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My son and I have been doing a few overnighters recently. He saw a YouTube vid on riding to Istanbul and wants to do that but he's only 11 so getting the time seems impossible. But as I am a teacher 6 weeks of summer next year we can do something.
I was thinking start in Roscoff see a couple of great Aunts in that part of world and then head along Eurovelo 4. All the way to Calais seems ambitious but we could get on a ferry at say Caen, Le Harve or Dieppe could work in about 2-3 weeks.
Anyone done similar? Got any timeframes? Can we just roll up to campsites in August and find spaces? Can we roll up to a town with a ferry home and book for next day? I detest over planned cycle tours, a begining and and end and a rough route then see what happens is my thing?
My first cycle tour I did biarritz to St malo along one of the euro velo routes (? 2) in summer after school. Absolutely loved it, almost completely flat and every lunch /dinner was by the beach. I'm sure we didn't do more than 60km a day over around 2 weeks, although may have misremembered it. Flew to biarritz with bikes in cardboard boxes then ferry/train home.
We found plenty of places to camp in forests,beaches, campsites and in the free aires they have in France.
Did 2 glorious weeks in Brittany years ago. St Malo is a great return point, but so is cherbourg, Caen or Dieppe. Lots of quiet coastal roads. Lots of great scenery, seafood, beaches. Quite hilly so difficult to get in a rhythm, but take it easy if it's a first trip and take your time.
Camped every night in a camp site, never booked ahead, and they always made space, even if they were showing full.
I’ve done a few tours in Europe with my other half, including in Brittany, and never booked ahead. We normally stayed in b&b and just booked in the afternoon for that night, depending where we got to and felt like staying.
There are so many options on booking.com and Airbnb that we never had an issue. Stayed in some incredible places too. Will get back to do it again some day!
Oh and just to note, nothing beats the feeling of lining up for the ferry on your bikes with the cars. Just you, you bikes and bags, and no plan. Awesome feeling 🙂
We just got back from Brittany yesterday, myself an my wife. She had never done any multi-day riding, so it was all new. We booked ahead and stayed mostly in 'cabanetapes', small wooden huts that sleep 2. Booking for these was pretty essential, but it was high season. We came into Roscoff and followed the start of La Velodyssee, then headed to Rennes via cycle route 2. Train back to Morlaix, cycle to Roscoff and job done. A great introductory tour (we did over 6 days). Apart form Roscoff to Morlaix mostly flat along canals/railway lines. Very dusty currently! I agree with cakeandcheese, getting on ferry with cars was ace. People in Brittany so friendly as well.
Oh and just to note, nothing beats the feeling of lining up for the ferry on your bikes with the cars.
Haven't done it for a long time but it is great.
Thanks for all the info so far.
Ive not been turned away from a single campsite yet but about to enter france in August. Ferries have all been turn up and go. Today i take ferry number 8.
We've toured every year in some part of France or other(pandemic years excluded).
Always camped using the smallest simplist municipal type campsites.
We have never been turned away, although this year we found some of the campsites listed hadn't reopened by the end of june.
I sent an email or two for the first couple of nights this year, but other than that have always just turned up. We book ferries the day before, having been burned at Dover when turning up without a reservation.
Finally, France seems to get alot quieter after the middle of august, as lots of people go back to work around then.
Its a fantastic place to cycle tour and will be a brilliant thing to do with your son.
My lad went on to ride home from sicily having been taken touring as a youngster and still regularly tours now.
about to enter france in August.
Are you on Strava, I'd like to follow along!!
I recommend the Nantes-Brest canal as well. Get a voie vertes map of Brittany for all the old railway lines that are mega popular. Roscoff to carhaix is a nice ride, good campsite with a bar at the end, then the canal is pretty close.
Lots of canal side facilities and really well waymarked. Gouarec campsite is a must see, and run by brits last time I was there.