Here is how to cross the scary-looking Saint-Nazaire to St-Brévin-les-Pins bridge by bike.
Photo by Yves LC (own work, CC BY-SA 3.0).
A large and intimidating road bridge (above) links Saint-Nazaire and St-Brévin-les-Pins on the Atlantic Coast of France.
Cyclists working their way down the Atlantic Coast on the EuroVelo 1 La Veodyssee route, or people riding the EuroVelo 6 Loire Valley route at the western end may need to cross from one side of the Loire River to the other here. It's also at the southern end of the Vélocean coastal route that links Pénestin in the Morbihan department of Brittany to Saint-Nazaire in the Loire-Atlantique department of the Pays de la Loire region.
It is possible to cycle across the bridge – it has a narrow bike path but it is only segregated from traffic by white paint. Aside from the traffic, it can also get very windy, so your preference to cross the bridge may depend on your personal levels of comfort or your experience on the bike.
Paul Cox, who cycled across the bridge while on a St Malo to Bordeaux and Toulouse trip, has kindly allowed me to use this photo to illustrate what the bridge crossing looks like.
However, there is no need to ride a bicycle across the bridge if you don't want to.
Instead, there are three other ways to cross the Loire River safely from Saint-Nazaire to St-Brévin-les-Pins (plus a fourth further along the river).
1. Take a free shuttle bus
From July 1 to September 1 each year, the local authority provides a free shuttle for cyclists and walkers. It takes up to 8 bikes (plus cyclists and their trailers and baggage). It does not take tandems. It runs at least 9 times a day (more when it's busy). Reservations are not needed. In Saint-Nazaire, the bus stop is just off Boulevard des Apprentis (see here for map). The St-Brévin-les-Pins bus stop in Place Bougainville (see here for map). The local info website is here. (Please email me if you find these links do not work or have been changed and I will update them).
2. Take a local bus
You can also take the 317 bus across the bridge. It accepts bikes, but you need to plan ahead if you need to cross the bridge outside of the shuttle service season mentioned above. This is because you need to book your bike onto the local bus at least one day in advance and further ahead of you are travelling on weekends or Mondays. Phone +33 2 40 21 50 87 or +33 9 69 39 14 14. You can check bus times here. It only accepts trailers that fold down. The booking service is open 9am-4pm Monday-Thursday and 9am-12pm on Fridays. So crossings on Saturdays, Sundays or Mondays need to be booked by noon on the Friday.
3. Take a taxi
Another option is to call the Saint-Brevin taxi service (02 40 27 23 07). You should book ahead and let the taxi know exactly how many bikes you have and how much luggage. Bike taxis usually have rear bike racks and can take up to 4 bikes plus cyclists and panniers, etc.
And further along the river ...
There is also a free ferry service further east along the Loire. It takes bikes, cars and pedestrians from Couëron to Le Pellerin and vice versa. This is about 50km to the east of the bridge. It runs every 20 minutes or so from 6.20am to 8.20am. More info here.
Advice if you DO choose to ride across the bridge
Sometimes crossing the bridge by bike may be unavoidable (out of season, on a tandem, if there are strikes or public holidays and the shuttle isn't running, etc). Or maybe you just want to take on the challenge or you are keen on the views. Here is some advice from members of our Cycling in France Facebook community.
Paul Clark recommends the experience for the views. "I've cycled over the Pont de St Nazaire a few times – the last time was in September 2023 – on each occasion, I've never had a problem. Just keep right in between the marked cycle path. The view from the top is superb and it's a fast descent down the other side straight onto the EV6/EV1 cycle route. I think what puts most folk off is the traffic, which if you're not use to cycling in traffic could be a bit unnerving."
Nick Toulson says he rode south over it at about 11am. "Best tip from me is wait until rush hour is over and check that there are two lanes open in your direction," he says, "that way the vehicles can overtake you safely, especially if there's a westerly wind."
Peter Walter also said to wait for a quiet time. "I crossed a few years ago on a Sunday morning and the traffic was relatively quiet," he said.
Nancy North, who has cycled over it twice, agrees it can get very windy up top. "Recommend high viz jackets and saying a prayer before you venture out," she said.
Paul Cox, who sent in the photo above, said to look for the signage at the bottom. "I rode this a few years ago with no problems – you’ll need good brakes going down as is very steep."
Nicola Hancox approached the whole thing with good humour: "We cycled across this last year on our fully laden tandem, not too bad really. (Mind you I am the stoker and kept my eyes firmly shut until my captain called the all clear and we reached the other side."