From the Normandy Bocage to Mont-Saint-Michel

Je viens en train

Week-end

I cycle a lot

Take the train to The Vélomaritime®

Cycle to Mont-Saint-Michel on 3 trails, through the Normandy Bocage and its green meadows, the Vire Valley, and the Sélune Valley.

Practical information:

Length: 3 days and 2 nights
Departure and arrival: Saint-Lô railway station. You can park in the car park beside the tourist office (Plage Verte) or beside the railway station, on the edge of the River Vire.
Distance: ~ 170 km (~ 106 miles)

A selection of Accueil Vélo (bike-friendly) accommodation

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Day 1: from Saint-Lô to Vire Normandy (65 km - ~ 40 miles)

Leaving Saint-Lô, cycle along the River Vire to Pont-Farcy on the old towpath. You can admire the River Vire’s heritage, in the form of locks and dams, all bearing witness to past activities.

Leaving Pont-Farcy, you will leave the towpath to return to the small hilly roads of the Bocage running along the Vire. You will meet with a section of the greenway at La Graverie, 4 km (2 ½ miles) before you reach Vire.

Things to see on the way: the Roches de Ham, a rocky site of outstanding natural beauty, the Usine Utopik centre in Tessy-Bocage, where old greenhouses have been converted into a contemporary art centre, the Souleuvre Viaduct, the best place to experience adrenaline-pumping thrills with bungee jumping, and a really long zip line… And at the bottom of the viaduct, a sensorial trail “Au Jardin pieds nus” (Barefoot garden).

Day 3: from Ducey-Les-Chéris to Mont-Saint-Michel (31 km - ~19 miles)

For this last trail, The Vélomaritime® cycle route follows a greenway that leads to the mouth of the River Sélune. After this, it follows small roads with lots of views of the Mont-Saint-Michel, with the hedgerow farmland giving way to salt meadows.

Things to see on the way: Mont-de-Huisnes German War Cemetery, the Moidrey Windmill in Pontorson

To visit Mont-Saint-Michel, bike rack areas have been provided at the place known as “La Caserne” before the dike, since parking bikes is strictly prohibited along the dike walkway, esplanade and at the foot of the fortifications. A free passenger shuttle service as well as a horse-drawn service will take you up to the Mont-Saint-Michel.

Tip: to get back to Saint-Lô, cycle to the Pontorson railway station (10 km / 6 miles from Mont-Saint-Michel) where TER trains will take you there. To learn more