France

• Camping seems like a great option for a low budget overnight stay. As in hotels, you have a variety ranging from nature campsites (Air Naturelle) or from small campsites (usually Municipals) to the large commercial caravan villages, usually planned around the tourist sites or coastlines. Prices therefore also depend on the type of campsite. The camping rates are clearly announced at the entrance and often so low that wild camping is not an option. In case of emergency, you can always knock on the door of a remote farm and ask to pitch your tent on its domain. There are fewer campsites in the north of the country than in the center and south, where almost every village has a campsite,
• For an overview of all more than 10,000 campsites, including the farm campsites, there is the FFCC guide (google). It is best to only take the maps and the text parts of this thick book with you from the departments where you will be cycling.

• You really come across plenty of affordable hotels. You see them even more than campsites.
• Logis de France has a free booklet with approximately 3000 overnight addresses at independent hotels affiliated with this chain. The booklet contains clear maps and hotel descriptions and is updated every year. It is available at the hotels themselves. Even if you are alone and want to book a night, that is no problem. An overnight stay for 1 person costs approximately € 40 (prices 2007). More information at http://www.logisdefrance.com.
• Since 2003, Michelin has also published the "Atmospheric Overnachten" guide with a selection of special guesthouses and charming small hotels where you can get a room for € 80 or less per night. Individuals
• Chambres d'hotes is the French version of Bed & Breakfast. The Gites de France are one of the most famous "labels" for a minimal quality of the Chambres D'Hotes. See http://www.gites-de-france.fr.
• The Trotter Chambres d'hôtes in France contains the 1500 best Trotter addresses for affordable yet characterful guest rooms in rural France. A very thorough selection, based on years of experience.

The quality of the roads is generally good. The roads to and from large cities are of course busier. The French are very cyclist-friendly and ride around you or brake if there is no room to swerve. Make sure you stand out.

Is possible, also to Corsica

• Possibility to take the bicycle with you on the TGV, not disassembled: the places can be reserved and you have to pay. If one is obliged to travel over Paris, one has to change station: this is certainly doable by bicycle. Without reservation, the bicycle must be taken in a transport bag
• Bicycles CANNOT be taken on many through trains.
• In Thalys and TGV, the bicycle can be taken in a bicycle transport bag. (see next paragraph)
• You can also take your bike on the night train to Basel, ten kilometers from the French border
• Several night trains run from Lille (Lille) to places in the South of France, such as Nice.
• There are even TGVs where you can take the bike with you without taking it apart or packing it. The bicycle is then hung on the hook in the wagon. However, it is necessary to book in advance.
• Unfortunately, there is no longer a bicycle train to Avignon.

Bicycle in the TGV and Thalys

When booking a TGV ticket, you will be informed of the possibility to take your bicycle with you if you have it disassembled in a special bag. That bag must be 90x120cm or less. Most bicycles fit exactly in that bag, and the experience is that disassembling your bicycle before departure and reassembling it at your final destination takes about 20 minutes. SNCF gives the impression that your bicycle fits in the luggage rack in the front of every wagon. In practice, this turns out to be disappointing. The racks are retrofitted with an extra grid so that a bicycle no longer fits in the rack and you are forced to place your bicycle in front of the luggage rack. Not everyone is friendly with the obstacle, so it is advisable to walk to the luggage rack at stops to prevent people from destroying your bike.

Another potential problem is transferring in Paris. For example, the metro between Gare du Nord and Montmarte (line 4) is not equipped with escalators. Expect a long and tiring climb through narrow metro tunnels and over steep stairs.

Bicycle transport bags are available from Vaudé, AGU, and Rose, among others. Prices start at around 70 euros and go up to 350 euros for a hard plastic case. Bags can also regularly be found second-hand on well-known auction websites.

The bus is often not a problem, because the bicycle simply fits in the cargo hold of the regular bus. However, it can take a particularly long time.

• From or to Italy. You can find information at http://www.cemar.it/ferries/1_ferries.html or at http://www.seabridges.com.
• Corsica, for example, has boat connections between Sardinia (Sta Teresa) and Bonifacio.
• Information about ferry connections across the canal can be found at http://www.seabridges.com