Starting at the London Eye and ending at Notre Dame, the 247-mile route takes riders on a challenging but rewarding journey through towns, villages and beautiful countryside on both sides of the Channel.
The route is a mixture of on-road, mainly quiet lanes, and traffic-free stretches on old railway-paths and riverside routes.
In the UK, the route mainly follows Route 4, Route 20, Route 21 and Route 2 as it passes through London, Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex.
In East Sussex, Avenue Verte includes the Forest Way and the Cuckoo Trail which together provide over 20 miles of traffic-free cycling, walking and horse riding along former railway lines.
The Forest Way follows a disused railway line and is flat and traffic-free.
It takes you through the heart of the East Sussex countryside, through small fields and farms among wooded, rolling hills.
The Cuckoo Trail is also an old railway line and offers superb, peaceful, traffic-free cycling. The trail runs through a mixture of broadleaf woodland, open grassland, arable farmland, and pasture with verges that are often thick with seasonal wildflowers like Vetch and Willowherb.
In France, the route uses a mixture of on-road and traffic-free sections between Dieppe and Paris.
From just outside Dieppe, the Avenue Verte follows the former Dieppe - Paris railway line for 25 miles, providing a fully surfaced, wide and traffic-free route.
The route in England is signed with National Cycle Network signs with the Avenue Verte symbol.
In France, the route is signed with slightly different Avenue Verte London to Paris signs.
The project has involved East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey County Councils, Transport for London (TfL) and Sustrans, in partnership with Le Departement Seine-Maritime in France.
Avenue Verte is an interesting and rewarding tour which allows you to cycle between two of Europe’s great cities.
Both London and Paris have a wealth of attractions if you want to extend your stay at either end of the route.
Would you like more route inspiration? Sign up to our enewsletter.
Please note
We have taken all responsible steps to ensure that these routes are safe and achievable by people with a reasonable level of fitness.
However, all outdoor activities involve a degree of risk. To the extent permitted by law, Sustrans accepts no responsibility for any accidents or injury resulting from following these routes.
Walking and cycling routes change over time. Weather conditions may also affect path surfaces.
Please use your own judgement when using the routes based upon the weather and the ability, experience and confidence levels of those in your group.