Routes for Breton Bikes Cycling Holidays in France

This page is designed to give you guidance as to what route might suit you best - BUT! it is no substitute for a personal email to us, we fully expect customers to email before they book in order to discuss their needs - we are the most personal cycling holiday company in the business so take advantage of it:-)

For a quick price guide go here

We try to offer as wide a range of routes as we can, from gentle potters to serious cycling, each has a guide to the distances involved and the difficulty of the terrain. However if you can’t find one that suits you please ring us and we will see if we can accommodate you. Please note the distances, don’t book a 30+ mile per day route if you don’t normally ride a bike, or an easy route if you’ll get bored... As a guide most beginners average around 8 mph and more experienced up to 12 mph. This might not sound a lot but it allows for map reading, stopping for a photo etc. Thus a 25 mile ride will take around 3 hours. It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you choose a route at the limit of your ability you’ll have nothing in reserve if you get lost! On the other hand regular cyclists, even only a few miles a day, will have no problem with any of the routes. If you want harder cycling then by combining routes we can give you up to 80 miles a day. All these routes are available from the last week in May to the 14th September with the exception of a few during the first two weeks of June - this down to some sites not being open, please email for details if you want to come then.

Lastly - the 'difficulty' rating has to be ridiculously vague for obvious reasons. As a guide my 11-year-old son (not a regular cyclist) can handle any of the routes up to 25 miles, so 'moderate difficulty' might seem laughably easy for some people, tough for others. Though Brittany is not flat the hills are well graded, few will be steeper than 1 in 10. As ever it's up to you, and please do some practice first. As always if in doubt please get in touch.

For those who would like to see how a route is laid out I've posted a sample here of the Heart of Brittany Route.

Just Click on the links on the map for route descriptions and also see below (especially for two week routes)

EASY RIDER! (moving on average 8 miles - Max 12 miles Very, very easy. 85% cyclepath…)

One of the joys of cyclecamping is the moving on with all your belongings like a 'snail with it's shell' (but faster). This route follows the old railway - now cyclepath - first to Rostrenen then to Mael Carhaix. Two nights here with the chance to cycle into the market town of Carhaix almost all on the cyclepath. The return then goes back through Glomel. All the campsites are 100% child friendly with lakes or swimming pools and no nearby roads. The short sections of road are easy and quiet with the exception of one long but gentle hill. My 7-year-old managed this easily on his own bike so if you have small kids on their own machines this is the one for you.

FIXED CENTRE WEEK Code 1A (day rides of 10-20 miles - very easy or more difficult - it’s up to you)

This route uses either Fixed Centre frame tents, or for a small suppliment 'Daisy' the caravan. The campsite at Gouarec is only 2 miles from our base and is one of the best that we use. In this holiday you camp the whole week there so you never need carry your camping equipment. As a centre for exploring Gouarec has several advantages. The campsite is large and well equipped, but for some inexplicable reason never becomes crowded. It has lots of space and a play area for children. The town has a couple of good supermarkets and various other shops and restaurants, including two that charge about £7 for a huge lunch time meal including wine! It’s biggest asset is that the campsite is right on the banks of the Nantes-Brest canal, which has a well surfaced tow path just made for easy safe cycling. We will give you a set of day rides to explore the canal and the surrounding countryside, villages, markets etc. we guarantee you will never be short of things to do! Strongly recommended for families with small children.

TWO CENTRE WEEK (18 miles maximum - fairly easy, the ride from Gourec to Priziac being 20 miles)

This tour begins with three days at the campsite at Gouarec, after which you cycle to the village of Priziac, with its wonderful lake side campsite and bar, complete with play area, pedallos and nearby restaurants and shops (if our house burnt down tomorrow this is where I would pitch my tent!). We will give you day long rides from each of the two bases into the surrounding area. This means that most of your cycling is done unladen, but you get to see a wider range of countryside than with the fixed centre tour. Very highly recommended for families.

LAKES AND FORESTS (Average mileage 14 mpd, maximum 20 miles - easy) For map and further details go here

This route is based on an easy daily mileage. A gentle start on the Nantes-Brest canal tow path and on to the first in a series of lake and canal-side campsites, most with play and swimming areas, and each near a restaurant. Through the week there will be plenty of time to explore and soak up the atmosphere of central Brittany, one of the quietest and most unspoilt parts of France. You also visit the market town of Pontivy and have a magical walk through beech woods to a hidden chapel. Highly recommended for families with teenage Children.

BINIC AND BACK (Average mileage 15 mpd, maximum 21 miles) - The sortest ride if you want to get to the coast - some hills but with such short days it's easy and the lovely tourist trap at Binic well worth the effort, for map and details go here

A pretty easy tour but hugely flexible and with not only the pretty little port of Binic but the fortified town of Quintin and some really lovely countryside. Binic is wher we go with our kids for the beach:-)

CARNAC OR BUST (Average mileage 22 mpd, maximum 32 or 27 miles - Our most flexible route as there are several options when it comes to campsites. At it’s easiest there are very easy first few days, a little more difficult last three days, the alternatives are harder but give more time on the coast) - for details and map see here

This tour has a definite aim, the magnificent megalithic monuments at Carnac. Here you will find the largest collection of standing stones in Europe, over 1000 stones stretch out in rows half a mile long. For a great website about Megalithic monuments go here… will also stay for up to three days at the south coast with its miles of beautiful beaches, which can never become crowded, and cycle up the tranquil Blavet river valley, reputed to be the most beautiful in Brittany. Short section on busy roads - likely to be the busiest route in August.

"LES HORTENSIAS" (Average mileage 23 mpd, maximum 33 miles - Moderate difficulty) For map and further details go here

It seems strange to name a tour after a campsite, but this tiny 30 place site, on the north coast by Plestin-les-Greves, clinging to the top of the cliffs, and full of flowers has to be one of the best campsites in Brittany. Run by a delightful couple this must be the only campsite in France with gingham curtains in the loos! The north coast is less touristy and just as beautiful as the south coast, but very different. This route has much more to offer, including the market towns of Callac and Plestin-les-Greves, and the quiet countryside of fields, moorland and forest.

TO AN ISLAND OF ADVENTURE (Average mileage 25 mpd, maximum 32 miles - Starts fairly easy and gets a little more difficult) For map and more details go here.

Truly wonderful, we rode this route two years ago and had a lovely week. It takes you to the south coast just west of Lorient, through some beautiful countryside. Less touristy than the Carnac area and with a very different coastline. Its biggest asset is that you are able to catch the little ferry from Lorient and take the 3/4 hour crossing to the Ile de Groix off the south Brittany coast. This is a small island just a few kilometres across but it has sleepy fishing villages, a busy little town and that special feel that only islands have. There are several campsites on the island, but in the little port there is also a gite d’etape (similar to a basic youth hostel), a very special one that overlooks the fishing boats in the harbour and costs little more than the campsite. The return journey takes you up the valley of the Scorff including a stretch along what we consider the finest cycling road in Brittany, and staying at the campsite at Baud, near the preserved medieval village of Poul Fetan. Because of the ride through Lorient this is the only route that really pits you against town traffic.

THE HEART OF BRITTANY (Average mileage 23 mpd, maximum 28 miles - a couple of hilly days but no great mileages) For details and map go here

This route doesn’t take to the coast, or to spectacular Chateaux, but more than any other tour it will give you a feel of the rural heart of Brittany, with its quiet lanes, tiny villages and little market towns. It is on this tour that you will hear Breton spoken in bars, find the cheapest restaurants and the quietest campsites, even in August - definitely one for those who want to get away from it all, and probably my personal favourite.

TWO CHATEAUX AND THE BLAVET (Average mileage 18 miles, maximum 25 miles - very easy and relatively flat cyclepath to begin with, getting slightly harder but nothing too strenuous and all on quiet roads) For map and more details go here

The Blavet river valley is said to be the most beautiful in Brittany, and has a tow path just made for cycling. It makes the ideal link between the towns of Josselin and Pontivy, both with magnificent Chateaux, but with very different centres. All this and the most beautiful countryside and lakeside campsites make this a lovely weeks cycling, with the advantage that much of it is on the flat and on cyclepaths. This makes it a good choice for those with teenage children, or first-timers looking to go a little further afield.

TO THE ILE DE BREHAT ( Average mileage 23 miles, maximum 31 miles - moderate difficulty) For details and a map go here

We seem to be obsessed with islands this year. Sadly there is no campsite on the Ile De Brehat, but there is a beautiful one just a few hundred metres from the ferry which will take you the kilometre to this pretty little island. This campsite overlooks the island, and you get a couple of days there to explore the island and the surrounding coastline. The ride north to the coast, and your return takes you through some of the quietest and most unspoilt countryside in Brittany, taking you through the fishing town of Paimpol, and the pretty resort of Binic on your way.

THE SMILE AND THE KISS (Average mileage 35 miles, maximum 41 miles. More serious cycling, but not too difficult) For map and further details go here

The smile of Brittany is the town of Quimper and it is said that its kiss is Quimperle. Both are lovely towns steeped in history, and well worth a walk around, but these are only a small part of this tour. You will also get the chance to walk around the little town of Pont Aven. For many years artists from over the world have come here to paint this picturesque town as it is the home of the "Pont Aven school" made famous by Gauguin. A gallery of his work can be found in the town. The surrounding countryside is just as beautiful as you wend your way back through the Pont Callec Forest.

NB. A two week tour can of course be made by combining any two of the one week camping tours, the advantage being that you pick up a ‘slack’ day when you would otherwise be changing over.

This is for the lazies amongst you! A very leisurely meander down through the countryside to the south coast with plenty of opportunity to sunbathe, laze around or even extend your mileage by exploring unladen after you have reached the coast. Definitely not for those expecting to be leaner and fitter at the end of the fortnight.

A TALE OF TWO ISLANDS (Average mileage 23 mpd maximum 30 miles - fairly easy, more difficult end)

Another very special route, following the "Island of Adventure" down to Lorient and to the Ile de Groix, but then east along the south coast to Carnac, then along the Quiberon peninsula to catch the ferry to Belle Ile, that other jewel of the south Brittany coast, larger, busier, but just as beautiful with quite stunning beaches. With a couple of days to explore you then return via the Blavet river valley.

A CHATEAU, A MEGALITH AND THE PINK GRANITE COAST (Average mileage 35 mpd maximum 45 miles - moderate difficulty)

With two weeks and such a high daily mileage you can really explore Brittany, over 500 miles in all. First you strike off south to the standing stones at Carnac and the south coast. Then back up heading north-west to the Medieval town of Josselin, which boasts the finest chateau in Brittany. Then further north to meet and then follow the famous Pink Granite Coast with its quiet beaches and towering cliffs. You return via the Monts D’Arree through forests and gorges.

The following tours are also available as hotel tours. With these tours you carry your own luggage but without camping gear of course, so the cycling is slightly easier. It’s worth noting that the campers following the corresponding route can always dip into the hotels in extremis...

Please remember that fortnight long tours can be made by adding together two one-week tours. Each uses lovely hotels and will leave you well fed and watered!

Only you can judge how fit you are. Please don’t assume a level of fitness when you haven’t taken any exercise for years - try a few rides before you come. As an example, in 1999 we had a few young, fit-looking people who found the route they had chosen much too hard. The following week a 4’-4", 8 year-old girl cycled the same route on a loaded kids bike weighing more than our adult bikes - without difficulty... Remember that if in doubt do some practice rides to see what you are comfortable with. If you are camping you can always go further if you find it too easy.

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CYCLE CAMPING ROUTES FOR 2008

For Hotel Routes please click here