Brittany and Normandy France Bicycle Routes, WorldCycleWays

Brittany and Normandy

Both of these rides are through a very scenic portion of France. Of the two, Normandy is far easier and less road traffic and can be done fairly quickly. The Brittany coast is scenic, hilly and has more road traffic.

Normandy A mix of cycle paths and quite rural roads, Normandy is an area with beautiful countryside and historical sites with excellent food and drink. Normandy has 4 major routes with signage to recommended places: the Veloscenic from Perche to Mont-Saint-Michel, the D-Day Landing Beaches to the Mont-Saint-Michel, the Avenue Verte from London to Paris via Giverny and the Little Tour of the Manche from Cherbourg to the Mont-Saint-Michel. Described below is the Tour de Manche from Cherbourg to Mont-Saint-Michel.

Distance: about 350 km.

Brittany From Mont-Saint-Michel to Roscoff, following the coast of Brittany the route is hilly, on country roads and is an integral part of the EuroVelo 4. This route is definitely maritime, going along Brittany’s north coast, and makes up a section of the cross-Channel Tour de Manche cycle route.

Distance: about 400 km.

Roscoff to the Loire, This route doesn't exist as a single defined cycle way but the ride can be done on the small rural roads that follow the coast line to the Loire. The route is hilly but you can choose less step climbs by using a terrain map.

Distance: about 400 km.

Guides, Maps and Other Information

Tour de Manche The site seems to be down but I'm leaving the link up in case the site returns. A 1200km long itinerary; follows the coastline of Brittany through the famous Pink Granite Coast and Cap Fréhel and links Brittany and Normandy to Dorset and Devon, two counties of South-West England.

The Tour de Manche by bike in Normandy on France Velo Tourisme.

Mont St-Michel - Roscoff an integral part of the EuroVelo 4. follows the cross-Channel Tour de Manche cycle route.

The coastal cycle path - Route 5 From Roscoff to the Loire valley Brittany is developing a coastal cycle path. Voie 5 (Route 5) will stick more or less closely to the region’s shores, bays and indented coastline.

Brittany tourism site

Experience France A site similar to this but dedicated to cycling in France. Try the Britanny and Normandy pages.

See the Maps and Guides page for more mapping information.

Normandy, click on map for larger image.

An interactive map of the Normandy routes can be found here.

Brittany, click on map for larger image.

An interactive map of the Brittany routes can be found here.

Map information

There are many cycling apps with maps available for iphone and android. A couple of the better offline apps are listed here.

Can be used to follow cycleways in this area (and other routes)

Guru Maps has the ability to show map types other than OpenStreetMap, in particular it will display OpenCycleMap.

What it is Like

This area has a strong cultural influence of both France and Britain, Normandy and Brittany link with the South West of England. The Normandy side follows the Vire Valley across the department of Manche from Cherbourg to the UNESCO world heritage site of Mont-Saint-Michel. This area saw some of the most intense fighting of WWII and you will see remains of the war throughout the area. The cycleway in Normandy follows greenways and at times car free cycle paths. Portions of the route on roads are lightly traveled.

In Brittany we rode the coastal route and found it busy and difficult to follow. However Brittany is criss-crossed by eight major véloroutes and greenways so the cyclist could chose different cycleways depending on what kind of ride they want. France Velo reports that "all these cycle paths are safe and comfortable, following rivers and canal towpaths, disused railway lines, or quiet lanes hugging the coast." This is probably true for most the cycleways in the area but don't expect dedicated cycle paths at every location. France Velo uses the term "cycle path" rather loosely, there may not actually be a dedicated cycle path.

- Travel Tips
If your traveling from the UK, Normandy can be easily reached by using the ferries that cross the channel. From Heathrow airport there is train service that will take you to Portsmouth. Paris is also relatively near and the ride could be started at Le Havre or Dieppe. The southern end of the ride connects to the Loire Valley and EuroVelo 6 allowing the traveler to extend their trip across Europe.

Brittany Tourism Freewheeling France has much information about bicycles and french trains.

- Ride Quality
All of the route is paved. Normandy has sections on dedicate bike paths, all other sections are on roads. The Normandy portion of this ride is easy and strait forward. Much of the route is on dedicated bike paths and the rest on quite country roads. Its not too hilly and the scenery is great.

Normandy, Feugères
At Feugères in Normandy. This is a typical view of the roads in the area.

- Elevation Change
Normandy; a fairly level ride suitable for any rider. Brittany coast; hilly and steep but worth the views.

Lavoire
Many beautiful villages are along the way in Normandy

- Best Season
Spring and Fall. Winters are cold and summers are too hot.

Normandy is definitely the easiest area to ride in comparison to Brittany. There is less traffic on the roads and less hills. Although Brittany does have its beautiful coastal areas.

Mont Saint Michel
Mont Saint-Michel at the southern end of the Normandy ride

In Brittany the coastal are probably worth the pain of riding the hills. The towns are nice and the food is great. Village markets are open in season.

Near Bénodet in Brittany.

The village of Pont-Aven should not be missed on any ride through Brittany.

Friendly villagers will greet you along the way.