Cycle Brittany's Canals and Coast to Mont St Michel

Cycle Brittany's Canals & Coast to Mont St Michel

8 Days & 7 Nights 5 Read 2 reviews

Easy-going cycling from Rennes to the UNESCO listed Mont St Michel
Pedal and picnic along the Canal d’Ill et Rance
Discover the charming medieval town of Dinan
Enjoy a beachfront lunch of fresh oysters at Cancale
Explore the harbours and relax on the beaches of Dinard and St Malo

Discover the cities, villages and coastal towns of Brittany on this easy going cycling holiday, finishing with a day to explore the magnificent UNESCO listed island of Mont St Michel. Cycle from the vibrant centre of Rennes along the easy going Canal d'Ille-et-Rance to the colourful half-timbered buildings of medieval Dinan. Ride northwards along the Rance estuary, where you can take a day out of the saddle to explore the chic coastal towns and beaches of Dinard and St Malo. Rolling eastwards, pedal to the charming seaside town of Cancale and enjoy a lunch of freshly shucked oysters before arriving at the gateway town of St Mont Michel, Pontsoron for two nights. From Pontsoron, it’s just a short ride to the iconic UNESCO landmark which is worthy of a full days exploration including sampling many of the delicious variety of crepes on offer.

What To Expect

The tour is graded easy to moderate. Following the canal paths and coast line of Brittany, each ride is between 35-60km per day and is perfect to experience the contrast of Brittany’s historic cities, medieval villages and coastal towns as you journey from Rennes to Mont St Michel. Staying in centrally located cycle friendly hotels and B&B’s means you can easily explore the rich history, beaches and creperies of Brittany.

Trip Style:

Self Guided | Go at your own pace on an independent active holiday.

Activity:

Inn to Inn Cycling | A classic point to point cycling holiday, staying in a different location each night

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers, Multi-Generational, First Timers

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Historical Journeys
Coastal & Island

Inspiration:

Classic

Navigation

This cycling route follows a combination of cycle paths, quiet country roads, stretches of rolling coastal terrain and busier urban roads when approaching and departing towns and cities. Please always be mindful of other roads users at all times. Our tried and tested detailed routes notes and maps are easy to follow during your self-guided adventure. We also recommend using our Macs Adventure App. This easy to use app will navigate you through each of your daily rides. Full details of the app will be provided in your information pack.

Should you require assistance, local 24/7 telephone support will also be available throughout your trip.

Accommodation Information

On this trip you will spend 4 nights in 3* hotels, 1 night 2* hotel & 2 nights in a guesthouse . We regularly use the following properties but will accommodate in a hotel or B&B of equal standard should any of the following hotels be unavailable. Each stay at the listed accommodation is based on a standard room.

Single Rooms

If you require single rooms within your party or are travelling as a solo cyclist single rooms are available subject to a supplementary payment.

Meals

Breakfast is included each day at your hotel and usually consists of fresh pastries, bread, fruits, yogurts, cheeses, meats and granola. Dinner is also included on the evening of day 2 in Hédés. If you have special dietary requirements do let us know at the time of booking.

Lunches and 6 dinners are not included. One of our favourite experiences is to pick up local cheeses and boulangerie bread for a picnic. As you will be staying the heart of each village or town, there are extensive cafes and restaurants to choose from in the evening.

Included

6 Nights in 3* hotels and 1 night 2* hotel
7 Breakfasts & 1 dinner
Baggage transfer
Access to route notes, detailed maps and GPS tracks on the Macs Adventure smart[hone navigation app
24/7 Emergency telephone support from our office

Excluded

Travel to Rennes / from Pontsoron
Bike hire
6 Dinners
Lunches, drinks & snacks
Ferry on day 4 from Dinard to St Malo
Personal equipment
Travel insurance (required)

Extras

Additional nights along the route
Bike hire
Upgrade to e-bike hire

When To Go

This trip is available to start on any day from May to October and is subject to availability. Peak months in Brittany are June, July and August so we would suggest contacting us as soon as your plans are finalised.

Getting to the Start

For general travel planning, we recommend the helpful site www.rome2rio.com

Fly: Paris Charles de Gaulle, Orly or Beauvais airports. Train connections vary depending on which Paris airport you arrive into. There is a direct TGV train from Charles de Gaulle to Rennes which takes about 3 hours. Alternatively, if you make your way to Paris Gare Montparnasse in the city centre, there is a new TGV line that leaves from here and takes only 1 hour 25 mins to reach Rennes.

Train: Eurostar from London St-Pancras International to Paris (Gard du Nord). Change here and travel to Paris Gare Montparnasse in the city centre. The total journey time is approx. 5 hours and the whole trip can be booked at www.eurostar.com.

Drive: From Folkestone, take the Eurotunnel shuttle to Calais, and continue driving from here. From Calais, it is about a 5 hour drive to Rennes. Booking and more info can be found at www.eurotunnel.com

Drive and Ferry: Drive to Dover and take the ferry to Calais (approx. 1 hour 15 mins crossing). Then drive onto Rennes (approx. 5 hours drive). Alternatively you can get a ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo (11 hours) followed by an hour drive to Rennes, or Poole to Cherbourg (5 hours), followed by a 2 hour drive. Ferry info and booking can be found at directferries.

Getting from the End

From Pontsoron train station, you can return to Paris and connect through to any of the international Parisian airports or international train services. Journey time to Paris is approximately (4 hours).

If you need to return to Rennes to collect a car, train journey times to Rennes are approximately an hour.

Baggage Transfer

Baggage transfers are included in the price of your trip. We ask you to keep your baggage to a maximum of 1 bag per person (maximum weight 20 kg). If you require excess baggage allowance do contact us prior to travel.

General Information

The distances and ascents/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and trousers), sun hat and sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard cycling gear such as good shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Equipment

Scott hybrid bikes are available for hire. All bikes are equipped with a pannier, and spare inner tube along with a pump.

Many people also choose to hire an EBike. The added battery power provides assistance when required. For more information on how EBikes work click here.

If you’d like to hire a bike, please let us know your height and frame size you currently ride. Alternatively, we’re happy to answer any questions you have about the hire bike.If you would prefer to bring your own bicycle please ensure it is thoroughly serviced and is an appropriate hybrid or touring bike for this trip.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Bike that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.

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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Rennes