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I. How to Bicycle In and Out of Paris

II. Twelve Best Road Bicycle Tours in Europe

III. Cycle Touring in Europe: Why, when, where, and how to bike there

I. How to Bicycle In and Out of Paris:      

What you need to know about renting bikes in Paris; bicycling in Paris; subways, trains, and the RER; where to put your bike overnight; and cycling out of Paris.

French pronunciation; French bicycle types and repair vocabulary; Road signs and their observance; helmets.

Transporting or riding your bike from the airport to Paris or elsewhere.

How to get regional maps, lodging, and tourist sight information.

Six bicycle routes and tours from central Paris into the countryside, avoiding almost all traffic: Detailed Directions and Photos.

II. Twelve Best Bicycle Itineraries in Europe:     

RATINGS CHART of 12 Recommended European Cycling Trips with links to the trips
Chart has brief descriptions and difficulty ratings, traffic, suitability for children, best months to go, and costs.

The trips (direct links if you know your interest):
Provence, France
Danube from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria
Dordogne Valley, France
North Sea Route from France to Holland
Alentejo province of Portugal
Alsace, France Wine Route
Loire Valley and Chateaux
Ijsselmeer Circle in Netherlands
Austria - Bavaria Tour
Bodensee Circuit of Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Saint James Pilgrimage Route, France (and Spain)
Southern Tuscany and Umbria, Italy

III. Bicycle Touring in Europe — Why, When, Where and How to bike there:   

Why Bicycle in Europe? How much will it cost?

When to Go. By Commercial Group? Or, by Personal Tour?

Bring Your Own Bike or Rent or Buy? What Kind of Bike to Buy? Customizing your bike?

Trains and Bicycles. Portable Bikebags.

Cycling Maps, Hotels, and Tourist Sight Information Sources.

What should you pack? Security. Traffic. Safe Cycling.

How far will you ride?

Biographical Information: The author long lived in New England, and recently moved to the Pacific Northwest. From 1985 to 2002 he spent several weeks a year—often more—visiting Paris, where he kept a hybrid bicycle, and Europe. Presently in his "young" sixties, Q. May developed this site to share biking knowledge, some not available elsewhere, and opinion. The included itineraries and rankings reflect the author's tastes: He bikes for exercise, but even more for the beauties of landscape, for the varieties of culture, and for the encounters along the way with people and with natural and man-made wonders. Now less often in Europe, he still manages a two-week biking trip there each year.

Send Comments, Suggestions or Corrections: To send an e-mail about this site, click here: q.may@mayq.com. Suggestions, comments, or corrections will be highly appreciated. Due to travel and other activities, response time may be long. Credits.

"Sister" Site for walking the Alpine Crossing from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean on the GR5 (Grand Randonnée 5) long-distance hiking trail: http://www.grfive.com.