Cycle Northern France: Brittany to Normandy

Your adventure starts in Rennes, the beautiful capital of Brittany. If you arrive in good time, make sure to explore the old town, home to half-timbered houses from the 15th century and the 17th-century Cathédrale Saint-Pierre.

Around 6pm, say bonjour to your tour leader and fellow travellers, where we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead during a welcome briefing. Your tour leader then ensures a big welcome over a group dinner of Breton specialities: crêpes and cider.

Want extra time in Rennes? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative. 

Leaving Rennes, we transfer to the town of St Germain to pick up our bikes. We then descend to the first lock of the Ille et Rance canal to begin cycling along the towpath, taking the flat route through an otherwise hilly landscape.

Our ride takes us through villages and towns, including peaceful Léhon where we visit the ancient abbey, and past a series of 11 flower-decorated locks. These villages, along with their unique characteristics and attractions, provide a glimpse into the rich cultural and historical heritage of northern France. We end at the medieval port town of Dinan, where we enjoy a shellfish-tasting session at the port with a local supplier.

We enjoy a little walk around Dinan this morning. Nestled along the River Rance, Dinan features well-preserved medieval architecture, including ramparts, half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets, plus a delightful blend of art galleries, boutiques and cafes.

We then collect our bikes and set off, following the River Rance estuary, a greenery-lined waterway, towards the coast. On our gentle cycle, we can admire the boats sailing along the river and the tranquillity of the landscape. We pass granite cliffs and sandy beaches punctuated by traditional fishing ports and villages, before arriving in the pretty seaside town of Dinard. Here we catch the shuttle boat across the Rance estuary to Saint-Malo.

We then have time for a guided tour of this spectacular historic port city, taking in the expansive 12th-century fortified ramparts and a statue of local maritime explorer Jacques Cartier.

We begin with a short transfer, before hopping on our bikes for a day exploring the best of the Emerald Coast – a beautiful mix of classic European shorelines and Breton countryside.

Along the way, we stop for a seaside picnic and to visit the harbour town of Cancale, where shellfish has been a delicacy since the Roman age. We take the opportunity to try some oysters .

After Cancale, it’s an easy, flat ride. We pass Mont-Dol, a 215ft (65m) high rock in the middle of the marshes where, legend has it, Saint Michael met the devil. We finish in Mont-Saint-Michel, where a Unesco-listed island is crowned by a magnificent Benedictine abbey, which appears to float when the highest tides surround the island with seawater.

We leave Mont-Saint-Michel early, taking a minibus transfer to medieval Bayeux. There is time to see the architectural wonders of the town, including the 11th-century cathedral, narrow cobbled streets and half-timbered houses.

It’s then back on the bikes as we cycle through the countryside to Omaha Beach, one of the five beaches on which Allied forces landed during the D-Day invasions of the Second World War. That is followed by a moving visit to the clifftop Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, where more than 9,300 American soldiers were laid to rest. We then head to a local cidermaker for a tasting and a guided visit before making our way back to Bayeux.

There's time to visit the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy (tickets not included) this morning, before we cycle across the countryside to Longues-sur-Mer, where we can see an imposing German artillery battery from the Second World War, and Arromanches, where we see the remains of an artificial port commissioned by Winston Churchill.

We then take small country roads through typical Norman villages to the pretty fishing port of Courseulles-sur-Mer. In the afternoon, we visit the Juno Museum Centre including a guided tour of a former observation bunker. Before hopping back on the bikes for the ride to our last hotel in Saint Aubin Sur Mer, where we enjoy our final dinner as a group.

Accommodation: Clos Normand (or similar)

Upgrade to a sea-view room with a balcony today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Our cycling adventure across northern France ends after breakfast. If you’d like to spend more time exploring this beautiful part of Europe, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.