For Camping Routes Go Here

Cycle camping is our first love. Our own holidays are spent in the saddle (along with three children under 16!), this plus our 19 years running Breton Bikes mean we probably know as much about cycle camping in France as anyone else alive. We believe that France is the finest country in the world for cycle camping. The network of high quality campsites is immense, even in areas rarely visited by tourists there is usually a campsite every 10 miles or so. We give you a route plan of the "turn left at the third bar in the village" variety, which will take you from campsite to campsite. The sites we use are generally the smaller quiet ones, but all will have hot showers and decent toilets. They are also almost always near a village or town, usually with a restaurant/hotel within easy walking range.

what happens when you arrive

What Tom Moriarty thought of French cyclecamping...

A brief extract..."Campgrounds were absolutely spotless. I have never seen anything like them for cleanliness in Canada or the States. I would be embarassed to bring any of the group over here for camping."

FIXED CENTRE CAMPING

We have bought six small frame tents with two bedrooms, table/chair sets, campbeds and small two ring cookers. As this little lot weighs over 100 kgs it's not something you can carry on your bike! They are not the 'canvas bungalow' you sometime see but they do offer more creature comforts that our usual lightweight stuff. For those who want something more solid we now have 'Daisy the Caravan' on offer.
The 'Fixed Centre' option keeps you at Gouarec for the week, a site right next to the canal, within 300m of a large supermarket and several restaurants and hotels. As for cycling there's the canal towpath in both directions, a cyclepath to the nearest market town and a mass of deserted country lanes, so for beginners, people who can't face the idea of lightweight camping and families this is a perfect option. The campsite has now been taken over by an old family friend (who you pay for the camping - about £50 for the week depending on numbers) which should be even better for our campers - go see his site here

MOVING ON CAMPING ROUTES

Because the network of campsites in Brittany is so huge we can offer a route to every corner of the region. They vary from a week spent at our local campsite, with circular routes around the area, to a two week dash taking in the north and south coast, and a lot of the centre. In-between the two are more than ten tours each with its own charm. We do not book or pay for the campsites in advance, so in fact if you wish we can simply supply you with a map, campsite guide and say "see you in two weeks!" You pay for the sites when you arrive at each one, but the cost averages only about £2-3 a night. This flexibility means that you don't need to book a particular route in advance, merely turn up and choose the one you fancy most and we'll print out a copy. If you want a complete list of all routes then please have a look at the "routes" page. As for what you need to bring, we will send you advice on this, but read the article on 'The Rule of Three' to show you how little you need to carry

SPECIALS

1997's "Special" route in Normandy - please feel free to use it if you're DIYing a tour

Our usual tours are self-led, but in September we run a very special led trip to other parts of France. Recent trips have taken us to the Loire, Auvergne, Alps, Dordogne and Pyrenees. These tours are very popular and usually have a fair number of regular Breton Bikers, some come every year. If you are interested please go to the September Led Trip for 2005 for details.

Camping and rain.

The idea of camping in gorgeous weather is lovely - doing it in the rain seems a nightmare. The truth is that camping in the wet needs a bit of care in keeping dry (your tent won't leak and everything should be dry) and treating it as part of the adventure. Once out on the road it's mild so you don't get cold, and to be honest 'shower dodging' and diving into bars and restaurants is all part of the fun. But we understand that in the unlikely event of having two or three days non-stop rain you might have lost your sense of humour... Fear not - all you need do is give us a call and ask us to book you in for a night to dry out in a hotel - we book you in (there's always one en-route) and you just pay the hotel direct. We don't charge for this - it's just part of the service. The most important thing (especially for fixed centre people), is NOT to sit in a tent waiting for the rain to stop. Just ignor it and get out in it and you'll find that in the end you will have just as much fun as if it were sunny. Honest - as our cyclecamping holidays have to be taken in April and October we frequently face the problem and just get on with it.