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@CYOA
I've decided at short notice to take two weeks off (easier than it sounds being unemployed) and go to Fontainebleau (south east of Paris) with a few friends to do some climbing out there.
We're going to be camping it up - so to speak - so we're taking turns with a trailer.
I, for one, have never cycled with a trailer before but am getting a bit of practise between then and now so I'm not concerned about that so much as the route we're taking.
As the most experienced cyclist of the bunch I've been designated 'Route-Guy'.
I've done a lot of touring using geared bikes around the UK and I've done the south-coast fixed a few times but never really toured outside of the UK.
The plan is:
Take a leisurely cycle down from Greenwich to Dover via Chatham, Faversham and Canterbury. Hop on a ferry across to Calais. Take the coast road (the D940) down to Abbeville then head inland staying west of Amiens, Cergy etc and once we reach Chartres we'll swoop east towards the forests at Fontainebleau in time for tea and medals.
We've got about 10 days to get there - climb and get back - with potential for Eurostar home from one of my light-weight compadrés (he needs a lesson in HTFU).
I read dr.oblong's thread about riding to Paris from Le Harve but that's not really the route we want to do if we can avoid it - A - because we don't want to go to Paris and B - because we don't want to go to Le Harve. Fact.
So - suggestions? Alternate routes? Roads to avoid? We're trying to avoid getting bogged down in towns and cities en route as it'll eat into climbing time so we're hoping that two long days of cycling will get us there from home to somewhere we can do this: