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This tour was largely based on the "France en Vélo" book by John Walsh and Hannah Reynolds published by Wild Things in 2014. (Wild Things also publish Jack Thurston's excellent Lost Lanes books).
I took the first 21 stages of their itinerary from St Malo to Nice, and then turned south at Mende as my terminus was to be in the southern Cévennes.
I retained almost all of their major way points but re-planned the routes using cycle.travel to use the most minor roads and tracks available, as I wanted as little traffic as possible and I wasn't in a rush.
The full route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/50090678
Some stats:
Just short rides today connecting up my 4 trains, to travel from the edge of the Cévennes back to Bristol.
1) Alès to Nîmes
A fast downhill 10km from the campsite at Cendras got me to the station at Alès quicker than expected where I joined a small group of early birds waiting for the doors to be unlocked at 06:40. The most chatty by far was a woman in headphones on a day trip to Nîmes. Somewhat further along the "spectrum" than me, she'd been at the station for an hour already, if I understood correctly. She was sporting some bright red trainers, but already, so early in the day, was suffering with her feet.
I wasn't expecting that the local 06:58 stopping service from Alès to Nîmes would involve any bike aggro, especially as I've used this service several times in the past without problem. But this morning the conductor was insistent that on Saturdays (and for the whole of July) a bike reservation is required. Needless to say, when the train pulled into Nîmes half an hour later I was the only cyclist amongst the handful of passengers.
2) Nîmes to Paris (Gare de Lyon)
On both the TGV and Eurostar you must remove both wheels from your bike to fit it into a bag not longer than 130cm.
I'd bought one of these; however on a touring bike you'd also need to remove mudguards and luggage rack to properly conform to that size and fit into one of their very small luggage shelves. It's extraordinary that bikes are clearly a complete after-thought on both TGV and Eurostar. I did talk to a chap at Nîmes who'd managed to get a booking for an actual bike rack on a different TGV, allowing him to travel without disassembly. What a luxury! I don't believe that proper bike racks are ever offered on the inOui varient of TGV which I was using. The upshot was that I had a lot of bother and ended up standing with my bike next to lav for the 3 hour journey to ensure that nobody came a cropper and ended up falling down the stairs to the lower deck. A very poor show I felt, but it stayed friendly and I did persuade the guard to give me a fan - very useful on this day of "canicule" and an inOui souvenir to treasure.
3) Paris (Gare du Nord) to London St Pancras
A pleasant 15-20 min ride from the Gare de Lyon to the Gare du Nord. Total transfer time was 40 mins including disembarkation, reassembly & travel. At the Eurostar baggage handling office (once located), the bike goes back in the bag and you trust that it will magically appear at St Pancras. Which it did. But I failed to think through that for this leg the bike is freight, and so you really need to protect vulnerable parts like fork ends, chain rings etc with cardboard. My bike came back with minor damage. The departure area at the Gare du Nord is very cramped and there's no tap for drinking water. It's a pretty stressy experience, with multiple passport controls and security checks.
4) London Paddington to Bristol
Plain sailing. I'm so familiar with this journey, and I think that the GWR network is one of the best in the UK for cyclists.
Less fuss than any of the 3 French trains. Next time I'm touring in France I will avoid TGV and Eurostar. I'll take local trains to a Channel port and use a ferry.
In case you're counting: days 24 and 25 were taken as Cevenol holiday at Notre-Dame-de-la-Rouvière. They passed in a medley of walking, gardening, river swimming, apéros, fine dining and particularly in wonderful homecooked vegetarian meals and great hospitality. 🙇🏻
In the house I found a relief map of the Cévennes which shows my route from Mende south to the Val d'Aigoual.
Now it's time to return home. For better or worse I'm planning to take my bike on multiple trains. Alès-> Nîmes -> Paris-> London-> Bristol
Today started with a long climb to the Col d'Asclier. Quite a bit of elevation but steady gradient and plenty of shade.
Some little onion terraces tucked in above Notre-Dame-de-la-Rouvière.
The view back down to Notre-Dame-de-la-Rouvière from close to the Col de la Tribale waypoint (croissant stop).
Nearly at the top
View all the way down from Col de l'Asclier. A couple with a donkey were resting at a picnic table nearby.
Then a long winding descent south east through Millérines to L'Éstrechure in the Vallée Borgne, before a detour north to have lunch at the Bar/Restaurant Le Panier in Saumane. It's a favourite from previous visits. Simple and popular. Today there was no skimping with the capers.
Once I got rolling again after my long lunch break I realised I still had quite a way to go, and not all downhill.
Not much water in the Gardon, I noted here in between Saumane and L'Éstrechure.
Straight down the Vallée Borgne to St Jean du Gard and then over up to the Vallée Française to Mialet (where I didn't visit the Musée du Désert) and Générargues (where I didn't visit the Bambouseraie).
Some more hot hills to get to St Jean du Pin and then to Alès, a big former mining town on the Gardon. North along the river to Cendras to a huge campsite with restaurant, and all kinds of entertainment and semi-organised fun.
Early start tomorrow to get a train to Nîmes to catch the TGV to Paris. Last night we had a dry run with my "Virgoule" bike bag, made in Lille from recycled hot air balloon fabric. To take a bike on either the TGV or Eurostar you need to remove both wheels and pack it into a bag not longer than 130cm. And then stagger around with that plus your panniers and saddlebag. Should be an interesting day.
A good breakfast of local goat cheese and nuts before setting out on the final stage over Mt Aigoual (1,557m) to Notre-Dame-de-la-Rouvière in the Val d'Aigoual.
I'd arranged to meet my friend Craig, at whose house I'll be staying for a few days, for a picnic at the observatory at the summit. In other words I'd persuaded him to also cycle up the mountain from the other direction to give me a hero's welcome at journey's end. Happily he's game enough to have accepted.
The day started with a significant descent from Le Pompidou before starting the 1,150m climb back up.
First a tiny scenic road ("narrow and winding" warned the road sign) which wound steadily up to the Col Salidès, crossing into the Gard département and back into Lozère a couple of times during the morning.
And then another descent before a steeper and more exposed section up to Cabrillac. I'd fantasised finding a boulangerie and café, but nothing like that on offer beyond a tap for water in the short strip of houses making up the hamlet. I joined a trio of older road cyclists in club jerseys in the shade of a large tree for a short pause and several handfuls of cashews.
On previous visits to the Cévennes I'd heard about the return of wolves to the region and about the fearsome "guardian" dogs which as a result are sometimes used to protect sheep.
It's a tricky and devisive subject, as a shepherd isn't permitted to kill a wolf, and may also be loathe to use a guardian dog which might attack people as well as wolves. Cycle tourists, for example.
Then the final 8km to the top. First the radio masts, then the old marker stone, and finally the observatory.
Craig had also made good time to the summit and after a substantial lunch we rolled all the way down to Valleraugue behind a fragrant logging truck, stopping briefly in Valleraugue. We noted some new developments in the town, including the Cafe du Siècle which is being refurbished by the owners of the small pizza place on the other side of the river.
Then a short hill up to the village of Notre-Dame-de-la-Rouvière, the official terminus of this 23 stage Périple Diagonal.
The whole route from St Malo:
Some stiff wind coming down from the mountains overnight, tugging at the tent. A fresh start with jersey zipped up and fingers and toes a little numb at first.
A day of glorious touring, sunny with a cool breeze. I only started feeling the heat after 11am on the third and final climb.
Yesterday was a dramatic entrance to the Cévennes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The (albeit flyblown) passage over the Col de Finiels was a gateway experience, of grand panoramas and vistas. Today, by contrast, was the intimate interior Cévennes: tiny lanes snaking up precipitous wooded valleys. The dense trees shading the way much of the time.
First up to the Brugès forest
And on to the Col du Sapet
On the way down to St Julien d'Arpaon I encountered a shepherd making a "transhumance" with his flock of sheep.
A magical moment, the air full of their bleating and their bells. In a minute they've scampered past up the hill.
The second climb led up to Barre-des-Cévennes, a pretty hilltop town with a few amenities, although all of them shut on a Monday morning. No matter, plenty in the saddlebag to keep me going.
Down again for a final ascent to Le Pompidou.
Here I found a perfect little unmanned campsite in which you can leave cash or pay in person at the Mairie, surrounded by handsome portraits of the Republic's presidents. No distinction was made between those who have or have not been convicted of corruption, unlike in Venice's gallery of Doges where a black drape covers the portrait of Marino Faliero, convicted of treason in 1355.
At the "camping" I had a good chat with an older couple from the Savoie who are on a short e-bike tour to see if they like it. (They do!) They'd come from Anduze this morning and told me about an excellent collection of bamboo and other exotic plants called La Bambouseraie de Prafance, established in 1856, located in Générargues, close to Anduze. I will be passing close by there on Friday when I leave the Cévennes over the Col de l'Asclier to get a train at Alès.
Made in the Cotswolds. Published by Éditions Système D Ltd.
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