Home trip

Combined train / short cycle stage / S-Bahn

10 June: Nantes - Tours - Nevers - Dijon

By local train across France - almost 700 km. If you want to combine train and bike in France, you use TER and it takes a lot of time. The trains are not slow at all, but it is a long way from west to east and it requires different trains and longer stops. But it works! We arrive in Dijon on time just before 6 p.m. and have enough time for our usual evening routine - drink a beer, look around and eat in the restaurant. On the way we still had time to visit the large cathedral in Tours, 100 m long with towers almost 70 m high. The most impressive thing, however, were the stained glass windows, some of which are over 800 years old, with the elaborate depiction of biblical stories. It is unbelievable how people were able to create such things back then.

11 June: Dijon - Montbéliard (train) - Porrentruy (bike) - Basel (S-Bahn)

Dijon is not that far from Basel, but the TER train connections are not easy. So we think it would be easiest if we went via Besancon to Montbéliard, cycled 30 km to Porrentruy and used the SBB services there. It actually works, even if the transfer in Besancon is a bit hectic and is made even more difficult by customs officers checking trains on the platform. We get on our bikes one last time and pedal the last 35 km to Porrontruy, which is easy considering the 3300 km we have already covered. The S-Bahn soon arrives at the station and takes us comfortably to Basel. In the evening we meet some of the family over pizza and enjoy the exchange.

It's over: 3100 km on the EV 1 and 200 km on the way there and back. On average around 100 km a day. We are grateful and happy that we managed everything so well without a breakdown, an accident or physical problems. We are still full of impressions and memories and are slowly settling back into everyday life. We will see what happens next on the EV 1 next year.