London to Paris charity bike ride
| country: | France, England |
| trip type: | Challenging cycling holidays |
| departures: | 2010: 30 Jul, 27 Aug |
| price: | From £175 (4 days) deposit + £1350 fundraised (55% to charity) inc Eurostar. Self funders pay £175 deposit + £708 (inc £100 to charity) |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Cycle from London to Paris and raise money for your favourite charity at the same time as taking part in an amazing adventure!
Highlights include:
Cycle 320kms over one long weekend Depart from England's bustling capital, London Ride through beautiful French countryside Celebrate the completion of your challenge at the Eiffel Tower Return in comfort on the Eurostar from Paris
Your expedition begins in bustling London city where you will meet the rest of your group and navigate your way through England’s capital and out into the leafy suburbs. You will head towards Godstone and then off on relatively traffic free roads to Newhaven. You then cross by ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe where you can rest after a long day and a great cycling experience.
Your second day is slightly less arduous and affords you the time to get to know your group and form a real team spirit as you journey through the beautiful French countryside.
The penultimate day of your challenge pushes your stamina with 79miles (127kms) of cycling to the French capital and to the foot of the Eiffel Tower. It is here you can celebrate in style with a glass of champagne overlooking the magnificent Seine and under the shade of Paris’s most famous landmark. You will then return home the following afternoon with some well earned comfort on the Eurostar.
Highlights include:
Your expedition begins in bustling London city where you will meet the rest of your group and navigate your way through England’s capital and out into the leafy suburbs. You will head towards Godstone and then off on relatively traffic free roads to Newhaven. You then cross by ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe where you can rest after a long day and a great cycling experience.
Your second day is slightly less arduous and affords you the time to get to know your group and form a real team spirit as you journey through the beautiful French countryside.
The penultimate day of your challenge pushes your stamina with 79miles (127kms) of cycling to the French capital and to the foot of the Eiffel Tower. It is here you can celebrate in style with a glass of champagne overlooking the magnificent Seine and under the shade of Paris’s most famous landmark. You will then return home the following afternoon with some well earned comfort on the Eurostar.
what this trip includes
All internal transfers, return Eurostar ticket, all meals unless otherwise stated in the itinerary, all accommodation, group first aid supplies, an English speaking expedition leader and full local support team (assistant, drivers, mechanic, medic), relevant back-up facilities (lead car and support truck), a T-Shirt, US$20 to a local community project which we will inform you about after your expedition and discount from Nomad Travellers Stores for personal equipment.day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Tower Bridge to Newhaven - 69miles / 110kms. Your challenge begins today in London. This morning you will meet early at Tower Bridge for an introduction to your expedition leader, support team and the rest of your group and receive your introductory briefing. You will begin your ride, heading south towards Crystal Palace through Beckenham and Hayes. This is one of the faster routes out of the city and within 2-3hrs you will be in the beautiful British countryside of Godstone, stopping for lunch after 44miles (70kms) at Turners Hill, Surrey. The afternoon route winds through the South Downs past Haywards Heath and traversing Ditchling Beakon before dropping down into Newhaven where you catch the ferry to France. Your bikes will be loaded in to the support vehicle for the ferry journey. The ferry crossing takes approximately 4hrs and a hot/cold buffet style dinner is served on board. Once in Dieppe, you will be transferred to your accommodation as it will be just after 2300hrs local time. Here you can go straight to your hotel beds for a well deserved night’s rest. |
| Day 2: | Dieppe to Gournay - 54miles / 86kms. Heading inland on undulating quiet roads, passing through small villages and a bison farm, the ride today is a great opportunity for you to relax and settle into the whole weekend and get to know the rest of your group. After 35miles (53kms) you will stop for a leisurely lunch in the town of Saint-Saens with it’s traditional church. After lunch you will enjoy a rolling afternoon through some very picturesque French countryside. It is quite simply a fantastic day’s riding for those who want to stretch out a little or simply cruise along taking it all in. You will arrive late afternoon, at your hotel and will have the evening to relax at leisure as tomorrow is a tough day. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Gournay. |
| Day 3: | Gournay to the Eiffel Tower, Paris - 79miles / 127kms. This morning you will make an early start heading southwest through more spectacular French countryside. The ride until lunchtime is particularly challenging with several major climbs to overcome over 52miles (83kms). Once at lunch in Boisemont you are already on the outskirts of Paris with only 25miles (40kms) remaining. The ride into town is fairly technical. From Bois de Boulogne for the final 3.5miles (5.6kms), the lead vehicle will lead you in as one group. You will cycle down and then back up the famous Avenue Des Champs Elysees, around the Arc De Triomph and finish at the Trocadero Gardens with a fantastic view of the Eiffel Tower laid out ahead of you. You will arrive here late afternoon to celebrate the pinnacle of your challenge at France’s most infamous landmark. You then have a 1mile ride to your hotel where your bikes will be loaded onto the support truck to return to London tomorrow. You can then check in and spruce yourself up before the final night’s celebratory meal after which, the evening is yours to spend at leisure in Paris enjoying the nightlife of this fascinating city! Overnight hotel in Paris. |
| Day 4: | Paris to London. This morning is free for you to wander around Paris or simply lie-in after your celebrations the night before! The support vehicle leaves early this morning with your bikes and bike equipment for you to collect later today from St Pancras. Around lunchtime you will transfer by coach to Gare du Nord Eurostar station for your journey back to London St Pancras. Your challenge ends at St Pancreas where your bikes will be waiting for you in the stations Despatch Centre. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
As a company we have drastically reduced the carbon footprint of our UK operations, and are making a huge effort to do so in their destination countries too. We are also investing to offset the emissions from the international flights required to take part in our challenges. We also provide travellers with a responsible tourism policy detailing ways in which you can be an ethical traveller. From packing conscientiously to advice on local customs & environmental awareness overseas to maintaining contact with your new international friends upon your return – our policy is a comprehensive document providing all the info you need to trek, climb of cycle responsibly. Community Our responsible commitment extends to helping the local communities we visit. We employ local guides, porters and other essential support staff, and use locally owned accommodation. We donate USD$500 per trek to various projects including Whizz-Kidz. Whizz-Kidz aims to improve the quality of life of disabled children and young people throughout the UK through the provision of customised mobility equipment such as wheelchairs and tricycles. By providing them with equipment, training, advice and life skills, they actually give them something much more important; the independence to be themselves. Children and young people are at the heart of Whizz-Kidz work. Whizz-Kidz focus on each child’s individual needs, taking into account their clinical, social, educational and developmental needs - all of which are important in any young person’s life. Being independent and in control of when and where you want to go takes disabled young people from isolation to inclusion and gives them the chance to enjoy a more active childhood and realise their true potential. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |