This week’s blog is written by Maggie LaCoste who got hooked on cycling in Europe when she took her family on a cycling adventure almost 15 years ago.

 “ Little did I know how much the experience would change my life and the lives of my children.”

The Ultimate Slow Adventure

Maggie’s blog speaks to everyone who loves biking, or thinks they might like biking or are simply curious about biking. Since 2010 the blog has published weekly articles on the development of cycle routes such as EuroVelo, in France and the rest of Europe.

“Biking in France is the ultimate slow travel adventure.  One week on a bike in France and life takes on a different meaning.”

Maggie loves to plan her trips and has dedicated a large portion of her blog to help people get access the information they need to plan their own fairytale in France. She has developed a list of her personal favorites and the list just keeps growing!

Maggie explains: Experience France By Bike promotes recreational bicycling in France for all ages, fitness levels and budgets by providing readers with the information they need to plan and take a bicycling vacation in France. It also advocates cyclotourism as a way to be actively involved in a French vacation experience, rather than being an ordinary tourist.

Although France has a great collection of well developed cycle routes access to information on these routes can very often be difficult to access. Maggie’s  blog has strived to become a reliable resource for information on bicycling in France while constantly inspiring people to visit France the slow way....by bike.  From stories on bicycling along the Burgundy Canal to bicycling with an e-bike in the Luberon, To great resources for trip planning in specific regions, to updates on EuroVelo routes in France.

 Getting started

“If you've never planned a bicycling trip overseas, the experience can be daunting....so daunting that most people never get passed the thinking about it stage. By sharing experiences from personal bicycling trips as well as articles on the trip planning process, Experience France By Bike encourages, empowers and supports readers, helping them gain the confidence to plan and take an overseas cycling trip. The blog encourages people to embrace the adventure of traveling by bike and to enjoy the uncertainty of the road ahead. Readers are encouraged to take the path less traveled, by exploring streets, alleyways, towns and villages that would never be visited traveling by car.  

Further development

With great plans for 2014 she is planing to broaden the scope for the blog into" Experience Europe By Bike". "The scope will be larger, but the goal will be the same, to advocate cyclotourism across Europe by informing, inspiring, encouraging and motivating readers to take a bicycling vacation in Europe."

Check out Experience France By Bike

Follow her on Twitter @francebybike and Facebook

About the Author

Anette Christiansen works as communications Assistant at the European Cyclists’ Federationm and rides around Brussels on her old second-hand classic dutch bike.

She holds a Masters-degree in European Tourism Management (EMTM) and is specialized in Cycling Tourism.