Cycling Across France on EuroVelo 6

[@patriciachase1804]

Thank you so much, you’re a KZbin video ofEurovelo 6 is wonderful!

[@daphnebehindbars]

Wow, thank you! Glad you enjoyed it

[@anthonymcdonald8444]

Hi Daphnie and Frank, I'm so glad I found your videos. They are fantastic I am hooked. Thanks for sharing I'm embarking early spring on my first bike tour I'm more a long distance hiker. But cannot wait having watched your journeys.

[@daphnebehindbars]

That's great Anthony. We only ventured into cycle touring five years ago ourselves and we just love it. Glad our videos encouraged you to give it a go!

[@jan-helgesberg6564]

Daphne , you came across as so positive .And I liked your emphasis on all the sights along the route.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks for that nice comment 😀

[@cathye.9659]

Excellent descriptions of the sites and distances. Just enough detail. I love your videos. Very inspiring. Hi from Calgary!

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks for your lovely comment Cathy. Fancy you being in Calgary too - maybe we're close neighbours!

[@bwilsonduncan]

Wow! Excellent show. I've cycled in frant's just about every summer since 2005 and went through lot's of your towns. You've revealed quite a few points that I missed though!

[@memyselfandi9365]

Marvellous! My wife and I cycled from Belgium to Bretany last August, after seeing this we feel like going back and doing the Southern area...It's a bit far for us , we live in Australia, but it's worth the trip...

[@daphnebehindbars]

Great to hear you got more inspiration from the video! Yes, you certainly do have a lot further to travel than we do to get to these European cycling routes, but the riding is so appealing there, isn't it! We haven't cycled in Belgium yet, but that does sound great. Good luck planning you next trip 😄

[@williamgrubb3767]

This, simply is the most lovely cycling video on KZbin. I have cycled on Euro Velo 6 from Vienna to Budapest and now you have inspired me to cycle across France to enjoy the food and chateaus. Merci beaucoup!!

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thank you so much for the lovely compliment! Glad you enjoyed the video. We would love to continue the ride along EV6 to Budapest one day when we can all travel again! I hope you do get to ride the France section!

[@chs1111]

Thank you for sharing this trip! We did a 7 day Loire Valley in May of 2018 and I have always wanted to go back and do a good portion of the EV 6 from Nante, camping instead and not on a tight schedule to enjoy the towns and sights and staying 1-2 days as needed. Inspirational!

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks for watching the video! Glad you enjoyed it and I hope you do get to return for more exploration. As you already know, it's such a beautiful area for cycling!

[@jenniferbailey44]

Thanks for making this and sharing. Very enjoyable and informative to watch 👍😊

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks for watching!

[@mandyfarmer8735]

Fantastic!

[@edog1955]

This is so great! This has motivated my wife and me to ride East as far as we can from Nantes on EuroVelo 6 in June, 2023. We will be taking our folding Dahon bikes that fit in a standard suitcase.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Delighted to hear we may have helped motivate your trip - very cool! I hope you have a great time

[@veronikahall]

Really enjoyed this, thank you for sharing. I laughed out loud about the Decathlon store detour. We did a section of EV6 in 2019 and learned the same thing after spending an unsuccessful day looking in grocery stores and gas stations for a compatible fuel canister. A Decathlon store detour in Orléans came to our rescue!

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks for watching! Funny you had the same experience searching for those fuel canisters!

[@robertmotyka133]

Ha, ha, I will there in April 2022, flying from Scotland I will go to Decathlon as well, thank you!

[@alirothwell4950]

Thank you so much!! Really enjoyed watching this. Great narration describing both the journey and the history. Lovely music too!

[@daphnebehindbars]

Appreciate the comment and so glad you enjoyed it!

[@robgutteridge1649]

What a lovely trip and adventure, you've got me inspired to plan one! Thank you

[@daphnebehindbars]

Delighted that it inspired you! Do hope you get to plan your trip - cycle-touring is such a great way to travel!

[@gillcochrane601]

Enjoyed your video of Eurovelo 6. Of similar ages to you, we first cycled from ferry port at Roscoff, across Brittany before taking Eurovelo 6 as far as Orleans. We then caught a train to Paris and returned home to Scotland. Your video brought back many memories for us. We too had some chilly nights and some wet days in that area! Well done with all the video editing.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Lovely to hear that you saw our video Gill, and that it brought back some memories of your own trip! We enjoyed that trip so much. Thanks for the video compliment - that was one of the first videos I did and I continue to hone my video-making skills! Can't wait till we can all travel freely again to explore more of Europe by bike!

[@Woodbridge_Hill_Cottage]

Really looking forward to watching the Great Trail in Canada, another binge night of viewing tonight for us :)

[@daphnebehindbars]

Delighted to hear you're enjoying the videos 😁 and thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@benopit]

Thanks for your video. It helps me plan my route on the eurovelo 6!

[@daphnebehindbars]

Great to hear that you find it useful!

[@liviuradu3885]

Thank you very much for this wonderful video

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thank you....glad you enjoyed it 😃

[@johnleenane4571]

Lovely trip, hoping to do the same this summer. 👍🇮🇪

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks, hope you enjoy your trip too! It's a great route to cycle 😀

[@StrawbleSadako]

You keep striding and riding my Sister.

[@greynomadadventuresgna3648]

Love the video of you bike ride. You both are inspirational examples growing older activity. Live the dream to explore in your retirement. My wife and I are just starting our retirement journey.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks for your lovely comment - glad we're providing inspiration for others! Will have to check out some of your videos too

[@NomadLifeKiwi]

This is very informative, thanks. We are hoping to do some of Eurovelo 6 this summer, but will then probably follow the 15 up the Rhine to Rotterdam. It looks absolutely stunning, thanks for the great video.

[@daphnebehindbars]

So glad you enjoyed the video. I hope you have a great time on your tour this summer!

[@kajsabjorkman3415]

Very nice to see! Thank you! Hard work to do the video. We are also longing to do the Eurovelo 6 after the restrictions. Hopefully in August this year.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Glad you liked it! Yes it will be great when we can all get out exploring on our bikes again. I hope you enjoy whatever route section you choose!

[@charlomatic]

Thanks for the nice video of Eurovelo Six. I’m considering Nevers to Basel in March! Your video was very helpful! Thanks again.

[@daphnebehindbars]

I'm delighted the video helped with your trip planning and I hope you have a great time! Thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@vamonosalla4103]

Love it!..Thanks for sharing!

[@daphnebehindbars]

👍

[@garybarker9139]

Brilliant!!!!!

[@TurneyUK]

It looks like an amazing trip. Thanks for sharing.

[@CityWalks]

So happy to have found this. I'm currently dreaming/planning for a similar trip but with two families with older kids. Very inspiring to see the places you saw and helpful to see how you did it. Thanks! -H

[@CityWalks]

Out of curiosity, how many of your stays were planned/reserved vs finding them on that day? Thanks. -H

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks for watching my video! Delighted it gave you some ideas for your own trip. This is definitely a very family-friendly route as there is minimal riding on roads necessary, and when the route does use roads, it's on very quiet ones. The only accommodation we booked ahead was the campground in Nantes for the night of our arrival by air from Canada. We didn't book any other campgrounds ahead of time - we just showed up in the late afternoon and had no problem. Of course keep in mind we were on the route in May-June, so not in peak season. Any other questions, feel free to ask! Daphne

[@CityWalks]

@@daphnebehindbars Thanks so much. I may take you up on that. We're a ways away. -H

[@CityWalks]

Hi @@daphnebehindbars We are gearing up for our own trip at the end of April. I'm curious what size panniers you used? I've gotten some 40L ortliebs but they seem small. Thanks so much. -H

[@daphnebehindbars]

@@CityWalks I'm pretty sure mine are 40 litre bags as well. No it's not a lot of space, but in a way it's better that way - forces you to pack wisely and keep the load light!

[@larsb1976]

Thank you for the video, We are planning to do part Loire bicycle route this summer

[@GASGOWESASYIKSYAHDU]

Great trip..always be careful..

[@lendemoss7473]

Daphne, loved your video! I'm leaving mid-May 2022 to tour entire EV6. I'm flying into Paris, then taking train to Caen to begin riding to American Cemetery at Normandy, then Mont St Michel and then down to St. Nazaire and book the bus over the bridge. Given only 90 days in the Schengen countries, I'll have to be rather conscious of time as I want to spend a full week in Paris on my finish before flying back to US. I am a bit nervous about leaving the bike/panniers locked while walking through chateaus. I anticipate that given post COVID that it will be quite crowded with bike tourer's on the EV6 this year.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Glad you liked the video Len. Your plan sounds very exciting. That bus over the bridge at St Nazaire that takes bikes wasn't yet running when we were there in early May, but hopefully will be when you get there. Yes I'm sure all these trails will be busy this year. The bike security topic came up in a previous comment. It's always a concern. I saw a video by "Brompton Traveler" about just this and he has a good idea of using a simple alarm. Could be worth trying if you're really worried. This is the link to his video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5evlpxmgMaVnbM Anyway, best of luck and happy travels!

[@bicycletouringvv5106]

Great information. I plan to do EuroVelo 6 from Basel till Nanes in 2023 April/May. If you can post all your hotel and campsite locations in the video info, it would be a great help for people who want to do this route. Thank you for your effort and nice video… greetings from Munich, Germany.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thank you and glad you found the video useful. Not a bad idea about sharing our campgrounds and hotels - I might do that one of these days.

[@edog1955]

What is the name of the campground where you stayed the first night near Nantes?

[@waseemhaydar]

Wow wonderful 🥰🥰

[@davor1726]

Nice trip👌

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks!

[@michaelhammond4788]

Hi Daphne, enjoyed your video. In early June I will be doing the Rhine trail from its source. I was surprised to see that Andermatt is almost host to 2 velo routes. The Rhine trail starts just a jump away at Oberallppass. Also found out theres camping at Andermatt from your video, something that is very hard to glean from google etc. cheers Michael

[@daphnebehindbars]

Glad you enjoyed the video Michael, and that you may even have found some useful info for your upcoming tour. Hey, we might even meet you on the trail somewhere as we're doing the Rhine starting from the sea, although beginning earlier in May!! Enjoy your ride!

[@ExploringHabit]

Great video , I'm cycling from Cherbourg to Santander Spain next year , i love France there's so much to see and do.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks for your lovely comment! That sounds like a great trip you have planned, wouldn't mind doing that route sometime too. Yes France has a lot to offer.

[@leGrand-Nord]

Very well done and edited video.Of great interest to my wife and I , since we started OUR trip along eurovélo 6 in Strasbourg, in the fall of 2019. We ended our trip in Budapest , after 1550KM , and took the train back to Baden Baden…. Our trip took us 7 weeks….and many of your phots of Colmar, and Strasbourg were almost the same as ours…. After our return home in Laval, Quebec. We also created a collage of photos, and separately a collage of videos…… and last but not least, a photo book…. So Thank you for sharing… a very well done and edited video.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks for the compliment! Glad you liked the video. Sounds like a great trip that you did too that generated lots of wonderful memories!

[@pittmanmj]

Thanks to you both. Enjoyed every minute. I'm planning to cycle EV6 once COVID restrictions are eased.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Our pleasure! I'm sure you will really enjoy it.

[@CityWalks]

Us Too! Best of luck. -H

[@LesCyclopreneurs]

Your vidéos are really lovely, thanks for your share 🙂

[@daphnebehindbars]

Glad you enjoyed them and appreciate the comment!

[@LesCyclopreneurs]

@@daphnebehindbars our pleasure 🙂

[@marie-joseedumoulin4560]

Thanks for sharing your trip. I was so glad to have found your vidéo. We are from Quebec city and over 50. Your trip was a great adventure, but at the same achievable for our age. Because of your vidéo we are now planning to do it too. Biking across France in Eurovélo 6 next August-September if covid slows down. I have shared your vidéo with so many friends. Thanks again

[@daphnebehindbars]

We're so delighted that you saw our video and found it inspiring enough to plan your own trip! When I hear a comment like this, I feel so glad I shared the video publicly. I wonder if you too will camp along the way? We are a LONG way over 50 but that will not stop us going back to Europe hopefully next year to do more bicycle touring there! We wish you well with your trip and don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions. Happy Trails!

[@marie-joseedumoulin4560]

Yes we’ll be camping. Our trip will look a lot like yours. I have a lot of questions? For now Where can I found the best maps? For planning and use in our trip. I don’t want to use our cell phone as GPS. Would it be helpful to have a bike gps or signage are enough?

[@daphnebehindbars]

@@marie-joseedumoulin4560 We found that this route all the way across France was very well signposted - you could probably do it all without a map. We also did not rely on our phone or other electronic device for navigation. But we did have a good set of maps with us which helped, especially when we wanted to visit something a little off the route - like some of the chateaux along the Loire (some are a little ways off the track). We used the set of maps "EuroVelo6 Maps1-6" by Huber. You can get this set of 6 maps through Amazon or direct from Huber - links below. These maps cover from the Atlantic to Basel. www.amazon.ca/gp/product/3943752003/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sout?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sout_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641 cartography-huber.com/p10/p13/shop/products/eurovelo-6---set-1-atlantic---basel We found these maps great because they show all the campgrounds and also mark the km from point to point. The maps are quite compact so not too bulky to carry. These maps have three languages on the map key - french, english and german. We sometimes got extra info from the app Maps.me which is a free app and does not require data. You just have to download the various map sections ahead of time on your phone. Great for finding grocery stores, campgrounds or anything. Feel free to discuss all these details further via my email daphnewalrath at gmail dot com (address disguised!) - we'd be happy to continue the discussion and try to help with any of your queries! Trip-planning is so much fun!

[@Snowshowslow]

Did you end up taking the trip? :)

[@marie-joseedumoulin4560]

@@Snowshowslow sadly no, our girl got married this winter. Maybe next year it is still in the planning.

[@timoregan7657]

Excellent viewing thank you

[@pavlosioannides9316]

Excellent video! Thanks for sharing. It was like a documentary! I really want to do a similar trip. You video inspired me! Thanks! Pavlos.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Delighted to hear the video inspired you! Thanks for your feedback, and I hope you do plan a trip and that you enjoy it!

[@emvee9711]

Thank you so much for posting. I’ve been watching a TON of bikepacking videos ever since COVID lockdowns started and, honestly, yours is THE BEST. I already talked with my friends and we want to plan for 2023 and I think we would follow your route. And I love how you combine biking with touring, sight seeing, train ride instead of focusing on miles/day. I was wondering if it’s possible to know what you packed, and also if you guys had any bike troubles along the way and how you dealt with it. Are there bike mechanics along the route? Thank you so much.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thank you so much for your lovely comment! And if our video helps you get ideas for your own trip, that's great. We were lucky and had no bike issues at all. This route on EuroVelo 6 gives you lots of options. You're never far from a train if you decide to skip a section or run into any bike issues. There are lots of little towns along the way and many would have bike shops. The following paragraph is a copy of another reply I posted on this video, which might be useful to you too. The maps I'm recommending below actually show the locations of all the bike repair places along the way. "We found that this route all the way across France was very well signposted - you could probably do it all without a map. We also did not rely on our phone or other electronic device for navigation. But we did have a good set of maps with us which helped, especially when we wanted to visit something a little off the route - like some of the chateaux along the Loire (some are a little ways off the track). We used the set of maps "EuroVelo6 Maps1-6" by Huber. You can get this set of 6 maps through Amazon or direct from Huber - links below. These maps cover from the Atlantic to Basel. www.amazon.ca/gp/product/3943752003/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sout?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sout_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641 cartography-huber.com/p10/p13/shop/products/eurovelo-6---set-1-atlantic---basel We found these maps great because they show all the campgrounds and also mark the km from point to point. The maps are quite compact so not too bulky to carry. These maps have three languages on the map key - french, english and german. We sometimes got extra info from the app Maps.me which is a free app and does not require data. You just have to download the various map sections ahead of time on your phone. Great for finding grocery stores, campgrounds or anything." In terms of packing, we did have a basic repair/tool kit with us, tent, sleeping bags, air mattress, stove and pots, solar light, bike lights, strong bike locks, battery pack/charging cables for phones/tablet, basic first aid kit, European plug adaptors. For clothes - rain gear and warm layers, 2 cycling outfits, something "smarter" to wear off the bike (had to be very lightweight/multipurpose), a few underwear pieces (you launder as you go), camp towel, minimal cosmetics/hygiene stuff. That's not everything but gives you an idea. Very best of luck planning your trip. If you go, I know you will have a great time!

[@emvee9711]

Thank you Daphne for your prompt and detailed response to my comment, and THANK YOU for all the information. I am going through your videos for the “nth” time, pausing to take notes about campground, places to visit yada yada yada. Thank you!

[@roryhall72]

Thanks for the great video. Wonder why I have not done it before despite traveling to Europe so often in the past.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Appreciate your comment - glad you enjoyed it. Maybe this ride will be on your "to do" list now!

[@jorg3leon]

Thanks for sharing! I have been dreaming about doing a similar trip and this video has been very inspiring! I was wondering though about leaving your bikes with all your belongings parked outside unattended when visiting a château or any other place. I imagine it was safe. Thanks again!

[@daphnebehindbars]

So glad you enjoyed the video and that it inspired you! Great question about leaving our stuff on the bikes. There were indeed several times we left our bikes outside chateaus, grocery stores, etc. We just made sure we took all valuables (wallets, electronics, passports etc) with us in a backpack) bag of some sort. The bikes themselves were locked with a U-bolt plus a cable lock. We never had any issues - maybe we just got lucky. But we saw many others doing the same thing. We did also have a small cable lock securing our panniers to the rack, which would just act as a deterrent and prevent someone from lifting off the whole pannier. Of course if someone really wanted to, they could still steal the contents, or cut the cables.

[@edog1955]

We sometimes use folding bikes on our bike, packing trips. If we have to leave them unattended, we partially fold them down before locking them. That way they look too intimidating to deal with a similar deterrent can be had by removing the seat post and or the front wheel.

[@EdgarSiscar]

Frank & Daphne, what bikes are you using? Thanks for your beautiful and awe inspiring videos.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks Edgar! My bike is a Kona Sutra, and Frank's is a sports store brand of touring bike from MEC, Canada's equivalent to REI in the US

[@Everyday_Biker]

I loved watching this. Question: When you arrived in Nantes, what did you do with the bike packing/boxes at the airport - ie did you store them somewhere so that you could ship the bikes home again? Logistics - always an interesting topic 🙂

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks for watching! We discarded the box in Nantes and then got new ones from bike shops for the return trip from Lyon two months later. That's always worked for us so far.

[@LucaCottaRamusino]

Great trip and inspiring video! Oh, btw nutriae are pesky invasive little critters. They were originally introduced from South America, raised commercially for fur in the 70s and 80s. Then they escaped, or the fur farmers let them loose, now they are a huge problem all over Europe.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Meant to reply to this when you first posted the comment. This was interesting. In fact we read up a bit about these creatures after the trip and found out what a nuisance they have become, just like you said. Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@mandyfarmer8735]

Hello. Just rewatching the EuroVelo 6 video. We’re hoping to cycle it next year. Any favourite camp sites?

[@daphnebehindbars]

Favourite campsites.....well, the one along the Loire in Montsereau (Camping Isle Vert) stands out because of it excellent amenities for cyclists, and it's also on the river. The one in the town of Santenay was nice too as it's next to vineyards in Alsace. But the thing about campgrounds is we didn't always choose them - they chose us in a way! Because we would just decide as we went along based on how we were feeling, how far we wanted to ride and the time of day. That works well on the Loire section because there are lots of campgrounds. You might have to plan a little more as you go further east in France as the Cgs aren't as plentiful. Always good when you find a municipal campground as they're the cheapest but may be more basic. Have fun planning your trip!

[@mandyfarmer8735]

Will do. When will you be doing another trip? Your videos are fantastic

[@daphnebehindbars]

@@mandyfarmer8735 Funny you should ask! We're not long back from another trip in Europe so there should be another video series in the coming months 😃

[@nicolas_-_-_]

Hello! Thank you for the video! I live near Montbéliard. Truite fumée means "Smoked trout" not "smoked salmon". But it's very similar 🙂

[@daphnebehindbars]

Bonjour Nicolas! You live in a beautiful area - we loved the Doubs valley area. And of course you are correct about truite fumee - thank you for pointing that out. Many of the places in the video must be very familiar to you - maybe you have cycled on this route yourself?

[@nicolas_-_-_]

@@daphnebehindbars Hello! Thank you! Yes, I cycled on this route very often 🙂

[@dimrub]

What a nice video of a wonderful tour! I found it via search, because me and my son are doing EV6, one week at a time, and I was looking for information about our next segment - we're planning to do Besancon to Ulm, or maybe if we have a couple of days more, start a bit further into France (we've already done Ulm to Vienna). I do have some questions, hope you can find the time to answer them. Can you think of a good place say 200 km before Besancon to drop into? I'm thinking maybe Chalon-sur-Saone. I think I saw you riding road bikes with slick tires. Does it mean all of EV6 in France is on asphalt? (This is certainly not the case in Germany). How did you pack the bikes on your way back? Have you considered the option of renting the bicycles locally? For us at least, renting turns out to be the cheaper - and certainly the more convenient option than bringing the bikes from home (edit: i just realized that your trip took much longer than a week, at which point rental is no longer an attractive option). I understand it you guys don't book anything ahead of time. Do you just cycle till a certain time and then start looking for accommodations? I'm certainly less flexible than that and actually have all the accommodations lined up ahead of time. Good info about getting a fuel bottle at Decathlon - I was indeed wondering about that. Also, a great idea of a day tour to Strasbourg, I've been there once on a work trip, loved it, will love to show it to my son. Again, such a well done video. I can appreciate this, because even though I have a GoPro, I rarely find the time to film with it while riding, and then never do anything with what I do film.

[@daphnebehindbars]

So glad you stumbled on my video! Your nice comments make it all worthwhile deciding to share the video publicly 🙂 You're right, a lot of time goes into putting a video together but for me it was a labour if love. Yes, our total trip was over 2 months as we continued on after crossing France. So for us renting would have been very expensive. For a short trip of a week or two, renting makes sense. The entire EV6 through France is on good surface. Our bikes were heavy touring bikes with fairly rugged tires, not just slicks. But apart from a few sections with a rougher surface, I think ordinary road bike tires would be ok. For camping, we had a good set of maps that showed campgrounds, so we could gauge roughly where we'd like to get to, but never made any bookings. On most sections, campgrounds were plentiful, mind you we weren't cycling in peak season. Don't have access to our detailed maps right now, but Chalon sounds like as good as any spot spot to begin. Best of luck with your planning - maybe you will consider sharing your experience too and do something with your GoPro footage 😃

[@dimrub]

@@daphnebehindbars Hi Daphne! We're just back from the trip. We ended up shortening it, so we only did Mulhouse to Ulm, 470 km, but it was great. Alas, I didn't film any video. We are set on tackling France next year, and I'll make sure to rewatch your video when planning it.

[@JirkaVor1]

Well, I was in France today, when it's snowing outside our windows right now.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Glad you found a distraction from the bad weather Jirka

[@fredrusso9445]

Very nice trip, thank you for sharing it with us. Small question: what did you do with your bike transport box when you arrived in Nantes in order to have it for your return?

[@daphnebehindbars]

Glad you liked the video! We discarded the boxes at Nantes airport, and got new ones from a bike shop at the end of our tour. We're always a bit anxious about getting boxes at the end, but so far it's always worked out. Some people just pack their bikes in plastic for the return trip (some airlines provide those large plastic bags), and certain European airports will sell you a bike box.

[@fredrusso9445]

@@daphnebehindbars thank you very much for your response :)

[@snurkergerm6168]

Nice video and excellent commentary. Bit different from the rest.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thank you so much for that nice feedback! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@harrykoslowski6873]

Beautiful trip. Very inspiring. How important was it or did other languages like French, etc while traveling throughout Europe? Harry

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks Harry. It's definitely useful if you can speak a bit of the local language, but not essential. Loads of people travel through these places and don't speak the language at all. Lots of people speak at least some english, so you can usually get by just fine.

[@kristenekeevers200]

Daphne, loved your video. Found whilst searching whether to get e-bike or regular bike to do similar route in France. I’m interested to know how much cycling you do to prepare for the trip. What class of cyclist do you rate yourselves? Some of my friends who have cycled in France suggest we get e-bikes. We are just casual cyclists.

[@daphnebehindbars]

Glad you liked the video Kristene! Usually we don't get to do a whole lot of riding preparation before our cycle tours, because we like to go in May and June, and the snow has barely melted in April where we live! So we build up our strength and stamina while we ride, which works ok if you're on a longer tour, like a month or two. I would say that we're fairly casual cyclists. I'm not one of those road bikers out clocking up miles before a trip (actually I don't even own a proper road bike!). I'd say we are fairly active for our age, but definitely NOT fitness fanatics. The question about e-bikes is tough to answer. For us, it's not about the distance covered each day - more about just being out there enjoying the freedom of a bike. On EV 6, there is so much to see and experience that we love just stopping and seeing the sights, having coffee, drinks, picnics, etc, so our distances aren't huge. Generally the route is flat because it follows the rivers and canals. You get the odd hill if you want to visit some of the towns which might be situated above the river. And there's nothing wrong with getting off to push now and then! It might depend too on the weight you are carrying - whether you're carrying lots of camping gear, or travelling light and staying in hotels. Your weight makes a big difference to how hard you work. It depends too on how much distance you really want to cover. You''ll go much further with an e-bike of course. And I'm sure an e-bike would really up the fun-factor. Also, the other good thing in France is that if you get tired or want to skip a section, it's usually possible to take a train with your bike. Definitely e-bikes are extremely popular in Europe, normal bikes are in the minority on the cycle paths there. But we are still happy with our bike setups for now. Not sure if any of this helps you in your decision. Have fun planning your trip!

[@kristenekeevers4954]

@@daphnebehindbars Thanks so much for your reply Daphne. You have definitely answered my questions. We also count ourselves as quite fit but like you fairly casual cyclists.:)

[@GaryTR35]

Excellent video. I’m planning something similar and just curious about the campgrounds. Did you have to book ahead or is it fine to just show up in the evening? Thanks!

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks! We didn't pre-book any campgrounds and there seems to be no problem doing that in May and June. In Jul/Aug it might not be quite as easy although bikers aren't often turned away I've heard. Good luck with your trip planning!

[@MrJx4000]

Great video. I've been pinning to do something like this. What did you do with those bike boxes?

[@daphnebehindbars]

We threw out the boxes at Nantes airport. Then at the end of the trip, we got two more cardboard boxes from bicycle shops.

[@victorfoxweddings]

What do you do with your gear when doing activities off the bike?

[@daphnebehindbars]

We generally leave the panniers on the locked bikes when going grocery shopping or visiting a museum/chateau etc, just bringing our valuables with us. If we're spending a whole day exploring a town, we try to stay somewhere that the bikes can be stored somewhere more secure. For example when we visited Amboise and stayed 2 nights, we booked a lockable tented cabin in the campground where we were able to put our bikes inside. We do have little cable locks attaching our panniers to the bikes, so someone can't just lift the panniers off - a small deterrent.

[@victorfoxweddings]

Thanks so much for the reply. This is very helpful. I’m visiting France on my first bike trip in September.

[@daphnebehindbars]

@@victorfoxweddings That's very exciting for you! And a good time of year too I'd imagine. Fire away if you have any more questions, and have fun planning!

[@Liamofloin]

You have an Irish accent! Is that the Calgary accent or your original Irish accent still intact? I enjoyed you video & I too hope to cycle in France, Brittany this year. Happy cycling from Ireland 🇮🇪

[@daphnebehindbars]

You're quite right - from Sligo! Glad you can still hear the accent, been in Canada a long time. Glad you enjoyed the video, have fun planning your France trip, and Happy Trails!

[@handsonbrompton7875]

👏🏻👏🏻💪🏼👍

[@716tommo]

nice vid, thanks for putting together...what you think was your total spend while on Eurovelo 6? accommodation, food etc?

[@daphnebehindbars]

Thanks! Glad you liked it. We spent about four weeks on the route. Accommodation cost us around 720 euro - that included 6 hotels (price range 40-106 euro) and 20 campgrounds (range 9-15 euros based on 1 tent and 2 adults). We made most of our own dinners and lunches although we had the odd meal in restaurants. I'm guessing maybe about 25 euro/day on groceries. You could get a fine 3-course lunch with the Plat du Jour for 13 euro. Entry to chateaus was usually around 14 euro. All those coffees and beverages that we enjoyed along the way added up too! Can't give you a total but hopefully that gives you some idea.

[@716tommo]

@@daphnebehindbars hi, thanks for your quick and detailed reply. defo doing this in the future from Nantes to Istanbul....silk road etc. yes, those coffees etc only a small amount each day but total cost is huge!

[@daphnebehindbars]

@@716tommo Riding all the way to Istanbul would be amazing - that's on my bucket list for the future!

[@716tommo]

@@daphnebehindbars how easy was it to follow the eurovelo track ?

[@daphnebehindbars]

@@716tommo We found this France section of EV 6 to be very well signposted. We felt you could do it easily without a map, although we did have a set of maps of EV6 published by Huber that was really handy - showed all the distances, points of interest and campgrounds.

[@roelkomduur8073]

Huh? You must be joking! From st Brevin les Pins it's a straight ride along a fucking straight canal to Nantes!!! Been there, horribel ride. Whu no fenders...?

[@dermotpurcell8861]

Where in Ireland are you from

[@daphnebehindbars]

I'm from Sligo, but Canada has been home for a long time now. And you?

[@BeeRich33]

Hi guys. Interested in that Air Transat flight. I need a good way to get to west France to head to Amsterdam, North of Paris.

[@daphnebehindbars]

We flew from Montreal to Nantes with Air Transat. Is there something else you needed to know?

[@MrJx4000]

@@daphnebehindbars, oh I thought that you were a retiree from Canada, on a laid-back journey across France by bike but apparently you're not--you're a travel agent instead (facetious comment ;-) ;-) ;-)

[@daphnebehindbars]

@@MrJx4000 LOL!

[@daveadriffield7296]

Your pronunciation was incorrect until you changed it part way thfough, well done.

[@briantrend7401]

I've ridden from UK to callaise to Marseilles north to south via Orleans then up the french and Italian rivieras diagonally across Italy to Greece Athens and around crete . Its a very easy ride in summer it's beautiful thoroughly recommend this route to everyone. This route takes you to Vincent van Gogh's haunts mental institution etc and famous Roman towns like rimes...pretty safe ride and lots of free wild campsites