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Northern Brittany

Cycling France: Brittany at the tip of your pedal

Bike from Rennes to Mont-Saint-Michel along the Brittany Coast to Cancale. Continue through to Dinan, Dole-de-Bretagne or Saint-Malo

Reviews (10) :
4.60 / 5
Reference B0801
  • Itinerant trip
  • 8 days
  • Easy
  • From April to Novembre
  • Minimum age 9
GPSGPS-app available
849€ / pers.
  • Itinerary
  • This extended bike trip lets you experience the many different sides of Brittany, from seaside villages to monuments representing Breton history. This biking vacation gives you a mix of present day French culture, history and outdoor attractions. You’ll ride past the parliament house in Rennes, along the Mont-Saint-Michel Bay and by the Saint-Malo city walls. Most days, you’ll be riding on quiet, country roads. From Rennes to Dinard, the route follows a historic towpath that makes for a great ride! Along the way, fishing villages add to the ambience of the Rance River.

    Part of the tour has you discovering the maritime side of Brittany by leading you along the Emerald Coast to Cancale. Of course you’ll stop and explore the famous Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel in the bay.
    You’ll meander on greenways next to the canals while also riding along the sea and into quaint villages such as Dinan or Dol-de-Bretagne. A bicycle tour is the best way to experience the sights, sounds and smells of Brittany.

    Day 1

     
     

    Rennes

    Rennes is the young and vibrant capital city of Brittany. Take a walk along the Ille and Vilane Rivers to get an overview of the city. Most of the town was destroyed by fire in 1720, but original sections still remain. The town center is vibrant with higgledy-piggledy half-timbered houses in various colors. Enjoy a delicious crepe, a speciality of the area.

    Day 2

     
     

    Rennes - Hédé

    Bike
    45km
    Cycle path along towpath
    Start your ride next to the scenic Ille et Rance canal and you’ll soon reach the ancient towpath. Follow this route and you’ll see many canals houses lovingly decorated with flowers. The canal is now popular cruising way for pleasure boats. It’s always interesting to watch how boats are raised or lowered in the many locks along the canal. Keep riding until you reach Hédé and its eleven locks.

    Day 3

     
     

    Hédé - Dinan

    Bike
    38km
    Cycle path along towpath
    Continue along the canal and towpath. Take time to explore the medieval town of Lehon with its splendid Royal Abbey.

    In Dinan, don’t miss taking a look at the 43 meter high "Tour de l’Horloge" which consists of both a dungeon and a bell tower.

    Day 4

     
     

    Dinan - Saint-Malo

    Bike
    25km
    This morning your route leaves the towpath as you ride further into the scenic countryside through forests and well-tented gardens. The trail is quite flat since the path was a former railroad line. As you arrive in the city of Dinard, have a look at the beautiful mansions overlooking the ocean.

    From Dinard, take the ferry to Saint-Malo, the old city of privateers! Ferry crossing between Dinard and Saint-Malo is included.
     

    Extension to Dinard

    Between Day 3 and Day 4
    You can spend an extra night in the beautiful town of Dinard.
       

    Ferry crossing between Dinard and Saint-Malo 0h

    Included

    Day 5

     
     

    Saint-Malo

    Spending this resting day by exploring all that Saint-Malo has to offer. Stoll around the luxurious mansions, the city’s fortifications or the harbor with bobbing sail boats.
     

    Suggested day trip : Cancale

    Bike
    42km
    Ride through the verdant countryside small routes to the Emerald Coast, where you will enjoy an amazing view onto the harbor of Cancale. You may even see the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.

    Bike down to the harbor and order some of the famous local oysters. You ride back then to Saint-Malo on the coastline road, along which you can take a few breaks on the small beaches scattered between "La Pointe du Grouin" and the city of pirateers.

    Day 6

     
     

    Saint-Malo - Dol-de-Bretagne

    Bike
    40km
    Today’s ride takes you along the wild, sandy beaches of the Mont-Saint-Michel. Ride at your own pace as you gaze at the magnificent abbey. You could enjoy some water activities in Hirel or bike directly through the countryside to Dol-de-Bretagne. This medieval town is dominated by the 13th century massive cathedral. Climb the Tour-Notre-Dame for outstanding views of the area.

    Day 7

     
     

    Dol-de-Bretagne - Mont-Saint-Michel (Pontorson)

    Bike
    38km
    Let’s get ready, your daily step takes you to the world-famous Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey! The gravity defying medieval monastery will astound you as you explore this massive building.

    Day 8

     
     

    Departure from Pontorson

    All good things must come to an end, and this is the final day of your tour. You can extend your stay or check out of your hotel after breakfast.
  • Accommodation
  • Category A

    You’ll enjoy staying in these clean and cozy 2-Star hotels that give you a pleasant rest after your day of biking. Breakfast is included when you spend the night in these friendly and family-run hotels.
    * Example of the type of accommodation

    Category B

    You’ll get a good night’s sleep when you stay in these 2 or 3 Star hotels or Bed and Breakfasts. All properties have been selected for their cleanliness, style and friendliness of the staff. A hearty breakfast is included!
    * Example of the type of accommodation
  • Bikes, luggage and documents
  • Bikes

    On your arrival day, we provide you with:

    • a touring bike adjusted to your size or a tandem
    • equipped : front rack pack with an integrated file compartment, saddlebag, helmet (on demand), reflective vest, repairing toolkit with patches etc.

    We also provide you with the appropriate equipment for your children : baby seat, bike trailer or trailer bike depending on their age and size.

    Electric bikes are also available for adults (+1m55).

    You can of course also bring your own bikes, in this case a reduction will be applied (see the Tarif tab)


    Luggage

    Our services include luggage transport in order to let you enjoy your trip comfortably and without stress :
    • We transport your luggage from one accommodation to the next using a private vehicle.
    • Your luggage is directly delivered in your accommodation before you arrive.
    • We provide a saddlebag for the things you shall need during the day.

    Our word of advice : as we know from experience, we strongly recommend you to avoid wearing a backpack during your cycling trip.
    If you expect to arrive at the next accommodation before 5 p.m., we recommend that you take an extra set of clothes with you in your bicycle bag.


    Travel documents

    A cycling holiday is the best way to explore a region and discover its culture, landscapes and local traditions.

    Your tour is self-guided to give you the freedom to ride at your own pace. You will be provided all the information you need to enjoy the itinerary and its points of interests.

    We can provide you with travel documents in paper format (for a supplement of €15 for printing and postage), which include:
    • a roadbook with maps that we drew at the easiest scale to follow on a bike
    • a roadbook with step-by-step description giving the direction to follow at each intersection and highlighting the points of interest

    Example of a map and of a step-by-step description


    Our GPS App

    For this trip, you can also use our smartphone app featuring GPS guidance (without extra fee).

    You will find in the app all the information given in the map and step-by-step roadbooks. You will be located on the itinerary with the GPS device of your phone. The route and directions to follow will be both viewable on the screen of your phone and announced aloud. As you ride along the itinerary, you will be given information about visits, restaurants, services and useful alerts on the way.

    -> You need to have a smartphone and download Le Velo Voyageur app on your Apple or Android store before the trip. All details concerning the downloading and the use of the application will be given after we have confirmed the booking and the balance is paid. Once the trip is downloaded, the GPS guidance can be used off-line.
  • Practical information
  • To get to departure point:

    • By plane: flight to Rennes.
    • By train: TGV (fast trains) from Paris Montparnasse. The duration of the trip is about 2h20. To plan your trip, www.raileurope.com.


    Parking

    If you drive to Rennes, you can park your car in a secured car park located in the city center, close to your accommodation. The weekly rate is about 25€. All details will be given in your travel documents.


    To get back to starting point:

    Regional trains take you back to your starting point if you wish. They are accessible without booking in advance and bicycles are free. You have to buy your ticket on spot (approximative duration: 50 minutes, full rate around 15€/adult). There are several trains per day. You will find the timetable in your travel documents.


    Meeting time:

    The first day is an arrival day without cycling. You arrive whenever you want depending on from where you come. Please note that rooms are usually available in the middle of the afternoon depending on your accommodation. We thank you to advise us if you plan to arrive late.


  • Reviews
  •   Memory of the trip  

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    10 bike travelers reviews 4.60 / 5

    A beautiful tour in Brittany

    On the 2023-07-06 by Cat
    Thank you for an excellent bike trip! The route was beautiful and varied, the hotels were all good (we especially loved the Hotel Quic en Groigne in St Malo) and the bikes worked well with no problems at all. It was a wonderful week.

    Great trip for the second time with Le Velo Voyageur!

    On the 2019-07-14 by Rebecca
    This was our second trip with Le Velo Voyageur and both times we loved it! Last year we did Bordeaux, le Medoc and the Atlantic Coast to Arcachon, and this year Brittany from Rennes to Mont St Michel. Both trips lasted between 7 to 9 days, and both trips were organized very nicely at every level- itinerary, guides, hotels, etc...There was nothing really missing or faulty- very impressive...We loved both itineraries, saw gorgeous sceneries, and ate just too well. Hotels are not fancy, but comfortable and clean, and sometimes quite surprisingly unusual and/or charming...We loved this itinerary, despite the heat wave we had for the first 3 days. Every place we explored was just so beautiful, from Le Canal de Rance, to Dinard, to Saint Malo, to Mont Saint Michel. We have given the name of le Velo to many friends and acquaintances interested in biking and highly recommend it. We hope to do another trip with them soon.

    Super

    On the 2019-07-04 by Shauna
    We spent 7 days biking around Brittany France and added a few days traveling by ferry out to the island of Sark. We couldn't have been happier with our experience with Le Velo Voyageur. Communication with Sarah was excellent from our initial questions about their various trips, to accommodating our request to visit Sark, to providing information on the trip. The hotels were good and it was a treat to find our luggage waiting in our rooms at the end of each day. The maps and directions Le Velo provided were accurate and easy to follow, we didn't need or use GPS. The route was outstanding, it followed canals and bike green ways the majority of the way and there were very few cars. Thank you Le Velo Voyageur for one of the best vacations we have ever had, we will see you again :)

    Zeer leuke fietsvakantie

    On the 2019-06-23 by Roel
    TOP. Zeer leuke fietsvakantie. Alles goed geregeld. Fietsen OK, Verblijven OK, Zeer goede uitgestippelde tocht. Die is echt leuk.

    Brittany 2018

    On the 2018-07-19 by John
    Velo Voyageur provided a wonderful itinerary, communication was prompt and clear, our hotels were excellent and baggage was delivered on time each day.

    Britany

    On the 2018-06-04 by Alison
    We thoroughly enjoyed our cycle tour of Brittany. We really enjoyed the hotels - the quality and location were much better than we expected. The cycle route was excellent, very little time spent on busy roads. Lots of interesting places to visit. Organisation of the trip was excellent. When our information package didn't arrive due to a mail strike, a solution was quickly found.

    Balade en Famille tous âges en Bretagne

    On the 2017-08-21 by Marc
    Des Circuits faciles malgré des distances de parfois 45 Km, mais sur du plat et très souvent en sites propres très peu circulants. Très sécurisant, à faire avec des enfants. Le déplacement au bord de l'eau est reposant, et l'on revit au rythme des mariniers et éclusiers.

    Splendide !

    On the 2016-10-02 by Matthieu
    Un parcours remarquable au calme le long du canal Ille et Rance puis sur les petites routes de Bretagne, soutenu par une organisation irréprochable !

    très bon circuit en vélo

    On the 2015-08-13 by Sylvie
    a

    Maren&Petter

    On the 2015-08-07 by Maren & Petter
    Great to discover Bretagne this way, and perfect climate during summer, avoiding the warmest part of France. Charming small villages, never heard of before, are now part of our memories for the summer of 2015. Dinan a perfect ´match´ after a long warm day. Wish another trip to be made for Normandie!
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