START YOUR ADVENTURE HERE…
Dear Adventurer,
We welcome you to join us on the iconic London to Paris Cycle. This exciting ride will take you from London through beautiful English villages and into the stunning countryside of rural France before you reach the finish line of your challenge under the Eiffel Tower! Plus – you will have the chance to enjoy a full day in Paris to watch the Tour de France finale on the Champs Elysees! What an experience! Whether you are an experienced rider looking to put in some mileage or a complete beginner on your first ever multi-day ride, you will find other cyclists at your level, make friends for life and go on an incredible adventure that will stay with you forever.
We look forward to welcoming you on the challenge of a lifetime! Sign up here
ABOUT THE CHALLENGE…
Date
24th – 28th July 2019
No. of days
5 days (4 days cycling)
Registration Fee
Secure your place on this challenge with a registration fee of £125.(1)
Funding options
Charity Fundraiser: Pledge to raise a minimum sponsorship amount of £1,650.(2) or
Self-funder: Choose to pay the tour costs of £825 yourself.(3)
Reserve your space on the cycle here or head to www.skylineoverseas.co.uk.
Notes:
1. The registration fee is non-refundable. 2. All fundraising incurs costs. The tour costs are 50% of the minimum sponsorship level. The first 80% of this minimum sponsorship is due 12 weeks before the event. 3. Those who self-fund their place will receive an invoice for the tour costs 14 weeks before the event.
JOANNA’S GUIDE TO LONDON TO PARIS
Our European Cycles Operations Manager, Joanna, is a keen cyclist and London to Paris was a big challenge she wanted to tick off her bucket list! Here she shares her trip tips…
“There’s something incredible about saying you’ve cycled from London to Paris and although the finish is always in sight it really is the journey that sets this challenge apart from others. You start the cycle with a group of strangers and after miles of laughs, jokes and undulations fuelled by plenty of jelly babies and bananas you finish in Paris as firm friends with the added bonus of witnessing the finale of the Tour de France – it’s just so exciting and a fantastic experience for any cyclist!”
Joanna’s Top Tips
Like any challenge, this cycle will take you out of your comfort zone but is sure to be an experience you never forget.
Take the training seriously but you don’t have to go overboard. These trips are designed to be a challenge but also enjoyable. Tick off the longest day in terms of distance at least once before you go and make sure you practice cycling on back to back days. The better prepared you are, the more you will enjoy the trip.
Make sure you enjoy the ride at your own speed – this isn’t a race! Take in all of the beautiful scenery and don’t rush your journey, you’ll meet cyclists of all abilities along the way!
I’d definitely recommend investing in some padded shorts (you’ll thank me on those longer cycling days!) and it goes without saying that a good bike will make your challenge much more enjoyable – make sure you get plenty of training on the bike you’ll be riding to Paris on!
Support
From the moment you sign up, to the trip itself, we’ll be with you every step of the way.
You’ll have your own dedicated Event Coordinator in the office who will be on hand to help with anything from training tips to discussing fundraising ideas and what to pack. On the challenge itself you’ll be supported by our team of Skyline crew, including a mechanic, who will work tirelessly to get everyone safely and happily to the finish line!
Exploring Paris
We provide your return Eurostar journey and bike transport back to London St Pancras on Day 5 but you may be interested in exploring more of this wonderful city, be it visiting Notre Dame, The Louvre or maybe even a trip to Disneyland Paris!
If you stay on in France after the end of the cycle you’ll need to arrange your own return transport for you and your bike.
ITINERARY
Day 1 London to Calais
Our challenge begins bright and early from Crystal Palace heading south towards the coast. Today’s route winds through the beautiful Kent countryside before we reach the famous white cliffs of Dover. From here we catch the ferry to Calais for our first overnight stop.
Approx. 95 miles cycling
Day 2 Calais to Arras
La belle France! Stunning picturesque countryside awaits us in northern France as we travel south from Calais to Desvre, a small market town known for its ceramics. We cycle through charming villages before reaching Arras, a town steeped in history and heavily affected during both the World Wars.
Approx. 75 miles cycling.
Day 3 Arras to Beauvais
Our route this morning crosses the river Somme out of Arras. The Somme is perhaps most famous for its battles but it is also a Celtic word for ‘tranquility’, summing up the feeling of the day as you cycle through this beautiful region. We finish the day in Beauvais where the market square is a true highlight with several of the buildings
dating from the twelfth to sixteenth centuries.
Approx. 70 miles cycling.
Day 4 Beauvais to Paris
Our final day of cycling and the big push to Paris! We are still treated to some stunning countryside all the way up to our lunch spot by the River Seine. After lunch we follow the river down through the suburbs until we reach the Bois de Boulogne – the largest park in Paris. We then have a short ride along the famous wide boulevards of Paris before reaching our finishing point at the Eiffel Tower!
Approx. 60 miles cycling.
Day 5 Paris to London on the Eurostar
The day is yours to soak up the Parisian way of life and explore the city and visit the landmarks only yesterday you were cycling by. We’ll be catching an evening Eurostar back to London so you can stake claim to a viewing spot and cheer on your cycling heroes as today sees the climax and finale of the Tour de France! Upon arrival at St Pancras you will be reunited with your bike which will have been transported for you overnight.
Due to the nature of the challenge, this complex itinerary is subject to change.