Route advice - getting to the Alps

[kennyc]

the route I've used for the last 20 odd years, France, head for Lille, then Bruxelles, Luxembourg,Nancey,Metz,detour via the Vosges to Basle then head for the Bernese Oberland, the prettiest place in the Alpes from there you can head for Annency or points South. the beauty of this route is that it involves flat fast autoroutes to eat up the boring stuff, there are no Peages to cause hassle and plenty of places of historical interest if you want to dawdle. from the Vosges to home (Reading) took about 12 hours by bike a couple of weeks ago including time on the ferry.

 

[gmangtr]

the route I've used for the last 20 odd years, France, head for Lille, then Bruxelles, Luxembourg,Nancey,Metz,detour via the Vosges to Basle then head for the Bernese Oberland, the prettiest place in the Alpes from there you can head for Annency or points South. the beauty of this route is that it involves flat fast autoroutes to eat up the boring stuff, there are no Peages to cause hassle and plenty of places of historical interest if you want to dawdle. from the Vosges to home (Reading) took about 12 hours by bike a couple of weeks ago including time on the ferry.

+1 Thats what we did

 

[stolzy]

My tendancy in such a situation (no hurry, autoroute avoidance) would be to straighten out the route and see where it leads.

In your case you're in luck - a crow-flys-ish route takes you through either the Vosges or the Jura, or both.

Both are beautiful areas with excellent biking roads, similar in type, though not scale to the Alps. Both are areas popular with the French, both have excellent accommodation at all levels and distinctive cuisines.

My suggestion would be Autoroute to Riems (get past the boring flat north-east of France) then via N/D roads to St Dizier, Chaumont, Langres, Vesoul, Besancon and then stay somewhere in the Jura. A long day at 600km, but a really beautiful ride and roads you can make good progress on.

You'll wake up in mountain scenery and have a traverse of the Jura in front of you and spectacular views across Geneva and Lac Leman.

 

[Joybringer]

Re the N71

Would that be the D971 now??

Planning a jaunt that way soon...

Leave the N71 (I think it is now renumbered and reclassified as a D road) at Chatillon sur Seine.

Left on D928 to Leuglay, then south on D996 to Dijon

OR

Stay on D928 to Recey sur Ource, then south on D959 to Is sur Tille, then the D903 to Dijon.

OR

Stay on N71. Left on D901 south from St Marc sur Seinne to Moloy. Then D996 to Dijon.





That's the way to do it. Trust me.

 

[BegesRus]

Get off the chunnel and ride until 3 or 4 P.M. - go anywhere - stop and pick a hotel - anywhere - check in have a shower - get a few beers and really good meal - brandy and bed - done