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The Adventure, London to Paris
After 200 miles riding down the cobble stones to Paris the sight of the Eiffel Tower will take your breath away… The London to Paris Bike ride is an adventure on two wheels that will challenge you and provide an unforgettable experience. Your ride begins in historic London before riding through the English countryside and onto rural France before your epic journey concludes in Paris; the most romantic city in the world and finishes under the iconic Eiffel Tower. Having cycled 200 miles over three days you will have a real sense of achievement by the time you finish as well as new found friends as the adventure finishes with a Parisian flourish. The first day’s ride you’ll have the buzz of riding out of London into the English countryside before enjoying a country pub lunch after climbing Turner’s Hill. After lunch it’s a downhill ride into Newhaven to catch the Ferry to France. The following day you’ll awake in the French countryside just outside Dieppe before getting back on the bike. The country lanes are a joy and when coupled with some great French food and nice weather make for an excellent day’s ride. Undoubtedly the final day’s ride is the big challenge, with the longest distance and a few hills in the way you’ll push yourself to the limits through the countryside into the Parisian suburbs. You’ll contend with the Parisian traffic, ride along the Seine and then drop down the cobble stone streets for the Eiffel Tower to reveal herself to you – a truly spectacular moment! Get involved in this classic adventure on two wheels today. 3
London to Paris In a Nutshell...
To get your place on the London to Paris adventure you need to register online or on the phone with us to confirm your place before committing to fundraising for one of our incredible charity partners. In a nutshell what you need to know: Registration Fee: £125 Fundraising Target: £950 (less if you choose Flexi-Fundraising, see page 8 for more details) Net amount to charity:
At least £500 goes to charity, 100% of anything raised above the minimum goes to charity (our record from a student is £19k!)
Charity, choose between:
Action Against Hunger and Breast Cancer Campaign
Duration of Adventure:
4 or 5 days
Adventure Dates:
Range of dates over the summer months
Get your place on the adventure today by booking online at www.studentadventures.co.uk/london2paris 4
Or call us on 0845 643 9801 to register over the phone with one of the team.
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Your Itinerary Adventure Guide
DAY 1:
London, Crystal Palace Park
We’ll meet in Crystal Palace Park in the morning as the park comes alive with atmosphere and buzz with riders checking in, pumping up their tyres nervously awaiting the moment the ride gets started! The ride starts on a big downhill to get everyone in the groove before pushing out of the city limits into the countryside. You’ll face a tough uphill before lunch to Turner’s Hill (clues in the name!). After lunch the ride glides down through villages on the classic London to Brighton route before traversing round the South Downs into the Ferry port of Newhaven. Catch your dinner before catching the ferry to France! >> Lunch.
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DAY 2: Dieppe to Gournay En Bray
DAY 4:
Waking up in a nice French Campsite we’ll have some breakfast before getting back in the saddle! Today is beautiful as we go through the French countryside, lunch you’ll enjoy at a French Chateaux and picturesque villages roll by.
After a tough three days riding you have the opportunity to enjoy the sights of Paris before heading back in the early evening on Eurostar to London.
You’ll arrive at the hotel late afternoon for a nice shower and a great meal to round off a brilliant day’s riding. >> Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 3:
Gournay En Bray to Paris, Eiffel Tower
Paris – day to explore before returning to London
>> Breakfast.
DAY 5:
Optional extra stay
One day in Paris not enough? Well then you have the option to have an extra day’s stay in Paris before coming home on the Eurostar today – see the section ‘Making your adventure go better’ for more details. >> Breakfast.
We have an early wake up for the biggest day of the ride. With over 75 miles riding to Paris with hills in the way this will present you a cracking challenge to get all the way to the centre of Paris. Having ridden for three days and clocked up 200 miles the final run in along the Seine is picturesque before merging in with Parisian traffic. We then drop down in the back twisty cobble stone roads before the city reveals the iconic Eiffel Tower – it’s an incredible experience to enjoy the moment with the other riders as you ride under this magnificent tower! >> Breakfast and Lunch.
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Flexi-Fundraising Flexible fundraising puts you in charge of how much your fundraising target is. Find out below how you could reduce your fundraising target by a lot if you pay a little extra.
So how does Flexible Fundraising work?
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You pay your registration fee when you confirm your place
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Choose to pay some of the trip costs yourself from £10 to £350 – this can be paid in instalments throughout the year to help you budget.
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For every £10 Flexi-Pay your target is reduced by £17. See your fundraising target get reduced by up to £600!
Example:
No Flexi Pay Fundraising Target: £950
Registration Fee £125
+ Flexi Pay £100 (paid in two instalments over the course of the year) Registration Fee £125
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+ Flexi-Fee £100
Fundraising Target: £780
Example:
Registration fee of £125 Flexi-fee of £100 paid in two instalments over the course of the year Fundraising Target reduced from £950 to £780
The maximum flex-fundraising fee is £175 to reduce your target by £300!
“Reduce your fundraising target by up to £300 by paying a little bit extra in instalments to meet the cost of your trip. The percentage of money going to charity increases whilst your fundraising target decreases!”
Your Adventure What’s included
What’s not included
Ferry transfer to France
Personal kit
Eurostar Return
Meals and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
Internal transfers scheduled on the itinerary
Energy Snacks throughout the riding
Accommodation, combination of camping and hotels/hostels
Optional extension – bike hire, extra day’s stay in Paris
200 mile bike ride with full support crew, guides, mechanics and first aid
Spare parts – inner tubes, tyres, et al
Meals (where indicated) and safe drinking water on the ride
Personal Travel Insurance – we can recommend an appropriate provider for adventure travel
Support prior to and during the adventure
Spending money for drinks, souvenirs and additional activities
24 hour emergency response line Adventure T-shirt
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Making Your Adventure Go Even Better The London to Paris Bike Ride is an awesome challenge, but it’s not the end of the adventure! After you reach Paris you have a day to explore this incredible city before hopping on the Eurostar home. We have a number of additional options for you to consider adding to your biking adventure! Bike Hire You may be nervous about your trusty steed and after all the training miles whether your bike is up to carrying you 200 miles. Equally you might not want the hassle of having to transport your bike to and from London before and after the ride. Well never fear! We can make your life easy by giving you the option to hire a good quality hybrid bike which includes all the spares you will need throughout. It means your turn up at the start and have a bike measured for you ready to go and then when you get to the Eiffel Tower you hand back the bike without having to worry about taking it home!
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Ferry - Upgrade your seat to a cabin The ferry crossing from Newhaven to Dieppe leaves at 10pm – 11pm in the evening and takes about 4 hours to cross the channel arriving in Dieppe at about 4am (local time). During the crossing you will be able to grab a seat and get some shut eye. When you get to France you will then board a coach for a 15 minute transfer to the campsite before climbing into your sleeping bag for a few more hours sleep before we get up for day 2 of the ride. If you’d like a bed and access to a shower on the ferry we can upgrade your ticket to a cabin berth for the crossing, giving you better rest and a chance to freshen up before going to sleep.
Paris – Enjoy an extra day’s stay You’ve rode all that way to the Eiffel Tower and you have a day in Paris to explore before heading back to Blighty on the Eurostar. If you’d prefer to have a bit more time in this incredible city you can extend your stay for an extra night and full day and come back on Eurostar on Day 5 instead of Day 4. We will arrange your hostel accommodation on a B&B basis and we will store your bike for you for an extra day so that when you return to St Pancras, London it is there waiting for you. Go on – enjoy another day in Paris!
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What You Really Need To Know Frequently Asked Questions Is the London to Paris Bike Adventure I am worried about fundraising, how for me? would I raise the money? Absolutely! Riding your bike as part of a team from bustling London to chic Paris is simply once in a lifetime adventure that everyone should experience. As you ride your bike over the Parisian cobbles and glide down to the Champs de Mars to reveal the iconic Eiffel Tower! You’ll also have the chance having ridden all the way there to explore Paris by night and by day before getting the Eurostar home. London to Paris is for you… if you have a sense of adventure!
It’s natural to be worried about fundraising; it’s a challenge to raise the money for charity. You will have a great support network to help you through the process. There will be an Adventure Leader (a fellow student) at your University as your first point of contact who will help you every step of the way having been through the process before. Our great charity partners have dedicated staff to run fundraising workshops to help you develop a plan with loads of brilliant ideas and they’re at the end of the phone and email to help.
What happens if I don’t reach my fundraising target?
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If it looks like you’re not going to make your target you can postpone your adventure to a later date to give you longer to reach your fundraising target and take the pressure off.
Can I reduce my fundraising target in I have friends at another University, anyway? can they take part with me? Yes! Using our flexi-funder you can reduce your target by up to ÂŁ300 if you meet some of the costs of the adventure yourself. This can be paid over manageable payments over the course of the year to fit in with your student budget. For more details check the website on how to do this.
Is the adventure safe and how fit do I need to be? All adventure travel has an element of risk, but our adventures are risk-assessed and you are with experienced local guides who know the mountain well and how to look after you. Our adventures comply with the safety recommendations of BS8848 and is ATOL protected (no 10415) In terms of fitness, this is a tough challenge where you will have to ride over the 60 miles each day and keep going when the going gets tough. You’ll need to train to prepare to get to Paris!
Absolutely! All you have to do is send them the registration link on our website and get them to join the adventure with you!
Do I have to be a student to take part? No – all you need is a sense of adventure and you can take part in an adventure with some of the lowest fundraising targets in the UK!
What do you do to protect the environment? We support the national parks to help them maintain and restore paths to minimise erosion and we work in partnership with local communities to make an impact.
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What Do Students Say? A few thoughts from students who have ridden from London to Paris… “I had a brilliant laugh along the way with my mates and the route was incredibly scenic. Absolutely loved riding my bike under the Eiffel Tower, awesome buzz!” Matt Furniss, Nottingham University “Such a brilliant three days, thanks for organising a great ride. I am addicted to my bike now!” Hilary McDermott Loughborough University “I don’t know what I enjoyed more; the scenic French countryside and awesome food or the adrenaline of riding through Paris to reach the Eiffel Tower, totally recommend you do it!” Ant Scott Warwick University
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Get Involved and Get Your Place! The London to Paris Bike Ride is an awesome adventure on two wheels to the awe-inspiring Eiffel Tower and you should definitely do it! Get involved and get your place today!
Book online at www.studentadventures.co.uk/london2paris Call to book with one of the team on 0845 643 9801 or ask any questions.