North Cotentin Cycle Tour

Long, deserted beaches, eating moules frites for lunch, quiet country roads and coastal views. Lowlights: spending the whole of the last day in Cherbourg port due to French fisherman blockading the ports

Quick Tips:

Always check and tighten all screws, nuts and bolts on your bicycle before every leg or day of a trip.

We didn't need to book any campsites in this area - although had the latest Michelin guide on campsites in France.

We also had a good map - IGN 06 Caen Cherbourg 1:100 000.

Best Way To Get Around:

Cycling was an ideal way to get around as there are many quiet country roads. We also saw loads of other recreational and club cyclists - especially on Sunday - so motorists are used to cyclists. We used mountain bikes and I had road tires. We carried a 2 man tent, sleeping bags, clothes and tools. Although it's not a mountainous area - it was hilly and there was quiet a bit of wind. However the cycling wasn't difficult - and your days can be as long or as short as you make them. We recommend covering 40-60km per day and take a rest day every 4 days.

From Cherbourg ferry port exit, follow D116 east, following signs to the campsite (4.5km) which is part of a recreational area which includes an indoor pool, jogging track and beach which is good for windsurfing. The campsite has a small shop from which you can order baguettes and croissants for breakfast the next morning - it also sells wine and some other provisions.

The cost was F69.00 for both of us.

This campsite was pretty full but we didn't have a booking. It has a cafe/bar where you can have drinks in the evening and breakfast in the morning. It is sign-posted from town and is a about a 5 minute walk.

The cost was F70.00 for both of us.

This was the most scenic and peaceful campsite of the trip. It overlooked grass-covered dunes and the sea. T he office sold some provisions and bread to order. It cost F69.00 for both of us.

This restaurant was a 15 minute walk east along the beach from the Collignon campsite at Tourlaville. If you are from the campsite you will receive a complimentary welcome drink. This was actually the only restaurant within walking distance of the campsite although there was a cafe which sold chips on the beach.

All restaurants on this trip either only opened at 7pm or only served food after 7pm. This restaurant was very busy and we had to wait for a table.

Caught the P&O fast ferry from Portsmouth in England to Cherbourg in Normandy, France. We arrived on Saturday evening at about 6.30 pm.

We booked the ferry especially since we were travelling with bicycles and they have a limited number of bike places per crossing. The fare was £48 each for a return trip including 2 bicycles. The fast crossing takes about 2.5 hours while the slow crossing takes about 5. However there is no difference in fare.

We cycled from the ferry port to the Collignon campsite - see accommodation entry - east along the D116.

We cycled 44 kms from Tourlaville to St-Vaast-la-Hougue.

We followed the D116 east - Route Val de Saire - passing Fermanville, Cap Levy, Point de Barfleur and Phare de Gatteville which was a nice little town where we stopped to buy food at the breadshop - the first we'd seen since Tourlaville - and rest by the lighthouse (phare means lighthouse in French).

From there we continued to follow the D116 to Barfleur and then back roads - mainly the D155 - to Reville. From Reville we took the D1 to St-Vaast.

St-Vaast is a lovely harbour town with a yacht basin and seaside restaurants and bars.

Covered 70km from St-Vaast-la-Hougue on the east coast of the Cotentin to Carteret on the west coast.

Took the D1 from St-Vaast to Quettehou and passed a cycle shop along the way. From Quettehou continued along the D1 for a few km and then took the D216 from Marsalines through Crasville to Octeville-l'Avenel - and then the D62 to Valognes via St Martin-d'Audouville and Huberville. They were all lovely quiet country roads.

However on this part of the trip both carrier screws on Trevor's bike came out and we couldn't even find one on the road, so thought we were doomed, as there was no way of securing the carrier with bungees. Then we discovered that the screws from the water bottle cage fitted, so transferred these to the carrier. We each have 2 cages on each bike (from riding in the hot African sun) so this wasn't a problem. Lesson: always check and tighten screws before each leg or day of a trip.

There were 2 bicycle shops in Valognes (marchand des velos) but both were closed on Monday, because it was market day. The next shop was in Bricquebec, 13km away along the fairly busy but most direct D902. It was mostly uphill into the wind. The shop in Bricquebec was closed for holidays - so we went to the market and bought fruit and sausage baguettes for lunch which we ate in the castle gardens.

After lunch we took the D66 towards Surtainville, turning off to the left on the D513 to le Vretot. Continued on the D513 (via D131) to Senoville and then across the big D903 to Baubigny on the coastal, grass-covered dunes.

We camped at Baubigny but as there were no shops, cycled the 6km to Carteret for food, restaurants, pubs, beach and gaufres (waffles).

We had a picnic dinner back at the campsite, watching the sunset over the sea.

p.s. we never did get more screws for the carrier but didn't have any further problems - to with the bicycles anyway.

Cycled 60km from Baubigny to Cherbourg.

Took the D318 from Baubigny to Vauville and Beaumont-Hague and then the big D902 passed the nuclear retreatment plant. We were worried that this road would be like a freeway and therefore dangerous but it was very wide and there were many other cyclists using it.

We turned off the D902 on to the D401 to Baie Ecalgrain. This was a lovely quiet road alongside a picturesque bay and through a small village. It reminded us of Scotland. We continued down to la Roche and Auderville port which is at the tip of the peninsula. We took a break and walked around in the sunshine.

After that we followed the D45 all the way back to Cherbourg. We stopped in Omonville-la-Rogue for a lunch of moules frite in a restaurant overlooking the port. After lunch there was a lot of uphill into the wind.

We passed a military campsite in Querqueville and from there, there was a cycle path all the way into Cherbourg.

We saw the municipal campsite at Equeurdreville-Hainneville where we had thought we might stay - it was signposted from the D901 which the D45 had now become. However it looked horrible - right next to the busy D901 and amongst what looked like council flats. We decided to continue through Cherbourg to Tourlaville and Collignon campsite where we stayed on the first night - see accommondation entry.

The fisherman were protesting in the port and there were burning baracades at the port entrances when we cycled passed. We found our way back to Tourlaville ending up back on the D901 through town and then following a cycle way to Espace Loisirs Collignon and the campsite. It would have been a better route to follow the signs to the ferries and then make our way along the quieter D116, as we did on arrival. However as some of the raods around the port were closed due to the fishermen's blockade, we got a bit confused.

We had planned to catch the 11:30 fast ferry back to Portsmouth but it was cancelled due to the blockade.

Fortunately the blockade ended later in the day after government talks and we eventually left at 18:30 - however on a slow ferry. We arrived back in Portsmouth at 10:45 - about 9 hours later than scheduled. Unfortunately we had missed the last train home and had to spend the night in a hotel as both the ferry terminal and station were closing for the night and there was nowhere for us to wait for the first morning train.