Accommodation for all budgets
When you're out and about, there are a number of accommodation options to choose from, depending on your wishes and constraints.
Under canvas. Would you like to take advantage of your walk to sleep under canvas? You can opt for camping, which offers a pitch for your tent, electricity, a kitchen area and a toilet block. Depending on the campsite's standing, other services may also be available: restaurant, swimming pool, theme evenings, etc. Campsites with the Accueil vélo label offer a covered storage area for two-wheelers, a laundry area and a workshop for minor repairs. Bivouac sites also exist on certain routes, where you can spend the night, often on condition that you pitch your tent at nightfall and fold it up at daybreak.
Another option that may appeal to some of you is wild camping. The idea is to find a sheltered spot where you can spend the night as comfortably as possible. This practice is authorized and regulated in France, with the exception of certain areas (including towns and nature reserves). Prohibitions may be indicated by signs and formalized by municipal by-laws. Find out more.
You can also pitch your tent in a private garden. There are a number of platforms that put hosts and travelers in touch with each other for gambing (contraction of garden + camping): www.homecamper.fr
Home stay. If you'd like to spend some time with locals, warmshowers and couchsurfing networks can be a great way to meet new people. Please note that this is not simply free accommodation, but a sharing arrangement between a host and a traveler, who wish to benefit from each other's company. The Warmshowers community puts cyclists in touch with each other based on a simple principle: make yourself at home during a bike trip, while giving back to others as soon as you get the chance. An interactive map lists people who can accommodate you for a night or more, with details of their facilities (a camping plot in their garden, a room, meals offered or not, etc.), as well as their contact details: warmshowers.org; Couchsurfing works on the same principle, but is not specific to bike travelers: www.couchsurfing.com
Hotels, bed & breakfasts and gîtes. Mainly located in areas crossed by cycle routes and other cycle paths, many accommodation providers offer special facilities and services specifically for cycle tourists. These include Logis Vélo, with over 450 hoteliers across France offering a quality welcome. More information at www.logishotels.com/fr/nous-decouvrir/logis-et-le-velo
Bicycle home
Some regions of France have developed their own network of accredited accommodation, and offer the Accueil Vélo label. This is a selection of accommodation along a cycle route. Grouped together in a network, these campsites, hotels, gîtes and chambres d'hôtes offer you a warm welcome: bike storage, small repair equipment, luggage transport to the next accommodation, etc. Hoteliers generally offer a hearty breakfast, a picnic basket, secure storage for bicycles and a water point for washing them, washing and drying of clothes, contact with a network rental company or transport company, and the provision of a parking space for a vehicle during the customer's absence. To find a service provider, use our online search engine: www.francevelotourisme.com/hebergements.
Other accommodations
When you're out cycling, you can also find accommodation in rural gîtes. If you're on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, you'll need a credencial to stop off at one of the pilgrim hostels. As for hotels, youth hostels or traditional B&Bs, don't hesitate to give them a call. More and more of them are equipped to receive cyclists, or can adapt to accommodate your bicycle in good conditions (provision of a protected bicycle shelter, for example).
Eating on the road
When you're out and about, there are several options to choose from, depending on how much time you have and how much money you have. The Accueil Vélo label identifies bike-friendly restaurateurs(www.francevelotourisme.com/restaurants-bars). In some towns, you'll find bike cafés that combine bike repair, bar and restaurant services. Once again, cycle routes such as the greenways feature restaurant services close by or along the route. You may also be able to take advantage of the packed lunches offered by some of our hosts. Don't hesitate to ask. For a quality picnic, you can also stop off at local shops, producers or markets along your itinerary. Ask your hosts or tourist offices about market days.
Discover the land
Some tourist offices, including those with the Accueil Vélo label, will be able to give you specific advice. Generally speaking, these establishments are a mine of information that will be useful to you during your peregrination, both on the practical side and for discovering heritage and cultural sites (note that some tourist offices provide bicycle repair equipment). The best thing to do is to contact them in advance, or consult their websites, to prepare your trip as effectively as possible. For cyclists who don't like the hassle of organization and prefer the comfort of an organized trip, there are tour operators who offer group cycling holidays. They can also tailor-make a trip for a group of your choice.