Exploring the EV8 to EV19: A Journey Through Southern France to the Netherlands by Bicycle

Having been home for a couple of weeks, I wanted to summarise this summer's cycle before it becomes a distant memory. It was my longest cycle to date - stats were 1982km with 9.6km of climbing over 21 days. I set off in sun-drenched Nice, got very wet in the middle of France, and the weather eased nicely as I took a long tour around the Netherlands. My route made good use of the EV network in France, Belgium and Netherlands - EV8 Mediterranean Route, the EV17 Rhône Cycle Route, and the EV19 Meuse Cycle Route. This blog post gives a general overview of my adventure, which I've split into three segments, and will plan to dive deeper into each with photos etc in separate blog posts.

Segment One: South of France to Lyon

My wife and I flew down to Nice, spent a few days exploring, before she flew home with my empty bike box. In Nice there was warm sunlight and breathtaking views of the Mediterranean coast as I headed west. The landscape of the EV8 Mediterranean Route changed dramatically as I moved inland on the second day and started into more hilly terrain. .

Navigating through this area presented its own set of challenges. Although the scenery was stunning, the signage could be sporadic. I relied heavily on Google Maps and my Garmin device for route planning - even after checking and re-checking I unintentionally varied from my planned route quite a bit - but I'm not religious about following the EV route, or the planned route and don't like the idea of backtracking - always push forward in the general direction of the next stop. My trusty Trek 520 made long stretches comfortable, keeping me well-prepared for the diverse terrains.

The trek from Nice to Lyon was a mix of dedicated paths and rural roads, offering authentic glimpses into small village life. I frequently paused to refuel with water, wine, beer and fresh pastries. The epic menu de jour wasn't as prevalent on this cycle as it was during my 2024 cycle up the West coast from Toulouse though there were interesting meals to be had.

The EV17 north along the Rhone to Lyon was a nice ride. I like cycling along a river and getting to see the huge inland ships from time to time.

Segment Two: Lyon to Liège

Leaving Lyon marked a turning point in my journey. The weather turned bad with lots of rain which made everything so much more difficult. As soon as it would dry up, there would be another downpour - my feet stayed consistently wet. Thankfully I was able to completely dry out each night at the stops that I'd pre-booked - mostly in cheap hotels and B&Bs.

Throughout this segment, I had less defined cycle paths and more smaller roads to navigate There was very little of interest other than small villages from time to time against a very rural backdrop. The days all felt very similar to each other until cycling up the steep hill into Langres - I felt as though I'd summitted - that the route would change and offer more to the eye. But - boy was I disappointed. Whilst this was the start of the much fabled EV19 Meuse route that would all be down hill to the sea. It turned out that this section of the Meuse route right through Northern France was pretty boring. It did pick up in Belgium where the river narrowed and the cliff sides got higher and as i continued on through to Liège.

Segment Three: Liège to the Hook of Holland

When I eventually got to Liege, things started to pick up.

Whether it was the improvement in the weather, the more welcoming cycling paths - I'm not sure - but as the hills fell away and the broad expanse of the Meuse meandering through the Netherlands took hold - my mood lightened. I had some epic B&B stays and some great food and a few beers as I took advantage of the easier days on good tarmac with fewer hills.

The Netherlands is made for cycling - its such a fine place. Everywhere you can see examples of where the bike is treated as a priority over the car. Meeting fellow cyclists on the road, sharing tales, and swapping tips transformed my solitary endeavour into a shared experience.

As I approached the Hook of Holland - you can see the ships over 5 km out, excitement surged within me, I was both happy to finish and sad that I would be finished. .

Reflecting on My Journey

I said never again - my legs were sore, and spending 3 weeks solitary on the road was just a little too much for me - but I have already started to forget the bad times on the cycle and have started to ponder whether I should give Land's End to John O'Groats a go - maybe supported this time around.

This blog post is an introduction to three more blog posts where I will break down each of the segments in a little more detail as I review photos and the tripadvisor updates that I made along the way.