Cycling Holidays in France since 1989
Discover the freedom of cycletouring - still space for summer 2023!
France is the home of cycling and rightly most people's first choice for a cycling holiday. Brittany is probably the most cycle-friendly area of France and so that is where we have been based for the last 32 years. It's a magical place for cycling and I'm sure you'll fall in love with it as we have. Uniquely in France we offer cycling holidays based on camping, hotels and also the option to stop the whole week at our base in Gouarec – with costs from 295€ per week for a camping holiday to 710€ for hotel based tours, we have cycling holidays to fit all budgets and families are something of a speciality. Our holidays range from very gentle pottering on easy cyclepaths to much more serious cycling up to 80 km a day, but with the addition of high-quality electric bikes to our touring fleet groups of mixed abilities can still choose longer routes or even-up ability by taking a tandem. No other company offers this variety.
We provide all the equipment you need, whether for cycle camping or hotel based holidays. We're also there as cheerful support in case of problems – no sitting by the side of the road on a Sunday morning wondering where on earth you are going to find a replacement rear wheel...
Destinations
Of all the areas of France, Brittany has the most variety. The longest coastline in France, moorland, forests, lakes and all criss-crossed by cyclepaths and quiet country lanes linking pretty villages and market towns. In the heartland the roads are deserted, the cycling easy and the few drivers you meet are careful with cyclists.
Our base in Gouarec is set on the famous Nantes-Brest canal which forms part of the Velodyssee and the V6 Eurovelo cyclepath crosses the village. The historic port of Morlaix, the standing stones of Carnac (the largest megalithic monument in France), the Rose-Granite coast, the towering chateaux of Pontivy (very military) and Josselin (very French) and much more are all within easy reach, and on a week-long holiday you'll see something different every day. Surrounded by 5000 years worth of history and with a Celtic character distinct from the rest of France you could spend months touring here and never see the same thing twice. - Read more on Brittany...
Hotel based cycling Holidays
Over the last 30 years we've discovered some wonderful places to stay and our stops are at a combination of small family run hotels and Chambre D'Hotes. The latter are effectively B&B but with evening meals provided, some are really spectacular, some quirky, but all are places we'd love to stay ourselves. All hotels and Chambre D'hotes have rooms with en-suite and breakfast is included. Evening meals are available but not compulsory so you can explore other restaurants in an area if you prefer. - Read more on hotel-based cycling holidays...
Cycle-camping Holidays
As well as being the natural home of cycling, France is easily the No1 camping destination in Europe. Almost every large French village has a campsite with hot showers and our holidays use this unique network to take you on a very gentle introduction to cycle camping. Being so close together we can even produce routes of little more than 15 km a day, or as much as 80 km – it's all there for you to choose. - Read more on camping route choice...
The attraction isn't just the low price, but the freedom that cyclecamping gives. You carry your own home like a snail with its shell (hopefully a bit faster) and so although we supply a route you are free to alter that as you go along and we're there to give advice on this on a day-to-day basis. This flexibility takes the stress out of touring, especially with families as often you'll find you've underestimated your abilities and want to strike off further per day than you originally planned – with us that's all very easy - Read more on cycle camping holidays...
Of course it's also an option to camp the whole week at our beautiful campsite at Gouarec on the crossroads of two of the major cycle routes in France – the Velodyssee and the V6 - making it a perfect base for exploring gently by bike. The surrounding countryside is gorgeous and the huge Lake at Guerledan just 5 miles away. The village itself has a baker, supermarket, various bars and three restaurants – Fixed-centre campers get a massive 5m diameter cotton tent (with beds!) and also get free use of the campsite canoes and rowing boats – all included in the price. - Read more on fixed-camping cycling holidays...
Gite Based Holidays
As an alternative to cycling from place to place we offer two options where you stay at Gouarec and cycle the local area – with the added advantage that the gite option is open all year. As well as camping we also have two beautiful houses in the village that are reserved for our cyclists - Read more on gite-based cycling holidays...
Cycling Holidays for Families
We cycled in France with our own three children from when they were tiny babies and have so many happy memories. This is a real 'family' holiday where everything is shared: the food, the getting lost and the moaning about a hill;-) But the experiences last a lifetime.
We are uniquely well equipped for children of all ages. As well as the usual baby trailers, we also have Burley trailerbikes, child-back tandems (which are great) and a range of children's bikes that are very high quality and cover all ages from 5 to 10 years-old – after which children generally get adult equipment. Some of our routes are also geared specifically for smaller children on their own bikes and are almost all off-road with very little in the way of hills so that parents can relax and let the kids strike off...
For children cycle-camping takes some beating. The children get involved with putting their own tents up and cooking, they have acres of grass to run around on in safety and parents end up playing cards in the evenings in a way we've almost forgotten. Toddlers love it that adults are at their level for much of the time – hard to describe but you'll find out when you try it.
But obviously camping isn't for everyone and for those wanting a little more luxury the gite or hotel options work really well – the big advantage of the gite being that you can swap around between equipment – a tandem one day, a canoe the next and so-on – all included in the price. The fixed-centre camping option is a sort of half-way house as the large tents have beds and lots of space in them and of course the wide open spaces of the campsite to play in. - Read more on family cycling holidays...
Cycling holidays for Groups
We are equipped to take groups of up to 30 people however larger groups may require 'special' routes that avoid our smaller hotels. On the campsite we have a lot of accommodation for groups doing a fixed-centre holiday and also the village Lock-House which can sleep up to 10 people and is ideal for family or club groups.
Equipment
We've been cycletouring for 45 years – both as a couple and as a family and so we know what works and what doesn't. Because of this we onlyprovide gear to the same standard as we use ourselves. That's important for those considering bringing their own bike – we can't promise that you will love ours as much as yours, but you won't be disappointed - Read more on equipment supplied for your cycling holiday...
What cycling holiday for you?
With so much choice both of routes and types of holiday there's obviously a lot to consider. Is the coast important to you? Do you want to stay put? How much will it cost? How far can you ride per day? Do you love camping? Do you want to ride all off-road? And so on... Once you've read the many pages on this website the simple answer is to drop us an This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we're always there to help you choose.
Food and Drink
At the end of the day you are spoilt by the best fruit and vegetables in France (a haven for vegetarians), locally raised meat all used in hearty peasant cooking Elizabeth David would be proud of. Brittany is also the source of the finest seafood in France and of course the local delicacies like buck-wheat crepes, mussels or Kig-ar-farce go perfectly with locally produced cider or apple juice. Though Brittany isn't a wine-producing area the choice is much the same both in quality and price as the rest of the France. I'm not a personal fan of French fizzy beer, but Brittany has a thriving small-brewery sector that produces some really fine beers for those extra hot days...
Lastly the bakeries... Most medium sized villages have one and not only is the bread delicious, but because Brittany is a dairy area all patisserie is cooked with butter. The croissants in Paris may look wonderful but there is absolutely no contest. If you're looking for a holiday where you'll lose weight this isn't the one...
Availability
Breton Bikes season starts on the 5th May and finishes on the 30th September – currently we have availability for all weeks. Between these dates all hotel, gite and fixed centre routes are available. Before the beginning of June some campsites are closed so whilst we can still offer moving-on camping tours it does sometimes involve changes or limitations re route availability. For those wanting short breaks, or wishing to add a day or two to a standard week we can always work something out - Read more on booking your cycling holiday...
Getting to us
The centre of Brittany is deep in the heart of the French countryside and yet it's increasingly easy to get to us. Combinations of low-cost flights, trains and ferries mean the choice can be bewildering, but for more information - Read more on travel to Brittany...
Read On!