Brittany and Normandy Combined

Day 1

From the walled city of St Malo quiet roads follow the river Rance upstream to ancient Dinan. The lower town comprises the old quayside, with cafes and restaurants along its bank, whilst a steep cobbled street leads up through the ancient gateways and through the town walls to the upper town with its market square and fine half-timbered houses. From Dinan we aim for the coast again, passing an atmospheric ruined chateau with fine creperie next to it, to our hotel which lies on the seafront in a pretty harbour, where you can watch the sun go down over dinner. (82 km / 51 miles).

Day 3

A shorter day starts with quiet lanes again leading us to the lake of Guerledan, which we ride around; many small lanes lead down to the lake which offer fine views. Half way round there is an old abbey and restaurants beside the Nantes - Brest canal; a pretty setting for lunch. Here you can slip inside for a guilty treat such as a Paris-Brest or a Kouign Amman. Either would be well-deserved and you don’t need to worry too much about what you eat on a cycling holiday! Our hotel in Pontivy is very friendly and in the evening we may visit a local creperie for dinner to taste the local specialities, washed down with a ‘boul’ of cider. (67 km / 42 miles).

Day 5

North from Paimpont we pass again through ancient oak forest before the countryside opens up and there are some lovely views. The small village of Becherel has a beautiful cobbled central square with a conveniently placed retaurant for an early lunch, seemingly untouched for centuries, and riding north from here we pass many fine manor houses nestling in wooded glades, before following the Rance back to St Malo where we spend the night. (92 km / 57 miles).

Day 7

Continue inland into the heart of Normandy and everywhere it becomes apparent that apples and cows play an important part in the life of this region. More quiet roads today with scarcely any traffic as we ride east to Domfront and the spa town of Bagnoles de l’Orne and then swing north to Flers. This is unspoilt countryside and cycling through the network of small fields and shady forests is a pleasure. (83 km / 52 miles).

Day 9

From Clecy there are a few more hills before the landscape gets gentler as we approach Caen. This ancient city was all but destroyed during the second world war yet miraculously the cathedral survived almost unscathed. There is a pretty port in the centre of the city from which we take the bike path back to Ouistreham, passing Pegasus Bridge on the way. If not returning back to the UK via the ferry from Ouistreham we recommend a circuit up to Pegasus Bridge and back. (69 km / 43 miles).

Travel Information

Start: St Malo
Finish: Ouistreham

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