Recommendations for a weeks cycling trip in France accessible by ferry from the UK?

Hi all,

Me and a mate are looking at planning a cycle trip through France in spring next year and wondered if anyone had any recommendations? We're looking at getting a ferry from the UK direct to France to then do a round trip. Where's best to get the ferry into? We looked at doing a round trip and getting the same ferry back or possibly arriving in one place and getting the ferry back from elsewhere. I had looked at Calais to Dieppe, but saw someone suggest it's about as exciting as cycling from Slough to Peterborough!

We want a fairly leisurely trip, something scenic and rural with places to swim along the way (coastal, lakes, rivers etc), we'd be camping mostly so good options for that too ideally! Likely doing about 5 days of cycling using the weekends either side of a week to travel back.

What are your experiences and suggestions, I'd love to be able to discuss with people that have done it!

@Glws is your man (because Ferry)

We want a fairly leisurely trip, something scenic and rural with places to swim along the way (coastal, lakes, rivers etc), we'd be camping mostly so good options for that too ideally!

Maybe Brittany could suit and work beautifully with ferry logistics.

Or Loire valley.
https://en.francevelotourisme.com/cycle-route/la-loire-a-velo-loire-valley-by-bike

first of all the ferry from Calais to Dieppe does not exist.
If you want scenery +rurality + swimming options, you're better off taking one that takes you to St-Malo, Cherbourg, Caen or Le Havre. they leave from Portsmouth or Poole, take your pick.

It's all very flexible and easy

Thanks for these suggestions! Britanny is a good shout, I'll look into it

Apologies I think I wasnt very clear, I meant a ferry to Calais and then cycle to Dieppe to get the ferry back to the UK.

Okay, thank you I'll look into these ideas!

Maybe you could ride parts of this: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/172974649

I would consider going to St-malo ( full niught on the Ferry and arrival at 8AM) and returning via Caen, going south all the way to Nantes. should be about 600km.

Few ideas I've done,

Ferry to st Malo, then follow ev4 to Caen. Absolutely wonderful route. Easy to follow and loads of campsites and things to stop to look at.

Greenway to Paris from Dieppe, then back along the Velo Seine. Also absolutely terrific week.

This does look lovely!

Ferry to St Malo looked good until you have to book cabins etc bringing the price to almost £300 for a return trip! The ferry to Calais and back is £60 haha. Are Brittany Ferries the only service arriving in St Malo? We're hoping for something a bit more budget, it'll likely be a bit of a rough and ready trip

Budget is Newhaven dieppe without cabin or daytime, head south west and return via caen daytime ? or st-malo daytime if it exists

If you are a history buff and one that is on the back burner for me is the ferry to Ouistreham and then do the Normandy beaches/other sights of interest. Plenty of other places like Bayeaux to visit as well.

Or heading the other direction and a round trip that I rode a few years ago is the ferry to Dunkirk and head East into Belgium and visit the Waterloo battlefield. You can also include a few bergs from the tour of Flanders e.g. the Muur van Geraardsbergen is very accessible.

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I did a nice leisurely mini-tour a couple of years ago that involved Dover-Calais, cycling down the Calais to St Omer canal, up to Cassel then over to Ypres in Belgium via the Mont de Cats, then back to Bergues and Dunkirk, where I got the ferry back to Dover. Only took four nights/five days, but you could easily extend it as @MTB-Idle says above and take in some Flemish bergs to the east of Ypres. The bonus here is that area of France is incredibly quiet as most tourists drive through it on the motorway and never bother with it, so the roads (in my experience) were practically deserted. Plus they sell decent beer in Nord-Pas de Calais and Belgium, so there's that.

Exactly this. Did it a few years ago. Mt St Michelle, d-day beaches.

My tip for cheap Newhaven-Dieppe overnight ferry - you can sleep in the children's soft play area. Have to climb over the fence, but easy enough and no one bats an eyelid

I'd second the Newhaven - Dieppe ferry, but not sure about sleeping in the children's soft play area! They also have an early morning ferry which gets into Dieppe around 2pm.

The Greenway towards Paris is around 100km on an old railway track, so traffic free and a really lovely ride. It drops you out into some lovely country lanes, so you can skirt Rouen and head back towards Caen to get some coastal action.

I received a text from a friend that night on her way to PBP telling me about a man who had jumped the fence and was sleeping in the soft play area.

I'd third Newhaven – Dieppe, I've done it a number of times, bike touring and driving. It's not as popular as others, so is quick to get on, the boats (IMO) are nice, the train is faster than Dover from London (I think 1h 15). The boat tickets are cheap (I think from £28 each way).

You can get a cabin if you're getting an overnight ferry. It takes 6 hours overnight or 4 hours in the day, arriving at 5am in summer time, which is perfect for starting a tour.

arriving at 5am in summer time, which is perfect for starting a tour.

Word of warning: I did this at the end of May last year and it was fucking freezing when I got off and for the first 15km before I warmed up.

@frank9755 might have some opinions on this. We've been chatting about France and ferry trips somewhat recently.

Seconded. The coast of Normandy is breezy and dry but as soon as you go inland it can be very very humid before sunrise

I 4th the Dieppe ferry and then the beautiful Avenue Vert.

It’s a safe and pleasant ride for the most part without many cars, until you get towards Paris outskirts and then it becomes a little fun and exciting in the crazy capital city itself.

The first time I did the whole route (London to Paris) as a memorial ride for a friend Kiama (RIP <3 ) who sadly passed unexpectedly, and our small rag-tag group of friends accidentally (without planning!) ended up arriving at the Eiffel Tower to see Bradley Wiggins win the tour and spin around the Champs-Élysées!… We said a longing goodbye to her there and then stayed at a friends in the peaceful countryside. Most magical ride of my life tbh.

Second time I did the route alone and left the route to speed off to Giverny (Monet’s water gardens) for a summer internship working there. Magical again but for the growth and development (and the Normandy cider!).

It’s easy to connect up the cycle routes across the pond, and (unsurprisingly!) the French side is much more pretty and bucolic than our own smelly toe-paths and gravel patches. ;)

Both times I rode an northern Derbyshire-born 1974 “Mavis the Mercian”, and got plenty of stares from the cycling clique in Paris as we whizzed on by. :D

Highly recommended and happy to share. Enjoy the journey! :)

https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-other-routes/avenue-verte/

https://www.avenuevertelondonparis.co.uk/

I had looked at Calais to Dieppe, but saw someone suggest it's about as exciting as cycling from Slough to Peterborough!

Having done exactly that in September, I would seriously question the experience and judgement of whoever told you that!

It's a beautiful coastline, stunning beaches, great restaurants lovely campsites, and virtually all of it is either on cycle paths or quiet lanes.

I did it over three days - two of which were really half days. First day was train to dover and ferry. Good chat with three other cycle tourists on the ferry. Then 25km afternoon / evening ride to Wissant. Lovely coastal scenery.

Long day was 130km to Le Crotoy on the Somme Bay. Really beautiful beaches. A slightly dull couple of hours in the Netherlands sense section, where there was a long section of rural cycle path with not much happening, but lovely views most of the day. Campsite right in the town at le Crotoy.

Last day was flat across the coastal marshes then hilly along the cliff tops to dieppe. Beautiful little seaside resorts for coffee / lunch stops. Then dinner / final beers in dieppe before the ferry.

Id really recommend it for a relaxed trip. Look out for the wind, though. It's normally going to be a tailwind from dieppe to calais so default would be to go that way. I went from calais as there was a N/E wind that week.

Otherwise I've done loads of trips from dieppe and really recommend it as a base for a circular tour. I've generally done long rides but have in mind some circular Normandy trips, combining going west along the coast and back inland (or reverse if wind). Hard to go wrong route wise. The only bit I don't like is the Voie verte. I think you can have too much of them, like canals.

I'm sure further west is lovely too. Logistics of Dover and Newhaven are very easy from London though, and the ferries are cheap / can book late. But I'll work my way down there over the next few years!

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44529008

I'd definitely do it again, maybe the other direction, different stops, different side detours, etc.

I liked it so much I took my family back to the Somme bay for a few days at October half term, and did a bit more riding around there.

Thanks for all the stories of your experiences everyone! Really appreciate you sharing your experiences.

Maybe Calais to Dieppe is back on the menu then...

I'm hoping to meet up with my mate to start making some plans this weekend

Heading east from Calais is also very, very nice into Belgium and surrounding areas.