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Thanks for sharing your ride experience - adding to the bucketlist
"Calais car ferry terminal was a surreal experience on bikes, but was easy enough if follow the signs for cars. We often got ushered through ahead of the cars at check points. And then exiting in Dover, we were let out ahead of everyone else. You follow a painted red line until you are completely out of the labyrinthine port area which is very helpful, but still expect a good 15min ride to Dover Priory station"
Recently did Paris Roubaix sportive and used the TER trains from Lille to Calais and P&O Ferry back to Dover Priory. The TER line trains are good and have bike hooks (4 or 5 iirc). P&O lets cyclists on first but you also get off last. Remember you have to arrive at the port 1.5hrs before departure time. Dover side depart sequence is Passport control --> manned gate--> shed to pick up tickets --> wait at assigned lane. Calais depart side: Passport control -->ticket booth--> UK passport check --> assigned lane. Dover side arrive: last to get off, and there is a gate you have to buzz to get out of. In a rush to make my train i did Ferry ramp to DVP in 11m30s flat. Arrived with 2 mins to Train depart (but it was late - go figure).
Would really recommend not booking train tickets too tightly to ferry depart/arrival times given you need to arrive 90misn before and are last off the ferry.
Takes longer vs Eurostar/Tunnel etc but a fairly comfortable (and cheaper) way to cross the channel.
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onegear05
@oat44
Yes, having a Garmin made navigation much easier this time round. We only used an edge 25 but that was enough (with a powerbank).
The route we followed was from the gpx files on the AV website which looks less direct than that one ^ and it does have a fair few unpaved/gravelly sections. Worth choosing some good puncture resistant tyres if sticking to this route, at least 28's with a decent tread I'd say - I was very happy on my 38 crossroads. A couple in the group managed with skinny 23s but one of those suffered punctures in both back and front tyres.
We went for a more leisurely beer/food orientated run than a sub 24 hour dash as we are not as young or fit as we once were, (mainly because of beer and food).
Day 1 - 06.30 start from Stratford and got to Hope Inn in Newhaven just before 14.30 for a well deserved pint. The DFDS Ferry (16.30) had great food, cheap too and lots of space. In Dieppe, we headed to one of the bars still open after we checked in late on Friday night.
Day 2 - Saturday morning Dieppe market was fun, lots of tempting food, which made for a late start. Light lunch at the old station in Neufchatel en Bray, great local cheese there and really lovely cider.
Gourney en Bray for the second night - not great for food but we still had a fun time in one of the little brasseries. The weakest beer was 8%. I'd look into making more progress than Gourney on Day 2 if I did this pattern again.
Day 3 - longer day, very impressive scenery. Well timed coffee stop in Gisors, and a hearty lunch in Forges near Gasny, then pushed on to Maisons Laffitte in outskirts of Paris for the last night. Really great dinner in one of the nearby bar/restaurants. Also managed to convince the Ibis manager to let us store all the bikes in a solid floored meeting room (was a bit of a squeeze in their bike bunker).
Day 4 - we abandoned the official route along the river and headed straight through the confusion of La Defense to Arc de Triomphe/Trocadero (for obligatory Eiffel Tower pic)/Notre Dame. Plenty of cycle paths that way. Then on to Gare Du Nord by 11 am for the train to Calais at 12pm. Back home by 10pm.
The return journey avoiding Eurostar (by TER train - ferry - high speed train) worked surprisingly well. Although it took a while, it was a relaxing way to do it, and a 2 hour stop in Amiens for lunch and mooch around the cathedral was far more enjoyable than trying to fight the crowds in the centre of Paris. Cycle storage on the TER train to Calais was exemplary, free and no booking required.
Calais car ferry terminal was a surreal experience on bikes, but was easy enough if follow the signs for cars. We often got ushered through ahead of the cars at check points. And then exiting in Dover, we were let out ahead of everyone else. You follow a painted red line until you are completely out of the labyrinthine port area which is very helpful, but still expect a good 15min ride to Dover Priory station.
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