UPDATE 2018: It looks as though the Google Map referred to here has now been deleted… There are still some valid comments below however so I’ll leave this post online; just don’t expect to find the map it refers to… You may also want to visit this page of the website that also discuss maps of the EuroVelo 8.ย
I made one of these before cycling the Eurovelo 5 back in 2010 but it was a pleasure to discover that making the map for the Eurovelo 8, which I plan to cycle in July & August of 2013 has become a much easier task than I remember. Still quite a few long gaps in the journey, notably nothing marked in Albania & Montenegro and a long stretch between Barcelona and Valencia but hey! That’s half the fun… The map is interactive so zoom in and out, change from ‘terrain’ to ‘satellite’ etc… and above all, give me your advice! Do you live somewhere along the route (or not far from it)? Do you have interesting suggestions for places to visit? I do need to make this journey as eventful as possible (hopefully in a positive way but I imagine there will be some ‘issues’ along the way) as the success of my next book, Good Vibrations 2 (working title) depends upon it. Please let me know what you think either via the ‘comment’ button or directly via email. Thanks.
Categories: Cycling
Thanks – they’ve all been added to the map!
Andrew
I spent a week in Aigues Mortes this past June. Great area – great food – wonderful things to see. You really need to schedule a side trip to the Pont du Garde (gorgeous aqueduct). It is spectacular.
Agree! I went to the Pont du Gard about 20 years ago; a revisit is overdue!
Thanks
Andrew
Hello there,
Rovigo is worthless, you can simply drop it.
I find strange the route Venice-Rovigo-Ferrara-Mantua. While Ferrara and Mantua are lovely cities, going down till Ferrara will lenghten your trip a bit. And Rovigo, as I said, is completely worthless.
I’d suggest a Venice-Padua-Vicenza-Verona-Mantua.
Pavia to Turin passing through Vercelli is a waste of time, in my opinion. Head towards Casale Monferrato, it will be better (in terms of panorama and kilometres).
Otherwise you should consider to going down to Genoa, a beautiful and strange city. But I warn you that cycling in Liguria may be somehow difficult (for the streets).
Just some quick thoughts.
Simone
Ciao Simone! Nice to hear from you. I’ve added your comments to the map. Are you going to be in Venice next summer? If all goes to plan I should be arriving in northern Italy in late July… Would be good to meet up again.
Cheers
Andrew
What about Great Vibrations as a title ๐
Shame it will be July/august by the time you pass through Turin. Will probably have just left by then, but who knows what next year will bring.
The climb from the Ligurian coast up to the Po Valley plateau will be a bit of a slog. Doesn’t look like much but going south there was a lot of downhill. I think Cuneo is at about 700m. I have been through Cuneo a few times and it is quite nice. Lots of bike lanes.
The home town of Fausto Coppi is just a bit south-east of Alessandria if you are in to that kind of thing. I am hoping to get there before it gets too cold to ride.
With all the riding I have done in Piedmont a lot of the roads have very little shoulder but the other traffic is usually very patient if it is not safe to pass. Don’t trust Google as what seems like a back road is often a farmers track.
July/August you will be riding through lots of corn in the west of Piedmonte and rice in the east.
If you are in to your red wine the area just east of Bra/Cherasco (where I am) is the home of Italian red wine including Barolo and Dolcetto.
These are my lessons from riding around here over the last few months.
Excellent! Thanks for that Pete. I’ve added your comments to the map (little red markers :))
Cheers
Andrew