Normandy Bike Tour

Meet your guides at the Trouville-Deauville train station: as soon as you step off the platform, you’ll stroll into the glamorous town where Coco Chanel opened her first shop. Deauville is where Europe’s haute société holidays, and each September it also hosts a star-studded American film festival. Sit down to a welcome lunch followed by a bike fitting on the beach where the names of A-list actors line the promenade, like France’s very own version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Our first ride heads into the countryside—we’ll keep the Atlantic at our side as we pedal towards Honfleur, known for its old, beautiful, picturesque port and slate-covered houses depicted by artists like Gustave Courbet, Eugène Boudin, and Claude Monet. Our hotel—a 17th-century Normande-style inn—has hosted all of them. After settling in, finish the day with a Pommeau cocktail and a fine gastronomic dinner at La Ferme Saint-Siméon’s restaurant.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Deauville, Honfleur
Accomplished: 13 miles / 21 km, elevation gain: 1,020 feet / 311 meters
Accommodations: La Ferme Saint-Siméon

Our ride begins in Honfleur, “a ravishing port full of masts and sails, crowned with green hills and surrounded by narrow houses,” as Victor Hugo aptly put it. Pedal through small, quiet villages and endless apple orchards on the Route du Cidre, named for the cider and Calvados produced here. As we ride through the Pays d’Auge region, we’ll stop at a family-run distillery for a Calvados tasting paired with local cheeses named after the nearby town of origin: Pont L’Évêque. Spend the afternoon at the hotel spa or explore Honfleur’s charming shops and churches, and we’ll dine together in town this evening.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Honfleur, Coudray-Rabut, Pont-l’Évêque
Accomplished: 29 miles / 46 km, elevation gain: 1,515 feet / 462 meters
Accommodations: La Ferme Saint-Siméon

À bientôt, Honfleur! This morning we transfer to the fishing port of Ouistreham, where Sword Beach was used as a landing area in the Normandy Invasion of World War II. After a harborside coffee, we’ll start pedaling to Arromanches-les-Bains, an artificial port commissioned as another easy landing site during WWII, though it was spared the brunt of the fighting. The remains are impressive and serve as a moving reminder of the purpose the town once served for the Allied troops. From here, a bit more optional riding in the countryside offers soft rolling hills and gorgeous coastal views. Arrive at our next hotel—a lovely 18th-century château near Bayeux—with time to relax and refresh before dinner on your own in this ancient town.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Ouistreham, Arromanches-les-Bains, Audrieu
Accomplished: 18 miles / 29 km, elevation gain: 525 feet / 160 meters
Longer Option: 26 miles / 43 km, elevation gain: 870 feet / 265 meters
Accommodations: Chateau d’Audrieu

We’ll start the day with a spin alongside old watermills on our way back to the coast. A gentle ride mixed with plains and forest landscapes brings us all the way to the coast. Our main focus today is visiting and contemplating Omaha Beach. A local historian will point out the dramatic history of this place that’s present everywhere: the beach, the plains, the cemetery. Words cannot describe what you will see or feel—you can only understand the intensity of this setting by experiencing it yourself. After lunch, we’ll wind our way along the coast to another crucial cliff: La Pointe du Hoc, where American soldiers persevered in a brutal defense against German counterattacks. Challenge yourself with an extra ride or shuttle back to Bayeux. Seize the opportunity to admire the Bayeux Tapestry, an 11th-century masterpiece depicting the Norman Conquest and the Battle of Hastings. Spend the evening at our château dining on seasonal produce harvested right from the garden.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Sully, Port-en-Bessin, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, Omaha Beach, La Pointe du Hoc
Accomplished: 34 miles / 56 km, elevation gain: 1,410 feet / 430 meters
Longer Option: 55 miles / 89 km, elevation gain: 2,510 feet / 765 meters
Accommodations: Chateau d’Audrieu

After breakfast on the terrace, a transfer takes us to the border of Brittany and Normandy. Begin our ride on quiet country roads, reaching one of France’s most iconic landmarks: the UNESCO-classified Mont Saint-Michel. After checking into our final hotel, experience Mont Saint-Michel to the fullest during a guided tour of the monastery and the petite village that surrounds it. Our final dinner together is a celebration of our unique position between Brittany and Normandy—a Breton seafood feast to finish the week with a bang (or a glass of Calvados).

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Champeaux, Avranches, Mont Saint-Michel
Accomplished: 35 miles / 57 km, elevation gain: 1,214 feet / 370 meters
Accommodations: L’Ermitage

Enjoy a short morning loop for one last stretch of your legs, or opt for a relaxing breakfast at the hotel. Your guides will bring you to the train station in Rennes for your farewell to Normandy.

Meals: Breakfast
Optional Ride: 20 miles / 33 km, elevation gain: 755 feet / 230 meters