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@mdja
I've not ridden much in France but I've been there many times and pedalled about occasionally, and...
Of course it's feasible, it's a great idea. Cycling in France is great, they are a nation of cyclists and very used to them. Everywhere you go you'll see people buzzing around on bikes, usually in full lycra and all the gear. They do, of course, drive like maniacs but that's not too much of a problem.
How much crap you carry depends on where you stay (eg hotels/b+b vs campsites). In general it's best to carry as little as possible. It's all too easy to find yourself with 15kg of gear and that's just change of clothes, essential tools, a lock and not much else. As soon as you're carrying gear you'll be doing much shorter distances. If you look at seasoned Audax riders they carry almost nothing, usually in a saddle bag, and almost never have racks or panniers.
If you're camping you'll be going slower, unless you do extreme camping, because you'll be carrying a tent, stove, sleeping bag, mat, etc, etc. Don't even think about wearing a bag on your back. Keep everything on the bike, that's what it's there for.
Doing it fixed is fine if you want. Then again, if you're going to Switzerland you may want to enjoy the downhills they have, which are nothing like anything you'll see in UK.
Oh, and - yes, it's flat in much of France but French flat is nothing like London flat; it's long, slow uphills and long, slow downhills.