Help with route from Paris Cherbourg

Side Show Bob

Im hoping that someone who has done this trip could possibly help with planning a route from Paris to Cherbourg, hoping for the safest possible scenic route.

Many Thanks
SSB

dewindygap

Hi Side Show Bob. I have done this route twice (well most of it) coming the opposite direction. First time having come up the western side of the Cotentin Peninsula to Cherbourg and back via Valognes/St Marie Eglise (worth a visit)/ Carentan and then up to Caen via the Normandy Beaches (well worth the visit). The first part of this is the main route from Cherbourg (in fact the only 2 occasions I ever felt threatened on a bike in France were by Irish motorists coming off the ferry and hogging the right hand side of the road). I stayed in Caen and then headed to Paris so it's from here I tried 2 different routes to Paris........via Argentan/Dreux, the first year and via Lisieux/Evreux last year. I gotta tell you neither were very scenic and both were very lumpy.
The only positive thing I can tell you is to head for St. Cloud/Versailles from Paris as there is a cycle path all the way and is the least busiest, trafficwise, according to 2 French cyclist who drew me a map into the city.
There is always the Seine valley which is the route I will try if ever I return which is for sure very scenic but I suspect also pretty lumpy.

Captain Havoc

I went the other way also, Normandy beaches are worth the visit, I stuck to the coast along the Cotentin peninsula also, turning in at Quettehou to St. Pierre Eglise. Caen to Cherbourg is 200kms. I took a whole different route though as I was going south of Paris near Fontainebleu so I went via Alencon, Orleans and Montargis. I found the cycle into Paris long and I ran out of time and had to get the RER in from near Créteil.