A Motorhome Tour of Brittany

A cycling and walking tour of Brittany.

The Route

Calais-Neufchatel En Bray, St Bênoir des Ondes, Cancale, St Malo, Dinan, Sables d'Or les Pins (For Cape Frehel), Quimper, Concarneau, La Trinité Sur Mer, Vannes, Baden Port Blanc (for Île aux Moines), Batz Sur Mer, Dinan, Honfleur, St Valery sur Somme, Calais

Updated to include visit to Fougères 

Cycling in Brittany

The cycling network in Brittany is huge  and still expanding, much of it follows greenways, old railway lines and canals. We only touched on the fringes  and did not exclusively cycle but what these routes do is provide great access for us motorhomers.

Click on links below

Cancale

St Bênoit des Ondes Municipal Site

The plan of action was to head to Cancale in Brittany as our first call, driving through Normandy, avoiding all toll roads and bridges. We crossed the Seine at the Pont de Brotonne, then driving through the forest of the same name, before heading to Pont Audemer then to Caen, before picking up the free motorway into Brittany.

On the road, just before Cancale we spotted the municipal site at St Benoit des Ondes and we were waylaid as  the big attraction of this site is its position, right on the shoreline and a cycle route, approximately 37km to St Michael's Mount.

The cycle route for its first part hugs the coast and is all off road, except the section through the village of Cherrueix, though if you come across more than two cars, that will be a lot. Shortly after St Anne's Chapel, the path heads inland through woodland and poplar lined tracks. What happens when it cuts down to St Michael’s Mount we are not sure as we never made it that far. We headed back as we got to the road to the coast.

The site itself is fairly basic, clean but with older facilities, very small shower cubicles and with tepid water but a beautiful position if you can get a seafront pitch. There is a motorhome service point and the fee includes a jeton for the water and wi fi is free.

There is a spar shop in the village and an excellent baker and in common with this coast there is no shortage of restaurants doing mussels and oysters.

Click on link below

The cycle path skirts this fishermen's chapel

Cancale

Cancale is a very attractive coastal town and appears to be the oyster capital of the area. With regard to sites, most appear to be about a mile out of town and we chose Le Bois Pastel based on internet reviews and we were not disappointed. It is reasonably priced and has all the facilities you would expect of a good commercial site and includes a swimming pool There is a supermarket on the road towards the site.

Though the town is undoubtedly an attractive seaside resort, for us the big plus was the walk along the clifftops to the town from the site, so the bikes had a rest here.  You simply turn left out of the site,  then turn right along the D road and in 20 minutes you are on the coastal footpath, the GR34. A stunning coastal walk takes you to the Pointe du Grouin and then onwards to Cancale passing a couple of bays on the way, Plage de Port Mer being the biggest, a total walk of 10km though you have to add 3km for the boring walk from the town back to the campsite and the 2km walk to the cliffs. There are plenty of places for refreshments on the way or in the town when you arrive or you could join the !ocals and sample the delicious oysters in the port area, at ridiculously low prices compared with the UK.