Cycling Holiday - Brittany / Normandy

Genghis

I am planning a cycling holiday in Northern France to coincide with a wedding I am attending in July on Jersey. Ideally I would like to spend 6 days or so on the bike. Has anyone got any suggestions? Any ideas what costs are involved, any ideas for carrying gear, etc.

Merci!

Obscure

Last summer i cycled from Cherbourg for a week along the normandy coast as far as Carentan, meant to get to omaha beach but got lost that day. I'll dig out the details of what happened and post again soon.

Genghis

That would be great, Obscure, all help appreciated!

Obscure

http://www.bretonbikes.com/normandy.htm

20July - 28July

Ferry: Irish Ferries, Rosslare->Cherbourg

20th
Drove down to Rosslare with bikes on bike rack. Good cheap long term car park at horbour. Didnt get cabin on ship and so slept on seats near bottom of ship. Should have just unrolled the sleeping blanket and kipped on floor like other ppl did, much more comfortable.

21st
Arrived and stayed at campsite in Tourlaville.

22nd
Tourlaville -> St Vaast-la Houge
Took same route as link above. Good campsite, good ones cost around 13euro per night.

23rd
St Vaast-la Houge -> Carantan
Same route as link. Good campsite

24th
Meant to go to Arromanches but got lost. Couldnt find D197a and didnt work it out till we reached St Jean-de-Daye. Returned to Carantan and then decided to stay at campsite next to Utah beach, too late to try to make it to Arromanches. On way back to Utah we pass by turn off for D197a.

25th
Utah->Barfleur
Real cheap **** campsite, avoid.

26th
Took inland route to Tourlaville and stayed in campsite there.

27th
Staggered onto ferry.


If ur on a bike for 6 hours a day you need to get padding!!!! Only rained for 10 mins all week. A two man tent is only fit for 1 person! Also you need to remember that you need to keep some of your stuff in the tent with you during the night. Locked bikes to any trees next to tent. If we had made it to Arromanches we would have been in rush to get back so kinda worked out that we got lost when going there. If in rush to get to ferry and bike breaks or weather gets bad then ull have problems. Neither of us were keen cyclists and hadnt done anything like it before. Did around 40km each day on VERY weighed down bikes. However when spread over 6 hours it isnt that hard. Dont bring anything you absolutly dont need!

If I left anything out just ask.
Ob

Genghis

Thanks for all that info, obscure - the route in particular was just what I needed. Did you carry the camping equipment with you all the way? I was hoping to travel light and use the holiday to 'train' i.e.

I am not going for a leisurely tour, as such, more like 3-4 hours fast cycling a day. If bringing my own tent / camping equipment is out (all I want to bring is a change of clothes), then what might my options be?

Obscure

Yeah we carried a campsite on our bikes: tent, sleepingbags, mats, etc..everything came with us!

We meet a fella on the ferry back who had cycled from Italy during the week. He just had a small bag on his back and had stayed in B&Bs along the way. Didnt book the places beforehand just stopped and found accomadtion for the night. I'd imagine most of the villages would have some sort of accomadation you could use. You could go a good distance in 3-4 hours so youd have a fair number of places to find your accomadtion in. Also, most of the bigger towns have Tourist offices which could help (Cherbourg, St Vaast de Houge and Carantan had them).

I guess on what type of training you want to do, but carrying everything with you and going as fast as possible would be good for strenght and indurance training!