London-Paris-London

By Andrew Cornwell

Cycling into Paris along the Champs Elysees - a little bit of fantasy turned into reality that every touring cyclist who has watched the Tour de France would like to experience.

Unlike the Tour riders, who usually enter Paris under glorious July skies, our bank holiday trip in May 2007 was blighted by rain, making the sticky cobbles very hairy.

The Newhaven-Dieppe crossing is the 'short' route to Paris, about 300 km of cycling in all. Compared to using Calais it has the benefit of a more pleasant journey from London to the south coast, and the countryside behind Dieppe is more scenic than the flat empty spaces of north east France.

After three days enjoying Paris we set out on a different return route trip, taking in some pretty parts of the Seine river before heading along quiet backroads for Dieppe.

Here is the trip diary:

Day 1 - Sunday 27 May 2007
London - Dulwich - Woldingham - East Grinstead - Lewes - Newhaven (111 km). Ferry to Dieppe.

Our original plan for this tour had been to allow three days to get to Paris - but that was thrown into doubt when my partner Rachel was injured just a couple of weeks before we were due to leave. She was the victim of a classic 'dooring' incident and the pain from a chipped bone in her left hand made it difficult for her to hold the handbars.

So we planned to shorten the ride to two days - I would ride all the way, with Rachel joining me for sections if she could manage it.

Thus it was that I set out alone on a miserable Sunday morning with Rachel preparing to take a later train.

London to Newhaven can be a pretty run over North and South Downs and across the ridges of the Sussex Weald in between. But today it was just a question of getting the stage out of the way as quickly and as safely as possible in the awful weather conditions.

Getting thoroughly soaked early in the ride made even a short cafe stop unattractive and so I rode straight through, leaving at nine in the morning and completing in about five and half hours. Not a very fast time, but it was difficult to get up much speed on the twisty lanes with a lot of water lying on the roads.

After Dulwich the up and down section on narrow lanes through to Woldingham did at least get me warmed up. Then came the descent off the face of the North Downs down Tandridge Hill Lane, to cross the bridge of the M25. That hill is dangerous at the best of times but today, in the wet and fully-laden with panniers it was particularly tricky.

Being a wet Sunday there was a fair bit of traffic on the roads out to East Grinstead, where, not for the first time, I got tangled up in the one-way system.

After that the cars thinned out and it was into the lanes around Horsted Keynes. This is 'Bluebell Railway' territory and I caught a brief glimpse of a steam train through the murk. Every now and then the clouds cleared a little and the wall of the South Downs was visible ahead.

Back on the main roads after Plumpton racecourse, I climbed into Lewes on the A275, not a pleasant experience with speeding traffic under a dark tunnel of trees. The steep descent out of town on a narrow road was not enjoyable either. At least the rain had slowed to a drizzle on the run out to Newhaven, another road with fast traffic often passing too close.

Newhaven actually has a lovely location between the cliffs of the South Downs, but today it looked like a contender for the 'Crap Towns' handbook. The main shopping parade, surrounded on all side by a ring road, was closed up and deserted apart from one or two street drinkers. Luckily an East European run cafe was open for me to dry off and fuel up. I placed myself in a window seat and watched my parked bike with eagle eyes for the next hour as various tracksuited figures wandered by and sized up the strength of the lock.

Then it was time to meet Rachel at the ferry terminal and we joined a trickle of foot passengers onto the Dieppe boat. Fortunately the weather had now blown itself out, giving us a flat crossing and some fine views of the Sussex coast behind. Dinner on board was sadly more English than French in spirit but I was just happy to be in the dry.


Day 2 - Monday 28 May 2007
Dieppe - Neufchatel-en-Bray - Forges-les-Eaux - Gournay-en-Bray - Gisors - Pontoise - Paris (180 km)

After breakfast overlooking the beach, we were both underway in dry but hardly warm conditions. Finding the route out of Dieppe was simple and after passing through Arques-la-Bataille at the 6 km mark the roads became very quiet indeed.

The countryside behind Dieppe is classic Norman dairy farming territory, with small farms and half-timbered houses not dissimiliar to Sussex or Hampshire. What was very different was the good quality of the road surfaces and the high level of respect for cyclists from local drivers.

To our left down in the valley we could see stretches of the London-Paris 'greenway', a traffic free cycle route using old railway tracks. This being France, the transnational project is being implemented very seriously, with a long section of over 40 km now in place. On the other side of the Channel, it so far exists mainly as a theoretical line on a Sustrans map.

We made a short coffee stop at Neufchatel-en-Bray, before warming up again with a stiff climb out of town.

At Forges-les-Eaux, 17 km further on, we ran into our first shower and briefly took shelter before pushing on to eat lunch at the little market town of Gournay-en-Bray.

After another climb, we entered into flatter and emptier territory through to Gisors. This had originally been a possible place for an overnight stop, but after a quick glance and the castle and busy market, we pushed on towards Paris - Rachel declaring she felt fit enough to make it.

From Pontoise the run in to town was a seemingly endless drag from traffic light to traffic light, on wet roads and in unrelenting traffic. Heavy rain depressed our spirits and we ended up off course at the entrance to the giant La Defense office complex.

Retracing our steps we finally picked our way through to cross the Peripherique and reach the Arc de Triomphe well after 8 pm. We were so exhausted and soaked that the scary traverse around the giant roundabout of the Arc passed almost without thought and we were soon bouncing down the cobbles of the Champs Elysees.


Days 3 to 5 in Paris

Paris, so long associated with manic motor traffic, is suddenly gripped by the bicycle. Works are underway on what seems like practically every street to create the Velib bike hire scheme. A network of new cycle paths is being laid out with plenty of bike parking. The centralised powers of the French state - and the green-minded Mayor of Paris - are being deployed to roll out this network at a pace we can only dream about in London, where even the smallest cycling improvements take years to enact.

The car is being purged in other ways to with new pedestrian spaces being created and whole streets restricted for buses and trams only.

Contemporary art is a good mirror to society and we stumble upon Gavin Younge's installation in a Marais church - several bicycles and TV monitors rigged together. In the beautiful Place des Vosges, a small galerie hosts an exhibition including bike-related art by David Gerstein, and Andrew is quite tempted to buy one - were it not for the small problem of transporting the work home by bike!


The art of the bicycle: Gavin Younge installation in a church in the Marais, Paris.


Day 6 - Friday 1 June 2007
Paris - Maisons-Lafitte - Poissy - Meulan - La Roche Guyon - Giverny - Les Andelys (108 km)

After three days in Paris we were back on the road, this time heading west along the Seine valley in the direction of Rouen. Leaving the city was inevitably time consuming, although far more pleasant in the dry than the wet entry into Paris.

The social divisions that blight the French capital were on obvious display as we cruised past the mansions of posh Neuilly before entering tougher neighbourhoods. Crossing the Pont de Bezons close to Argenteuil reminded us that despite the presence of industy we were entering the territory of the Impressionist painters.

We had only made Malmaison, home to a chateau,  racecourse and numerous stables, by lunchtime, where we stopped for a couscous in the well-scrubbed main square. Then it was into the forest of St Germain for 6 km, a route somewhat marred by the continuing high level of traffic.

After our fourth and final crossing of the Seine at Poissy, we hit the riverside D190 road to Meulan. Although still heavily built up, the typical Seine valley landscape with its cliffs and passing river barges was becoming clearer. After Meulan we climbed inland over a series of wooded hills before rejoining the river at Vetheuil.

Now we were in a classic landscape of steep cliffs and river bends, dotted with older villas serving as weekend second homes for Parisiens. We passed through the historic little town of La Roche Guyon, dominated by its castle, before climbing steeply again away from the river.

This time the descent brought us out at Giverny, home to Monet's garden - fortunately the late hour meant most tourist traffic was gone. We then picked up speed on fast empty roads for the final 22 km leg to Les Andeleys, with the Chateau Gaillard on its cliff top perch high above town guiding us in.


Day 7 - Saturday 2 June 2007
Les Andelys - Fleury-sur-Andelle - Vascoeuil - Buchy - St Saens - Torcy - Dieppe (96 km)

Probably the best day's riding of the trip, with perfect cycling conditions throughout. The return route along the Andelle, Heron and Varenne river valleys was certainly more scenic than the flatter outward leg across the Bray.

After a leisurely breakfast in our riverside hotel, we made a late start to climb out of Les Andeleys, and then descend on proper hairpins to the little market town of Fleury-sur-Andelle. We enjoyed a coffee and cake stop there, although with a mere 17 km on the clock it had not really been earned.

The route continued on quiet D roads through classic Norman countryside with its dairy farming and half-timbered buildings to Buchy. There we assembled a picnic lunch from a well-stocked deli after we failed to find anywhere still serving lunch. Next port of call was St Saens, where we would join the Varenne valley for the next 30 km along the undulating D154, with forest to one side of us, and river meadows to the other.

The run-in to Dieppe along a back road was trouble free, and despite our leisurely approach to the day we had plenty of time to enjoy a post-ride stroll on the beach and then a seafood dinner beside the harbour.


Day 8 - Sunday 3 June 2007
Ferry to Newhaven. Newhaven - Lewes - East Grinstead - Woldingham - Dulwich - London (115 km)

We were shivering slightly in the ferry terminal in the dawn mist and wondering whether we'd be in for another watery day. However once afloat, the clouds lifted and we enjoyed fine views of the chalk cliffs on the approach to Newhaven.

What a delight to be back on English roads ... not. We were soon abused by passing motorists on the road out of town, an experience not encountered at all in France. Lunchtime came and our mood turned down further with an overpriced pub stop and poor service beside the A272. Still, the weather was fine and we made good progress through the lumpy Sussex countryside to the foot of the north Downs.

There we made a quick refreshment stop in Oxted to fortify us for the remaining climbs - but it proved inadequate to help us up the steep gradients of Chalkpit Lane and we were reduced to pushing the heavily-laden bikes for the final section.

Rachel was feeling the hills again through Woldingham and as we climbed up the Crystal Palace ridge: perhaps not surprisingly given how recently she'd recovered from her injury. Despite being 'only' a 115 km stage, we were both tired after the early start and it was a relief to cross Waterloo Bridge and enter 'home' territory.

A quick photo opportunity outside Islington Town Hall (to match the pictures already taken outside Paris City Hall) and our tour was complete.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

We took the Transmanche Ferries service from Newhaven to Dieppe, with a crossing time of about four hours.

In Dieppe, we stayed at the Hotel Windsor, 18 Boulevard de Verdun, which has a sea view, and secure parking for the bikes in an inner courtyard.

In Paris, we stayed in the heart of the Marais district at Hotel de la Bretonnerie, 22 Rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie.

In Les Andelys on the return leg, we stayed and ate dinner at the beautiful La Chaine D'Or, 27 Rue Grande, which has excellent riverside views.

The sun has returned as we prepare to leave our hotel in Paris for the return ride to London.


MAPS AND DIRECTIONS

The Audax Club Parisien (see link in box on right) produces two route sheets for the Paris-Dieppe trip, a 'Classique' and a 'Touristique'. The latter uses slightly quieter, more scenic roads, but the total distances covered are very similiar.

Michelin map 'Local 304 Eure, Seine-Maritime' covers the stretch from Dieppe to Pontoise on the outskirts of Paris in more than enough detail. We then switched to map '101 Banlieue de Paris' which gives a good overview of the approaches to Paris (but does not provide details within the Boulevard Peripherique, the inner ring road).

Allow plenty of time for the long runs in and out of Paris, which pass through extensive suburbs with numerous traffic lights and junctions.

Advance study of a city map that gives details of one-way streets within central Paris is essential.

The 'Voie Verte' or greenway, running parallel to the D1 and D134 between Arques-la-Bataille and Forges-les-Eaux, is a traffic-free alternative for part of the Dieppe to Paris route.


EQUIPMENT

We used our Condor Fratello light touring / audax bikes, equipped with Campagnolo Centaur groupset for Andrew, and Veloce for Rachel. Gearing was 34-50 double for Andrew, 30-40-50 triple for Rachel, both ten speed. Tyres were 700 x 28 Continental Gatorskins.

Luggage: two Ortlieb rear panniers for each of us.


An uncomfortable ride: cobblestones in central Paris.