arrow_back

La Vélo Francette: Normandy / Atlantic by bike

Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
1 week or more
600 Km
I cycle often
Ouistreham
La Rochelle
Guiding you from the Channel to the Atlantic, the cycle route La Vélo Francette® allows you to savour sweet, gentle, traditional corners of western France as you cross the regions of Normandy, Pays de la Loire and Poitou-Charentes. Discover unsuspected gems along the way and fall for the charms of French country towns and villages as you get to know them by bike!

Elevation of the route

1644 m 1644 m

Waytypes of the cycle route

Cycle path: 316,69 km By road: 341,19 km Unknown: 0,01 km

Surface of the cycle route

Smooth: 221,12 km Rough: 137,13 km Unpaved: 3,89 km Unknown: 295,75 km

Signposting and state of the itinerary

"La Vélo Francette" is entirely signposted from Normandy to Charente Maritime. The logo of the itinerary is accompanied with its national ID V43 on signs .

From Ouistreham to Angers, the route is mainly developped on securised lanes, most of the time on greenways or designated lanes. Then, from Angers down to La Rochelle, there are few more roads shared with cars.

Services and accomodations "Accueil Vélo" ("Cyclists Welcome") on "La Vélo Francette"

Nearly 220 accomodations (campings, hotels, lodges, guest houses) "Accueil Vélo" ("Cyclists Welcome") are located at less than 5km away from the itinerary and they guarantee quality services for cyclists such as a closed garage for example. We strongly advise to book your accomodations in advance (including campings), especially in touristic areas.

Trains and public transports alongside La Vélo Francette

The main train stations of the itinerary :

  • Caen
  • Flers
  • Laval (TGV)
  • Angers (TGV)
  • Saumur (TGV)
  • Montreuil Bellay
  • Thouars, Niort (TGV)
  • La Rochelle (TGV)

Reach the itinerary by boat :

You can take a boat with Brittany Ferries between Portsmouth and Ouistreham. The crossing lasts approximatively 6 hours.

Long-time parkings on La Vélo Francette

The best cycling holiday breaks

to make the most of this
Plan your trip on this cycle route
favorite_border
15,70 Km
Seaside
I begin / Family

Ouistreham / Caen

Start at Ouistreham, the Normandy ferry port north of Caen, its strand renowned as Sword Beach, its codename during the [...]

favorite_border
28,15 Km
Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Caen / Thury-Harcourt

Once you’ve gone round Caen’s marina, explore the city via its ‘green lungs’, notably the racecourse and a [...]

favorite_border
23,30 Km
Old railway, Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I cycle often

Thury-Harcourt / Pont d'Ouilly

La Vélo Francette’s stage through the heart of La Suisse Normande’s hills is very nature-friendly. Cyclists follow [...]

favorite_border
22,76 Km
Old railway, Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Flers / Domfront

You change cycle track after Flers station. Crossing the outskirts of town, near La Selle-la-Forge, at the place named [...]

favorite_border
50,15 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I cycle often

Domfront / Mayenne

The route leaves the southern Norman hilltop town of Domfront, taking you on a long stage going via roads and greenways [...]

favorite_border
35,53 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Castles & Monuments
I begin / Family

Mayenne / Laval

After visiting the historic town of Mayenne, with its castle dating back in part to Carolingian times, head south via [...]

favorite_border
34,76 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Laval / Château-Gontier

The start of this stage affords fine views of the town of Laval and its two châteaux. The nine-arched railway viaduct [...]

favorite_border
34,39 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Château-Gontier / Le Lion-d'Angers

Travelling along the Mayenne Valley, each meander reveals new delights to spur you on, with a château here and a mill [...]

favorite_border
29,13 Km
In the vineyards, Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Le Lion-d'Angers / Angers

After the picture-postcard equestrian grounds at L’Isle Briand, with its château and national stud farm, plus the [...]

favorite_border
36,51 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Angers / Bouchemaine / St-Mathurin

La Vélo Francette shares the way with the Loire à Vélo cycle route for some way from Angers eastwards, leading you [...]

favorite_border
28,73 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Angers / Trélazé /St-Mathurin

This alternative stage for leaving Angers goes via the dark blue slate mines southeast of the city centre on to the [...]

favorite_border
29,09 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I cycle often

St-Mathurin / Saumur

This stage is shared by La Vélo Francette and the Loire à Vélo. Two options: either follow the route from Gennes [...]

favorite_border
20,60 Km
In the vineyards, Castles & Monuments, Nature & small heritage
I cycle often

Saumur / Montreuil-Bellay

La Vélo Francette leaves Saumur via a pretty greenway beside the Thouet River. Then the route adopts farm tracks and [...]

favorite_border
26,40 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I cycle often

Montreuil-Bellay / Thouars

From Montreuil-Bellay, you descend back down to the Thouet River, heading for Thouars. The véloroute runs peacefully [...]

favorite_border
29,31 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I cycle often

Thouars / Airvault

After visiting the historic heart of Thouars, take in the Imbert Floral Park, with its lovely terraces above the River [...]

favorite_border
17,27 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Niort / Coulon

You stick close to the water’s edge, following the meanders of the Sèvre Niortaise River, alternating between the [...]

favorite_border
19,82 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Coulon / Damvix / Bazoin

Coulon, located at the heart of the wet marshes of the Marais Poitevin and set so prettily beside the Sèvre Niortaise [...]

favorite_border
27,89 Km
Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Damvix / Bazoin / Marans

The Sèvre Niortaise remains your guide on this stage, except on two stretches, one where you follow the Canal du [...]

favorite_border
25,38 Km
Seaside, Canals & intimate rivers, Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Marans / La Rochelle

This final stage of La Vélo Francette shares the way with the longer La Vélodyssée cycle route. You follow the Canal [...]

Travellers’ reviews

on La Vélo Francette: Normandy / Atlantic by bike
Ratings from internet users (0) 0,0

They did it!

favorite
64,25 Km
Nature & small heritage
I begin / Family

Vignoble et vallée du Thouet

Taking you from the Loire to the Thouet Valley, this circuit passes by amazing subterranean sights in the Sud Saumurois [...]

Options
Caption
Cycle path
Links
By road
Alternatives
Mountain bike itinerary
Provisional itinerary
connected route
Caption
connected route
Caption
European route (EuroVelo)
National, regional or local route
Cycling circuit
Mountainbike route
Enlarge map Reduce map