A mate and I have a week off work in May and are planning a cycle tour, camping, round Brittany. I am looking for ideas and advice. The ferry lands at St Malo and we have a return ticket a week later.

My initial idea was to use some of the 8 major cycle routes in Brittany to create a clockwise route: head South from St Malo, then head West across the 'middle' in the direction of Brest. Pick up the coast at some point, then head East along the Northern coast back to St Malo.

Not sure what the terrain will be like and, hence, uncertain what type of bike to take, how many miles per day we can expect to cover, and therefore how long a route to plan.

We did Cherbourg to LeHavre a couple of years ago on crappy old mountain bikes overloaded with camping gear. Managed about 40 miles per day on mainly tarmac roads. Great fun!

This time the bikes will be better, the tyres a bit thinner and (hopefully) the luggage a bit lighter. So I was thinking that at 50 miles per day, about a 300 mile circuit would be do-able without too much pain. We were hoping to spend as much time as possible on the coast, so the return was planned along the Northern coast.

Our plans on these types of trip are fairly loose and only a guide, as we tend to 'wing it' if we find somewhere nice. Not sure whether my road bike or the wife's tourer would be the better choice.

Anyone with experience of the area on a bike or suggestions for the trip?

Thanks, Steve.

I don't know about the cycling aspect: for that activity I try to stay on canal towpaths which are guaranteed to be on the level.

A friend of mine who lives in Britanny (I have yet to visit him to test this information) tells me that the weather varies greatly between the north and the south of that peninsula, with mini-climates operating on each of the coasts.
Like the county of Cornwall, if the weather is bad on one side then it may be much better on the other side of the hill.

- I believe that the geography is similar to Cornwall also, with far more sandy, open beaches on the south side and a more rugged, rocky coastline on the north side.

I hope you get more information, if only because I aim to get over there to see mon ami sometime.

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Dave