Tour de Normandie

The 6-day schedule

Stage 1, Sunday: Ouistreham to Etretat

distance 123 km; climb 1,000 m

Meet the Glaudax brothers (aka Richard & Tony) on Saturday evening at the Ship & Castle pub by the Portsmouth international ferry terminal where you can get some dinner and stow your luggage on our van before boarding the overnight ferry to Ouistreham. The group will reassemble in the Ouistreham ferry terminal on arrival for breakfast, a quick briefing and le grand départ! 

You will be following our GPS-mapped recommended route heading east via the popular seaside resorts of Cabourg, Deauville (Paris-sur-mer) and Honfleur to the spectacular Pont de Normandie to cross the River Seine. A well-engineered cycle route will steer you safely through the major port of Le Havre, after which you'll climb to a plateau and continue northwards to our hotel in Etretat. Attracting many impressionist painters for its picturesque white cliffs, Etretat is also the setting for Maurice Leblanc’s popular series of children’s books about Arsène Lupin, the gentleman burglar.
Night 1: Hôtel des Falaises 

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Stage 2, Monday: Etretat to Dieppe

distance 105 km; 1,100 climb  m

On another coastal day spent largely on the high quality EuroVelo 4 cycle route, we'll be recommending stops at Fécamp for coffee, Saint-Valery-en-Caux for lunch and perhaps Quiberville for a cheeky early beer before the descent into Dieppe, France’s first ever seaside resort. Here awaits an evening of fine seafood dining and a chance to lose all your money at the famous casino.

Night 2: Hôtel Aguado

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Stage 3, Tuesday: Dieppe to Rouen

distance 120 km; climb 1,000 m

As you leave Dieppe you'll join the Avenue Verte London-Paris cycle route for 55 km of gloriously car-free and carefree riding on a flat and super-smooth cycle track to Neufchâtel-en-Bray and Forges-les-Eaux, both great places to stop for coffee and croissants. The remainder of the day is spent on quiet undulating lanes through sleepy villages like Beauvoir-en-Lyons and Lyons-la-Forêt, with tempting lunch menu boards outside the colourful bistros to lure you off your bike. Soon after you'll roll into Rouen, Normandy’s vibrant, historic and cultural capital. Monet’s famous depictions of Rouen Cathedral have made this vast edifice many visitors’ favourite building in the city, but there are also many fine museums to explore, not to mention the Gros Horloge clock tower, France’s oldest inn La Couronne and the beautiful modern church dedicated to Joan of Arc.

Night 3: Hôtel de l'Europe

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Stage 4, Wednesday: Rouen to Pont-Audemer

distance 98 km; climb 600 m

Today we spend the first 60 km meandering along the serene river banks and flat lands of the Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine. Pause for a coffee at La Bouille after the first of three free ferry crossings, and take lunch after visiting the impressive ruins of Jumièges Abbey, a former Benedictine monastery dating back to 654 AD. Most of the day's climbing comes towards the end of the ride before dropping down into Pont-Audemer, a former tanning town also known as the Venice of Normandy.

Night 4: Hôtel Acadine

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Stage 5, Thursday: Pont-Audemer to Bayeux

distance 122 km; climb 1,100 m

La route du Cidre! Normandy is famed for its apples, cider and Calvados, and today we'll thread our way between the best orchards and visit a producer for tasting and an opportunity to buy a few bottles to take home. We also visit Pont-l'Évêque of cheese fame at coffee time and the less well-known but beautiful Beuvron-en-Auge where you might have trouble choosing between the boulangerie, creperie, bistro or restaurant for lunch. We'll skirt round the northern suburbs of Caen via two or three further grazing opportunities before hitting our fabulous final destination, Bayeux, which boasts a stunning historic centre as well as its world-famous, UNESCO-listed tapestry depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The city was the first to be liberated following the allied D-Day landings in June 1944, but its war museum and British cemetery testify to the terrible sacrifices made.

Night 5: Hotel Churchill

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Stage 6, Friday: Bayeux to Ouistreham

distance 48/83 km; climb 250/540 m
There's a choice of routes today. The shorter option allows longer for sightseeing in Bayeux before you leave; the longer includes a visit to the Normandy American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. Both routes take in some of the landing beaches, museums and war cemeteries commemorating the momentous events of June 1944. The routes merge on the EuroVelo 4 cycle route at Arromanches, a good place for a bite to eat. Other possible lunch stops include Courseulles and Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer. From there it is just a short ride back to the ferry terminal at Ouistreham. ​For those taking the overnight ferry, there will be the prospect of a leisurely final French meal before check in. For anyone taking the earlier ferry, the Glaudax van will be meet you at the ferry terminal with your luggage in plenty of time for you to check in.

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Congratulations, you've completed Glaudax Internationale!

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We acknowledge https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/ for some of the information above.

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