London To Paris Cycle Challenge

Fitness level

This adventure is perfect for those who want to push themselves physically and mentally. You will be away from the comforts of home, cycling long distances on occasionally uneven roads and weather conditions will vary.

It is essential to train for this adventure, as it is considerably tougher than many expect. You will need to have undertaken plenty of long-distance cycles in preparation, ideally several long distance (50km+) cycle rides.

Accommodation

• 1 night bunk on the overnight ferry
• 2 nights' hostel-style accommodation which will be basic but clean and comfortable

Single room supplement

If you would prefer your own room this can be arranged, though an extra charge would apply.

Kit list

Once signed up, you will receive a full kit list. The most important items are:

• Your bike (bike hire available)
• Appropriate cycle clothing
• Water bottles

Season

• Jan
• Feb
• Mar
• Apr
• May
• Jun
• Jul
• Aug
• Sep
• Oct
• Nov
• Dec

Meeting point

Greenwich Park
London
Greater London
SE10 8EJ
UK

Itinerary

• Day 1 | London to Newhaven (95km)

  The start line will be in Greenwich Park in southeast London. Begin your cycle heading southbound out of London. The route southward to the south coast features the most hills out of the whole cycling itinerary, so it’s a challenging start! Stopping for lunch in East Grinstead, you’ll continue cycling southward until the road flattens and then gently declines into Newhaven on the south coast. On arrival, the team will have dinner before boarding the ferry for the overnight crossing from Newhaven to Dieppe.

• Day 2 | Dieppe to Beauvais (108km)

  Arriving very early in Dieppe, the route joins the Avenue Verte; a beautiful, purpose-built cycle route southward to Paris. This route takes the group away from the hustle and bustle of the busy A-roads and instead includes green parks, dedicated cycle lanes and marked paths across the fields of northern France. Today's lunch stop will be in Forge-les-Eaux, roughly at the half-way point of the day, before continuing the cycle southeast to the overnight stop in Beauvais.

• Day 3 | Beauvais to Paris (78km)

  For the final stretch from Beauvais to Paris, you'll have a fair distance still to cover - around 78km. Today's scenery for your final push into Paris will be particularly beautiful, as you cycle through Vexin Parc, through the grounds of the Chateau de Balincourt.

  Arriving into Paris, you'll be greeted by the support team as you finally reach the finish line under the Eiffel Tower! You'll receive your finishers' medal and it'll be time to celebrate your massive achievement. After that, you'll check in to your accommodation and have free time - why not join the rest of the team to celebrate together in one of Paris's many restaurants or bars?

• Day 4 | Free time in Paris, return home

  In the morning, you'll have some more free time in Paris to relax and pick up any last minute souvenirs before departing from the Gare du Nord back to London St. Pancras on the Eurostar.

Included

• Accommodation (single supplement available at extra cost)
• Meals - most breakfasts, lunches and dinners
• Outbound overnight ferry
• Return Eurostar to London
• GPS tracking
• Route mapping
• Experienced cycle guides
• Support vehicles
• Luggage transfer
• Exclusive finisher’s medal
• Comprehensive pre-departure support and advice
• Support from staff on the trip
• 24-hour emergency line for use during your trip

Not Included

• Travel to/from the event
• Some food and drink
• Personal bike (you may rent a bike as an optional extra)
• Travel insurance (you may also wish to purchase insurance for your bike and other belongings)

Carbon offsetting

This challenge follows a carbon offsetting programme in partnership with WeForest, a European non-profit organisation who work tirelessly with local people and projects around the globe to fight climate change by planting trees across the world.

A proportion of your trip costs go towards a tree-planting project in Zambia, where WeForest works with hundreds of small-scale farmers to plant trees to sequester the carbon emissions that your trip produces.

The project also assists the local community by providing these farmers with training and tools to diversify their sources of income while they plant and protect local forests. As a result, they receive a higher income, diversify their economic activities and learn new skills. This allows the local farmers to become self-sufficient.

A responsible challenge

This challenge is operated in a sustainable, ethical and transparent manner - from the initial booking, to your return home, there is a commitment to ethical and sustainable practices in all areas.

• Local impact and welfare

  This challenge is locally led, made up of local people with expert local knowledge and a genuine passion for the sites and communities in which they are based. All guides and support staff are paid a fair wage.

• Integrity and transparency

  This challenge is operated with members of multiple accreditation agencies and the organisers are always working towards new schemes to ensure they remain the most informed, transparent, sustainable, safe and inspiring travel company around. Currently members of multiple standards agencies, including ABTA and ATOL, and accredited by Travellers Against Plastic (TAP) and Tourism Concern as an Ethical Tour Operator.

  Commercial partners are granted access to risk assessments, as well as all up-to-date licences and certificates, providing reassurance that they are collaborating with a professional tour operator.

• Single-use plastics

  The Travellers Against Plastic (TAP) pledge was established in 2018 to help fight the harmful consumption of single-use plastics through challenge operations. In all destinations, water is purified from local sources for challenge participants.

  In remote areas where this is not possible, the team prioritise large, decantable cooler bottles which are later recycled. Where the provision of safe drinking water is not possible, teams adhere to a ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra.

• Animal welfare

  Animal welfare is taken extremely seriously, so itineraries which facilitate or encourage the mistreatment of animals are not produced or promoted. Animal welfare policies are strongly influenced by industry-standard ABTA guidelines on the treatment of animals. When sourcing ground agents, there would be no partnership with non-compliant agents and the opportunity is taken to help to educate non-compliant agents in best practice.

  As an active member of ABTA’s Animal Welfare Working Group, the organisers are up to date with all animal welfare issues the world over.

You will be required to pay the registration fee at the time of booking and the final balance 10 weeks before departure.

Once your final balance has been settled at or before 10 weeks prior to departure, your place on the trip will be confirmed and you'll be ready to take on the challenge of a lifetime!

Costs