thanks bill, hippy and mdja

for planning routes there is a website called Bikely which is very helpful. we are aiming for geneva - i have a fair idea of which towns i want to see / have a look around and so on. i'm probably going to be doing a route a bit south of yours

we will be staying in hostels / b&bs or hotels - i like camping but we want to keep the things we have to bring to a minimum and make the cycling reasonably speedy

so panniers are a bit of a must then? i can fit a pannier on my fixed wheel bike if i want. i'm fit but after reading about the flatness, i'm thinking that it wouldn't be quite as enjoyable as i had imagined. so maybe buying a second hand geared racing bike on ebay then selling it when i get back would be a plan

bill: hahaha - bibs with a good pad crucial then?

how are the d roads for cycling, safety wise?
which would be the best / quickest way from london to calais?

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/163894