Introduction
Every tour teaches you something new — about packing, planning, and yourself. These notes aren’t rules so much as reminders: the small lessons learned after miles of trial and error, moments of improvisation, and a few well-earned comforts discovered along the way. They’re here to make the next adventure smoother, lighter, and maybe a little wiser.
Preparation
This tour is unique in that it’s rather random; I almost dare not draw it out on a map. Yet day to day, the cycling has been excellent because I’ve kept to the regional parks; those darker hreen areas on the map. Thanks to a mix of ferry crossings, last-minute gîte availability, and a ferry cancellation and rebooking, the result is a curious blend of touring, single-base days, two- or three-night stays, and plenty of geographic zigzagging — but somehow it all worked out.
Crucially, although there are stretches where I need to keep up forty-mile days back to back, there are also built-in opportunities for rest and recovery — for both you and me, should we need them.
And why not learn some of the language? Even a few rehearsed phrases make all the difference. I’ve found that if I take the lead — asking for what I need with prepared lines — I avoid being caught off guard by questions I can’t understand. A friendly “bonjour” to start and “merci, au revoir” to end go a long way. Conversations in bakeries, cafés, and hotels are reassuringly predictable. If someone corrects your pronunciation, take it as a kindness — they’re helping, not judging. Try to remember the word, gender, or sound they offer.
Kit List
A kit list is invaluable: prepare it once, refine it over time, and reuse it. It prevents the inevitable “I forgot the…” moment — and heaven forbid it’s the charging lead for your bone-conducting headphones or Wahoo device. Understanding where the weight sits in your kit helps too; weigh individual items or whole groups to see what adds up. Personally, I still need to find the courage to leave the heavy-duty locks behind.
Clothing adds weight quickly. Only the layers that touch the skin need frequent washing, so pack quick-drying base layers and choose versatile items that can be layered.
Getting There
For this tour, I fell back on tried and tested travel plans. London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour with South Western Railway remains a straightforward journey, now improved with dedicated bike spaces separate from the disabled areas.
As the Portsmouth–St Malo ferry sails at 8:15 p.m., boarding doesn’t begin until around 7:30. It’s worth shrugging on a waterproof or extra layer — there’s plenty of waiting involved, first for security checks, then again before boarding. The new Portsmouth ferry terminal is worth a look as cyclists still have limited shelter apart from the drafty bike shed. Motorbikes and bicycles share their own lane, so there’s little to gain by leaving the terminal too early — but do make sure you’re back in good time for boarding because cycles board first.
The ride from Portsmouth Harbour station to the ferry terminal is about three kilometres or 15 minutes. The best route takes you via Grafton Street and Estella Road, ending with an underpass that brings you out right beside the terminal entrance. Route.
Getting Back
For the return journey, I’m using the Cherbourg–Poole ferry for the first time. It’s a 9:30 p.m. sailing, so I needed to layer up early against the chill, check-in before dark (I didn’t bring lights), and make use of whatever facilities are available while waiting to board. The ride from Cherbourg centre to the ferry terminal is short and straightforward and you can either stay on the road or use the sections of cycle lane that are provided. In contrast to Portsmouth the wait was before check-in where there is the terminal building and picnic benches. Perhaps because it was early October it wasn't busy, check-in opened at 7:45 p.m. and once through check-in it is customs then passport control before cycling solo round the houses to the specified car park; P2 for me. Certainly have lights or high visibility clothing. Once on board it is really just sleep then get ready to disembark.
The ferry intercom system will provide messages to wake you up, invite you to buy breakfast, leave your cabin and then go down to your deck for your car or bike. The first alarm will be an hour before arrival so plenty of time to wash and pack. You will be asked to leave the cabin 30 minutes before arrival.
If you rely solely on your phone to tell the time then it will probably display in the last known time zone such as Central European Summer Time. If you want to know the time in the UK to work out if it's worth getting up look at your phones Clock app and within that the World Clock tab.
Hopefully - unlike me - you will have checked daylight hours and will have lights if required.
It is a seven minute ride from Poole ferry to Poole railway station. Either get your navigation tool up and started on the ferry or just pull over when you are past passport control. Route.
From Poole, getting back to London Waterloo by South Western Railway is simple and familiar with a journey time of 2 hours 10 minutes or more subject to the train.
Learning Lessons
This trip turned out to be cool and overcast, so the sunglasses and sunscreen stayed in the bag, while the heavy waterproofs proved invaluable. Always pack for both extremes — hot and cold — even if you didn’t need one or the other last time.
Since my focus is cycling, I could easily have left the running shoes at home. They take up space and rarely get used. A pair of barefoot shoes or light sandals would be better next time.
My glasses case turned out to be surprisingly heavy — perhaps transition lenses and one pair of glasses would do.
Cycling shoes, once wet, tend to stay that way. They never seem to dry properly. Next time I’ll take more socks — light, medium, and thick — to cope with variable weather and the unavoidable smell of damp shoes.
Running tops make ideal base layers: light, quick-drying, and far better than heavy cotton T-shirts.
The body wallet stayed in the bag; a simple card wallet was all I needed. If you add anything to your kit, remove something else — weight creeps up quickly.
Switching your phone to airplane mode while riding saves battery life, as it won’t constantly search for a mobile signal. If you’re planning long days in the saddle and worry about power, bring a small power bank or even a paper map for reassurance.
And finally, if things go wrong, just do the next thing — whatever that is. Sit down, drink some water, eat a banana, and let your next move appear. Those three small actions have a way of resetting everything.
