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Overall summary

Just do it.

It has taken some time to update the overall summary, possibly because there is not really that much to add to the riding in France, Belgium and the Netherlands parts.

Most important is perhaps to point out that this for me was a most enjoyable thing to do. It was also an easy thing to do, and required remarkably little advance planning. I checked the bike and did the necessary repairs and changes, I drafted a route though the low countries and through France, estimated how long it would take me to do it, and with the minimum physical preparations I set off from Alkmaar on the 5th June.

I benefited of course from previous bicycling experience, I was aware of possible (physical) problems that might turn up, and was very careful not to let minor problems develop into more serious ones. Also extensive travel experience over the years (not much of it on bicycle) has taught me that

there is always accommodation

there is food and drink to be found on the way

The only exception to the above was northern France, in particular the part between the border and down to about Reims. It would have been easier if I had got hold of a hotel or gité catalogue of possible accommodation in that part of France, as it was there was an uncertainty element about finding anything at least before I came to Reims. That I found accommodation in Berrieux north of Reims was pure luck, if not that day's leg all the way from Cambrai to Reims would have been a very long and a cold and a tiring one.

I carried three Lonely Planet books with me, the overall one for France, as well as Cycling France and the one about Provence. They were useful for the areas they covered; Cycling France concentrated more on specific areas and was useful when I passed through such an area. The same with the two others, to have a list of possible accommodation in Lyon (and have a map of the place) was most useful; the same was of course true for Aix en Provence and other towns/cities.

What I did not have, was a catalogue/listing such as hotels France or something similar. As mentioned, at least for Picardie that would have been most useful. For southern France that is not really necessary, there is accommodation (and bars/cafés) every 2nd kilometre or so.

Maps are of course needed, the ones I had functioned very well. Michelin 1 :200 000 for France are excellent, ride on the yellow and white roads and cycling is easy and peaceful and with not too many cars passing by.

As can be seen from the daily updates, the distance I cycled varied from 140 kilometres during one day down to about 45, with an average about 100. This is considerably longer distances than what most bicycle tour companies have for the trips they plan, typically day distances for them are between 20 - 30 kilometres up to about 60 - 70. This mainly in order to have a schedule that fits all. Also the day with a tour company is much more varied (with winery visits, guided tours through villages and what have you) than my long days riding through the countryside. Some days I spent 6 - 7 hours on the bike. The problem with that is that one tends to concentrate on the road and the ride itself, more than the scenery and the countryside and the experience of travelling through another country. I met one Dutch guy in Noyers that two years previously had bicycled from Holland to Santiago del Campostela, also about 100 kilometres on average every day. And he admitted that he remembered little else than the road and the part of the road where he had been bicycling. My breaks and my days off from cycling helped a little in that respect, also I knew that I had a plan to update the web-site at the end of the day, and that also opened up my eyes to the countryside, at least some of the time.

In all the three countries, there is the intrinsic element of a cycling culture, the needs of a bicyclist are understood at once. To wheel a bike into the reception of a three star hotel in Reims or anywhere else and ask if they have a place I can put the bike is in my experience always met with a but of course messieur.

Languages.

English is second language (almost) everywhere in the Netherlands and in Belgium, in Belgium perhaps less in (French) Vallonia than in the Flemish speaking northern part. France is another story. It would in my opinion be difficult on a trip like the ridingtoAix one to organise the daily trivia of finding a hotel room, ordering lunch at cafés/restaurants, without some basic knowledge of French. My French is indeed basic, but seems to function well enough when on the customer side of the tourist business. Also it is in my experience often appreciated that one starts the conversation in French, and then possibly switches to another language later (English most of the time of course, but I also found German useful in the northern part of the country).

In France the general rule is that people do not speak any other language than French. The exceptions are at the better hotels, tourist offices, but even at tourist offices only a few of the staff do (speak English). And at Hotel La Vielle Tour in Noyers the hotel owner was fluent at least in Dutch, English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. But then she was Dutch to begin with.

About other practicalities see the subpages under Experiences and also Toolbox. The bicycle weighs about 11-12 kilos, the four pannier bags with contents at least 35 kilos. There is a certain satisfaction involved in carrying all your stuff around with you, but that is heavy. In Cambrai I had to carry all bags and also the bike up to the third floor, and that was hard work.

And the heat. 35°C and above is hot. My experience was that the body functioned remarkly well up to about 4 - 5PM in the afternoon, after that the going was heavy. To supply the body with what is needed under such conditions is not easy, in particular salt and other elements needed may be a problem.

Still the experience, and to do something similar, is warmly recommended. The best of luck with any trips you may be planning, if there is anything I can be of any help with please send me a mail (see address under Feedback).