Information

Here are some useful hints if you want to bicycle/walk in France, following the GR's.

-if you are bicycling you need a mountain bike'ish bike.
-if you are walking, you might want at least two pair of shoes. One for rain and mountain terrain and one for nice weather easy terrain. Both should have good air circulation to avoid blisters and dampening in front and back to avoid chronic fatigue in your heels and toes.
-when walking, it seems like 35 km is about max what the feet can take in one day.A thumb of rule is that the distance between your index finger and your thumb on a 1:100 000 map, is what you want to walk in a day, assuming that the track is more or less on a straight line between the two fingers.
-it is difficult to find accomodation along many GR's, so unless you really plan carefully and reserve upfront, a tent and a sleeping bag is compulsory.
-you can put your tent up in most places as long as the ground is not cultivated and as long as you put it up in the evening and take it down in the morning and leave no garbage.
-camp sites charge around 6€ for a tent and one person.
-the tent should have two layers such that the inner tent stays dry and it should be big enough for one person more than you are to have some comfort.
-A 2 person tent should not weigh more than 2.5 kg. It seems the norwegian brand Helsport is one of the best. I met an englishman who was very satisfied with his Vengo tent bought of the internet. I bought a 2.5 kg, 40€ tent of carrefour which works fine in good weather.
the sleeping bag should be comfortable down 5 degrees more than you expect. A comfort level of -5 and you should be safe.
-a nice mattress is important to sleep well. Air inflateable bought of Carrefour for 10€ worked fine for me.
-Decathlon is a french sport shop chain with shops all over france and good quality/price. Check them on internet for exact locations.
-Au vieux campeur, 6, rue Thénard,75005 Paris is a very good sport shop in Paris close to the latin quarter. They also have a web page.
-IGN makes the GR maps. 903 is the map to get to see all the tracks in France. They had this map in the Nomaden shop in Oslo (they are also on the internet). You should be able to buy it off www.ign.fr or www.ffrp.asso.fr. Both these organisations have shops in Paris.
-for on the ground maps and detailed planning, I have used the blue series 1:100 000 maps. There are 74 of these maps that cover domestic france.
-if you want to swim in a swimming pool in France, you need a tight swim suit/short. The reasons are hygienic. A normal short is often used for other activities and hence become dirty. It is very frustrating to be stopped from swimming on a hot sunday without possibility to buy a swim short.
-fewer and fewer villages have grocery stores, bakeries and restaurants.Ask people and have emergency food with you.
-people fill up your water bottles when you ask.
-bring dryfit clothes or similar. They stay dry and are light weight. Fleece is good for colder days.
-you can get special towels that dry quickly and weigh little in travel shops.