Home pagePedal to Paris 2008: Ride Itinerary
Thursday 4th - Monday 8th September 2008
Day 1 - London to Calais 124km (77mi)
After arriving at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich to register and prepare for an early start, we set off through south London and on into Kent for our first stop of the day at Aylesford. You will cover a similar distance to Sellindge before the final push to Dover and that hill at Capel-le-Ferne! The next leg of the day is spent relaxing on the ferry to Calais, a crossing of about 24 miles. You will have to use those weary legs one more time to cycle to the town centre to leave your bike at a secure lock-up. Then it is off to your hotel (by coach) for a well-deserved rest and dinner. Calais is a lively maritime port with plenty of bars in town - the choice is up to you!
Day 2 - Calais to Abbeville 120km (75mi)
Not such an early start today. There is not much hanging about, however, and after converging on the Hotel de Ville in the centre of town, we leave Calais to cycle along some lovely country roads with stunning views over the Pas de Calais and on through poppy-filled fields of the Somme valley. Stopping to re-fuel at Desvres, it's on to Roussent for another rest before reaching your target of the day, Abbeville, where you reach your halfway point. Abbeville is a small, charming town containing the Gothic church of St Vulfran with reputedly the oldest belfry in France. Worth a stroll round - if you have the energy!
Day 3 - Abbeville to Beauvais 110km (69mi)
After a warm send-off by the town's Mayor at the Place Charles de Gaulle, you now cycle through the picturesque countryside of Picardy. This is one of the most popular and scenic days of the rally and, once you have been feted by the townspeople of Poix de Picardie for a superb (but informal) lunch hosted by the local Mayor, you head off to the quiet village of Auchy la Montagne for a real French welcome! Our visit is one of the highlights of the year in this tiny place and we are made especially welcome for the afternoon. A final short leg takes us to Beauvais, a lively and attractive town, for your third night's rest.
Day 4 - Beauvais to Paris 90km (56mi)
You will feel the anticipation crackle as you leave the outskirts of Beauvais for the final push to Paris. This is your shortest distance to travel today and it is fairly relaxed as you pass through the Oise region. We stop for lunch and more encouragement in the village of Courdimanche before setting off on the last part of the journey. You will be re-grouped shortly before entering Paris and then the excitement mounts as the traffic stops and you are escorted right up to the Arc de Triomphe. You have arrived in the very heart of the French capital. If this is as exhilarating to take part in as it is to watch, then you will have a wonderful time. People tell us that tiredness seems to fall away and speed apparently doubles in the adrenalin rush of it all! After celebrations and a brief but poignant ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, you will head across the Seine to the Hotel des Invalides (only about another 3 km) to load up your bike for its journey home.
But it's not over yet! After a coach transfer to the hotel, a chance to relax. You can justifiably congratulate yourself on a job well done. Time for a few glasses of cheer before dinner. After that, Paris is yours!
Day 5 - Paris to London
On waking up on Monday morning, some people have said they'd like to do the whole thing in reverse and take another four days to get back. However, the Eurostar train you have chosen will get you there in only a few hours - probably a wise choice! On arrival at Waterloo Station, all you need to do is collect your bike and head home.
