+44 (0)191 265 1110   info@skedaddle.com
France

Brittany

Self-Guided Leisure Cycling Holiday

Grade

1
2
3
4
5

Duration

8 days

Prices from

£1,035 P.P.
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A beautiful, self-guided cycling holiday in France - a country synonymous with idyllic cycling along quiet country lanes and backroads. You'll be riding through unspoiled, spacious countryside where cyclists are welcome and where the pleasures of the palate are rewarded daily. Brittany is famous for its rich cultural heritage and architecture. Castles, feudal fortresses and abbeys are all waiting to be visited, and the area is rich in flora and fauna.
Starting and finishing in the medieval town of St. Malo, your journey includes stops at the awesome 8th century abbey Mont St. Michel and the charming fishing village of Cancale. The coastal section includes a line of fine sandy beaches interspersed with rocks, reefs, granite headlands and sheer cliffs, which are dappled pink and grey in the sun. Heading inland you will visit the finest of Brittany's towns, with their medieval castles and charm. You'll cycle through quaint villages, farmlands and forests before finishing your cycling holiday where you started, in the walled town of St. Malo.
Our French cycling holidays are all about good food, comfortable accommodation and beautiful cycling routes which create a memorable cycling holiday experience. You'll be staying in carefully selected small 3 star hotels and guesthouses, and a warm welcome will greet you after each day out on your bike. 
This self-guided holiday is available for a minimum of two people. We book all your accommodation, transfer your luggage and provide you with cycling routes and a detailed itinerary. Just contact us with your preferred dates.
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Holiday Highlights

  • Exploring the walled town of St. Malo with its beautiful Emerald coastline
  • The striking 8th century abbey of Mont St. Michel
  • Cycling through the medieval city of Combourg and seeing its stunning “fairytale” castle
  • Discovering Dinan – Brittany’s best-preserved medieval town
  • Eating some of the freshest and finest seafood in the world
  • Following the coast between Cancale and St Malo

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Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival Day
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After making your way to your first night’s hotel, you will be provided with your bikes (should you be renting) as well as your route notes and maps for the trip. You will be welcomed to Brittany by a local representative who will brief you on the week to come, and go through your route notes. This gives you the opportunity to ask any last minute questions you might have.

Depending on your arrival time, you may have the opportunity to explore this historic town. Considered one of France’s most beautiful channel ports, St Malo is famed for its old walled city, filled with beautiful old buildings in a network of narrow streets, museums, restaurants and cafés.

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Day 2
St Malo to Dinan
20 Miles / 32 Kms Approx.
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  • Meals: Breakfast

Today you will cycle inland through the valley of the River Rance, along forest roads and over to the steep hill that leads you to Dinan, one of Brittany's most attractive and best-preserved, medieval towns. Here you will have plenty of time to explore its streets, alleys and ramparts, and discover the town’s art galleries and craft shops.

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Day 3
Dinan to Combourg
20 Miles / 33 Kms Approx.
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  • Meals: Breakfast

Today you will discover the Breton countryside, its quiet villages and its ancient monolithic structures which are known as 'Dolmen'. Your final destination for today is the medieval city of Combourg with its stunning castle. The castle grounds are open every day and the Lac Tranquille, at the entrance to the city, is an ideal place for an evening stroll.

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Day 4
Combourg to Fougeres
34 Miles / 55 Kms Approx.
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  • Meals: Breakfast

Sens de Bretagne, Rimou and other villages typical of the region are on today’s route. After cycling through the valley of the River Couesnon and the village of Tremblay, you will pass through tranquil forests and see some castles on the way to Fougères. There you will have the opportunity to explore this beautiful city and visit its impressive castle.

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Day 5
Fougeres to Pontorson
29 Miles / 47 Kms Approx.
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  • Meals: Breakfast

Today you will cycle through the Breton countryside, passing lovely small farmhouses and flower-filled villages. You can stop in the village of St Brice-en-Coglès and then continue along the small country roads through the banks of the River Couesnon to reach Pontorson (in Normandy).

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Day 6
Pontorson to Cancale
29 Miles / 46 Kms Approx.
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  • Meals: Breakfast

From Moidrey, great views of one of the main highlights of the whole trip begins to appear. Whether it’s your first or fifth visit, whether it’s sunny or misty, Mont St Michel is truly an amazing sight to behold. Get there as early as you can to enjoy the ancient ramparts, the Abbey, and views of the bay before it gets too crowded.

After this, you’ll wind your way across reclaimed land, glancing back occasionally to the magnificent Mont and to Le Vivier-sur-Mer on the edge of the bay. You’ll then arrive in Cancale, a picturesque fishing harbour whose port area is lined with restaurants offering oysters brought from beds just a few hundred metres away.

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Day 7
Cancale to St Malo
16 Miles / 26 Kms Approx.
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  • Meals: Breakfast

Today’s cycling is alongside sandy beaches and granite coasts with great seascapes on offer at Pointe de Grouin. You will also find a lovely beach and a fortress island at the Anse du Guesclin. The afternoon will see you making your way to St Malo, once again giving you the opportunity to explore this beautiful walled town.

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Day 8
Departure
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  • Meals: Breakfast

Time to say au-revoir to this beautiful region of France.

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The Cycling

Terrain

You’ll be riding predominantly along quiet, sealed roads (around 75% shared with vehicle traffic, and 25% on mixed-use cycle paths (cyclists and pedestrians)). The route is predominantly flat, but you will find some undulating sections, with the hilliest parts found between Combourg, Fougères and Pontorson. There is a short section after Dinan, of around 6 or 7 kms / 3 or 4 miles which is unpaved, and some short sections that see you riding on hard packed gravel and hard packed dirt / farm tracks. We recommend a hybrid bike for this tour. (Using a road bike is possible, but certain sections may need to be walked.)

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Leisure Cycling Grade

1
2
3
4
5
Grade 2-3: Gentle/Moderate

Aspects of both our grade 2 and 3 holidays

Suitable for those looking for some cycle friendly routes

Features some modest climbs

Possibly sections of varying terrain (eg. forest tracks, gravel paths etc).

Our grading guidelines have been carefully created based on our many years of cycling experience, as well as customer feedback from our trips. Of course, if you're still struggling to figure out where you fit on the scale, do feel free to give us a quick call and we'll be more than happy to help!

For more information about our grading system click here.

Is this suitable for you?

Holidays that are graded as a 2-3, will have aspects of both our grade 2 and 3 holidays. These tours are still suitable for those perhaps who have recently got into cycling, and offer an array of accessible, cycle friendly routes, cycle paths and quiet roads, however there will be some days / sections where you may have to tackle some ups and downs, the occasional steeper climb and perhaps some varying terrain (forest tracks, gravel paths etc). Suitable for those with a decent level of physical fitness, looking for some leisurely rides with occasional (achievable!) challenges along the way.

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Dates & Prices

The season prices below are per person, and are applicable for all start dates between and inclusive of the stated dates.

2022 08 Apr – 30 Oct

18 Mar – 30 Jun and 01 Sep – 30 Oct

Season 1 – £1035 Friday, Saturday & Sunday Departures

Season 1 – £1075 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday Departures

01 Jul – 31 Aug

Season 2 – £1095 Friday, Saturday & Sunday Departures

Season 2 – £1125 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday Departures

Choose your date
Start Date
End Date
Duration
Price p.p.
Start Date
Return Date
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Duration
8 days
Price
£1,035.00
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Whats Included Tick

A) Accommodation (shared twin / double en suite rooms) in 3* hotels and chambres d‘hautes

B) Meals as per the itinerary (B-Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)

C) Local representative (with welcome meeting)

D) Detailed route notes and maps

E) Luggage transfers

F) GPX files on request

What's not Included Cross

A) Bike rental (available if required)

B) Flights and charges for travelling with your bike

C) Travel to first hotel on arrival day

D) Travel from final hotel on departure day

E) Single room (available if required)

F) Travel insurance

G) Meals not stated in the itinerary

H) Personal clothing and equipment

I) Personal expenditure (souvenirs, bar bills, hotel facilities etc)

J) Entrance fees to museums and other attractions en route

K) City tax (payable locally) – between €0.80 and €1.50 per adult per day (where applicable)

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The Essentials

Travel Options

For this tour we ask that you make your own way to your hotel in St Malo on arrival, and onwards at the end of the trip. We’d ask that you aim to arrive before 17.30 if possible.

The ferry services from Portsmouth to St. Malo make driving a very straightforward option with your hotel only a couple of Kms away from the ferry port (this option is available through www.brittany-ferries.co.uk.) The option to pre-book a parking space at a favourable rate is available – please ask for details.

If you’d prefer to take the train you can catch the Eurostar from London St-Pancras to Paris Nord (2 hours 15 mins) and catch the TGV from Paris Montparnasse to St-Malo (3 hours 10 mins).

The most convenient airport to fly into and out of for this trip is Dinard – Pleurtuit – St-Malo Airport (DNR). You can fly direct with Ryanair from London Stansted (STN), and seasonally, from East Midlands (EMA). There are no connecting rail or bus services from DNR to St Malo, it’s best to pre book a taxi for the 20 minute (approx) transfer.

Please check with Skedaddle before making any travel arrangements so we can ensure they fit in with the holiday schedule.

Accommodation

Accommodation (shared twin or double rooms) will usually be ensuite in 3 star hotels and chambre d‘hôtes. Triple rooms are available on request and subject to availability.

Bike Hire

If you don’t own a suitable bike or would prefer to avoid bringing your own we have bikes available to rent. These bikes are typically touring/hybrid bikes with semi-slick tyres, 21 gears, and a relaxed riding position (see above for example, although the exact model may differ).

If you do decide to rent we can include a helmet on request; please request helmets when making your booking.

If you choose to rent an e-bike, there will be a 250 Euro deposit required on arrival, which can be paid using a credit card. This will be fully refunded when the bikes are returned undamaged. Rental bikes come with pannier racks and bags, emergency repair kit including spare inner tubes, bike pump and bike lock. GPX files are usually available on request (please contact our office for more details).

Please note if you are bringing your own bikes, the hotel in Cancale can only offer indoor bike storage in the restaurant after dinner service, so bikes will have to be locked up outside for the first part of the evening and moved again before breakfast service. If this isn’t suitable for you, please let us know and we can look into using a different hotel on this evening (most suitable alternative with bike storage is a 2* hotel outside of the city centre: https://hotel-nuitetjour.com).

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News, Reviews & Stories

9 things about cycling in France...

Not only is it home to world-class cuisine and some of the most beautiful landscapes, it’s also the spiritual home of cycling...

Two Britons go to Brittany!

Reviews

6

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