2022: Le Grand Tour

The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Germany:

On July 3rd 2022 I arrived at the Hook of Holland in The Netherlands, turned around and pedalled off in the direction of France. It was an anti-clockwise tour of France; the EuroVelo 12 along the Belgian coast, the EuroVelo 4 to Dieppe, Lโ€™Avenue Verte to Paris, La Vรฉloscรฉnie to Mont St Michel before rejoining the EuroVelo 4 to Roscoff, the EuroVelo 1 / Vรฉlodyssรฉe to Royan, the Canal de la Garonne to Toulouse, the Canal du Midi to Sรจte, the EuroVelo 17 beside the Rhรดne to Andermatt in Switzerland and finally the EuroVelo 15 / Rhine Cycle Route all the way back to Rotterdam and the return ferry to Hullโ€ฆ I arrived back at the Hook of Holland on September 3rd 2022.

Pre-trip Posts to CyclingEurope.ORG:

Posts to CyclingEurope.org During the Cycle:

EPISODES OF THE CYCLING EUROPE PODCAST PUBLISHED DURING THE CYCLE:

Here’s an animated map of my planned route…

…and here is a bit of background information regarding my decision for choosing to set off to France, Switzerland, Germany and The Netherlands rather than cycle around the Baltic Sea as I had planned for the summer of 2022.

STAGE 1:

Rotterdam to Calais: EuroVelo 12 / North Sea Cycle Route (Netherlands / Belgium / France)

This stage: 260 km / Cumulative: 260 km

Official website: EuroVelo.com/ev12

Ken Wynn @HighFielder80: “How are you getting from Hook to Belgium? Amazing road through Brielle, one of my favourite Dutch towns, and down the coastal defense dijks, the Oosterscheldekering, an astounding feat of engineering, to Middelburg and canal to Vlissingen for Breskens ferry. Ev12 seems to ferry from Hoek to the Maasvlakte europoort extension, instead of Maassluis ferry to Rozenburg for Brielle, then later it sticks to the coast for vlissingen instead of via Middelburg. Would be a shame to miss Middelburg its such a beautiful city.“

STAGE 2:

Calais to Dieppe: EuroVelo 4 / La VeloMaritime (France)

This stage: 180 km / Cumulative: 440 km

Official website: LaVeloMaritime.com

STAGE 3:

Dieppe to Paris: L’Avenue Verte (France)

This stage: 240 km / Cumulative: 680 km

Official website: AvenueVerteLondonParis.com

STAGE 4:

Paris to Mont Saint Michel: La Vรฉloscรฉnie (France)

This stage: 450 km / Cumulative: 1130 km

Official website: Veloscenic.com

STAGE 5:

Mont Saint Michel to Roscoff: EuroVelo 4 / La Vรฉlomaritime (France)

This stage: 430 km / Cumulative: 1560 km

Official website: LaVeloMaritime.com

STAGE 6:

Roscoff to Royan: EuroVelo 1 / La Vรฉlodyssรฉe (France)

This stage: 870 km / Cumulative: 2430 km

Official website: Cycling-LaVelodyssee.com

Malcolm Glover (via Facebook): “If youโ€™re coming anyway near Carhaix in Brittany youโ€™re more than welcome to stay with us. We are just a few hundred metres away from Velo 1.”

STAGE 7:

Royan to Sรจte: Le Canal des 2 Mers ร  Vรฉlo / Les Canals de la Garonne Et du Midi (France)

This stage: 680 km / Cumulative: 3110 km

Official website: CanalDes2MersAVelo.com

STAGE 8:

Sรจte to Andermatt: EuroVelo 17 / Rhone Cycle Route (France / Switzerland)

This stage: 1250 km / Cumulative: 4360 km

Official website: ViaRhona.com

STAGE 9:

Andermatt to Rotterdam: EuroVelo 15 / Rhine Cycle Route (Switzerland / France / Germany / The Netherlands)

This stage: 1500 km / Cumulative: 5860 km

Official website: EuroVelo.com/ev15

Since 2009, CyclingEurope.org has established itself as a valued, FREE cycle touring resource. There’s now even a podcast, The Cycling Europe Podcast. If you enjoy the website and the podcast, please consider supporting the work of CyclingEurope.org with a donation. More information can be found here. Thanks if you do!

Catch up with The Cycling Europe Podcast

Travel guides supplied by Cicerone