What a fabulous idea – to develop a cycle route from London to Paris.
The route is signposted and you cross the Channel via the Transmanche Newhaven-Dieppe service, landing in Normandy. WEBSITE
On the British side
The Avenue Verte London < > Paris makes use of the existing National Cycle Network of cycle routes, leading you south out of London, over the North Downs and through Sussex to the South Downs.
On the French side
The Avenue Verte London < > Paris, you make your way to the French capital via well-signposted small roads and greenways taking you across the following French départements, or counties: Eure, Oise, Val-d’Oise, Yvelines, Hauts-de-Seine and Seine-Saint-Denis.
A month working on the Gold Coast in Eastern Australia, gave me the opportunity to take it slowly, to look beyond the brilliant beaches and bright night life of the advertisements, and explore some of the highways and byways.
Here are my 10 top picks. Read more
Winter on the Otago Cycle Trail NZ
Central Otago is at the bottom of the South Island of New Zealand – best access is via Dunedin, but easily found on a South Island Tour.
It is a rich historic gold mining area which used to have a train connecting its small communities. The train tracks have long since gone, replaced with one of the best cycling trails in New Zealand – The Otago Rail Trail.
The Otago Rail Trail is literally a cycle from pub to pub – in a huge high country landscape, it should be on any ones bucket list – even if you just cycle a small section of the trail. This is what I did recently and combined the trip with Curling – a scottish stone throwing on ice tradition, and a four wheel drive tour. I have also done the whole trail with a group of friends. Follow the link below for more stories
If you are planning to visit New Zealand Spend some time in Central Otago!
See our posts about Central Otago and the Otago Rail Trail
Jill Lundmark is off again – 72 years old an off on another fabulous Cycling trip – this time in India - follow her travels here
She begins:
I am off to India in a month. Pegasus is my bike. It was lovingly made for me by dear friends in England and has been to Western Europe, Iceland, Morocco, Vietnam and Cambodia. I’m a 72 year old New Zealander and despite the number of kilometers under my wheels it doesn’t stop me from feeling excited and anxious.
I see pictures of my trips coming up on my screensaver and I yearn to be alone again on my bike in the countryside of some exotic place having an adventure. But alone? Is it possible? Can you ever be alone in India? Read more
A solo tour mostly around the Atlas Mountains
Jill Lundmark – solo woman cyclist – 728 km (452 miles) over 64 days
I was excited about going to Morocco and hoped some people would speak English. I’d felt isolated in Spain. Outside my hotel the market was going full blast. The fruit and vegetables looked superb arranged in piles, just a riot of colour. I got some bread and bananas then went looking for the tourist information. They directed me to the ferry ticket offices. The fare to Tangier was 32 euro for me and the same for the bike one way. I’d been carrying my bike up to my room in the hotels and was well versed in manouvering it so I did’nt think it was odd to get a lift up to the waiting room for foot passengers when of course it was a vehicle and belonged with the cars. I didn’t realise until I handed my ticket to the officer and he said ‘Where’s your bike?’ ‘Here.’ He led me to the window and said I had to hurry to get it in line with the cars. Read more
Iceland with a gym-damaged knee
Jill Lundmark cycles 589 km (366 miles) over 71 days
I read everything I could find about cycling in Iceland especially the excellent notes written by Iviehoff and the tours on crazyguyonabike. I noticed at work at a secondary school I was often dressed in two layers of merino plus a jacket while the students went about bare armed so I knew the cold was going to be a challenge for me. Accordingly I packed four layers of merino tops, merino long underware, thin black stocking tights, light fawn trousers that you could even wash in situ and they would dry fast plus waterproof trousers and a pair of knicks. In addition I had a woolly beanie, a balaclava, a skiing face mask, a scarf, two pairs of cycling gloves and another more waterproof pair plus two pairs of merino socks and sturdy shoes as well as my cycling shoes. Read more
Susan Minnich writes:
I was determined that I could do this, travel solo on my bike, in France, as a 61-year-old, reasonably fit woman, with some ability to speak French. It didn’t really occur to me not to do it, though I can’t say why I was so clearly sure that all would go well. After all, I had only been to France once before, the previous year, and other than that had only been out of the US to Canada (mostly hiking trips that were many, many years ago, in an English speaking country, not solo.) Read more
A meander through the Mekong Delta and a visit to Ankor Wat
Intrepid solo cyclist Jill Lundmark rides 1,575 km (979 miles) over 64 days
The trip starts with a nasty surprise about airline rules regarding transporting bikes
After days and days of research, lists and more lists I was finally sitting uncomfortably on the plane with all my valuables strapped around me. My old cotton money belt in the small of my back, another plastic one in front for my passport, boarding card and pen and a bulkier one for my camera on my hip. My loaded bike had never looked so neat.
Everything was in two smallish Ortlieb panniers with my helmet nestled between them. I’d rung Thai Air to check the rules – turn the handlebars, take off the pedals and cover the chain. I’d demolished a banana box and with the help of some duct tape and a few plastic bags had conformed to the rules leaving the bike able to be wheeled to the check-in.
Read the rest of the story here
Wild camping and hosteling from Stonehaven to Edinburgh
One of Jill Lundmark’s intrepid journeys 650 km (404 miles) over 21 days
My name is Jill Lundmark and I live in Auckland, New Zealand. My dream for years had been to make long-distance cycle tours. I’d read the books by women cycling alone across the Amazon, around the world, into the Himalayas etc. I wanted to do the same. Read more
A Personal Account of a Bicycle Ride around Thailand, Laos and Burma
by Jill Lundmark
This link takes you the stories of Jill Lundmark’s 3 month biking around South-East Asia.
Bicycle Touring: Sixty-Six, Solo and South East Asia, by Jill Lundmark
Read some of her other travel stories here:
Sixty-seven, solo across Scotland: East to West, by Jill Lundmark
Touring Vietnam and Cambodia at Sixty-Nine., by Jill Lundmark
Southern Iceland, by Jill Lundmark
Meandering in Morocco, by Jill Lundmark
