We are not yet ready for major cycling! However the cycle paths around Le Palmyre and ROyan were just perfect for us. My two older kids 13 11 can manage anything but youngest daughter only 7. Husband often put bikes on car and we drove to get to the cycle paths then cycled a few miles spent the afternoon on the beach and back again. It really was a most enjoyable part of the holiday. We were very lucky as i borrowed my friends folding bike which was great and allowed us all to have our bikes this year.
I suppose i really would like a site on a cycle path, Bonne Anse plage is in a perfect location but not sure i could cope with the site!
------------- France Lover
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South of the Golfe Du Morbihan is a great location for cycle routes and good campsites too.We spent a week there this year and got great value out of our bikes,we hardly drove at all once we settled in.
There's an excellent book called 'Cycling - Southern France' (Loire to the Mediterranean). Published by Excellent Books ... www.excellentbooks.co.uk ...
Full of maps and suggested routes.
Published in 2008
ISBN 978-1-901464-20-7
Price was £12.95 when I bought it, Amazon are currently selling it for £8.47!
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Hi Ile de Re is fantastic for off road cycle paths. We don't use the car whwn we are there and can get to most of the towns on the island as its not very big. We have been 5 years. Best site for us & town was Ars en Re, site Camping Soleil with amazing on-site restaurant, lovely pool.
Regarding the Ile de Re and the cycling - is there enough cycling off road that you could go out for the day with a picnic ie say a round trip of 20miles or is it just routes getting from A to B? We have cycled in Holland (Dunreill) and in the Loire on very quiet roads and I was wondering what this area is like regarding cycling. I've seen the cycling maps of the area and it does look tempting.
Thanks
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We stayed in Courade on Ile de Re and found it to be a good central point. There is a reasonable cyle of about 15k to a lovely beach at des Portes (i think it is called) and then of course the return trip. In the opposite direction St Martin is a nearer but still about 8k and then La Flotte is further on. So not endless places to cycle to of 20m round trip but at least a couple.
Ile de Re is a lovely island, popular with invaders, Fortifications at St-Martin-de-Re kept the english out (historically ... camping invaders are more successful!). There are German WWII military installations here and there. These days a huge number of visitors cross the 1988 bridge from the mainland to sample the delights of the island: glorious beaches, distinctive local architecture and landscape and the seafood (although the island is also well known for its early potatoes). The main town, St-Martin, nestles around a very pleasant harbour.
At the north end is a much visited lighthouse and nearby salt flats and nature reserve.
But the cycling has to be one of the island's best attractions - there are some 50 miles/90 kilometres of cycle routes across this nice, flat island (and the bridge has a cycle lane) with plenty of bike shops and hirers.
Agree with kelper the cycling paths are a major attraction mostly off road & FLAT !! good for kids, safe & not too hard work. Not too forget the picturesque villages (around 10) The other sites we have stayed are ESSI at Ars - directly onto beach & cycle path and Interlude at Bois en Plage again on cycle path & directly onto beach - probably a bit more for kids here.
Good luck with the research, just talking about it makes me want to go back again, we were giving it a miss this year and currently at Lake Maggiore but.....maybe we could make a detour ??
Nellie
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We stayed at the municipal in Cluny for a couple of nights two weeks ago (mid august 2011); I'll do a review at some point. The site has a gate onto the voie verte which runs for miles in both directions. Cluny is also a nice place for a stop over.
Also stayed for 5 nights at La Ravoire, Doussard on Lac d'Annecy which is on the voie verte to Annecy (15Kms away)
The municipal at Montbard is close to the canal cycleway (and you can cycle from the site with only a couple of hundred meters of road cycling). Again a good stop over site.
A couple of years ago we stayed at Camping des Sources in Santenay which again has easy access to voie verte (you can cycle all the way to Cluny and Macon if you have the stamina!)
The cycle network in the Landes region just west of Bordeaux is brilliant. The Piste Cyclables maps can be downloaded. I bought the Michelin map of Aquitaine and scanned the sections of the map I wanted to explore and folded it up and stored it in my Tribag which straps to the the top tube and headset.
We based ourselves at Le Tedey on the shores of Lacanau Lac and explored the region..fantastic.
The cycle network runs Nirth to Royan, West to Bordeaux, South to Cap Ferret and the Arcachon Basin.
Enjoy, it's great way to see the region without having t worry about cars, although unlike Britain the French seem to be a cycle friendly nation.
------------- CAT
Favourite site:
Camping Nanzel, Limone, Lake
Garda..perfect for MTB, Kayak, SUP and fell running training.
Favourite areas: Provence, French Alps, Savigny (as a stop over for Southern France: Rhein valley as a stop over for Italy. 78
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Campsites with good cycle network
