Are you looking for a reliable GPX track to follow the Via Francigena in France by bicycle? Then you’ve come to the right place! We are aware that there’s no official cycling itinerary for France available on the official Via Francigena website, even though it’s something a lot of people are looking for.
Since no official itinerary is available yet, the options below are potential routes that you can follow while making your way towards the Swiss border on your trusted two-wheeler. Of course you can make small deviations based on your accommodations, nearby sights to see, or other necessities you may have while on the road.
As close as possible to the walking path
Guidebook author Sandy Brown is a well-known face in the modern pilgrimage and long distance hiking trails world. He has written several English language guidebooks for Cicerone Press, and while researching for his Via Francigena guidebook from Canterbury to Lausanne, he travelled the French stretch of the route by bicycle. Thanks to Sandy Brown, we now have a reliable GPX track that cyclists can follow without ending up on impossible forest trails and that stays as close as possible to the official walking path.
Eurovelo 5: Via Romea (Francigena)
If you don’t care too much about following the exact Via Francigena itinerary by bicycle, and are looking for alternative routes to guide you from Canterbury towards Rome, then you can consider following (part of) the Eurovelo 5 route. Eurovelo is a big European cycling route network that currently entails 19 different routes crossing 26 different European countries.
The Eurovelo 5 route starts, just like the Via Francigena, in Canterbury and makes its way towards Rome and then on to Apulia in Southern Italy. There are however some major differences between the Via Romea (Francigena) of the Eurovelo network and the official Via Francigena itinerary. The Eurovelo route, shortly after arriving on continental Europe, deviates towards the North and enters Belgium. After a visit to its capital, Bruxelles, the route then continues towards Luxemburg, reenters in France for a while and then at the city of Basel crosses the border into Switzerland.
Instead of crossing the Alps at the Great St. Bernard Pass, this route will guide you over the St. Gotthard Pass. Upon arrival you will cycle through Milan and then reconnect to the official Via Francigena route at the city of Pavia.
For more information and to download the GPX tracks of the Eurovelo 5 route, we invite you to visit the official Eurovelo website.
