"The Avenue Verte": From London to Paris by bike

This cycle route allows you to visit two countries, and it also takes you from one capital, London: the Big Smoke, to another, Paris: the City of Love. Whether you were already planning a trip to the French capital or not, it is usually the place to be when it comes to culture, art, fashion or... the Olympic Games. There’s always a good reason to come to Paris!

Even if you may not yet associate the capital with cycling, as the main means of getting to Paris are by train, Eurostar, plane or even bus, taking the "Avenue Verte Paris" is not only more environmentally friendly, it's also a great way to enjoy the countryside and take your time. Moreover, you never fully visit France if you don’t visit its picturesque towns and its iconic campagne.

This route is now a nice bike tourism itinerary, but it was first created with a specific purpose as it was designed for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

This route was a joint Anglo-French initiative to celebrate the London Olympic Games and offer French tourists an unusual and eco-friendly way of getting to London for the event, by bike. Although it was not used for any competition during the Games, this action now has a lasting legacy and allows bike enthusiasts and nature lovers to go through Great Britain and France while enjoying a traffic-free route!

If you think that only cycling experts can take on this challenge, read on because you'll see that this experience is also accessible to beginners.

The 470-km route is mainly flat, so there are no major difficulties. Depending on how you experience the itinerary, you could take 24 hours to complete it as an experienced cyclist, or between 5 and 10 days as a beginner who doesn't want to miss out on the towns' history and leisure activities.

In this article, we'll base the itinerary on a 5-day trip with a distance of more or less 60 km per day, as this is the average experience with this route. Before getting to the heart of the matter, you may not fully grasp the concept of 470 km. In a nutshell, 470 km is the equivalent of 1.35 times the River Thames, 1,518 times London's tallest building “The Shard” and even more than 12,000 football pitches.

If 470 km seems too much, don't worry, there are in fact two versions of this route, one along the banks of the Oise and the other through the Epte valley. If you can't wait to get to your final destination, you can use the route through the Epte valley in Normandy, as it is only 406 km long.

Let’s start with this challenge! As your journey starts from the London Eye, you’ll head towards Redhill. Still in the heart of the metropolis you’ll see the famous River Thames and urban landscape. From Redhill bike to East Grinstead and stop for your first night to recharge your batteries. After this good night's sleep as you continue the trip and pass through Forest Raw, Heathfield and Hailsham to lead toward Newhaven, you won’t want to miss the colorful city Brighton and the majestic chalk sea cliffs “The seven sisters”. Indeed, before taking the ferry in Newhaven, the “Avenue Verte” implies that bikers would enjoy a diversion to both locations before leaving Great Britain. We suggest you sleep in Brighton, this lively and charming city has a lot to offer before you get back to Newhaven.

After admiring the beauty of south Great Britain, you will be able to take a 4-hour ferry ride from Newhaven to Dieppe. You will arrive in France, ready to set eyes on the historic sites and villages that the North of France has to offer such as Forges-les-eaux, famous as a thermal wonderland.

Heading south, you'll discover the beautiful Benedictine abbey at Saint-Germer-de-fly. Founded in 661, you'll love visiting this church steeped in history! After your visit to the town, take a rest and spend the night at the "Jardin de l'Abbaye", not far from the town center, as this is a bike-friendly accommodation.

In the following morning you’ll have to make a choice!

The first option goes via Picardy and more specifically the banks of the Oise river, that includes the cities of Beauvais, Clermont, Senlis, Chantilly and Auvers-sur-Oise. There you will be able to visit Chantilly castle, a castle raised above the waters. Its magical setting is at the origin of various manuscripts of Duc d’Aumale. Between many medieval cities on this route you’ll spend a night in a well located and beautiful hotel “Best Western Plus Hôtel du Parc”.

Then, the second option goes to Normandy, along the Epte valley, passing by cities like Gisors, Chaussy, Cergy and the wooded hills of Vexin. This variation offers many lush landscapes deep into the nature. Along this route, feel connected to your surroundings by sleeping at “Le Hêtre Boitel - Bergerie de Villarceaux”, a cottage located in agrical fields.

You’ll continue to be moved by this magical place as the whole city feels like we are traveling through time. After this stop you’ll only have the last kilometers of your trip to make. Congratulations! You have arrived at Notre Dame de Paris de Paris, your final destination!