Bicycling on Grand Circle Seine River Cruise?

[Marphyn]

I wish to buy or rent a bicycle in Normandy and take it with on the boat and
drop off (or sell/donate) in Paris. Any suggestions of places to buy cheap,
used bike. Any experiences with biking as part of the river cruise? Any
comments.

[D Ball]

No experience with buying used bikes, but tons of biking opportunities in
France, and the relatively moderate grades in much of Normandy are perfect.
Here's a master link I've kept handy and used on occasion, hope it helps:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/france-cycling.html

I don't know if any of the links from Brown's compilation will get you to
a site that tells about the detailed cycling maps that are available for
France, but they do exist and are almost a necessity if you plan a serious
journey, e.g., the best route from Normandy to Paris considering grade (will
get more hilly) and traffic (whether there are any dedicated bike paths,
less-trafficked highways, etc.). Otherwise, you'll likely be able to find
great info re: good cycling day trips in the Normandy region by just doing
google searches for the ports, e.g., +Bayeaux (probably an early stop on
a Seine cruise?) +cycling. Don't rule out finding resources in your local
library.

Unless you're picky about the bike specs, my strong feeling is that if you
can find a bike shop in the first port you want to cycle, you'll surely be
able to make a deal on a used one. Better, of course, if you can identify
a shop and communicate with them in advance & make the arrangements.

I know of several cruise & bike deals involving the Danube River cruises
(and ferries) & the riverside bike path from Passau on the German border
to Vienna. Maybe there are similar offerings for the Seine, although I have
only heard of the more traditional type of cruising on the Seine, in which
case you'd just have to get the cruise line's okay to bring the bike aboard
(store it where?) & then use it to tool around on port days.

This sounds like a fun idea. Good luck in figuring it out. Come back and
tell us all about it if you do it.

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX

NCL Sea - W. Carib - Holidays 99
RCI Explorer - E. Carib - Holidays 00
RCI Rhapsody - W. Carib - Holidays 01 (back-to-back)
NCL Star - Hawaii - June 02
Dawn Princess - Alaska - July 02
Star Princess - Mex Riviera - Holidays 02

[Michael Brennan]

Or consider buying a foldup bicycle and store in your cabin. Montague
have good looking folding bicycles for around $350.00. Also see some on
ebay for around $150.00. Bike Friday has very nice folding bicycles
prices are a little out of my league though. Brompton bicycles (UK) very
famous folding bicycles, retail for around $550.00.

Bicycling is a great way to tour around European sites. Use Michelin maps,
great detail 1:200000 available for all of France.

--mikeb

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