You independantly travel to the point of departure: Ouistreham or Caen. The sea side resort of Ouistreham, situated on the coast and well known for its D-Day beach - ‘Sword’ from WW ll, is the official start of the ‘Vélo Francette’. The choice of historic Caen, situated more than 10 km inland, is more practical, easier to reach by train and a shorter route the next day. 

Starting from Ouistram you follow the old tow path along the canal de l’Orne that connects the coast with Caen. On the way admire the Pegasus bridge, a historic place from WW ll. A track takes you, past the marina, to the town, the history of which goes back to the time of William The Conqueror. Caen is well known for its castle, abbeys and ‘Mémorial’, the important war museum. After that you follow a track to the south along the L’Orne that leads you into the green hills of ‘Suisse Normande’. You follow a disused railway, an Eldorado for nature lovers. After Thury-Harcourt you reach Clécy on the banks of the river L’Orne. When starting from Caen, todays tour is 41 km. 

Challenge : 55.8km or 41km, 868m ascent, 835m descent.

On the way to Flers you follow a beautiful country route straight through the hilly ‘Suisse Normande’. The route first leads you along the winding river L’Orne that later on makes way for the Noireau. Until the Condé-sur-Noirreau the river valley is surrounded by steep hills. You have to climb considerably when you leave the valley. However, when the Mont de Cerise comes into sight the route shows more mercy for the calves and you reach Flers with its beautiful castle. 2 options for today. 

Challenge : 45.5km, 677m ascent, 524m descent OR 43km, 495m ascent, 347m descent.

As soon as you leave Flers the route leads you via a relaxed descent to the valley of the river Varenne. You can still see that besides agriculture there used to be mining here. A wonderful track, often quite close to the river, takes you along past historic places like Moulin de Varenne, Moulin d’Amboise and Pont des Planches. This cyclists’ paradise is heaven. In Ambrière-les-Vallées you take a last look at the Varenne and you continue your way along the bank of the Mayenne to the town of the same name. 

Challenge : 65km, 414m ascent, 510m descent.

After a visit to the historic town of Mayenne, with its castle, the history of which goes back to Carolingian times, you follow the Mayenne valley full of splendid scenery. It’s a relaxed and shady route that follows the former tow path along the river. You pass old, characteristic lock houses, monumental mansions and villas. The tour ends in Laval, a ‘Ville d’ Art et d’ Histoire’ where you have plenty of time left for a stroll along amongst the beautiful historic heritage. 

Challenge : 35.2km, 362m ascent, 403m descent.

The start of this route offers amazing views of Laval with its two castles. The railway bridge with its nine arches, connecting the eastern Mayenne bank with the town centre and its port, has an separate track for cyclists and hikers. Before going further through the scenic beauty of the Mayenne Valley you should admire just south of town the well known Abbey of Port Salut, the name of which is linked to the creamy cheese of the same name.

Challenge : 34.8km, 410m ascent, 430m descent.

With each bend the Mayenne Valley surprises you again and again; a beautiful castle, further on an antique water mill. The village ports along the bank invite you to take a short break. Before Le Lion- d’Angers you cycle through the picturesque L‘Isle Briand with its castle and world famous stud farm. After the confluence of the Mayenne and Oudon you cross an interesting marshy area. You reach the historic Anjou town of Angers via Jean Moulin’s bridge.            

Challenge : 56.4km, 502m ascent, 508m descent.

After breakfast your trip ends. You (and your bike) travel back to Caen by train. From there a bus takes you to Ouistreham (every hour).