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Anyone done this and can recommend some bike friendly hotels, particularly in Calais and Amiens? Cheap and cheerful is fine, I'm more concerned about the bikes being safe and sound by whatever means!
Any other tips to do with the ride that spring to mind also more than welcome. 🙂
try CTC touring section, if no look here.
Nice one, I will check it out.
Cle d'Opale in Calais is lovely. Has private parking - don't know about bike security but might be worth a look. Also, there's a great restaurant round the corner. Can't remember the name, but Cle d'Opale will tell you as they recommended it to us.
Julian, thanks - I'll check it out.
There's two of us doing the ride with a support car(my Dad insisted!), so somewhere safe to put the bikes is the ideal. As a last resort they could go in the car, but I'm not too keen on that option.
Have done this route myself on the road bike. We stayed at Campanile hotels in Calais and Amiens. Wheeled the bikes into the rooms. No problems at all.
That's exactly the sort of experience I'm after - I'm getting straight onto booking with them today on that basis!
You haven't got a GPX of your route, by any chance? I'm piecing a route together from options I've found online, but real world experience and input is much more valuable.
Ok, Hotel Campanile Calais booked. The Amiens option is a little more pricey as they don't have rooms for three. If anyone knows an Amiens hotel that will allow bikes in rooms and also take three people, that would be amazing. Otherwise, we will probably go for Campanile despite the price. I assume Hotel F1s would allow bikes in rooms, as from memory you don't really even see anyone when you check in?
My trip was organised by a group of guys from Bikeradar. The route links are below. I didn't map them but from what I recall they were ok, with the exception of day 1 where the author routed from Dover to London and then reversed the GPX meaning it took a bit of common sense on a couple of one way systems in London and roundabouts had us going anti-clockwise!
After that, I think it was ok.
They're worth taking some time to look over though as they were mapped in 2010 and roads may have changed.
The trip down to Dover was on some fairly fast A road through Kent so you may want to adjust that, although I don't think there is much of an alternative.
Day 2 from Calais was great and we stopped to look at a war cemetery in Etaples. Very humbling.
Day 3 into Paris was fine but we did have a very busy road in and were riding on the hard shoulder. You may want to seek an alternative for that bit but I think Paris is that busy, it was the best of a busy route. Paris itself was a nightmare. Only time i've actually been stick in traffic on a bicycle. Literally, not even a handlebar width between cars.
[url= http://www.mapmyride.com/gb/london-eng/london-to-dover-l2p-day-1-route-18267124 ]Day 1 - London to Dover[/url]
[url= http://www.mapmyride.com/fr/coulogne-nord-pas-de-calais/calais-to-amiens-l2p-day-2-route-18267200 ]Day 2 - Calais to Amiens[/url]
[url= http://www.mapmyride.com/fr/boves-picardie/amiens-to-paris-l2p-day-3-route-18267346 ]Day 3 - Amiens to Paris[/url]
That is excellent, cheers. Your comment about the fast A road in Kent reflects pretty much what I've noticed on every route I've found, they all seem to go that way and there doesn't look like a particularly good alternative from what I can see on online maps. May just have to suck it up by the sounds of things.
All helpful, thanks.
Just a quick bump in case anyone can give an Amiens hotel suggestion - potentially going with the Campanile, but wouldn't mind something slightly cheaper if possible.
Premier Classe hotels are a step cheaper from Campanile. No reception to see what you're doing & you can stash the bikes in your room(s) on the bunk bed if you wanted
I'd avoid the Formula 1 hotels, just because I want my own bog
Sounds very promising, will take a gander. Thanks.
That Premiere Classe option would be a goer, but it's a little too far out of Amiens... would be nice to actually stay in the town itself.
Did this a couple/three years ago, with a charity have a map book of our route, the london calais might be good for you as kept us mostly off major roads, i will scan and send you a copy if you can give me an email address
hustler, that would be excellent, thanks. My email is my username at gmail dot com.
Thank you!
Bump for hustler.
Hotels sorted now, but this is not so far away so any route / other tips would be much appreciated. Ta!