France & The Alps Bicycling Maps and Guides

France Cycling Maps
France Cycling Guidebooks

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France Bicycling Maps. While there is not a special series of bicycling maps for France, other than the long-distance map listed below, there are three series that show bicycle trails on them - these series are highly recommended for mountain biking and road biking. These series highlight the national and regional parks in France as well as other popular tourist and outdoor recreation areas. The 1:100,000 topographic map series offers excellent detail for choosing back-road routes.

Découverte Regionales (Regional Discovery) series

Culture & Environment series

Plein-Air (Fresh-Air) series.

France 1:100,000 Topographic Map series. Ideal for planning those backroad bike trips.

France Bicycling Map. 1:1,000,000. IGN. The map shows the long distance bicycling routes and trails. In French.
Sample image

64-5664-906 France Bicycling Map #906. $11.95

Cycling the French Alps. By Paul Henderson. Cicerone Press, UK. Cycle Touring in the French Alps' presents a personal selection of the most picturesque cycling routes through the mountains of South-east France. The eight tours - seven circuits plus the 'Grand Traverse' from Geneva to Nice - include the 'classic' high passes of the French Alps (Galibier, Iseran, Izoard, etc) as well as many lesser known areas of the pre-Alps and Southern Jura. Although all of the tours are in mountain areas, the scenery - from the rolling hills of the Bugey to the dramatic limestone gorges of the Chartreusesnowy peaks of the Ecrins - is extremely varied. Without neglecting the 'must-see' places, the tours have been designed to take you through the secret corners and forgotten backwaters of the regions described; even amongst the most awe-inspiring mountains, it is often the more discreet facets of the countryside that reveal an area's true charm. The author recommends several maps, most of which are listed below. The author also recommends the Michelin "300" series of maps as secondary maps - however this series has been discontinued by Michelin and is no longer available.

64-56981FC Guide $19.95

Maps:

64-5652-44 IGN 1:100,000 Sheet 44. Lyon, Genève. $11.95

64-5652-45 IGN 1:100,000 Sheet 45. Annecy, Lausanne. $11.95

64-5652-51 IGN 1:100,000 Sheet 51. Lyon, Grenoble. $11.95

64-5652-53 IGN 1:100,000 Sheet 53. Grenoble, Mt. Blanc. $11.95

64-5652-54 IGN 1:100,000 Sheet 54. Grenoble, Gap. $11.95

64-5652-61 IGN 1:100,000 Sheet 61. Nice, Barcelonnette. $11.95

64-5654-527 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. 1:275,000. Michelin #527. $9.95

64-5654-523 Rhône-Alpes. 1:300,000. Michelin #523. $9.95

Cycling the River Loire - The Way of St. Martin. By John Higginson. Cicerone, UK. The River Loire invites cyclists to explore it. Without a stifling cycle way artificially created along the river's banks, the route is instead accompanied by an abundance of country lanes, tempting cyclists to find those hidden gems which make this journey an unending pleasure. The route has something for everyone. It includes dramatic vistas from high above the Ardeche Gorge, lazy days of flat riding through fields of indolent cattle, the chance to explore vineyards producing someworld's finest vintages and the great collection of castles and palaces which line the river's banks. The author recommends several France IGN 1:100,000 topographic maps to accompany the guide; these maps are listed below.

64-56981LO Guide. $27.95

Maps:

64-5652-24 Sheet 24. Nantes, Chateaubriant. $11.95

64-5652-25 Sheet 25. Angers, Chinon. $11.95

64-5652-26 Sheet 26. Orlèans, Tours. $11.95

64-5652-27 Sheet 27. Orlèans, la Charite-sur-Loire. $11.95

64-5652-36 Sheet 36. Nevers, Autun. $11.95

64-5652-43 Sheet 43. Lyon, Vichy. $11.95

64-5652-50 Sheet 50. St-Etiènne, Le Puy. $11.95

64-5652-59 Sheet 59. Privas, Ales. $11.95

Loire Radweg Cycling Guide. 1:75,000. Bikeline. This guide covers the 494-km route along the Loire from Orleans to St Nazaire. An additional short route going west from Orleans to Sully-sur-Loire is also described. Accommodation recommendations are included. 139 pages, spiral-bound. In German.
Index of the route.
Sample of a map.

66-2279-LO Guide. $21.95

The Way of St. James: Le Puy to Santiago - A Cyclist's Guide. By John Higginson. Cicerone Press. The new edition of the Way of Saint James Cyclistís Guide (researched and written during the Holy Year of 2004) provides an up-to-date description of this ever-popular 1570km cycle route from Le Puy in France to Santaigo de Compostela in Spain. By using roads with a good surface for touring cyclists, this guide attempts to follow the original pilgrimage route as closely as possible and offers the opportunity to visit every major church and shrine along the way with a few detours to outlying monasteries for good measure. The average distance on most days is only 50km, easily within the compass of the moderately fit. The guide includes routes from Santiago to Finisterre and Padron for those cyclists who want that little ëextraí, while several variants are mentioned to cater for the fit and not-so-fit pilgrim. There is a comprehensive kit list and an English-French-Spanish list of essential words for the journey, as well as details of accommodation in gites d'Ètape, chambres d'hote, hotels, refugios and hostals.

65-32961SK Guide $24.95

Recommended Maps:

65-3273 Camino de Santiago Route Map. 1:600,000. Spain IGN. $12.95

64-5652-50 #50. St-Etiènne, Le Puy. 1:100,000. France IGN. $11.95

64-5652-57 #57. Cahors, Montauban. 1:100,000. France IGN. $11.95

64-5652-58 #58. Rodez, Mende. 1:100,000. France IGN. $11.95

64-5652-63 #63. Tarbes, Auch. 1:100,000. France IGN. $11.95

64-5652-69 #69. Pau, Bayonne. 1:100,000. France IGN. $11.95

65-3294-571 Northwest Spain - Galicia map. Michelin #571. 1:400,000. $8.95

65-3294-572 Northwest coast of Spain - Asturias, Cantabria map. Michelin #572. 1:250,000. $8.95

65-3294-573 Northcentral coast of Spain - Pais/Vasco/ Navarra/La Rioja map. Michelin #573. 1:250,000. $8.95

Brittany Cycling Guide. Bikeline. In German.
Index of routes covered.
Sample #1.
Sample #2.

66-2279-BRI Brittany Cycling Guide. 1:75,000 scale maps + city maps, 160 pages. $19.95

Provence Cycling Guide. Bikeline. In English. This atlas follows a circular itinerary around Provence, to cover Arles, Nimes, Avignon, Carpentras and the Camargue Regional Park. Each section has detailed maps, photos, descriptions of interesting things to do and see along the route, local tourist information offices contact numbers. An appendix lists accommodation.
Index of routes covered.
Sample of the maps in the guide.
Sample of the text in the guide.

66-2279-PRO Provence Cycling Guide. 1:75,000 scale maps + city maps, 92 pages. $24.95

(France & Switzerland) Bicycling Atlas des Col des Alpes. Altigraph Edition. This is a 6-volume series that covers the Alpes, giving elevation profiles and descriptions for mountain biking rides throughout the Alpes. Soft cover atlas features bicycling routes in the French Alps. There is a description, map and elevation profile of each ride. In French. The volumes are arranged from south (Vol. 1) to north (Vol. 5) and southeastern Switzerland (Vol. 6).

64-5695CO-1 Vol. 1 - Menton, Nice Monaco west ot Apt, Sault, Nyons. $34.95

64-5695CO-2 Vol. 2 - Gap, Brianzon, le Bourge d'Oisans. $34.95

64-5695CO-3 Vol. 3 - Grenoble, Sestrieres. $34.95

64-5695CO-4 Vol. 4 - Val d'Isere, Chambery. $34.95

64-5695CO-5 Vol. 5 - Gstaad, Chamonix, Geneva. $34.95

64-5695CO-6 Vol. 6 - east of Vol. 5, covering Sion, Zermatt, east to St. Moritz, Chur. $34.95

64-5695CO Set of 6 volumes. $134.95

(France & Spain) Atlas des Cols des Pyrenees. Altigraph Edition. These guidebooks have detailed maps, elevation profiles, and detailed route listings. In French.

64-5695PY-1 Vol. 1 - Western Pyrenees: Bayonne to Laruns & Pau. $34.95

64-5695PY-2 Vol. 2 - West-Central Pyrenees: Larun & Pau to Luchon. $34.95

64-5695PY-3 Vol. 3 - Central-East Pyrenees: Luchon to Andorra and Ax les Thermes & Puigcerda. $34.95

64-5695PY-4 Vol. 4 - Eastern Pyrenees: Andorra to the Mediterranean coast. $34.95

Cycling in France guide
Cycling in France. Ulysses. Cycling the back roads of France—everyone has dreamed of doing it, and Ulysses makes it possible. Numerous suggested tours with information on preparing your journey and the services available along the way.

64-5695CY Guide. $17.95

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