Two waymarked cycling loops, thePetit Tour de Manche and the Tour de Manche, offer riders the chance to follow a route via England and France.
Petit Tour de Manche
The route is approximately 440km (275 miles) and around half the route is on traffic-free greenways.
You could ride the full route, including ferries, over one week.
The route follows the coastlines of the southern England counties of Devon and Dorset and Brittany and Normandy in northern France.
There are two crossings of the English Channel between Poole-Cherbourg and St Malo-Weymouth. It’s up to you where you start.
The St Malo to Weymouth ferry route also offers the opportunity to cycle on the island of Jersey thanks to a ferry drop off. Alternatively you could travel on a St Malo to Portsmouth ferry.
Highlight attractions include:
In England:
- 95-mile Jurassic coast of Dorset
- Stunning Chesil beach in Dorest
- Picturesque harbour of Poole.
I visited Mont St Michel in France.
In France:
- The UNESCO World Heritage site of Mont St Michel
- The historic city of St Lô
- The beautiful small town of Mortain.
- The coastal town of St Malo
- The island of Jersey.
Tour de Manche
The route is approximately 1,200km (745 miles) and could be comfortably completed over two weeks.
This route is an extension of the Petit Tour de Manche but takes in more of Devon and Brittany. The English Channel ferry return crossing travels between Roscoff and Plymouth.
Highlight attractions include:
(All of the above)
- Pink Granite Coast around Roscoff
- Bay of Morlaix
- Emerald Coast near St Malo
Brittany Ferries offers regular sailings from Poole-Cherbourg, Portsmouth- Cherbourg and Plymouth-Roscoff.
Find out more at Tour de Manche.
