🚴♀️ On my way to Ireland
Part 2: France
Finally in France
At last, France! After being unsure which language to speak in Belgium 😉 , it was now clear: French.
Otherwise, not much had changed at first. I continued along the green canal for a while until I reached the suburbs of Lille, my first major city on this section.
The cycle paths here often bypass the city centres. But as I had never been to Lille before and needed to get a new gas cartridge and withdraw money, I cycled straight into the city.
The detour was worth it, even though it was very busy. During the holiday season, there are lots of people out and about even on normal working days. Lille is centrally located between Brussels and Paris and is an important transport hub, which has made it a significant trading city since the 16th century. There are countless historic buildings, museums and churches. You could easily spend some time here, but I had a goal. In any case, I had got my cartridge and my money.
➡️ Change of direction: heading west towards Boulogne-sur-Mer
Shortly after Lille, I left EuroVelo 5. I didn’t want to continue north, but rather west towards Boulogne-sur-Mer. However, that didn’t mean the cycle path ended. As usual, I rode along canals for the time being.
It was surprising that later on, I suddenly found myself no longer on a cycle path but riding on country roads. These were so empty that, in my opinion, a separate cycle path was unnecessary. There wasn’t even a cycle path sign, as you usually find everywhere else. There was also absolutely nothing going on in the villages – there were no shops. But that doesn’t mean you have to go starving. No, here you can get ready-made pizzas or sandwiches from vending machines. It reminded me a lot of Japan, except that the selection there was more varied.
Don’t ask me how it tastes. I’m not hungry enough to risk it.
Away from the canals also meant: hills at last!
Apparently, I was following the route of this year’s Tour de France. Tricolors were hanging outside everywhere. In Aire-sur-la-Lys, the entire old town was decorated festively. The pros probably didn’t notice much of this as they sped through.
It was truly astonishing: I knew that the sea was only a few kilometers away, but I was still at an altitude of over 100 meters. (I tend to lose my patience when I want to get to the sea but still have to cycle uphill!) What I didn’t know was that here it is a steep coast. After a few kilometers, the road descended steeply to Boulogne-sur-Mer.
🌊 The Opal Coast and tourist crowds
Another big city. France’s largest fishing port also has an impressive old town. Even under Caligula (1st century AD), the city was strategically very important for the conquest of Great Britain.
Today, the town on the Opal Coast is very touristy. However, it took a long time before I finally saw the sea. Here I was on EuroVelo 4 and once again surrounded by other cyclists. I’ll be clear about one thing: August is not an ideal month for traveling in this area. Everything was full and the campsites were expensive. Yes, I know, I could have known that beforehand, but somehow I pushed it out of my mind.
The good thing about traveling by bike is that you can always find a place to stay. This time it was at the campsite in Berck, where there were already two Dutch cyclists. That’s often a big plus at campsites (besides showers : you have company and can chat.
Here, I actually had access to the sea, or rather the English Channel. But there was no water at the moment, nothing to swim in – just a few seals lying around.
After Berck, I first passed a beautiful national park with a wonderful bike path, which was very busy on Sunday.
After that, as is typical for a steep coastline, the trail climbed a hundred meters, then descended again. In between, there were great views.
Dieppe was once again a shock. The historic old town was closed to cars, but all around it was absolute chaos.
Some cars were even parked miles away. I managed to get through reasonably well on my bike, took a quick look at everything, and moved on.
🥵 Heat and forced break
In mid-August, it became extremely hot. My bike computer showed over 40 degrees. Everything was dry, the earth was dusty. The only cool place I found was in a small church.
On a small bike path, where I found another place to camp in the wild, I headed towards Fécamp and further south to Étretat.
The steep cliffs, the old town, and the beach are once again major tourist attractions.
Here, too, I had to move on quickly after seeing it. Even on my bike, I could hardly get through the crowds.
I gave Le Havre a wide berth. I always find drawbridges, which are quite common here, very exciting.
🌉 The Pont de Normandie
Before I arrived at the Pont de Normandie, I had read terrible stories about it. The bridge is over two kilometers long and crosses the Seine near Le Havre. It looks very impressive from a distance, and the highway also runs across it.
Having already crossed the Loire via the Pont de Saint-Nazaire on my bicycle, I was prepared for anything.
I was very surprised: there was at least a bike lane here! I slowly pushed my bike up the sidewalk and enjoyed the view from above. On the other side, protected from traffic, I rode back down. The ride across the bridge is unpleasant because of the traffic noise, but you can definitely give it a try. (Unlike the bridge over the Loire, where there is no bike lane—that’s extremely unpleasant.)
After the bridge, I ended up in Honfleur, a picturesque little harbor that has become a center for the visual arts.
This place is also a tourist attraction, mainly because there are beautiful beaches further west.
⚓ Scenes from World War II
The coast is also very unusual: lots of casinos, amusement parks, expensive campsites. And then, of course, the sites of the Second World War.
Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beaches are lined up here. This is where the Allies landed to liberate France from the Nazis.
After that, the route continued along quiet country roads. Once again, a road was closed. A woman told me that I could easily cross the bridge, which was closed to cars, by bike. The bridge was no problem. Then there was a very narrow swing bridge at a lock. It was a nice place with a picnic area, and the bridge was open. I wasn’t sure if I could get my loaded bike across it. Cyclists who were taking a break assured me that it would be fine. And indeed, the narrow footbridge fortunately had a railing and was just wide enough for my bike. On the other side, I took a break first, as it was very warm.
Later, the beach was not a sandy beach, but rather reeds. This is not so attractive for tourists, which is why it was very quiet.
🔔 Last stage
It was Thursday, August 14. I had booked a ferry from Cherbourg to Ireland for Friday evening. Today, I wanted to get as far as possible.
On a hill, I found a church surrounded by woods—nothing else. A great place to camp, I thought. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that the next day was a holiday (Assumption Day) and that there would be a church service in the evening.
The peace and quiet soon came to an end. I didn’t know where all the churchgoers had come from. The parking lot by the forest was full in no time. I didn’t feel like looking for another spot. The service was supposed to start at 8 p.m. and would probably be over by 9 p.m. Far from it! It wasn’t until 11 p.m. that the parking lot slowly emptied. Only a few children discovered my hiding place from above, from the church.
The next day, I was awakened by church bells at 7 a.m. That’s what I get for camping near the church.
I didn’t want to have breakfast in my hiding place; I preferred to get going right away and find a nice picnic spot. I was lucky: not far away, there were tables and benches by a pond.
I didn’t want to have breakfast in my hiding place, I preferred to set off straight away and find a nice picnic spot. I was in luck: not far away, there were tables and benches by a pond.
Before I boarded the ferry to Ireland, I wanted to buy gas cartridges for my stove. So at some point I headed straight for Decathlon in Cherbourg. I couldn’t have chosen a more hilly route. It was constantly uphill and downhill. Well, hopefully Decathlon would be open! At some point, I had the idea of checking online to see if the store was open on the holiday. Bad luck – it was closed! Maybe I should start planning a little more thoroughly and check earlier 😉. I looked for the shortest connection to EuroVelo 4, hoping that it would be a little flatter.
Before Cherbourg, I came across a holiday resort where, luckily, a supermarket was still open so I could stock up for the long crossing.
Thanks to a cyclist, I finally found the terminal. I arrived there at around 1 p.m. – enough time to sort out the things I wanted to take with me on the ship. Mainly toiletries, a sleeping mat, a sleeping bag, as well as a water bottle and food. I hadn’t booked a cabin.
Time flew by, and soon I was able to board with my bike among all the motorcyclists. At 9 p.m., I was able to lie down outside on a bench with my sleeping mat and sleeping bag and slept very well.
I spent nine days traveling in France and cycled 738 kilometers.
You’ll find out soon how things continued in Ireland. Stay tuned!
💡 Good to know:
- August is definitely the worst time for a tour along the Normandy coast.
- A campsite can cost a good €30 per night for you, your bike, and a small tent. If you (cluelessly) think €20 is a lot, you’ll be asked to leave.
- As in Luxembourg and Belgium, wild camping is not allowed. If you happen to be discovered, no one will say anything.
- As in the previous post, leave no trace.
- It’s better not to camp next to a church, especially before holidays!
- The blackberries in France are the best!
What has been your experience? Would you like to know more? Please write your comments below.
