Discovering the solitary island along EuroVelo 1 – English language version

My name is Pauline Ginestet, I am 37 years old. I am a teacher in Adapted Physical Activity.  I live in the Tarn in Albi.

This is my story about my trip to Ireland in summer 2025 when I cycled along EuroVelo 1 – Atlantic Coast Route, from Limerick to Belfast.

On this trip I travelled from Roscoff to Cork by ferry on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 . My trip was just over 4 weeks – and I returned from Cork to Roscoff on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

If you are interested in more information about me and the equipment I brought on my trip – you can read about this at the end of my story.

The most complicated thing about solo travel is when you want to tell the story of your trip. The landscapes, the encounters, the fears, the emotions… You want to say everything, to describe everything and at the same time you never know where to start. People ask us, often out of politeness, but they are not really eager for all these details. And yet, it is all these details, which define my journey, describe it as I have experienced it, that make it unique. These details are the ones that make this journey unlike any other and that no one else will experience as I did. In order not to forget it and to continue to bring it to life in my mind, I will try to tell it as I experienced it.

The origin of the idea and preparation

I have a bit of experience of hiking but traveling by bike… I’ve never done it! The idea starts to tickle me in October 2024. The goal is to use cycling as an active means of transportation and not to do a sporting feat. The fact that I don’t have much experience of long distance cycling doesn’t stop me.

After talking with a friend about his experience of EV1 in France, this project gradually matured in my mind: I want to travel by bike, I have a month to do it, and I have several criteria: 1) a fairly safe country, 2) a country where it’s not too hot, 3) Somewhere I can continue to work on my English,  4) A country with attractive nature and scenery. As a result, Ireland and Scotland are at the top of my list… These are two countries that I have already visited but for too short a time: it’s a good thing, I was planning to go back…

With my friend’s precious advice, I did some research on Open Cycle Map, then on the EuroVelo website, I watched videos of people who had lived this experience… and here we go, my choice is made: the EV1 in Ireland! Straight away, I know that I want to go all the way to Belfast but the hardest thing is knowing where to start from. Without making a final decision on this point, in May 2025, I buy my ferry tickets between Roscoff and Cork and tell my loved ones about it. Now I can’t go back…

Outward journey between Roscoff and Limerick

When I’m on the ferry, it’s the frequently asked questions: did I take everything I needed? Will I make it? I doubt myself so much! However, I’m very excited: it’s done, it has started, it’s coming to fruition… I can’t wait to be in Ireland. Arriving at the port, I travel the 20km that separate me from Cork before taking the train to Limerick.

On the 2nd stage, the sun is out, and I get to know the jagged cliffs at Loop Head: they represent a typical Irish landscape that I will find everywhere on the coast and that I will not tire of throughout the trip.

The EV1 then passes near the Cliffs of Moher, cliffs that rise up to 214m above the Atlantic Ocean over a length of 8 km, the most visited site in Ireland. I decide to go for a walk, there are a lot of people (mostly French tourists), it’s the shock compared to the solitude on the roads.  But despite the crowds, this little walking tour is worth the detour.
I continue to Doolin, an emblematic and charming village with its small colourful houses. I take advantage of this scenery for an improvised picnic. Before arriving at the Fanore Beach campsite where I plan to sleep, I slightly leave the EV1 to follow the road between the sea and the Burren desert plateau. Riding on this coast was a highlight of my trip: the vision of rocks as far as the eye can see overlooking the ocean and this road that weaves between the rock and the water moved me with their pure and wild beauty

The stage in the Burren is simply magnificent, the landscapes are incredible and continue to surprise me. To my delight, there is hardly anyone on the roads despite the tourist interest of the site. I stop at the Poulnabrone Dolmen where I meet Mark, an Irish guide from Belfast, who is accompanying a group, he questions me about my trip, being a cycling enthusiast himself. A quarter of an hour later we say goodbye and he leaves me his card: I will contact him again when I arrive in Northern Ireland and we will see each other again in Belfast.

At the exit of the Burren, I pass through Kinvara, a very cute seaside village, I make a picnic stop with mandatory drying. It rained all night and my tent is soaked. I then arrive in Galway, where I leave my bike at the hostel and go to visit the city on foot. I meet French people at the pub, Quebecers at the inn… Furtive encounters that are good for you.

5/ To the Aran Islands: 60 km – 400 D+

When I announced that I was going on a trip to Ireland, I was always told about the rain, never the wind! This stage is a bit special: I plan to take the ferry to go to the Aran Islands (the one of Inis Mor exactly) and sleep there for one night. So I leave Galway around 8:30 am and take the road to get to Rossaveel as soon as possible without following the EV1. I’m driving on the Wild Atlantic Way, there are a lot of cars, the headwind blowing at 80km/h, a big storm coming… In short, an absolute horror, the worst moment of my trip.

What a relief to arrive at the embarkation point in one piece and on time!

After a somewhat feverish crossing, I arrive on the island, head for the campsite to set up my tent and then I go to explore it by bike. Here everyone (or almost) gets around by bike. The detour to the Aran Islands is really worth doing, the atmosphere is really special, you have the impression that “mystical characters” can come out at any time from any corner of the island. You can feel that this island has a soul, a history…

In Letterfrack, I sleep in the garden of a former monastery that has been renovated by a couple into a bohemian youth hostel. It rains all evening, I take advantage of the common rooms and the fireplace to stay warm. I am at the gates of the Connemara National Park where the French are very present. I take advantage of these moments to fill my social and human capital!

The next day, on the other hand, I have a bad encounter: the midges! The slightest piece of skin is immediately invaded by these little flies that suck blood. After my defeat against these ruthless opponents, here I am again for my 3rd day in Connemara. The EV1 passes through Killary Harbour, it’s breathtaking and I want to stop all the time to take pictures. Unfortunately after an hour it is a rainy and foggy day that is announced: I cannot enjoy the views. Luckily, I find an open church that shelters me for lunch. The finish of this stage is planned in Wesport, at Tom’s, a WarmShowers host, an application for cyclists to host other cyclists for free (it will be the only one of the stay because there are not many of them in Ireland). I spend the evening in his “tapas” restaurant chatting with him and his friends Paul and Mickaël in the middle of the customers. All three are very welcoming, funny and interesting people. This evening will remain a beautiful moment of the trip.

I plan a detour to Achill Island before continuing north on the EV1. The stage was an ordeal with headwinds all the way, I didn’t make any progress, I took a long time to get to the campsite, I was tired: so I decided to rest, to go to Keem Bay the next day and to stay two nights here.

Good decision because in the morning the weather is beautiful and up to Keem Bay the road offers incredible views and colors. Just before arriving at the beach, the route is quite physically challenging with a short but steep climb on which local cyclists come to test their potential. I put my bike at the beach and go for a scramble in the mountain overlooking this magnificent beach which offers views of the “Cliffs of Croaghaun”.

County Sligo in 2 steps:

12/From Ballina to Standhill: 86km – 800m D+

13/From Sligo to Bundoran: 95km – 730 D+

Unbelievable but true: it’s a heat wave in Ireland! Well, as I’m used to 40°C at home, the heat wave here at 30°C is rather pleasant! The EV1 route takes me along peat bogs as far as the eye can see, a few lakes, I drive on small roads, the moment is very soothing and bam! My 1st puncture is coming… I struggle a little with my new tyres but I get out of it and after 45 minutes, I’m back on track! A few technical problems followed and the need to communicate with my bike became a necessity. When you’re on a bike, unlike being on foot, you’re not the only one who has to stay in shape! Like Tom Hanks and his Wilson in “Alone in the World”, my bike has become “Bikie”, (it’s a girl of course!), and I talk to her so that she doesn’t let me down!

When I arrived at the Standhill campsite, I met David, an Irishman who lives in Dublin and has lived in France for 10 years. I chat with him for a while and we share the evening meal and also breakfast and I continue the EV1 and go through Sligo. Soon enough, I reach the coast again where the views are still spectacular: the morning is very pleasant. After 3 hours, I stop to take a picture and I see a cyclist riding towards me: it’s David! His friend Don owns a house along EV1 which is 50m from where I stopped, what a coincidence! They offered me to ride a little together and Don, who knew the area well , took us through the Horseshoe road (a beautiful and wild loop) and then we took the route to the Mullaghmore loop. We will part at this point: they go back to the South and I continue towards the North.

Donegal in 6 steps:

14/ Bundoran to Sliabh Liag : 92km – 1100m D+

15/ Sliabh Liag to Tramore Beach: 62km – 800D+

16/ Tramore Beach to Sleepy Hollow Campsite : 55km – 600m D+

17/ Sleepy Hollow Campsite to Mulroy drive Camping : 70km – 800m D+

18/ Mulroy Drive Camping to Binion Bay: 75km – 1020 m D+ (+ ferry crossing)

19/ Malin Head to Derry: 95km – 800m D+

County Donegal is the northernmost county of Ireland and it is certainly one of the most beautiful and wild. What an amazing place!

To start, I planned a detour to Slieve League (or Sliabh Liag in Gaelic) because Mickaël from Wesport had advised me to go there. I plan to stay there for 2 nights and take a “walking” break. This stage is very long, the beginning is not very interesting, I feel tired and on top of that “chef’s surprise”: I have my period! Having your period, while on the move, cycling, can we talk about it?! In short, the day is going to be long! Fortunately Bikie is listening (she doesn’t really have a choice!).

Around 1pm, I stop next to a church where there are open toilets (with paper and water: luxury!). I take my lunch break and David joins me because I had sent him my route the day before and he had offered to ride with me. I’m delighted to see him arrive and to finish this long stage with someone. And for the record, we are doing a bike exchange! What a thrill! The last hour along the coast is wonderful, the views are splendid and we finally arrive at the campsite which is very welcoming. David suggested that I go to the pub in Gleann Cholm Cille, a village known for its authentic side, where people mainly speak Gaelic and defend the Celtic culture. The next day we set off together on foot to do the “The Pilgrim Path” loop which starts from the campsite where the views are incredible on the cliffs of Slieve League.

The next morning before leaving, I meet Giovanni, an Italian, who is also riding the EV1 in the south/north direction. He started in Cork and rode as many days as I did but with fewer detours. The EV1 passes not far from Glenveagh National Park and its majestic Mount Errigal. The day is sunny, again! I’ve been spoiled by the weather for a few days. I arrive at the Mulroy Drive campsite quite early and I talk to the manager, I tell him that I want to go to Malin Head, the northernmost point of Ireland, he advises me to go through the north of the peninsula and take a ferry to Rathmullan instead of going down to Letterkenny as planned by the EV1. I listen to his advice and change my plans.  At that time, I officially left EV1, which I would only meet again in Derry. This peninsula is indeed very pretty: I make a tourist stop at Fanad Head Lighthouse and Great Pollet Sea Arch.

Northern Ireland in 3 steps:

20/From Derry to Giant’s Causeway: 75km – 850 D+

21/From Giant’s Causeway to Garron Point via The Dark Hedges: 70km – 1000m D+

22/From Garron Point to Belfast via Ballymena: 60km – 560m D+

In 3 days I should have reached my goal: I will be in Belfast… Leaving Derry, I take small roads to get to Coleraine and then I reach the coast at the breathtaking viewpoints of the White Rocks Beach. I meet Giovanni there for a farewell picnic. He takes the train in Coleraine towards Belfast and then Italy, I continue my journey to the campsite via the Dunluce Castle.

An unforgettable meeting because of its spontaneity and the ease with which we exchanged and laughed.

The coast between Carrick a Rede and Giant’s Causeway: This time no bike, I go on foot to discover the coast between these 2 tourist sites. Carrick a Rede is a small island, you can access it by a wooden rope bridge, the crossing is paid and attracts a lot of people, a little too much for my taste! The Giant’s Causeway is also very well known and very touristy, but the mysterious and spacious place allows you to appreciate the incredible scenery and the different viewpoints. On the other hand, the walk along the coast between these 2 sites is rather deserted, the atmosphere is very calm, it feels like a movie set: it is also a place where many scenes from the Game of Thrones series were filmed.

I come back to the Graig house Campsite where my tent is already set up for my last evening and night camping. The moment is special, I am both very excited and moved to tell myself that it is soon the end. I can’t sleep, I have the impression, at that moment, that I really realize the journey I’m making and the experience I’m living…

Then comes the second puncture of my route: no problem, no problem, the inner tube is changed! Unfortunately the party is short-lived, I die again… I stop a few kilometers further near a farm. There, there follows a 2-hour break to repair my inner tubes, without success, I am forced to ask Patrick, the farmer next door, if he can take me to the place where I sleep. He will do 50km round trip with his pick-up just out of kindness to get me to my destination. I am lucky for the help that the road gives me but immensely frustrated and sad because I find this situation unfair: being so close to the goal and being prevented from being able to do so… I absolutely want to find a solution to finish my trip on my bike

When I arrived, Teresa, the lady I was staying with, asked her friends and family if they had what it took to help me out because the next day was Sunday, and the only open shop was far away. We only find a repair kit and we spend the evening (with James and Kris, my amazing “roommates”) trying to fix my inner tubes. But no luck… The last solution is to call Derek, a taximan, who will drop me off at the Ballymena store open on Sundays. For the record, he didn’t charge me for the trip.

Bike repaired, off we go again towards Carrickfergus, last picnic on my bike, last discussions with the cows and sheep, last climbs and descents in the Irish countryside and I find the coast and ride to Belfast! I encourage Bikie to make it to the end, and after all these adventures and great encounters, I finish my bike trip on my bike! I am so grateful to all these people who have helped me…

Belfast Tour

Arriving at the hostel, I meet Janna, a Dutch woman who travels by train, we decide to spend the evening together. The next day we go to visit the city with its Catholic and Protestant quarters where the walls of separation decorated with murals tell us about past conflicts. The atmosphere of Belfast touches me and its history moves me enormously. It is not necessarily a beautiful city in terms of architecture but its atmosphere is unique. In the early evening I meet Mark, the guide I met in the Burren. Over a beer, we tell each other about our respective summers and we meet the next day for breakfast before my departure. I’ll meet Janna for the evening and we’ll enjoy a dance party in a pub.

Return trips from Belfast to Roscoff

I say goodbye to Janna and Mark. At 11 a.m. I take the train to Dublin. David, whom I met near Sligo, had offered me to sleep on his sofa, so I went to put my bike at his place and we visited the city together. Dublin is very different from Belfast, as I was here a few years ago, I will only spend half a day there. It’s nice to meet David again to tell him about the end of my trip and meet his friend Sabrina. The next day, I take a train to Cork, I get back on my bike for 20km between Cork station and the ferry departure point. I encourage Bikie to finish the trip (since the problems of the day before, I’m a little stressed 😊).

During the ferry trip, the emotions felt when arriving in Belfast will be present again and will be very complicated to manage… At that point, the journey is really over, and makes way for memories. Throughout the journey, the same rituals are put in place: folding the tent, filling the water cans, pedaling, drying the previous day’s belongings, finding food, looking for a place to sleep for the next day, reassembling the tent…  And the next day it starts again. These are simple moments, necessary moments. This adventure would have no flavor without the introspection and listening to oneself that it arouses, but above all without the meeting of the other that it brings in its path: different, inspiring people who have both reinforced and turned upside down the vision I had of life.

The after…

With a little hindsight, I realize that when I announced to the people around me that I was planning a solo bike trip, unconsciously (I hope) their return was often turned in a negative way. They were certainly expressing their own fears (or doubts) by giving their point of view on the number of kilometers I had planned, by asking me if I wasn’t afraid to leave on my own… This kind of thinking, I think, blocks many people who are hesitant to go alone (mainly women).

Doubting one’s own ability is actually quite normal, yet I think that everyone is capable of going on a solo trip. I deeply believe that no matter what trip you take, the route you choose, how you plan it – on foot, by bike – to what degree of autonomy you organize it – in the wild, in camping, in a bed and breakfast – what matters is to do it the way you want to do it, with who you are. To see the things that are possible for you and the things that are not. The important thing is to enjoy what you’re doing at the moment.

More about me, my bike and my equipment

Beyond my work, sport has always been part of me, it is for me a way of life, a necessity and a need: I used to do athletics when I was young and now I would qualify myself as a “multi-sportsperson” because I like to practice several sports: handball, boxing, hiking, running, yoga, mountain biking, and more occasionally skiing,  swimming, . I have done a few journeys on foot independently and alone: 1 week in the Pyrenees in 2017 and 10 days on the GR 54 (tour des écrins) in 2024. This was my first bike trip.

Equipment

For the equipment, I made do as much as possible with things that had been lent to me or with things that I already had… I simply bought 2 panniers and the 1-person tent.

My tent is a SIMOND MT 900 from Decathlon. My bike doesn’t have a brand, it’s what we call in France a touring bike, I think it’s a few years old and many kilometers on the clock because, as I say in the story, the person who gave it to me, Eric, has always been a cycling enthusiast. The make and model of the bike does not make the trip, although of course a more modern and lighter bike would have been better!

What I brought

Other
• Minimalist 10L backpack
• Headphones
• Sunglasses
• Earplugs
• Book
• Small notebook +pen
• Survival blanket
• Compass
• Freezer Bags
• Pharmacy
• Safety pins
• Clothes peg

Repair kit
• Multi-tool
• 2 Tire Levers
• Glue – Patches – Sandpaper
• Woven Tape
• Rags
• Small screw
• Chain link
• Small chain

Items I brought that I didnt need:

I was thinking of doing wild camping so I brought enough to allow me to be completly autonomous. However, since many campsites have a kitchen with at least a kettle, I could have not taken a stove but I admit that it’s nice to be autonomous.

Otherwise I don’t think I took too many things… Maybe a bike t-shirt that I didn’t use! Thanks to the wind, the Bikie drying rack worked well!! Also a few odds and ends: water tablets, swimsuits… And my mosquito repellent which was useless because it was no defence against the midges.

Items I didn’t bring that I needed:

I should have taken 2 inner tubes!! but hey my trip would have been different in the end!
An anti-midge spray: but honestly I bought one on the spot, it was as useless as my mosquito repellent.
One or two clothes pegs (I found some during the trip)
Plastic garbage bags –  for example, to keep your buttocks dry! (but I found some on site too).