La Vélo Francette is one of France's newest long-distance signposted bike routes. It links Ouistreham (Caen) in Normandy to La Rochelle on the Atlantic Coast.
Distance: 630km
Difficulty: Easy - moderate. This is a great route for families abut also for long-distance road riders. It mixes voies vertes (greenway routes) with quiet back roads. There are some hilly sections but if you take your time, it's more than achieveable for newer and less experienced riders. Choose the westerly diversion south of Caen if you want to avoid the most difficult stretches.
Thanks the Normandy Tourist Board for making the official GPX file available for me to share.
Download the full GPX file for your Garmin here.
I rode this route in 2015 just before it opened.
Here is a suggestsed itinerary + links to daily reports.
Photo call just outside Niort on La Velo Francette. Photo: freewheelingfrance.com