At Brittany Borders Bicycling we offer bike hire and holidays in Brittany and Normandy. We live in this beautiful area of France. We have a passion for cycling, walking and the countryside, and would like to invite you to come to the region so that you too can also appreciate and enjoy the peace, tranquillity, stunning scenery and slower pace of life to be found in this part of the world. The services we offer include cycle hire, route design and mapping, and supported, self-guided tours.
We believe that cycling probably provides the most ideal means of transport by which to explore a region. You will see more of the area each day than if you were walking, and you won't be sealed off and detached from the environment as you would be touring by car or coach.
Alongside the cycle hire, we also offer a tent hire service for those of you who enjoy camping and who would like to take advantage of the numerous well-maintained campsites to be found in the region. For the independent cycle tourer, pick up a bike and a lightweight tent, and off you go. Or if you prefer to follow one of our self-guided tours, but would also like to stay at campsites en route, please see our 'Railway Route' tour on the Cycle Tours page. AREA
We are based in the area bordered by north-east Brittany in the Department of Ille et Vilaine and the south of Normandy in the Department of Manche.
This region is typified by its gently rolling green countryside rich in wildlife with small irregular shaped fields grazed by cows, secluded valleys, woodland and orchards. Narrow twisting lanes criss-cross the countryside linking small historical market towns, pretty villages and numerous hamlets and farmsteads with their stone buildings, many of which have hardly changed in appearance over the centuries.
In addition to this rural idyll, there is also the contrasting beauty of the coastline with its many lovely beaches, small ports and fishing communities. The stunning splendour of the Mont St Michel attracts thousands of visitors to this stretch of coastline each year. This abbey, dating back to the eighth century, dominates the landscape for miles around and forms probably the most recognisable silhouette in France after the Eiffel Tower.
The region is famous for the production of dairy products, cider and Calvados (distilled cider), together with a thriving fishing industry including the harvesting of a huge variety of shellfish. This is one of the few regions of France that produces little or no wine - but don't despair, being the country of the vine, there is a huge selection of excellent wines available. However, the local cider perfectly complements a simple meal of bread and traditional cheeses and can also provide a wonderful accompaniment to other regional dishes such as galettes (savoury pancakes) and moules and frites (mussels and chips).
In recent history, this area of France was the scene of bloody fighting during the Second World War following the D-Day invasion by allied forces on 6th June 1944. Much evidence of those times remain today, in particular the immaculately maintained war cemeteries which provide a lasting and moving reminder of those people of many nationalities who lost their lives. There is an American cemetery very close to the town of Saint James and a German cemetery near the Mont St Michel.
TRAVELLING TO THE REGION
The town of Saint-James is conveniently situated close to junction 32 of the A84 motorway. Saint-Georges de Reintembault is 8kms/5miles east of Saint-James. The most convenient channel ferry ports are situated at:
- St Malo (80kms/50miles) - Brittany Ferries (www.brittanyferries.com) from Portsmouth and Condor Ferries (www.condorferries.com) from Weymouth, Poole, Jersey and Guernsey
- Caen (Ouistreham) (120kms/75miles) - Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth
- Cherbourg (145kms/90miles) - Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth and Poole and Irish Ferries (www.irishferries.com) from Rosslare
- Le Havre (220kms/138miles) - LD Lines (www.ldlines.com) from Portsmouth
There are also airports at:
- Dinard (80kms/50miles) - Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) from East Midlands, Birmingham, Bristol and London Stansted, and Aurigny (www.aurigny.com) from Guernsey
- Rennes (75kms/45miles) - direct flights from Southampton, Belfast City, Edinburgh, Exeter, Manchester and Newcastle-upon-Tyne with Flybe (www.flybe.com) and from Dublin with Aerlingus (www.aerlingus.com)
It is a good idea to check with the operators, as new routes are being introduced each year. We are only too happy to give advice regarding travel arrangements, so please do not hesitate to contact us.
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A French registered company - Siret No. 502 804 933 00013
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