Hotels, campsites, B&Bs, group accommodation: you will find somewhere to sleep all along La Scandibérique, in the list of Accueil Vélo accommodation and on the stage maps.
Booking Accueil Vélo accommodation
The Accueil Vélo label guarantees a welcome suited to cyclists. Labelled establishments must in particular:
- be located close to the route
- offer a caring welcome and useful information: nearby circuits, weather, train times, contact details of bike rental and repair shops
- provide suitable services: luggage transfer, laundry and drying, bike hire
- have suitable facilities: secure bike shelter, repair kit, bike washing
On the ground, spot them thanks to the green sign with the Accueil Vélo logo.
To suit your taste
Camping
Camping is the cheapest option, but it requires equipment. Many campsites offer rates adapted to cyclists, who do not pay for a car space: ask when you book.
B&Bs
They welcome you in every season. With breakfast and, often, secure bike storage, they are well suited to a one-night stop.
Bivouac
A bivouac is a one-night camp in the middle of nature, made up of a light, temporary set-up. The principle of bivouacking is to pitch your lightweight tent at nightfall and leave without a trace at first light, ready for new adventures.
Bivouac: the regulations
In France, wild camping (staying several nights in the same place) is strictly forbidden over almost the whole country.
Conversely, some tolerance exists for bivouacking. It is nevertheless important to know the following regulations:
According to article R111-32, camping is freely practised on public land, in isolation, outside the right of way of roads and public highways, with the agreement of the person who has use of the land, subject, where applicable, to the owner's objection.
Bivouacking may be practised on the private property of a private individual provided the owner's agreement has been obtained beforehand. The rule is the same on the private property of a public body.
In both cases, you must also make sure that neither the municipality's local urban plan (PLU) nor any administrative police measure prohibits camping in that area. Specific orders banning this practice may indeed be issued by municipalities!
Our advice before any bivouacking: find out in advance about the regulations in force in the municipality by contacting in particular the Tourist Offices of the towns crossed by La Scandibérique and the town halls.
Can I light a fire?
The use of fire is first of all regulated by the Forestry Code. Article L 131-1 of this Code states: "No person other than the owner of land, wooded or not, or other than the occupants of that land on behalf of their owner, may carry or light a fire on that land and up to a distance of 200 metres from woods and forests and similar land subject to the provisions of article L 131-4".
The use of fire may then be regulated at municipal and département level by municipal or prefectoral order, in application of administrative police powers.
Numerous prefectoral orders supplement the Forestry Code by extending the fire ban and including restrictive provisions on the use of hiking equipment such as "gas stoves". Indeed, it is important to consider here not only open fires, but also thermal fires that can be lit using specific equipment, whether or not capable of producing a flame, running on fuels such as, most often, gas, petrol, alcohol, ...
Overall, lighting fires is not recommended: they have a lasting impact on natural areas and on the wildlife and plants they shelter.
Our tips to avoid unpleasant surprises
- book in advance, especially in July-August and on long weekends
- in town, check that there is a place to park your bike (Accueil Vélo accommodation guarantees this)
- confirm your arrival the day before or on the morning, by email or phone
- take a topoguide that lists useful addresses
- consider all-inclusive holiday packages, which include luggage transport from one stage to the next