Back to Map-Nerd stuff...

So, I've redone the routes one last time, if anyone wants to print directions, or try and get printed maps from these. I'll have all the info, though, so only do it for your own pleasure.

Day 1

London-Seaford

(Not quite the London to Brighton classic route: we start closer to the middle of town, stay slightly to the east of that route through the North Downs, and, most importantly, don't go over Ditchling Beacon)

Day 2

The_easy_bit

(Seaford to Newhaven, just a couple of miles)

The even easier bit, on the boat from Newhaven to Dieppe

Dieppe-Neufchatel

All along decomissioned rail track re-paved for cycling, the new "Avenue Verte"

Day 3

Neufchatel-Bresles

Starting on the Avenue Verte and then heading across apparently rolling countryside round the north of Beauvais

Day 4

Bresles-Paris

More countryside to start (with a little zigging and zagging to stop getting on to major trunk roads, and to get over the Autoroutes), then a little urban stretch to St Denis and the Seine. I've not mapped from here into the middle of town - but I hope and have read that there's decent canal-side paths into La Villette and then towards the Bastille.

Two nights to go...

Checking we have everything.
Passports, spare tubes, first aid kit (Mike is around!), maps have been checked and double checked by Navigator. Still a little doubt as to which route to take into Paris as the current chosen route may be cobble stones, which means we may have to take a detour. Could mean getting a little lost on the last day.
I have accepted that taking the size of the group (17 remember) into consideration we are going to forget something. Brightspark says this is down to poor planning on our behalf, I say it is 'realism', so relax.

The weather is becoming a BIG concern. Quote from the metoffice: 'Although bright or sunny at times it will be an unsettled period with heavy showers.' Note this is weekend forecast and as such the 'showers' refer Friday and the sunny spells to Saturday.... when we are scheduled to be in France. Awesome....