# St. Malo to Caen.



## Brandane (8 Sep 2016)

First off, I didn't bother to take my camera, so the photos on this post are mainly "borrowed" except where stated.
Living in Ayrshire, the first problem is getting to the ferry port at Portsmouth. Train? Too expensive and restrictive. Cycle? Too far, at 480 miles! Drive? Hmmm; the lesser of 3 evils. Offers flexibility, and I managed to arrange parking at a Portsmouth hotel for £20, on myparkingspace.com.

I set off on Tuesday 30th August, with the bike and 4 panniers in the back of my car with back seats folded down. I don't mind driving too much, especially when I'm heading off on holiday and I'm not up against the clock. I had a hotel Travelodge booked in Towcester to break the journey over two days. It is perfectly feasible to do it in a day (as I did on the way home) but sod's law says you'll get every obstruction thrown at you in the form of traffic delays and you'll miss the ferry, so I decided to play it safe. I left home about 8am and drove south, via the A76 to Dumfries and then joining the M6 at Carlisle. First stop was Dougie's Jamaican take away in Moss Side, Manchester, for lunch.

The Travelodge was, well, a Travelodge. It was right beside a petrol station with an M&S food shop, so at least I didn't go hungry - and a McD's for breakfast too! I set off after breakfast, but as my ferry wasn't until 20:15 and only about 120 miles away, I had loads of time. I parked up at the park and ride outside Oxford, and went for a ride into town. Quite nice it is too, for a big town.

Arriving in Portsmouth late afternoon, I found my parking space and left the wee Toyota Corolla to enjoy it's week's holiday in Portsmouth. I spoil that car! Meanwhile, me and the loaded up Ridgeback Panorama headed off to find the ferry terminal. I took a bit of a long way round and the 4 mile ride turned out to be double that, but I had loads of time so no problem.

The ferry to St. Malo was Brittany Ferries mv Bretagne...







Being a cheapskate, I had no cabin booked but opted for the £5 reclining seat option. So I took my Thermarest mattress and sleeping bag up from the car deck with me, and had a reasonable sleep on the floor. We arrived in St. Malo early on Thursday 1st September. Disembarking was quick, and we were on our way into early morning French sunshine. Excellent!

I found the road I wanted out of town quite easily. I didn't spend any time in St. Malo as I have been there before and have seen the old town and other bits and pieces. In fact I spent a night there after my Bordeaux trip a few years ago, thanks to a French train strike.

Progress was quite good towards Mont St. Michel via minor roads, and then a cycle path with an unpaved surface. One of the few photos I took, with Mont St. Michel behind the bike....






As can be seen, bicycles are not allowed near the monument, and I wasn't about to leave it unattended with luggage attached, so onwards......
I turned north shortly after MSM, up to Avranches and then to my first overnight stop at Granville. I found a campsite just north of Granville, beside the beach. I sat and watched the sun going down about 8.30 pm before climbing in to the claustrophobic tent. OK, it is light, but the price you pay is not being able to even sit up. It really is just a tunnel for keeping the rain off - and fortunately there was none of that this night.
Strava day 1, 71 miles.

One of the bits about camping that doesn't appeal to me is the faff in the morning. Having to get partially dressed in yesterdays dirty clothes to walk to the shower block, to try and get showered, dried, and changed into clean clothes in a small cubicle, and those awful showers that need the button pressed every 10 seconds to keep the water flowing... arghhhh... Then you've still got to take the tent down and shake the condensation off the inside, roll it up with all those grass cuttings stuck to it. Give me a hotel any time! But then the cost mounts up..

Once the faffing was complete, it was onto the bike and heading north with no real destination in mind. I like to keep things flexible that way. Lunch was at one of those amazing "Boulangerie/Patisserie" shops. Just the smell of them has me salivating for French bread, croissants, pain au chocolat, pain au raisin, and any number of tartelettes on display. I ate by the beach and then headed off again. All roads were quiet, well surfaced affairs. Some of the town centres had rutted tarmac and the odd pothole, but nothing like we have to endure on this side of the channel.
Second overnight stop was in Barneville Carteret, a small town on the coast. I decided to have a proper bed tonight, for the first time since Towcester Travelodge, so found the Hotel Paris which wasn't up to much, TBH.. Trip advisor will save me repeating it on here. (Review still pending so link might not work yet).
Strava day 2, 56 miles.

Saturday morning, and I decided based on the previous night's dinner, not to part with any more money for petit dejeuner at the hotel, so it was a visit to the nearest Boulangerie for more croissants and pains au chocolat/raisins! Suitably fuelled up, I headed off again. Today I wanted to head inland from the coast, as I actually did have a destination in mind, at Barfleur. Having been to Cherbourg before, I have no wish to return, so I cut out that corner of the Cotentin peninsula and headed north east. There was a signed cycle route for most of the way, a la Sustrans style. It was quite hilly, but picturesque in places. Good enjoyable cycling actually.
I have vague memories of being given a jigsaw puzzle of the harbour at Barfleur when I was young, but when I got there and saw it, I didn't recognise it at all. Maybe the jigsaw was Honfleur....

Barfleur harbour...






There was a free concert on at Barfleur. I couldn't get over the quality of the bands on offer, ALL afternoon and evening, and yet look at the sparseness of the audience. A fight in my home town would attract a bigger audience. This was "Thelma and the Goodfellas" who were fantastic to listen to. That girl can sing! The concert passed the time for me until it was off to the campsite .






Tonight was another camping night, and a test for the water resistance of my Vango one man tent. It passed with flying colours as there was some heavy rain. Unlike my last experience of camping in the rain, when the tent got flung into a skip in Henley on Thames .
Strava day 3, 45 miles.

Sunday morning, and the rain had passed through, but there was a change to cloudier, cooler weather. I set off heading south for Carentan. Nothing of note happened; just the usual pleasant French roads. The problem with France on a Sunday is that very little is open, so finding food and water can be a challenge. I went via St. Mere Eglise, where they cater more for tourists thanks to this guy and his heroic colleagues:






The American paratroopers descended on St. Mere Eglise as part of the D-Day invasion, and one of them got suspended by his parachute when it caught on the church roof.. These days there are cafes, restaurants, and snack shops on every corner, so no need to go hungry even on a Sunday.

Onwards to Carentan, and another hotel for the night. This time a big improvement on the previous hotel, and an excellent meal including snails for a starter. But 5 euros for half a cup of coffee .
Strava day 4, 40 miles.

Monday, and some light rain! Enough to mean having to wear the rain jacket and justify bringing it with me. But only for an hour until it went off . Today I was heading for more familiar territory, having "done" the Normandy beaches a few time before by car, bike, and motorbike. It's always best by bicycle though, as we know! More time to see things, and take in the sights and smells in general. I found a few roads closed on my route today which meant a bit of a zig-zag route to Caen. Lunch was taken in Bayeux, and I thought I knew my way from there to Caen. How wrong can you get. I got lost leaving Bayeux, and then more road closures had me skirting round the main "route national" which is where the "deviation" signs kept trying to take me.
Anyway, it meant some new roads for me to see. At Caen I stayed at a cheap hotel (Premiere Classe) on the outskirts. It was actually a nice enough but basic hotel, although located on an industrial estate. Dinner was at a nearby chain restaurant, and another of those 3 course set menus.
Strava day 5, 52 miles.

Tuesday was departure day, but the ferry wasn't until 11.00 pm. I passed the time by going for a bike ride, and somehow managed to clock up my biggest daily mileage of the trip .
Strava day 6, 77 miles.

The return ferry trip was non eventful, I again got a decent sleep on the floor, and even managed to get a good shower in the morning in one of the public showers. I was out of Portsmouth in the car by about 8.30, heading north. Stopped at Tebay services when I felt my eyelids losing the battle with gravity. Had a power nap, and left the car to go to the toilet. Walking to the toilet and I only bumped into my brother, sister in law, and 2 nephews. They had been down south visiting friends, and we knew nothing of each others travel plans. Small world!


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## doog (8 Sep 2016)

Nice write up...did Carentan to Barfleur a few weeks back on a quick loop


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## Pat "5mph" (8 Sep 2016)

Brandane said:


> I set off after breakfast, but as my ferry wasn't until 20:15 and only about 120 miles away, I had loads of time.


When I first read this I thought "I wish I could cycle this fast", forgetting you were driving there! 
Good write up, more pictures would have been nice


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## gavroche (8 Sep 2016)

Good and interesting write up as I know this area pretty well. I wish I had the guts to do something like that, but not camping though, just the bike, no paniers and just a light rucksack. It will never happen. Well done you.


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## Fubar (9 Sep 2016)

Good write up @Brandane, you even survived a rainshower! (unlike in Pitlochry...)


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## Brandane (9 Sep 2016)

Fubar said:


> Good write up @Brandane, you even survived a rainshower! (unlike in Pitlochry...)


Showers in France tend to pass. Showers in Scotland don't.


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## Spizz 23 (9 Sep 2016)

Nice write up and good photos, I have done similar trips to this to follow some of the Tour De France and love the cycling combined with camping thing.
I have done Cherbourg to Fougeres and back with a little wild camping thrown in and a more civilized Caen to Domfront staying in one of those cheap motel type places...lovely quiet roads and plenty of Baguettes...memories...I feel another trip coming soon

Mark


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## hatler (9 Sep 2016)

A good read. Thank you. Which reminds me I need to put my piece together for Cherbourg - Caen.


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## Dogtrousers (9 Sep 2016)

Nice write up, thanks. Makes me want to go there now - lovely area. But doesn't make me want to try camping!


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## Brandane (9 Sep 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> Nice write up, thanks. Makes me want to go there now - lovely area. But doesn't make me want to try camping!


Camping is a bit like Marmite, I think; and I'm on the hate it side, and that's in decent weather. Factor in rain, and it is torture IMHO.. However, I like to carry my tent on the bike just in case I can't find affordable accommodation wherever I happen to end up; and if I'm going to the trouble of lugging a tent around (and sleeping bag, and mattress) then I might as well use it when conditions allow, and spend the money saved on essentials like beer and food.


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## Edwardoka (9 Sep 2016)

Fantastic writeup! 

I also hate camping, being the least practical person I know, but I can't imagine cycle touring in France without doing so.
Given my.. ahem... unconventional hours... it makes staying in hotels a lot more difficult to manage.


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