillarde to our destination.

We we're thinking of travelling the Reims, Dijon, Lyon route down this time for a change of scenery. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions on that route (preferably not using too much Autoroute as 2 up on the 650 again...)?

We're planning on an easy paced, 3 day, 2 night ride down, does anyone have any bike friendly hotel/b&b recommendations for the route down or in the Languedoc area?

Cheers

Dan
 
Easy.

Have a scroll through the various threads in the French section of UKGSer Travel's section. The route is a popular one, so it has been covered loads of time.

Have a look at: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136891

Get this map for easy planning:

9782067130562.jpg


Full details

Follow the Bis Tourist routes where possible.
 
For the route down?

If you are going anywhere near Poitiers, just to the south is a hotel run by a guy named Harry . Secure parking and a nice bar . Very nice accomodation too http://www.route66hotel.com And my particular favourite when further south , between Agen and Toulouse http://www.swfrancebnb.com run by Gary and Lisa . The roads around gary and lisa's are superb , I've been down for the last four years , and taken the family . You are assured a warm welcome at each . Both places are very friendly to all , not just bikes .:thumb2
Cheers . Alan (Frontbrake)
 
Dansin said:
Thats a great thread, thank you. 726 ordered. :thumb2

Still want some accommodation suggestions if anyone has any?
Click to expand...

No problem.

Three days down is ample time.

I suggest:

Calais to Dijon (or there abouts) - day one. Maybe not quite so far south. Try Troyes.

Then roughly on a line Auxerre, Avallon, Autun, Ambert, Mende, Milau (inevitably someone will say do it) Beziers over the remaining two.

Where to stay?

Well, it's a long way from Calais to Beziers. Where do you want to stop?

What sort of hotel do you want?

In a big town, little village, in a hotel in field on its own?

Formula 1 or George Cinque? Or something inbetween?

It's crazy to suggest a nice hotel about 170 scenic miles from Calais, if on day one you want to be sipping beer near Macon at 20:30.

Do some work on plotting your route and probably overnight halts. The rest will fall into place much quicker.
 
Wapping said:
No problem.

Three days down is ample time.

I suggest:

Calais to Dijon (or there abouts) - day one. Maybe not quite so far south. Try Troyes.

Then roughly on a line Auxerre, Avallon, Autun, Ambert, Mende, Milau (inevitably someone will say do it) Beziers over the remaining two.

Where to stay?

Well, it's a long way from Calais to Beziers. Where do you want to stop?

What sort of hotel do you want?

In a big town, little village, in a hotel in field on its own?

Formula 1 or George Cinque? Or something inbetween?

It's crazy to suggest a nice hotel about 170 scenic miles from Calais, if on day one you want to be sipping beer near Macon at 20:30.

Do some work on plotting your route and probably overnight halts. The rest will fall into place much quicker.
Click to expand...

We're not bothered about location (town or villages etc.) and are happy to slum it or take the five star option. We usually stay in a mix of b&b's and the Mercure chain. We're really just looking for recommendations of nice places that has some sort of secure(ish) parking for the bike.

But I do take your point that we need to decide on our route first. Will post again when I've got my new map and we've worked it out.

Cheers

Dan
 
Frontbrake said:
If you are going anywhere near Poitiers, just to the south is a hotel run by a guy named Harry . Secure parking and a nice bar . Very nice accomodation too http://www.route66hotel.com And my particular favourite when further south , between Agen and Toulouse http://www.swfrancebnb.com run by Gary and Lisa . The roads around gary and lisa's are superb , I've been down for the last four years , and taken the family . You are assured a warm welcome at each . Both places are very friendly to all , not just bikes .:thumb2
Cheers . Alan (Frontbrake)
Click to expand...

Thank you for those suggestions. We will check them out as possibles for the route home. :thumb2

Wapping said:
I suggest:

Calais to Dijon (or there abouts) - day one. Maybe not quite so far south. Try Troyes.

Then roughly on a line Auxerre, Avallon, Autun, Ambert, Mende, Milau (inevitably someone will say do it) Beziers over the remaining two.
Click to expand...

We've more or less worked out our route down.

We're going to bite the bullet on day 1 and use the Autoroutes to get down to Troyes. Then D/N's as far as we can toward Autun. I suspect Chatillon-Sur-Seine may end up as our day 1 destination as the missus has seen pictures and likes the look of it! So if anyone has any small hotel or B&B suggestions in the area please?

Day 2 will be mainly D/N's through Autun, Roanne and aiming for St-Etienne to Le-Puy-en-Velay. So again, if anyone has any small hotel or B&B suggestions for the area?

Day 3 will be Mende, Tarn gorge to Millau town and on the A75 at 47 (the road up from Millau is fantastic and seen/been over the bridge a few times now), A75 to Pezenas and then D/N's to Beziers.

Its about twelve hundred kilometers and I reckon should be about fifteen hours on the bike split over 3 days.

Can't wait :clap

I already had a ton of French road maps but the Michelin 726 is great. Also bought a new A4 spiral bound France atlas which was only £8.31 from Smiths. :thumb
 
Good work on the maps :thumb2

Depending on what time you stumble off the train / boat in France and / or daudle en-route, you can do Calais to Troyes and / or Chatillon-s-S easily in a day, without too much motorway.That's a fact. I have done it lots of times, on my own or with groups. Come off the superslab at Cambrai or Soissons. I am taking a bunch of Topssers down there next month, stopping at Troyes, with very little motorway. We are doing it in two, only because the jaunt is for people who might be new to touring and / or want a really relaxed ride down.

Chatillon-s-S is not a bad place for an overnight stay, but not much else. The Golden Lion (Logis hotel) is OK but you will need to book. The owner is often pissed, which is a laugh. As with a lot of French hotels, the rooms are basic (some were being done up last time I was there) and the plumbing a bit rural but who cares?

From Chatillon-s-S or Troyes (it starts there) you can pick up the Bis tourist route. It goes excatly where you want. Follow the green / yellow signs....

Chatillon-s-S to Autun / Le Puy is a doddle, in well under a day, all on the Bis N / D roads.
 
Andy007 said:
Im staying at this place nr Dijon
pagesperso-orange.fr/hotel.alesia/
Click to expand...

Thanks, but can't make the link work :nenau

Wapping said:
Good work on the maps :thumb2

Depending on what time you stumble off the train / boat in France and / or daudle en-route, you can do Calais to Troyes and / or Chatillon-s-S easily in a day, without too much motorway.That's a fact. I have done it lots of times, on my own or with groups. Come off the superslab at Cambrai or Soissons. I am taking a bunch of Topssers down there next month, stopping at Troyes, with very little motorway. We are doing it in two, only because the jaunt is for people who might be new to touring and / or want a really relaxed ride down.

Chatillon-s-S is not a bad place for an overnight stay, but not much else. The Golden Lion (Logis hotel) is OK but you will need to book. The owner is often pissed, which is a laugh. As with a lot of French hotels, the rooms are basic (some were being done up last time I was there) and the plumbing a bit rural but who cares?

From Chatillon-s-S or Troyes (it starts there) you can pick up the Bis tourist route. It goes excatly where you want. Follow the green / yellow signs....

Chatillon-s-S to Autun / Le Puy is a doddle, in well under a day, all on the Bis N / D roads.
Click to expand...

Chatillon-S-S it is. I've checked out the Logis site and it comes up with the Hotel De La Cote D'Or, is that the same one? Also found Hotel Sylvia here. Don't suppose anyone has stayed there?

Riders Rest said:
www.ridersrest.net is just 30 odd clicks North of Brive on the superb D940 Treignac...

:beerjug:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. We always stop in Brive one way or the other so I will have a look with the wife later.

You've got some fantastic roads down there. Some spectacular views and twisties on the D840 from Brive to Figeac. Usually end up being a bit too enthusiastic as it's the last few hundred k's to the South, and get more than a few nudges to slow down....:D


I think we're set on getting to Le Puy for day 2 on the way down. Does anyone have any hotel/b&b suggestions for there? We've found Hotel Bristol which looks ok but doesn't look like it's got any parking.
 
Dansin said:
Chatillon-S-S it is. I've checked out the Logis site and it comes up with the Hotel De La Cote D'Or, is that the same one? Also found Hotel Sylvia here. Don't suppose anyone has stayed there?
Click to expand...

That's the one.

I couldn't remember the name and was too lazy too look it up. I knew it was the golden something... so guessed at 'lion', when I should have said 'edge / cliff'. The other hotel you mention is on the way into Chatillon from the north. I have never stayed there. It looks, from memory, like a low level converted convent.
 
We were in Le Puy last week! The N88 from there to Mende is a cracker!
Our hotel in Le Puy was OK, the Saint Jacques. Fairly central. I can find the details if you wish, PM me.
 
Wapping said:
That's the one.

The other hotel you mention is on the way into Chatillon from the north. I have never stayed there. It looks, from memory, like a low level converted convent.
Click to expand...

I think that's the one - we've tried to contact them and they haven't bothered to get back to us - we're going to book the Cote D'Or.

Andy007 said:
This might work
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/hotel.alesia/hotel-alesia-index-GB.htm

If not copy and paste it into Google.
Click to expand...

That worked. Thank you.

Shenzi said:
We were in Le Puy last week! The N88 from there to Mende is a cracker!
Click to expand...

Looking forward to that days riding. We're going to drop down into the Tarn Gorge south of Mende and ride along it to Millau. We've done 'the bridge' many times so we're going to jump on the A75 just south of it. It's quite nice dropping down to the coast from there, especially those twisty bits where it's a bit steep...:D

Shenzi said:
Our hotel in Le Puy was OK, the Saint Jacques. Fairly central. I can find the details if you wish, PM me.
Click to expand...

Thank you, but we've already booked into the Bristol now.

Just want to get down there now. Want my big bowl of mussels and a glass of wine sat by the sea! I don't suppose you know if there is any water jousting on anywhere down there at the end of June?

Cheers

Dan
 
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