France Self Guided Bike Tour – Brittany & Normandy
From Saint-Malo to the D-Day Landing Beaches
On the tracks of the D-DAY, this week long cycling trip will take you on the path of freedom from Saint-Malo to Bayeux.
Along the coast in Brittany and Normandy, you ride along the path that the allies opened in 1944 after their landing on the Normandy beaches. The route offers many historical and natural sites for you to discover. The Second World War is still present along the Côte de Nacre. Through places of memories, you can feel the atmosphere and relive historical events.
The route will take you to:
- The Mont Saint-Michel, part of UNESCO’s World Heritage, which calls travelers from around the world. Climb to the top and visit the abbey. It is worth a visit !
- Mont Saint-Michel’s Bay, an exceptional natural site you ride close to thanks to a small road away from traffic.
- D-DAY Landing Beaches: Omaha, Gold, Juno beaches and related sites like the Pointe du Hoc and Port Winston d’Arromanches. They help better understand the landing and its difficulties. Many museums retrace the history with equipment and archive images.
Participate in a journey through time and space, celebrating courage and freedom.
2025 Price: €1550 Euros pp double occupancy
Price Includes:
- 6 nights’ accommodations with breakfast
- 1 dinner, luggage transfers
- phone assistance during tour, loan of a GPS uploaded with routes
- info on restaurants for lunches and dinners
- personal briefing and bike fitting at the start
Price Does Not Include:
Bike rental, lunches, dinners (1 dinner is included) beverages
Tour Difficulty
This is moderately hilly tour with daily distances between 40 – 75 km and climbs of 350 – 700 meters/day. We have hybrid bikes, e bikes and road bikes available to rent.
Tour Highlights
- Saint-Malo and its historical center
- The Mont Saint-Michel
- The D-Day Landing Beaches
- Bayeux, a beautiful preserved historical city in Normandy
Itinerary
Day 1- Saint-Malo & Dinard Loop Distance: 40KM Climb: 373M
Welcome to Saint-Malo. Take a morning train and upon arrival you’ll have an orientation with our local representative. At that time of exchange, you’ll receive your rental bike and last practical tips, must-see places and experiences, and you’ll have time to ask all your questions and take care of your bike fitting to begin your trip before you begin your first arrive.
Embark with your bikes for a small cruise by water bus. You will cross the Rance estuary and reach Dinard. Cycling, you weave between the nineteenth century villas that are the hallmark of the city. Then along a scalloped coast you will continue a ride in the fresh, iodized air! On the return you will go back to Dinard and take the water bus back.
For a more relaxing start of the tour, we suggest that you arrive in Saint-Malo the previous day and we can arrange additional hotel for the night.
Day 2 – From Saint-Malo To Mont-Saint-Michel Distance: 75KM Climb: + 429M
Your cycling route runs along the Emerald Coast and the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel. Between land and sea your path will take you to meet local producers: Oyster growers, mussel farmers, breeders … So many specialties that you can taste throughout your stay. Take advantage of your break in Cancale to taste its famous horse oysters.
Day 3 – From Mont-Saint-Michel To Granville Distance: 64KM Climb: + 433M
Far out in the Bay, a small road runs along the sea. The spot place is ideal for a picnic! Before that, it will take an effort to climb Avranches, a typical city of Normandy with its dark stones and small shops. Delicatessen specialties are very appreciated and allow you to easily compose your lunch.
Day 4 – From Granville To Saint-LO Distance: 65KM Climb: + 553M
From Granville, a seaside resort town which has preserved its prestige thanks to its architecture, you ride North to Coutances. Visit a beautiful church in the city center. The Normandy grove opens up in front of you. The road to Saint-Lo is a bit more hilly.
Day 5 – From Saint-Lo To Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont Distance: 54KM, Climb:353M
From Saint-Lô, follow the Vire to Carentan les Marais, a charming little town with a marina and half-timbered houses. The route runs alongside the river, offering views of the Normandy countryside and bocages. Stop off at the Maison du Parc Naturel Régional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin to discover the local flora and fauna, then on to the Musée D-Day Experience in Saint-Côme-du-Mont, which offers a historical immersion in D-Day. Finally, cycle to Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, a village marked by the D-Day landings.
Day 6 – From Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont To Bayeux Distance: 68KM Climb: 400M
The cycle route starts in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, crossing the vast plains to Carentan, where you can admire its port and half-timbered houses. Continuing on to Isigny-sur-Mer, famous for its dairy products, you pass through the village of Osmanville.