Cherbourg to St. Malo

So after a pleasant trip with my father-in-law last year (Toulouse to Bordeaux to Arcachon). We're planning a spring trip. The current thinking is:

Ferry to Cherbourg.

Day 1 - Cherbourg to Carentan.

Day 2 - Carentan to La Ferriere-Harang.

Day 3 - La Ferriere-Harang via Mortain to Ducey.

Day 4 - Ducey via Le Mont St. Michel to St. Malo.

Ferry to Portsmouth.

Has anybody done this or a similar route? The pace will be gentle and we'll be credit card touring so decent accomodation is critical.

Any thoughts or insights would be appreciated.

Also anyone know how to stitch together separate GPS files?

Cherbourg - St Malo is a portion of the eurovelo 4. Not sure if it is what is underlining your plan, actually!

For routing purposes I'd just get the relevant 1:150,000 Michelin map (#303, #309 and use small white (means minor) or yellow (means less minor, but still acceptable) roads. Green underline means the road has some nice scenery (but in my experience any white road that's not dead straight is nice).

These maps also have distances indications between towns, helping you compare options if need be.

As the pace will be gentle and the area covered relatively small (ie: you have some time to think about routing, and you don't have to carry the atlas) I'd just take these two maps and decide about the route for the next day on the evening (or even during the day), and not bother with routing anything beforehand.

Thanks @cgg!

Yeah Velo Route 4 is broadly the plan. The age and range of cycling abilities as well as general nervousness about touring (for everyone except me it's their first multi day unsupported ride) means we're going to be booking gites and hotels in advance. The plan is to cover around 90kms per day. And I have ordered both of those Michelin maps.

I'm planing on riding is single speed. Somewhere in the low 60's GIs

The IGN maps are so good for this, I prefer them to the Michelins quite a bit actually.

You want this one, number 106, and a few others.

Not sure where you live, but if you're in London/Bristol, Stanfords normally stock these.

Have fun!

Try FitFile

Thanks @user84196 and thanks @platypus I will try those maps if I'm unimpressed with the ones I've ordered.

How olds father in law ? Never to old, I'm 69 and still up for touring and Audax rides...

Hey @CotswoldClarion it's not so much the age of the riders, my father-in-law is the eldest but one of the most experienced riders. It's the respective abilities. One member has not been on a bike for probably 20 years. I'm taking him on a 10 mile flat spin on Saturday to see what we're working with.

Small steps then, we as in my other half rode from Cherbourg to Leige then onto Caen, three years ago. She enjoyed herself and became the fittest she has ever been. She was 57 then! This off a base of twenty weeks of slow build up, having not ridden more than ten miles in one go!

That gives me some confidence.

@Lanterne_Rouge did this happen? I'm planning on doing pretty much this route, in reverse...

@Danimal. Not the planned route. We went the other way from Cherbourg to Le Harve. I have the route details for this and I think I might still have Cherbourg to St. Malo and the reverse. If you want them let me know.

Well it turns out we're now planning on doing Le Havre to Cherbourg in fact. Ferries booked. 4 days to get from A to B. So yes, any tips on the route, places to visit and where to stay would be greatly appreciated!

It'll be comfortable in four days. When do you need the information? I'm away in Spain at the moment but I'll see what I can get off my mobile. We spent a lot of time in the interior, the roads are quieter and nicer. They're a few roads and towns not to be missed.

Brill. We're going in mid July so no rush!

@Danimal I also did that many times (french guy), contact me in PM if you need some advices ;-)