Our cycling tours in Normandy

Discover Normandy by bike

Normandy is an ideal destination for cycling enthusiasts. Through a wide variety of coastal landscapes, forests, plains and rolling bocage countryside, the cycle routes and small roads will lead you to discover Normandy’s rich historical and cultural heritage.

Exploring the Normandy countryside by bike takes you through rolling bocage landscapes. The scattered hedgerows and small woods contribute to the beauty of the landscape while providing habitats for a multitude of animal species, from small mammals to nesting birds. These traditional agricultural ecosystems, although shaped by human activity, are essential for the conservation of local biodiversity.

Cycle routes also run along the Normandy coast, where marine and coastal biodiversity is remarkable. The chalk cliffs of Etretat and the vast stretches of beach provide unique habitats for species such as seagulls, gulls and other marine birds. Marine nature parks such as the Cotentin and Bessin are protected areas where marine flora and fauna are preserved, helping to regenerate fish populations and conserve fragile coastal habitats.

Normandy’s fascinating history also enriches the experience of discovering the region by bike. Known as the site of the famous D-Day landing beaches during the Second World War, Normandy is steeped in deep historical memory. Remains of fortifications and commemorative museums bear witness to this crucial episode in world history, offering visitors a moving perspective on the past.

Along the coastline with the landing beaches and the fishing and sailing ports, as well as its towns and villages worthy of interest, Normandy promises to combine cycling and discovery.

The region and its inhabitants

The beauty and variety of Normandy’s landscapes have attracted many famous painters. Monet, Courbet, Manet have, among other things, contributed to the global reach of the region. But the Norman imagination has also inspired great names in literature as Flaubert, whose famous novel Madame Bovary plunges us into the heart of Normandy in the mid-nineteenth century or Maupassant, who settled in Etretat.

Normandy is also a place steeped in historic places and events. From Caen to Bayeux via the landing beaches, the visitor is transported through the history of France, Europe and the world.

During your bike stay, you may have the chance to participate in one of the major traditional fairs such as Lessay which welcomes nearly 400,000 visitors each year and the oldest date back to the 11th century. You will be able to taste the culinary specialties of the local terroir which are the pride of the Normans such as grilled mutton and the inevitable camembert, all interspersed with the traditional “norman hole”, glass of Calvados, the local brandy. The village festivals, meanwhile, regularly highlight folk groups and traditional dances where the traditional costumes of the nineteenth century Norman come out.

Meet the Normans and their region rich in traditions, history and lifestyle.

Roads and bike lanes in Normandy

The Normandy region is a favorite destination for cycling holidays. There are more than 550 km of cycle routes developed as greenways. 4 main itineraries allow you to discover the region and its landscapes: The landing beaches to the Mont-Saint-Michel, The Avenue Verte London-Paris from Giverny to Dieppe, The Véloscénie from Perche to the Mont-Saint-Michel and the Tour de Manche from Cherbourg to the Mont-Saint-Michel..

You can also venture on the Vélo Francette® towards the Atlantic Ocean to complete your discovery of Normandy in complete safety. The projects are not lacking with the development of the banks of the Seine which by 2020 will connect Geverny to Le Havre over nearly 250 km.

The Normandy weather

Bordered by the Channel, Normandy offers a temperate ocean climate. The seasonal amplitudes are low, which allows moderate summer temperatures suitable for cycling stays, around 20 ° C. The region is very rainy in autumn and winter but in summer it varies depending on the area where you are. The coast is generally sunny but the cyclist is not protected from the wind! Inland, there are also disparities related to hilly terrain.

The 8 must-sees in Normandy

Sites of interest are not lacking in Normandy. Here is a selection that will not fail to delight you during your cycling holiday:

• The D-Day Beaches, the hotspot for the end of the Second World War, with many sites and military cemeteries to commemorate D-Day
• Etretat and its majestic cliffs
• The Mont-Saint-Michel, its bay and its abbey
• Rouen, the “City of 100 bell towers”, city-museum with cobbled streets, half-timbered houses and numerous Gothic churches
• Deauville, seaside resort famous for its American film festival, its boards, its luxury hotels and its casino
• Caen, its medieval city and its rich historical heritage
• Bayeux, medieval city with exceptional architectural heritage and its famous tapestry preserved for nearly 1000 years
• Honfleur and its old bay, tourism hotspot in Normandy