Published by Lyn on 5 February 2019
Links to maps, brochures and online resources to help you plan your cycling holiday in Normandy.
The beautiful open roads and poppy fields of Upper Normandy are prefect for a cycling holiday in France. Photo: rrrth
- Help finding the best cycling holiday in Normandy for you
- Guidebook for cycling London to Paris through Normandy
- Guidebook for cycling Paris to Mont St Michel
- Guidebook for cycling northern France
- Guidebook for cycling the V4 coast from Brittany
* All these links to information about cycling in Normandy were OK at the time of posting – please do get in touch if you find a link that no longer works, and I'll update it (all help appreciated).
Most regional and smaller tourism websites in France have a lot of cycling information, but it's often in French only. However their cycling maps are usually still very useful for non-French readers and, with a little online translation and/or a good dictionary, it's not too hard to make use of the text, either. They can be a very handy resource to help you decide where and when to cycling in France, and to help plan your bike route. (See also our guide to cycling in Normandy.)
For cycling in Normandy, a good place to start is the Normandy Tourism website, which has links to assorted cycling maps and downloadable brochures. For more localised information, keep reading ...
Cycling in Manche (Lower Normandy)
The Manche Tourism map above that shows main green routes and cycle ways on the Normandy Peninsula. The Manche Tourism website has further information on cycling in Lower Normandy.
There are also links to what are described as les grands itinéraires à vélo (the grand cycling itineraries in Manche):
* La Véloscénie, the 440km greenway route from Mont St-Michel to Paris;
* Cycle routes around the beaches of Normandy;
* La Vélodyssée, the long-distance Atlantic Coast route that links Devon, in England, to France via Roscoff (Brittany); it passes through Normandy before heading south;
* Tour de Manche, a circular signposted route that will eventually link Devon and Dorset in England to Brittany and Normandy, via assorted ferry links. At the time of writing (December 2012), a shorter Petit Tour de Manche was completed, with the full Tour de Manche circuit expected to be finished during 2013. La Vélodyssée and the two Tour de Manche routes form part of the Cycle West that is developing cross Channel routes.
Michelin has a regional map covering Manche and Calvados; IGN has a dedicated Manche map.
Cycling in Calvados (Lower Normandy)
The Calvados Tourisme website has a cycling section, with local routes.
Michelin has a regional map covering Manche and Calvados, while IGN has a dedicated Calvados map. IGN has also got a cycling in Calvados map, which was published in 2000, but we haven't had any feedback regarding how out of date it may be.
Cycling in the Orne (Lower Normandy)
Orne Tourisme has this detailed brochure, which includes maps of local routes; it's in French but the maps are easy to understand. (It's a 2011 brochure so will hopefully stay online at that link or be replaced by an updated version – please drop me a line if you notice this or any other link has expired.) The website also carries details of the Orne stages of the La Véloscénie Mont St-Michel to Paris route.
IGN has an Orne regional map, as well as several maps dedicated to particular areas of interest, including the beautiful Forêt des Andaines and Athis-de-l'Orne.
Cycling in the Eure (Upper Normandy)
Eure Tourism website has a dedicated cycling section here.
IGN has a regional map of Eure, as well as more detailed maps covering places such as Breteuil, Pacy-sur-Eure, and St-Andre-de-l'Eure. Michelin has a combined Eure and Seine-Maritime map.
Cycling in the Seine-Maritime (Upper Normandy)
The Seine Maritime Tourism website includes information on a 45km route between Dieppe and Forges-les-Eaux that forms part of the London-Paris cycleway (the Avenue Verte).
Michelin has a combined Eure and Seine-Maritime map.
Bike hire in Normandy
For cycle hire in Normandy, see our listings, or save yourself the hassle by using our bespoke service.
Getting to Normandy
For ferry information and links, see our ferries to France page. For bus, train and airline links, see our getting to France page and our bike-train info page.
Accommodation in Normandy
Search our Where to stay section for links to hotels, B&B and self-catering options in Normandy, or zoom in on the map above for bike-friendly places to stay from our database. See also our accommodation in France article for an overview of various accommodation options.
