We have been cycling north from Tirana in Albania for the last 45 days and have come up through the Western Balkans following the Trans Dinarica route. Then we turned west through the Julian Alps, the Italian Dolomites and the Austrian Tyrol which lead to Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany and Basel in Switzerland. We are now cycling across our 10th country of this trip, France, before we catch the ferry at Roscoff which will take us back to the UK at Plymouth and the two day cycle home across Dartmoor in Devon. For the past week it has really been heating up during the day, so we have been leaving early in the morning and trying to get to our accommodation by midday if possible.
Friday, 19th June 2026 Day 45
Bartenheim to Montbéliard, France
Climb 471 m Distance 68.7 km
Temperature 23°C to 35°C Sunny, cloud later with very light breeze
We were rolling by 7.20 am this morning and it was already 23°C and rising rapidly. As we had come off our route trying to find a hotel last night we decided to cut off a section of the canal and head over the hills for 30 km, which would cut 20 km off the day and be a lot more interesting.
Although we were on roads a lot they weren’t busy and we ended up going through a lot of villages with the lovely old wooden beamed buildings typical of the Alsace region. Just before we got back on Eurovelo 6 we stopped in Dannemarie for a coffee and cake. We were just looking at our map in the middle of town when a man came out of a bar with his coffee and asked where we were trying to go. Then with much back slapping he directed us to a good patisserie in a very strong regional French accent. When we were in the patisserie the people sitting on either side of us all asked us lots of questions about where we had been and were going to. It is so nice to be able to speak the language again after all this time, however badly. It makes such a difference to our travels. Although I still seem to be saying Yes in three different languages before I hit the right one.
Once we got back on the canal it was a bit dull for the rest of the morning. Initially there was a long stair of locks as we went uphill a bit. But then it was relentlessly flat and monotonous for 30 km. Not my favourite riding.
Arriving in Montbéliard, which is quite a big industrial town, we found a restaurant for lunch then proceeded to follow Google Maps directions to the Ibis hotel, before realising there were three here and we were heading out of town to the wrong one. Several kilometres later we were back where we started and checking in.
Saturday 20th June 2026, Day 46
Montbéliard to Besançon in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region
Climb 674 m Distance 93.3 km
Temperature 17°C at 6.30 am to 32°C by midday, hotter later. Light headwind
We knew it was going to be another very hot day and we had over 90 km to do, so we were up at 5 am and rolling by 6.20 am. It was lovely and cool, 17 C and the streets were empty, luckily, as we made a real mess of the one way system.
Eventually we found ourselves back on the canal and fairly soon next to the river Le Doubs. This was lovely and wide with flowering edges and much more life than the canal. We were on a mixture of small roads and tarmacked cycle trails, undulating gently and sometimes very steeply. We went through villages were we could stop for coffee and cake and had countryside views of fields, cliffs and hills. All very different from yesterday and very enjoyable.
I think it took longer to get hot today and we were well over halfway by 10 am and it was still only 23 C. It did get hot quickly after that though, reaching 32 C by the time we arrived in Besançon at 12.30, the perfect time to dive into a Crêperie for lunch.
As it got hotter we were passed by men on bikes in various stages of undress, but the worst, by far, was the man who rode past just wearing a pair of budgie smugglers! Definitely breaking “The Rules”. “The Rules” are a tongue in cheek set of rules written by professional racing cyclists on what to wear and how to wear it. I was introduced to this by my granddaughter a few years ago when we took her out cycling and I had my sunglasses on the wrong side of my helmet strap. So I introduced her to GROT, Granny’s Rules of Touring, with one rule. You must never cycle past an Ice Cream van without stopping for one, particularly when cycling with a 6 year old.
We were pleased to have finished cycling for the day by 12.30 as it carried on getting hotter. Tomorrow we have an longer day so an even earlier start is on the cards.
Sunday, 21st June 2026 Day 47
Besançon to Dijon
Climb 582 m Distance 115.7 km
Temperature 22°C at 5.45 am to 40°C+ by midday
We were out and rolling by 5.45 am this morning as we had a long way to go and the forecast was for hotter than yesterday. Even at that time it was already 22°C in town as the old stone houses and streets had heated up in the sun yesterday. It had been an uncomfortable and hot night. Thankfully it was a bit cooler once we got next to the river.
As we left town a large and loud party that must have been going on all night was just breaking up with large groups of people wandering home. Possibly a Solstice party. Our main aim today was to get to Dijon before it got too hot, so we didn’t take a lot of photos. Just put our heads down and peddaled.
After 80 km, by 11.30, it was beginning to really heat up, so we stopped in a pretty little town at a cafe by the river and had a Caesar Salad and sugary drink to keep us going. It would have been nice to relax longer but even in that short time the temperature had gone up to 37 C.
We turned off Eurovelo 6 here and onto another canal and saw almost no-one after that. We only had about 25 km to go but the temperature was rising and hit 40 C with still 10 km to go. It was a real struggle but we finally made Dijon.
Despite being a tourist town at 1.30 on a Sunday everything was shut, even most of the restaurants. We were done in and just wanted to get inside somewhere. Bernie had got a bit ahead of me, and as I crossed a pedestrian square I noticed a man on an E-scooter coming quite fast directly at me from the side. I turned to avoid him but he also turned to keep coming towards me. Eventually I had to stop as he had me cornered by a bench. He immediately launched into some speal in French, I think he thought I was on my own. I was so cross at being stopped I just growled at him at the top of my voice, as I would if a dog was chasing my bike. It had the same effect and he backed off. I might have expected that when I was 17 but not at 70. He needs to visit an optician!
Around the corner we found an ice cream shop were we recovered our temperature and equilibrium for half an hour before finding our hotel. Doing the big distances, the heat and trying to get to our hotel before midday was beginning to take its toll on us. We did venture out to the station shop a bit later and it seemed hotter still.
Monday 22nd June 2026 Day 38
Dijon to Rennes by train
Temperature above 43°C (46°C between the stone houses that acted like ovens)
When we emerged after a siesta yesterday Dijon was quite a surprise. We were staying very close to the station and while we ate our supper hundreds of mainly young people, some in quite outlandish outfits, but all dressed to have a good time, were pouring past from the station heading to the centre. There was a band playing outside a nearby restaurant but I hadn’t realised what it was part of until we followed the crowds into town. The centre, which had been deserted and closed earlier when we cycled through was now packed with people. There was a main stage but the best music was coming from the bands, one on every corner of each street over quite a large area. The noise was quite something. There was lots of street food and dancing. If the music was coming from a DJ he or she was up in a first floor window blasting music out with massive amplifiers. Although it was a little cooler as the sun was going down it was still hot enough and everyone was dripping. We were lucky we were staying in a big town last night as these solstice music events were happening all over France.
Today we are taking 4 TER cross country trains to get us to Rennes as we really don’t enjoy cycling canals and we have a lot of France still between us and the ferry in Roscoff. We had hoped it would get cooler as we neared the coast, but it seems not. We had booked the trains on line using an app and had been able to book bike spaces on two of the trains, but it was not necessary or possible to book them on to the other two.
Getting the first train from Dijon to Tours went well, with seats right next to where our bikes are hanging. Our next train to Tours was initially going to be 25 mins late then never appeared at all, so we caught the one an hour later which was only 5 mins late.
In Tours we should have got on the delayed train to Le Mans but decided to have lunch there and catch the one we had booked bike spaces on. Bad move on both points. It was about 43 C outside the terminal and 33 C inside it. We thought the horror that is McDonald’s would have air-con and it was just across the road. Normally I wouldn’t darken it’s doors. It was hardly cooler than outside and the food, no surprise, was disgusting, as were the tables. The toilet floor was awash with urine, the most foul thing I have seen in years. Difficult not to get wet toilet roll stuck on your shoes. So we were hungry, hot and grumpy when we got an email from the app to say our train was cancelled but there was one in 1.5 hours.
Bernie suggested visiting Tours Cathedral that was 5 minutes cycle away. In one narrow road my bike temperature gauge went up to 46 C and my eyeballs felt like they were cooking. The Cathedral was amazing. So cool and dark as soon as we went in. We walked around a bit then sat right at the front beneath gorgeous stained glass windows and read books and snoozed, blissfully cool. We were only disturbed by tourists looking around.
The train was packed when we got on it, luckily in good time as there were a lot more bikes than hooks although we got one (sharp elbows!). It was a bit of a scrum as there were so many cancelled trains. I think everyone got on but I have no idea where their bikes went.
We arrived in Le Mans 50 minutes late so missing our connection which had been cancelled anyway. The next train was running 30 minutes late, so we missed that one by 2 minutes and had to wait an hour and a half for the next one. The station was packed with people who had missed connections and the staff were out in force. Of course inside the station it is about 35 C. Our only option now was to take 2 more trains as most trains going to Rennes are TGV (fast trains) that we can’t use with bikes. So we were told to go to Laval and change there. Platform 4 came up on the notice board and our app. We rushed up the ramp and jumped on. I was looking at the display in the train and Laval wasn’t mentioned. We jumped off again just in time, they had changed the platform. Eventually we got on the right train. It’s now 9 pm we are still sitting in Laval hoping a train will arrive for Rennes. Its showing as 10 minutes late at the moment so we should arrive in Rennes 6 hours late.
Moral – never take a train in France, at least, not in a heat wave. I will tell you tomorrow if we ever arrive in Rennes.
Tuesday 23rd June 2026 Day 49
Rennes to Morlaix by train
Temperature Heatwave 42°C in the shade, what shade?
Yesterday evening we eventually got a lovely empty train to Rennes from Laval as everyone else had gone on the two TGV’s that had been through while we waited in the heat for the slow TER train. We finally arrived, really tired, at our station hotel about 10 pm 6 hours after we should have arrived. But before that I had one more terrifying experience. At Rennes station we thought we had to go upstairs to get to the main concourse and exit. We tried the lift but it was tiny and we couldn’t fit. We couldn’t find a ramp so the only option seemed to be the steep and long escalator. I went first and immediately lost control of the front of the bike that was fully loaded and heavy. I slid backwards quite a way and managed to maintain some form of control as we sped upwards. I ended up leaning with my weight and the bikes, that was no longer quite upright, on the non-moving part of the escalator, which was a bit painful. I made it but was shaking a bit at the top and more tears. Bernie had a better time as he had seen what had happened to me and adjusted his approach. It turns out there was a ramp, it was just not signed!
This morning, after a bit of a rest and having looked at the weather forecast for the next week, (over 40 C all week) we have decided to brave the trains again and try to get home. So we have an evening train booked for Morlaix from where we can cycle to Roscoff early the next morning to catch the ferry to Plymouth. They are complaining about the heat over there too, but it is 10 C cooler than it is here. Bliss.
We stayed in our hotel as long as we could this morning then cycled towards a restaurant for lunch doing a super quick bit of sightseeing on the lovely wood beamed houses here. Having not eaten a proper meal yesterday we were determined our last day in France would have some good French food in it. So we stopped and ate well in a shady restaurant. Then we headed for Rennes Cathedral which was beautifully cool inside and very different from Dijon Cathedral, less glass more gold. While we were there someone came to practice on the organ. They were very good and we had a private recital.
We hadn’t been able to book bike spaces on the train, as they were fully booked. But with yesterday’s experience we felt we could cope with that. And we did. The very short train was packed and there were a lot of touring bikes. We had the advantage of not having panniers which the others all had to take off. So we were speedily on board with our bikes stowed, but I saw that all the others got on, so didn’t feel guilty. An uneventful journey got us to Morlaix which felt unbelievably cool at 27 C, it had been 42 C when we left Rennes, with a sea breeze and the sound of sea gulls. We heard on the news later that Rennes was the hottest place in France.
We managed a really nice, very French, supper and bought some supplies for our early breakfast. We need to be away from here at 6 am to be in time for the 9 am ferry in Roscoff.
Wednesday 24th June 2026 Day 50
Cycling from Morlaix to Roscoff, ferry, Cycling from Plymouth to Tavistock
Climb 724 m Distance 64.3 km
Temperature 17°C at 6 am, 35°C pm. A little cooler
We were up early and on the bikes by 6.15. It was lovely and cool, about 17 C as we rode along the river towards the sea, although as the tide was out the river was mainly smelly mud. We took a slightly roundabout route. Funny, after cycling over 2,600 km this was the first time we got lost! So it was about 30 km to the ferry and the road got very busy after a while.
They were loading the cars when we arrived and got into a queue of cyclists. It seemed to take an age to process the passports, then they asked what date we had entered Croatia. We mentioned that they had stamped our passports, and as we had given fingerprints surely they had recorded it somewhere. But no, the stamp was illegible and he didn’t seem to have records. My blog to the rescue, I could just look up the date on my phone. The ferry was almost empty and the sea flat calm. An easy, relaxing, six hour crossing.
In Plymouth all the bikes rolled off the ferry first, much to the annoyance of the port workers who wanted us to stay on until all the cars had unloaded for some reason. It was 1.15 pm and about 35 C in Plymouth with all it’s stone buildings, but we were immediately on NCN27 and out of Plymouth in about 10 minutes and into the lovely cool woodlands of Saltram Park. From there we were on the Plym Rail Trail and then the Drake Trail to Tavistock, about 34 km mainly under trees. We are staying here tonight before setting off early tomorrow to climb over Dartmoor and get home.
Thursday 25th June 2026 Day 51
Tavistock to Bideford, Devon
Climb 940 m Distance 77.8 km
Temperature 24°C overnight and at 6 am, 36°C by midday. Very strong headwind
It was hot overnight and we were up and away by 6 am. We were immediately climbing up onto the edges of Dartmoor. As we climbed the headwind got stronger and stronger, which we could really do without today. Luckily as we turned to head up to Brent Tor and past Lydford Gorge it was more side on, but still getting stronger. Once we reached the Granite Way, which is a surfaced cycle track, we were in the woods, sheltered from the sun and the wind most of the time. This is a high rail trail and there are lots of viaduct. One of them just has railings rather than a wall and the wind was howling across it. We had to walk over pushing the bikes as the wind was too strong to ride. Luckily we started dropping down towards Okehampton so the wind reduced. We spent a few minutes sitting in Okehampton station having a cake and cold drink, and watching the train boards showing the cancelled trains because of the heat, just the same as in France.
We were expecting the steep climb out of Okehampton as we are on the home run, but it was a hot climb. Luckily at the top we were in Abbey Woods, a beautiful shady woodland full of mountain bike trails. Shortly after that we made it to the beginning of the Tarka Trail, another rail trail that would take us to Bideford, nearly home. We just had two steep hills after Bideford and although it was only midday it was over 36 C.
We were thankful to get home. In the 51 days we have been away we have cycled 2,734 km and climbed 40,859 m. We started in the cold with passes shut by snow and finished in a heat wave. We have had a great time and have enjoyed almost every minute of it.
We were thankful to get home. In the 51 days we have been away we have cycled 2,734 km and climbed 40,859 m. We started in the cold with passes shut by snow and finished in a heat wave. We have had a great time and have enjoyed almost every minute of it. Well, maybe not the trains!
Thanks for reading my blog. If you have any questions about any of the route please get in touch.