from Sète/Montpellier at the end of your holiday.
Accommodation
Hotels, gîtes d'étape and chambres d'hôtes
Booking accommodation from the UK these days is relatively easy, thanks to the internet and e-mail. Some of the hotels and gîtes d'étape along the route now have websites, and enquiries and bookings are often possible by e-mail. Main tourist offices in the region (see Appendix F, Useful Contacts) will also send out lists of accommodation on request.
Hotel de Paris in Murol (Stage 2)
During the main summer season, and particularly between 14 July and 15 August (from Bastille Day to the Feast of the Assumption), many hotels and gîtes d'étape tend to be heavily booked, especially in the main tourist areas, so those intending to ride or walk the GTMC during July and August, or over French public holidays, are strongly advised to make reservations. At other times of year booking accommodation in advance may not be necessary, although it is always advisable, if possible, to phone for a booking one or two days ahead, particularly if you wish to take dinner on the evening when you arrive. If speaking French over the telephone is a problem for you, then either ask the proprietor of your current hotel or gîte d'étape to phone ahead for you, or ask the staff of a tourist office to do so. Most people are usually very willing to help.
Hotels in France are star graded according to a system very similar to that used in Britain. A basic hotel is a one-star establishment, and usually reasonably priced, clean and comfortable. Most of the hotels in the area covered by this guidebook carry a one- or two-star grading. One pays for the room in France, so there is seldom a reduction for only one occupant, although if cycling or walking alone it is always sensible to enquire.
The French gîte d'étape has similarities with the UK youth hostel, but is operated either privately (most are family-run small businesses) or by the local community (gîte communal). Many gîtes d'étape are in sympathetically restored traditional buildings, typically accommodating between 10 and 30 people. All have hot showers. Dinner is usually provided in a gîte d'étape and this nearly always consists of excellent home cooking, often to a much higher standard than that found in tourist restaurants. Most gîtes d'étape also have a fully equipped kitchen for those wishing to prepare their own food. Accommodation is in a traditional dortoir, usually of four, six or eight beds, but increasingly these days, rooms for two are also available at a little extra cost.
Checking gear before leaving the gîte (Stage 8) (Alan Sides)
Demi-pensions are common and usually offer the best value for money. You will almost certainly meet other like-minded outdoor people here, usually walkers, mountain bikers or other cyclists, and these establishments are noted for their hospitality. Staying at a good gîte d'étape can be one of the highlights of walking or cycling in France. See Appendix C for a list of the gîtes d'étape along the GTMC Trail. There is no umbrella organisation to join, but details of most of them can be found at www.gites-refuges.com.
Chambres d'hôtes are bed-and-breakfast establishments, similar to their British counterparts (although, of course, do not expect an English cooked breakfast). The cost always includes breakfast, but dinner is often not available, although it can usually be taken in a nearby restaurant. Chambres d'hôtes are becoming more and more popular in France, and to attract foreign guests will often be signposted as ‘Bed & Breakfast’, ‘B&B’, or ‘zimmer-frei’.
Camping
There are many campsites on or near the way – plentiful in some areas, but rather thin on the ground in others, particularly after Stage 13 until the coast is reached. For campers intending to ride or walk the GTMC late in the season, it is important to note that most campsites on the route close some time in September, often at the end of that month, but more than a few in the first or second week of September. If you intend to camp wild (camping sauvage) along the trail, be aware that you must seek permission from the landowner before doing so (it is illegal to do so otherwise). An uncontaminated water source will also have to be found, unless enough water is carried from a town or village. Leave no sign of an overnight camp, remove all your litter and take care not to pollute water sources. Particular care should be taken with matches and stoves, as forest fires are all too common during hot, dry summers, and do not light open fires. Note that wild camping is completely prohibited in the Cévennes National Park.
Food and Water
The mobile butcher calls at Vacquerie-et-Saint-Martin-de-Castries (Stage 14)
Shops, and in particular grocery shops (épicerie) and bakers (boulangerie), tend to open earlier than their equivalents in Britain (usually around 7.30–8.00am) and to stay open later (often up to 8.00pm), but most will close for two to three hours in the early afternoon (note that boulangeries often close earlier in the day, and rarely have fresh bread in the late afternoon). A few farms in some rural areas may offer items such as cheese or honey for sale, but never rely on this. Some smaller and more remote settlements, which no longer have village shops, are served by mobile shops that travel the district once, twice or three times a week, and you may just be lucky to encounter one. Provisions may sometimes be bought from the guardian of a gîte d'étape, who may also provide you with a packed lunch if you request it in advance.
Water source in Saint-Michel (Stage 14)
Cyclists should carry water in frame-attached water-bottle carriers. There are water fountains in many of the villages and hamlets passed en route, and water bottles should always be filled when the opportunity arises. Daytime temperatures can be very high at times, particularly during July and August, and heat exhaustion and dehydration can develop rapidly during strenuous riding or walking. Always ensure that plenty of fluids are taken in, particularly in the southernmost sections of the trail, where shade cover is less and temperatures are generally higher.
It is always wise to assume that water taken from streams and rivers is unsafe to drink, particularly if there are cattle, sheep or goats in the vicinity. If in any doubt, add a water-purifying tablet to unboiled water, allowing at least 10 minutes for the chemicals to react before drinking. Water labelled ‘non potable’ is not suitable for drinking.
Equipment
Choice of Bike
For riding the GTMC, a mountain bike is essential – a hybrid off-road/on-road bike will not be robust enough for the variety of terrain encountered on this journey. Obviously the better quality the bike, the better – aiming for a light but strong frame, with suspension if possible – but if you only have a cheap bike, don't be deterred from attempting the route, provided the bike is in good condition and well maintained. Cyclists keeping to a road route across the Massif Central are best served by a good-quality touring bicycle.
It goes without saying that whichever you choose, it must be in a safe-to-ride condition, with an adequate braking system and a good range of working gears, particularly at the low end of the range. A good-quality cycling helmet should be worn at all times when mountain biking or road cycling (head injuries are all too common and often very serious in cycling accidents). Always replace an old helmet after a few years of use, and immediately after any accident.
Spares to carry should include a tyre repair kit, including tyre levers, a set of spanners/Allen keys/screwdrivers that fit your machine (a compact multi-tool is a good idea), chain and spoke tool, two spare inner tubes, two spare sets of brake pads and a spare brake/gear cable. A good-quality cycle lock, a bicycle pump and lubricant are also essential. You will need to make a decision on whether to take