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Petit Tour de Manche

About this cycling tour in France and England

Approximately 440km.

A circular cycling route that spans the Channel, you can enjoy the best of both the French and English countryside on the Petit Tour de Manche!

Travel along the coastlines of Devon, Dorset, Brittany and Normandy on a journey that will you past some spectacular views, particularly the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Mont St Michel in Normandy and the Jurassic coast of Dorset. Also taking in the stunning Emerald Coast and the Isle of Jersey, this cycling tour is generally suitable for families with some small hills that do not detract from your enjoyment of the view. Stretching across largely quiet roads, 232km of the route is on traffic-free greenways so you don't have to worry about cars and other vehicles spoiling your ride.

A longer route, taking in more of Devon and Brittany, has recently been completed, the Tour de Manche, which is around 700km and uses the Petit Tour de Manche route but extends it's circular route to include Plymouth and Roscoff, easily reached by our regular Plymouth to Roscoff crossing. This newly completed route is a great way to explore the best of the landscape around the Channel.

You can find out more about the route at en.tourdemanche.com

Getting to Cherbourg

Brittany Ferries offers regular sailings from Poole to Cherbourg and Portsmouth to Cherbourg.

Cycle tour details

Starting from Cherbourg in Normandy, the route takes you down the Cotentin Peninsula to historic St Lô, which was one of the worst destroyed cities of WW2. The church, partially destroyed and rebuilt in dark green stone to show what parts were rebuilt as a memory of the war, it is one of the town's highlights. From here you will continue south through historic Vire to the picturesque small town of Mortain. The route then journeys west towards Brittany and the spectacular bay of Mont St Michel. An incredible abbey stands on the Mont St Michel, a tidal island in the bay, that was a very famous pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages and is still one of France's most visited attractions today. Make sure you take a detour to explore this magical place!

From Mont St Michel, you will enter Brittany to visit beautiful St Malo, the last town on the French part of the route. Visit the historic heart of the city, Intra-Muros, and enjoy a wonderful meal in one of the many restaurants, making sure you sit outside on the terraces of the cobbled streets. Cross over to Jersey and stop off for a pleasant cycle around this pretty island where French and English culture intermingle. Arrive back in England on the spectacular Juassic coast of Dorset and start your journey in Weymouth, passing the famous and striking Chesil beach. Take a detour to Corfe Castle on a steam train from the Swanage Railway, a great day out for all the family, before finishing the route in Poole with its pretty harbour.  

Cycle tour stages

The stages of the Petit Tour de Manche
The StageDistance rounded (km)Distance on greenways (km)Major towns and cities on stage
Cherbourg - St Lô12875Cherbourg, Bricquebec, The Hague Well, Carentan, St. Lô
St Lô - Mortain10673St Lô, Vire, Mortain
Mortain - Ducey3232Mortain, Saint Hilaire du Harcouët, Ducey
The bay of Mont St Michel308Ducey, Pontaubault, Mont-Saint-Michel
Mont St Michel - St Malo574Mont-Saint-Michel, Cancale, St. Malo
Jersey11.411.2St Helier, St Aubin
Dorset7527Weymouth, Dorchester, Wool, Corfe Castle, Poole
Total distance rounded (km)440232

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