Le point de départ d'un tour du monde : la France et ses nombreux itinéraires !
Présentation des voyageurs
Prénom : Jérémie
Vélo utilisé : Kona sutra 2012
Poids du vélo : 17kg + 40 kg de bagages
Durée du voyage envisagée : 1 an
Budget : 8e/jour
Site web : http://jeremz.com
Prénom : Thomas
Vélo utilisé : Surly Troll
Poids du vélo : 20kg + 40 kg de bagages
Durée du voyage envisagée : 4 ou 5 ans
Budget : 8e/jour
Site Web : www.yolotour.fr
Décrivez rapidement le parcours que vous avez emprunté en France depuis votre départ ?
Départ de Landrecie dans le Nord de la France. On a rejoint Amiens, Rouens et Tours par les petites routes de campagne.
Ensuite direction l'océan par La Loire à Vélo jusqu'à Nantes et Saint-Brevin. Ensuite plein sud par La Vélodyssée où on a quitté l'itinéraire et la France à Hendaye.
Comment avez-vous déterminé votre itinéraire en France ?
On voulait profiter au maximum des nombreuses voies vertes, avoir du plat et des beaux paysages.
Quels supports avez-vous utilisés pour vous guider sur le terrain ?
Sur La Loire à Vélo, aucune carte précise, juste un tracé de l’itinéraire. Pour La Vélodyssée on avait le guide "La côté Atlantique à vélo - De Nantes à Hendaye". Le guide est assez précis, par contre il faut un petit temps d'adaptation pour bien comprendre le sens et le fonctionnement des cartes.
Qu'avez-vous pensez de la signalétique sur le terrain ?
C'est au top, des panneaux partout, c'est quasi impossible de se perdre. On a juste de temps en temps "couper" des bouts de l'itinéraire pour gagner du temps, mais c’était voulu.
Pour l'instant, quels sont vos coups de cœur ?
Les bords de l’océan, l'odeur de l'iode dans l'air, les énormes vagues, les forêts de pin : c'était vraiment au top !
Le passage du Gois est un lieu exceptionnel, c'est beau et magique de se dire que l'océan libère seulement pour quelques heures ce bout de route.
Et se retrouver seul sur la Dune du Pilat, les avantages de voyager en novembre.
Le pire moment ?
L'arrivée à Nantes sous des trombes d'eau. Une grosse journée de 110 km avec le vent de face et de la pluie non-stop.
Une anecdote à partager ?
Même en plein mois de Novembre, on rencontre d'autres voyageurs à vélo comme nous. C'est la cas de Hans Weber, un papy voyageur de 65 ans qui fait la même route que nous (Loire à vélo & Vélodyssée). On a aussi rencontré Gaetan à Royan qui voyage désormais avec nous.
Et maintenant, quelle est la suite du programme ?
On est actuellement à Porto pour 2 jours. On va maintenant suivre la côte Portugaise et Espagnol jusqu'au Détroit de Gibraltar. Ensuite Maroc :)
A suivre sur leurs sites et leurs Facebook :
Vidéo de leur passage en France
Tailor-made itineraries
Tailor-made itineraries
21 Tours / Villandry
Touraine is known as ‘le Jardin de la France’ (The Garden of France) and Tours is a perfect central gateway for exploring it. This Loire à Vélo stage leads you along the south bank of the Cher River to the Château de Villandry, a major stop, with its world-famous gardens, before rejoining the Loire. Either side of Villandry are picturesque cycle paths leading to the great river. This stage proves extremely enjoyable.
22 Villandry / Rigny-Ussé
This is a star-studded Loire à Vélo stage, taking you from the glorious Château de Villandry, with its stunning gardens, on via the confluence of Loire and Cher rivers to the fairytale Château d’Ussé. On this stage, you cycle along a raised levée beside the Loire, allowing you wonderful views of the great river. This is a special stage, mainly along shared country roads.
23 Rigny-Ussé / Candes-St-Martin
This Loire à Vélo stage is marked by atmospheric islands in the Loire colonized by birds. At the Indre River’s confluence with the Loire, the setting is unspoilt. Further west, enjoy one of the most magnificent panoramas on the Loire à Vélo and Eurovelo 6 routes from gorgeous Candes-St-Martin, looking onto the confluence of Vienne and Loire rivers. This stage is easy, alternating between greenways and quiet country roads.
24 Candes-St-Martin / Saumur
This Loire à Vélo stage from Candes-St-Martin to Saumur takes you from Touraine into the famous neighbouring county of Anjou, offering a wealth of discoveries, alternating between wine and subterranean (or troglodyte) sights. Either stick to greenways down by the Loire, or choose the higher, more demanding route on small country roads, through vine-covered slopes, ending with a dramatic arrival at Saumur Castle.
25 Saumur / St-Rémy-la-Varenne
On this Loire à Vélo stage, enjoy some of the most spectacular, luminous stretches along the Loire. The route hugs the south bank of the river, allowing you to appreciate close-up remarkable buildings made in the gorgeous local tufa limestone, including the major church at Cunault and St-Maur Abbey. All told, a magical but easy stage.
26 St-Rémy-la-Varenne / la Daguenière
For this Loire à Vélo stage, cross to the Loire’s north bank through Anjou, cycling through former marshes turned into rich agricultural lands in medieval times, when the raised levées were built. Pick up local produce on the way! At La Daguenière, either head for Anjou’s capital city, Angers, via Trélazé’s former open slate mines, or follow the Loire to the dramatic confluence with the Maine River at Bouchemaine.
27 La Daguenière / Angers
This Loire à Vélo stage to Anjou’s capital takes you through the startling landscapes of the former slate mines of Trélazé. Then enjoy crossing the Authion River via a little cable ferry. This makes for a fun way to reach the enticing city of Angers, spread across both banks of the Maine River. An equally enjoyable alternative route takes you to Bouchemaine via the Loire-side town of Les Ponts-de-Cé (see stage La Daguenière >Bouchemaine).
29 Angers / Bouchemaine
In the heart of Anjou, this Loire à Vélo stage goes from opposite Angers’s central castle out via the green setting of the Lac de Maine. This urban stage is startling, avoiding motorized traffic, taking you through parkland and alongside the Maine River. Bouchemaine is great for a stop, for its typical quayside restaurants or a picnic beside the Loire.
30 Bouchemaine / Chalonnes-sur-Loire
Start at La Pointe, in a tremendous setting in the heart of Anjou, where the Maine River joins the Loire. A bit west, this magical Loire à Vélo stage allows you glimpses of the prestigious vine-covered slopes of Savennières. You follow the wild Loire closely here. Don’t miss Béhuard Island before going on to cross Chalonnes’s island.
31 Chalonnes-sur-Loire / St-Florent-le-Vieil
This Loire à Vélo stage in Anjou crosses the startling island of Chalonnes, one of the largest on the Loire. Nearby, along the south bank, are the celebrated Coteaux du Layon vineyards, then the pretty perched villages of Montjean-sur-Loire and St-Florent-le-Vieil. The route is along quiet roads, cyclists able to make the most of the raised Loire-side levées and views across the islands.
32 St-Florent-le-Vieil / Champtoceaux
From Mont Glonne, at the top of St-Florent-le-Vieil, with its great views of the Loire Valley, this Loire à Vélo stage goes on to Champtoceaux, an historic fortified site with further tremendous river views, standing on Anjou’s frontier with the Pays d’Ancenis on the north bank. It’s worth conquering the heights of St-Florent and Champtoceaux for the panoramas! The route is along quiet roads and greenways.
33 Champtoceaux / Mauves-sur-Loire
Welcome to the Basse-Loire, or Lower Loire and the county of Loire Atlantique. The importance of the Atlantic begins to be felt on this Loire à Vélo stage, as the ocean starts to exert more of an influence. The Loire islands, vine-covered slopes producing Muscadet wine and flat, very fertile market-gardening fields on the way to Nantes provide pleasingly varied landscapes. This Loire à Vélo stage proves interesting as well as easy.
34 Mauves-sur-Loire / Nantes
Designated European Green Capital in 2013, the city of Nantes comes into view, a shaded towpath offering a gentle way into town. The new Tabarly Bridge leads over to L’île de Nantes, home to extraordinary outsized machines you can ride on, and to the Malakoff Quarter, being completely renovated. This island makes for a great introduction to the joyous tumult of the largest city along the Loire à Vélo cycle route.
35 Nantes / Le Pellerin
Contemporary art features large along the Loire’s long estuary and this stage shared by the Loire à Vélo and Velodyssey cyles routes. The installations are startling, set in unusual locations. They offer joyous surprises close to the city of Nantes.
36 Le Pellerin / Paimboeuf
The calm Canal de la Martinière acts as your guide on this stage shared by EuroVelo 6 and the Loire à Vélo cycle routes. You cycle along quiet little roads, in the midst of landscapes typical of the Loire estuary, with broad marshes and meadows spreading out from the great river.
37 Paimboeuf / St-Brevin-les-Pins
This is the last stage on the Loire à Vélo cycle route, but it also offers you the opportunity of joining the Velodyssey cycle route as it runs alongside the Atlantic. The Loire is strongly affected by the tides here and arriving at the end of the stage, you end up in a typical seaside resort!
14 St-Brevin-les-Pins / Pornic
This stage of La Vélodyssée starts by crossing St-Brevin between the sea, dunes, pine trees and villas. It continues into the countryside of the Pays de Retz towards St-Michel-Chef-Chef and the charming tourist seaside resort of Pornic.
15 Pornic / Bouin
La Vélodyssée route continues its tour of the Bay of Bourgneuf, brushing past the Breton Marshes in the search for out-of-the-ordinary landscapes in an area rich in birds local to the region. Human activity makes itself felt in the form of the fisheries and the small working ports which dot the coastline. One last gourmet stage on the Loire-Atlantique, La Vélodyssée route continues its tour of the Bay of Bourgneuf. We find ourselves in oyster country, encountering numerous little oyster ports and pits used to cultivate the oysters.
16 Bouin / La Barre de Monts - Fromentine
The last stage of La Vélodyssée in the Bay of Bourgneuf-en-Retz (your pedals keeping time with the sweeping circles of its wind turbines!) before arriving at the very lively Port-du-Bec in Epoids. The highlight of the day will be crossing the famous Gois causeway to the Island of Noirmoutier, tides permitting!
17 La Barre de Monts - Fromentine / St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
This stage of La Vélodyssée focuses entirely on the sea, the beach, the forest and the dunes. There are 18 kms of cycle paths winding through the national forest of Pays de Monts, after which you come to the very lively seaside resort of St-Jean-de-Monts. Before reaching the Vendéenne Cove and its famous boulders at Sion-sur-l’Océan, La Vélodyssée heads towards an old fishing village in the commune of St-Hilaire-de-Riez, adjoining St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. A superb stage.
18 St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie / Les Sables d'Olonne
St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, working port, well-known seaside resort, significantly located on a river whose name means ‘life’… all this and the Grande Plage… altogether an unmissable location on La Vélodyssée! Take time to stroll around before continuing on the route which gets closer to the coast towards Brétignolles-sur-Mer and Brem-sur-Mer.The route stretches along the coast and snakes through the Avocettes road between the Olonne forest and the ancient salt marshes which extend between Brem, the Isle of Olonne, Olonne-sur-Mer and Les Sables-d’Olonne.
19 Les Sables d'Olonne / La Tranche-sur-Mer
In this fairytale setting are both Les Sables (world capital of yacht racing) and La Rochelle, (the ‘broken rebel’ capital of Aunis) centre stage. The Vendéenne coast brings the cycle routes back to the Poitevin Marshes. Once past the Sèvre Niortaise River, we find ourselves at Charente-Maritime and the Marans canal which leads straight to the Old Port. After St-Vincent, La Vélodyssée winds its way into the large national forest of Longeville, drawing close to the sea on two occasions from where beautiful beaches can easily be accessed, such as Les Conches. A quick dip is a must on this stage!
20 La Tranche-sur-Mer / Marans
La Belle-Henriette Lagoon, separated from the sea by a narrow band of sand, and then your arrival into La Faute-sur-Mer which stretches endlessly towards the point of Arçay, mark this stage of La Vélodyssée. The route then heads into St-Michel-en-l’Herm through the dried marshes of Marais Poitevin a great expanse of marshes and cultivated land dotted with farms and sheds. The crossing of the Pont du Brault takes us into Charente-Maritime in the ancient district of Aunis. Marans, the capital of the dried Marais marshes, was once a very important look-out point.
24 Marans / La Rochelle
This final stage of La Vélo Francette shares the way with the longer La Vélodyssée cycle route. You follow the Canal de Marans towards the sea before branching off for the great city of La Rochelle via the Canal de Rompsay. Although this stage is easy, it allows you to end La Vélo Francette with a flourish – plus there’s the possibility of a dip in the Atlantic! Islands beckon just off the coast, if you wish to prolong your experience of douce France!
22 La Rochelle / Rochefort
As the famous towers which defend the port of La Rochelle hove into view, a cycle path section takes us to the Port of Minimes, then onto the Cove of Godechaud, right next to the sea. The delightful Bay of Châtelaillon now comes into sight and offers weary cyclists a very pleasant stopping point. After the Bay of Châtelaillon comes a pretty seaside section before heading back inland towards the ‘royal city’ of Rochefort. While the middle section of this route might appear somewhat commonplace, the remarkable town of Rochefort is well worth exploring.
23 Rochefort / Marennes
It’s with great regret that we leave behind Rochefort and its gardens on the banks of the Charente. We take the former steam-train tracks – now the greenway – and La Vélodyssée meets the marshes, criss-crossed with little channels, before heading onto the oyster centre of Marennes (some sections under construction).
24 Marennes / Royan
The Marennes Country, home to the leading oyster farms in Europe, spreads over salt marshes and the Seudre estuary. Here cycle paths are numerous and a truly memorable part of the route takes you through the forest of Coubre as La Vélodyssée reaches La Palmyre.This part is fit for a king, with splendid sea views. Following cycle lanes throughout, it weaves through the coastal forest and array of pretty beaches, one of which is the charming St-Palais, along the coast road to reach the striking cliffs and sandy beaches either side of the beautiful streets of Royan. All you have to do is to catch the boat!
25 Royan / Montalivet-les-Bains
Upon entering the Gironde, a new world reveals itself to travellers on La Vélodyssée. La pointe de Grave also marks the end of the Médoc, a landscape of great variety, depending on whether you cross the west coast or the estuary and the vineyards. Pleasant cycle lanes wind their way from Verdon to the charming Soulac-sur-Mer with its lively streets and pretty seaside villas, we take the trail towards Montalivet. To the north of this stage, the sea entices you in for a cooling dip; to the south there is a more forested area which is most pleasant in fine weather.
26 Montalivet-les-Bains / Hourtin-Plage
From Montalivet to Naujac (apart from a large chicane and a gentle bend) you can ride on autopilot on this part of La Vélodyssée as you breathe in the scent of the pine trees – there is very little chance of getting lost here: head directly south through the Flamand national forest. The Côte d’Argent truly is the kingdom of cycle lanes. La Vélodyssée follows the central path to meet Hourtin via the forest. The surrounding area offers numerous choices of where you can stop for a refreshing splash in one of the vast lakes, one of which is Hourtin - the largest in France!
27 Hourtin-Plage / Lacanau-Océan
Still in the forest and still on cycle paths. The natural reserves encountered throughout the route demonstrate that these large spaces are populated, rich in wildlife and a lot more diverse that we may first think…
28 Lacanau-Océan / Lège-Cap-Ferret
A pleasant stage of La Vélodyssée on designated lanes between dunes and the forest. Take time out to stray off the cycle lane and appreciate one of the handful of connections to the sea and enjoy the fantastic ocean views. Take care on the Atlantic beaches! You’re constantly discovering new horizons in the direction of Bassin d’Arcachon Bay. A hugely different atmosphere with a return to the land of oysters. Here we can take a splendid alternative route down the tracks leading to Cap Ferret
29 Lège-Cap-Ferret / Arcachon
Those nostalgic for the trains of yesteryear, welcome! Except for a shared section with traffic between Lège and Arès, La Vélodyssée now follows the former steam-train tracks. We pass stations and you’ll need to “go off the rails” to truly enjoy Arcachon Bay and surrounding villages.The forests of Gironde disappear, to be replaced by urban landscapes during this stage around the Bassin d’Arcachon. A little way after Lanton, we find ourselves in the Regional National Park of the Landes de Gascogne, which is fragrant with the iodised and authentic air of Aquitaine.
30 Arcachon / Biscarrosse-plage
After an essential trip to the top of the Dune of Pilat to appreciate the beauty of the area and the views, we once again set off on a long crossing through the Landes Forest. Just before the Biscarrosse-Plage, La Vélodyssée takes you seamlessly from La Gironde into the Landes.
31 Biscarrosse-plage / Parentis-en-Born
From Gironde to the Landes nothing really changes, apart from the section of military land which forces La Vélodyssée away from the seafront to make a long detour inland, where the blues of the vast ponds replace that of the sea. You may try out the hydroplanes, common to this part of Biscarrosse!
32 Parentis-en-Born / Mimizan-Plage
After the Biscarrosse and Parentis Lakes, the trail follows secondary roads and takes us to the more secluded northern lake of Aureilhan. Several access paths later, the trail brings us onto the western bank, for a moment of relaxation and a swim on the beach.
33 Mimizan-Plage / Léon
Having soaked up the atmosphere of the Mimizan-Plage seaside resort, it’s back on the saddle to once more find the inner calm of the forest: its silence and delicate fragrances, with the deep sense of tranquility, and being master of this happy space, far away from the hustle and bustle of the world. La Vélodyssée encourages meditation…The woodland trail bringing a feeling of peace, reinforced by the fragrant pine trees. You have to leave the trail to enjoy the seaside beaches near Contis-Plage or St-Girons-Plage, or those of the Léon Lake beaches that you come to.
34 Léon / Capbreton
La Vélodyssée now heading north, advances to a few hundred yards from the Côte d’Argent, gradually getting closer to Moliets-et-Mâa and Messanges. The route finally meets the powerful ocean at Vieux-Boucau, the former port (until the river Adour was re-routed to Bayonne in 1578) and today a very pleasant stopping point. Here La Vélodyssée sails past the iconic seaside, surfing and health resorts of Hossegor and Capbreton. These two towns are separated by the Boudigau - the redirected former Adour River – but their names are linked by their proximity and their huge popularity with tourists in the central areas of the Landes.
35 Capbreton / Bayonne
This stage between the Landes and the Basque Country lets us enjoy forest and large beaches as we make our way along beautiful cycle lanes. As we approach Boucau, La Vélodyssée enters more urbanised surroundings. After all, sometimes we must share the highways!
36 Bayonne / Biarritz
La Vélodyssée now heading north, advances to a few hundred yards from the Côte d’Argent, gradually getting closer to Moliets-et-Mâa and Messanges. The route finally meets the powerful ocean at Vieux-Boucau, the former port (until the river Adour was re-routed to Bayonne in 1578) and today a very pleasant stopping point.
37 Biarritz / Saint-Jean-de-Luz
This stage of La Vélodyssée is punctuated with vantage points enjoying exceptional ocean views but it is sometimes challenging and the route is shared with cars. Don’t think twice about parking your bike occasionally and enjoying the picnic areas, tables and discovery trails on hand throughout this section.
38 Saint-Jean-de-Luz / Hendaye-Plage
Final stage of La Vélodyssée before reaching the Spanish border and the rhythm of the Bolero. After St-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure, comes a glorious end to the course with a route over the Corniche de Socoa cliffs, which from the Fort to the Pointe Ste-Anne promontory offers panoramic views stretching over the Golfe de Gascogne.
