It is with some relief that I can write that we made it. With all the stories of stranded passengers and baggage, this was a very real concern for all of us. The plan was for the six of us to fly direct from Chicago to Paris. It was a nonstop flight and all of us, baggage and bikes arrived on time in Charles de Gaulle airport.
Our next challenge was to get to near the start of our adventure in Nantes, France. The biggest issue was bicycles. Four of us brought our bikes, one was renting, and one was buying an e-bicycle in France. In order to get the 250 miles to Nantes, we needed the train and 9 passenger van. Four of us caught the first-class TGV train to Nantes. Patty and I took off in a totally packed rental vehicle. Our first stop was in the suburb of Fontainebleau, where Patty picked up her very nice rental bike from a bike shop. Then we continued to complete the 5-hour journey (on very little sleep).
The next morning was our flex day and bike assembly and pick up day. United Airlines (great service with an on-time flight and bikes in perfect condition) deserves a shout out for a wonderful job.
You would be surprised how much work it takes to set up 5 bikes, and how much waste material that causes. Since there are not dumpsters everywhere, we had to arrange for a pick-up of our 4 bike boxes and all the packaging. Surprisingly, this was accomplished by a bicycle messenger who reduced all of our waste to a very small package.
It took about 4 hours to get the bikes ready. This included me having to buy fenders to replace those that I left at home and a few frustrating noises that we needed to eliminate. But overall, all was well. Beth picked up her e-bike (that she bought in advance, site unseen) and had a very good experience. So by 4 PM, we were ready to go. We did get a late start to the day, enjoying coffee and a home cooked breakfast, featuring wonderful melon, French pastries and eggs.
We had one potential major hick-up for the day. I got the email receipt from the rental car company, and they attached an invoice for 6900 euros for damage on the rental car. The vehicle we got from Budget was not in good shape, later than we needed and no pre use inspection was conducted. That required a visit to the rental car counter at the nearby train station and a serious conversation. Due to the condition of the vehicle and lack of inspection, I took pictures and video of the vehicle. upon pickup. That proved to be sufficient evidence to get the bill corrected to zero. Budget does not deserve a shout out for how they handled the situation, but not a total bashing because of how they corrected their error. I will never, every rent another vehicle without doing a video inspection first.
Dinner was Alsatian food at a nearby restaurant. The food from the eastern area of France, where we hope to be in 2 weeks, was “French pizzas'”. Thin crust pizza like creations called tarte flambees with local cheeses, meat and vegetables, served family style by a charming waitress.
It was a perfect first day in France and we are all greatly looking forward to our cycling that begins tomorrow.
So glad to hear everyone and everything arrived safely! Can't wait to see the next post!
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