This 340km circular bike route from Cherbourg is a great way to explore Normandy. The distance can be chopped in half with a short cut.
Normandy is home to several ferry ports, making it an obvious choice for cyclists visiting France from the UK for a weekend – or even a day – cycling trip. Brittany Ferries sails to Cherbourg from Poole and Portsmouth.
The ride explores the beautiful Cotentin Peninsula, which is both rural and coastal. The section to the east covers some key World War II sites, including D-Day beaches – even with the tourism that the D-Day beaches brings, this area is barely touched by development (and only marginally more so by tourism).
If you don't have time for the full route, you can take a short cut from Carentan to Haye-du-Puits to cut the distance in half.
More information on cycling in Normandy
See our overview of cycling in Normandy for lots more route ideas. See here for the D-Day beaches, and also our D-Day beaches to Mont St Michel report. We also have coverage of the London to Paris Avenue Verte, which passes through Normandy, and info on cycling the coast around Cancale, the oyster capital.
Thanks to Kevin who posted the following feedback on this route on our Facebook page: