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Celebrations under Eiffel Tower

Stars Appeal Pedal for the Stars - Salisbury to Paris 2025 5 days • UK, France

Cycle
Cycle Hotel
Hotel Long Day
Long Day YELLOW 3
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About the Challenge

Cycling to Paris is one of the great cycle experiences in Europe. Passing through picturesque English countryside, we cross the Channel at Portsmouth and continue through the small villages and medieval market towns of Northern France. With long days in the saddle and some strenuous hill-climbs, the sight of the Eiffel Tower, our finishing point, will evoke a real sense of achievement.


Our last day in Paris allows us to explore the sights and soak up the romantic atmosphere of this majestic city!

Dates & Prices

Itinerary

Stars Appeal Pedal for the Stars - Salisbury to Paris 2025


BESPOKE • 5 DAYS

  • What better way to begin this challenge than with a great send off from the very heart of the charity and where your hard-earned fundraising will be put to amazing use! After being waved off we start by heading down to the Cathedral to get some iconic shots before heading out of Salisbury and onto quieter roads. It’s not long before we’re pedalling through wonderful countryside and on towards the South Downs near Bishop’s Waltham. Our route undulates relatively gently, though there are some steeper climbs to test our legs. Heading predominantly southeast to begin with before veering south near the end of the day and finally reaching the outskirts of Portsmouth, where we make our way to the harbour for the overnight ferry to Caen. Night ferry. (Breakfast on ferry not included)


    Cycle approx. 96km (60 miles)

  • We ride west along the coast to the small town of Arromanches, heart of the Normandy Landings. Parts of the mulberry harbour built here can still be seen out at sea and on the beach. We ride to Juno and Gold beaches, then head back east on small roads towards Pegasus Bridge, near Caen, where the first house to be liberated from the Germans in June 1944 still stands. Now a café and museum, there is an opportunity to visit and see the original bridge, time permitting. We then continue east, on quiet rolling roads that take us through farmland and apple orchards – this area produces lots of cider and calvados! We see Lisieux’s 11th-century cathedral as we approach the end of today’s ride; approximately two-thirds of the town was destroyed by allied troops in the D-Day bombardment but the cathedral survived unscathed. Night hotel.


    Cycle approx. 121km (75 miles)

  • Another long day ahead of us today, as we ride through lovely, typically French rural countryside. Passing through picturesque hamlets and small towns, it’s hard to picture this peaceful countryside dominated by the battles of World War Two. There are some short sharp climbs, though our legs should take them in their stride by now! We ride west through rolling farmland and wooded valleys to the charming riverside town of Vernon. Night hotel.


    Cycle approx. 110km (69 miles)

  • Our last day: Paris beckons! We cycle east, crossing the River Eure and riding through small towns as we pass through the valley of the Seine. Nearing the city, we cross the River Seine and cycle through the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. As we head towards the centre of this iconic city, we look out for the distinctive landmarks of the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré Coeur standing out on the skyline. We pass the Arc de Triomphe before reaching our finish point with a backdrop of the lofty arches of the Eiffel Tower – an impressive end to our challenge. After checking into our hotel we enjoy a great celebration to mark our achievements. Night hotel.


    Cycle approx. 95km (60 miles)

  • After breakfast we board the coach and start our journey homeward. We cross the channel at Calais and continue on the coach all the way back to Salisbury where we will be reunited with our bikes. (Lunch & dinner not included)

     

    Discover Adventure reserves the right to change the route or itinerary for safety reasons should local conditions dictate.
    Copyright DA2001 / Updated 2024

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Dates & Prices

Prices may vary depending on date.

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The payment option for this trip is full-payment, Stars Appeal would like you to raise a suggested fundraising target of £1000

 

WHAT'S INCLUDED 

  • All transport from Paris 
  • 4 nights hotel accommodation on a twin share basis
  • All meals except where specified
  • Discover Adventure crew (number dependant on group size)
  • Vehicle support throughout the trip
  • Route information
  • Bike return to Salisbury

 

WHAT'S EXCLUDED

  • Any meals specified 'not included' in the itinerary
  • Travel insurance
  • Bicycle, cycle helmet (compulsory) and water bottles
  • Optional Discover Adventure bike courier return to home service
  • Personal spending money, souvenirs and drinks
  • Any applicable surcharges as per Terms and Conditions


On the Trip

  • Your safety, and that of the rest of the group, is our highest priority. Our trips are designed and planned with safety in mind. Your crew will be equipped with communication devices (eg phones, radios and/or emergency satellite phones), medical kit and other safety apparatus appropriate to the destination. Our leaders always have access to our 24-hour emergency UK back-up. They are responsible for safety on the trip, and will make any changes to the itinerary they deem necessary, should local conditions dictate. Pre-trip administration - such as medical questionnaires and travel insurance as appropriate - is all done with your safety in mind.

Preparing for the Challenge

  • We plan our trips around the optimal weather conditions, but could still be exposed to bad weather at any time. It is vital you are prepared for all conditions. We provide you with a detailed packing kit-list on registration, with plenty of information, and we are always available if you need advice.

  • In the unfortunate circumstance that you need to cancel your booking, we would ask that you notify us in writing either by email or post.  Your cancellation will be considered effective from the date the notice is received. Registration, administration and amendment fees are non refundable and, depending on your payment option and how close it is to your challenge departure date, you may be liable for a cancellation charge.

    Full details of all cancellation charges may be found in the Terms and Conditions of booking.

  • We have a Passenger Portal which will give you more details of the challenge itself. It also enables you to see any outstanding information we need, the countdown to your challenge departure, see your outstanding balance, make payments and update your contact details. You can access this via the following link - Passenger Portal Log in.

The DA Ethos

  • We believe that travel is a force for good, and it should be safe and accessible for everyone to take on any of our adventures, regardless of sexuality, gender, race or religion. We are committed to ensuring our travellers face no discrimination on any part of the trip we control. However, we operate in some parts of the world that are less accepting. We encourage customers to be aware of local laws and customs in their destinations for their safety and comfort.
    We don’t tolerate any form of discrimination, violence or harassment, either between travellers or involving our leaders, partners or local people. Any behaviour that disrespects our customers, leaders or local communities, makes others feel unsafe or breaks local laws may result in removal from a trip or denying their booking.

  • We are committed to an ethos of responsible travel here at Discover Adventure; this means sustainable tourism, ethical travel, community engagement, cultural respect, wildlife protection, fair trade practices, carbon footprint reduction and more. We have been on a 30-year journey with this as one of our core principles, and it continues to evolve; you can keep up to date with what we are up to and what all of this translates into on a DA trip here.
    From 2024, we will offset our entire carbon footprint, including the flights, via a carbon credit scheme (see more here). We must do all we can to be on the right side of history. Our offsetting brings peace of mind to many of our customers, but we think it is essential that our customers are aware of their impact; with this in mind, we encourage our participants to donate to World Land Trust’s Buy an Acre project when they book an adventure.

  • Our brilliant group dynamic is fundamental to us. We have become synonymous with it over our 30 years of adventure: the supportive nature and group camaraderie are always listed as one of the trip highlights in our feedback. You’ll meet people of widely varying backgrounds, motivations and experiences. Under these unique circumstances, you are more likely to open up about your story and form lifelong friendships. You’ll likely find something that resonates with everyone in the group. This is a unique way of travelling, after all, and that’s what brings you all together.
    We have travellers from 18 – 80 across all of our challenges, with the average age of our participants being in the mid-40s.

  • Over the years, people with wide-ranging abilities have achieved personal goals on our adventures that they may have previously assumed were out of their reach.
    We must be aware of any circumstances that may affect your ability to take on the trip, whether you have concerns about fitness, health conditions or disability. This way, we can ensure we are providing the best advice and support. You will be asked to sign a medical declaration upon booking.

    Whilst we will always try our best for you, by the nature of adventure, not all of our challenges are accessible, and we are not an operator specifically offering adapted adventures. If you would like to have a confidential chat with the team about anything before booking, please give us a call or an email; we will be more than happy to help.

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