Solo Cycling La Vélomaritime: Exploring Normandy’s D-Day Beaches

Join me on an epic 1,500 km solo cycling adventure along La Vélomaritime, following the stunning French coastline, including the historic D-Day beaches of Normandy. Along the way, I explore picturesque coastal towns, rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, and the haunting remains of the Atlantic Wall.
This journey is as much about self-discovery and reflection as it is about cycling. From quiet moments alone to the emotional weight of WWII memorials, I share my experiences, challenges, and the beauty of Northern France.
📍 Highlights of this video:
Solo cycling along the French coast
Stunning landscapes: beaches, cliffs, and seaside towns
Historical sites: D-Day beaches, Atlantic Wall, and Normandy memorials
Personal reflections and the realities of long-distance solo cycling
If you enjoy cycling adventures, history, or travel documentaries, this ride along La Vélomaritime is for you!
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#SoloCycling #LaVelomaritime #Normandy #DDayBeaches #CyclingFrance #TravelVlog #adventurecycling

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Intro – Cycling La Vélomaritime in France
02:04 Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue
02:40 Utah Beach D-Day Museum
05:07 Arromanches-les-Bains (Mulberry Harbour)
05:42 Côte Fleurie (Cabourg)
07:12 Crossing Normandy Bridge Honfleur – Le Havre
10:14 Veules-les-Roses
10:52 Dieppe (castle)
13:40 Bay of the Somme (large estuary)
15:26 Picnic in Le Crotoy

BICYCLE GEAR
Bike: idworx oPinion eT
https://www.idworx-bikes.de/product/opinion-et-2
Bike Panniers: Ortlieb Back-Roller Design Sierra
Back-Roller Design
Handlebar Bag: Ortlieb Ultimate Free
Ultimate Free

CAMERA GEAR
Camera: Sony A7IV
Lens: Sony FE 24-105mm F/4.0 G
Extra lens: Sony FE 20mm F/1.8 G
Microphone: Røde VideoMic PRO+
Another microphone: Røde Lavalier GO
Stand: Joby GorillaPod 5K
Extra camera: iPhone 14 Pro

I’m cycling La Vélomaritime, a 1500 km route from 
Roscoff to Bray-Dune, that mostly follows the stunning French coastline. In Cherbourg, I said 
goodbye to my partner Fergal. So now it’s just me. Two more weeks and over 700 km to go. I’ve got 
to admit, I’m a bit nervous about doing this solo, but soon I’ll be reaching the historic D-Day 
beaches in Normandy, and I can’t wait. Guys, I’m tired. I dreamt that I kept waiting and 
waiting waiting with starting to cycle and then I only had done 20 km and it was already getting 
dark and I had to stop and I couldn’t go on. So, uh yeah, they were my dreams. 
I couldn’t really sleep. So, I guess I was a bit nervous about 
cycling on my own. I don’t know. I push myself to keep going. It helps when the land makes room for the 
sea. I love the sea. Back to the sea. Yes, back to the sea. As you can see, I’m having 
a great time. I just went in some drift sand. Always be 
careful. Got some shells. There’s no one on this beach. I’m just thinking: how would it be here with Fergal? You know 
that feeling when you’re cycling on your own? I don’t know, this is the sea. It takes some time to get used to cycling 
alone, but soon it actually feels fun. Hot bath. Yes, that was heavy rain. After 
rain comes sunshine and my mood lifts too. I’ve just arrived in Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, a 
beautiful little coastal town. From the harbor, I watch fishermen coming back in with their 
boats, hauling up nets full of sailfish. Only 30 kilometers now to the D-Day beaches. On June 
6th, 1944, Allied forces began the operation that would liberate Western Europe, defeat Nazi 
Germany, and end the Second World War. That day, 156,000 troops landed here by sea and air. A 
strike that caught the enemy by surprise. I’m at the Utah Beach D-Day Museum. Last minute, I 
decided to go in. I’ve got 65 km to go today. But I don’t know, it looked really interesting and it 
is. The Nazis had built a huge Atlantikwall as a defending system, but the only weak part were the 
beaches over here. So, the American troops and the British ones took that opportunity and they landed 
here. Just watched the video. But it was intense, it was a serious amount of soldiers that 
came here to rescue Europe, including the Netherlands. I mean, I’m from the Netherlands. And 
my grandmother grew up in the war. She didn’t have food. She had to go to a farm to survive, to live 
there. But yeah, that movie made me emotional. It’s so sad to see all that fighting and it’s 
good to to remember what happened, you know. I’m sleeping in this cycle lodge and it’s pretty cool and they really thought 
it over. Look, here’s my bike. I cycle on along the coast of Normandy, past 
the many remains of the Atlantic Wall built by the Nazis during the Second World War 
and the memorials to the battles of D-Day. I find the coastline fascinating, enjoying 
the white sandy beaches and rugged cliffs. At the same time, I feel a little sad thinking 
about all the fighting that took place here and the lives that were lost. It’s peaceful now, 
but it makes me reflect of the challenges we face today. I’m in Arromanches, not only 
a beautiful place surrounded by cliffs, but you also see remains of the Second World War. 
When the Allies came here to get the country back, they built a huge construction in the 
sea so they could bring all the weapons and all their gear to the land. So they 
basically built an army base in the sea. I miss someone to talk to. Yet in solitude I find 
space to be with my thoughts. On the Côte Fleurie, the mood changes completely. Seaside resorts 
lined with belle époque villas from the late 19th century give the coast lighter, more 
elegant feel. I just arrived in Cabourg and you can really see the wealth from back 
then. Marcel Proust used to come here, sit in the hotel and every morning have his madeleine 
cakes while he was enjoying the view of the sea. Sheepy… I’m sleeping here tonight. Look how cute. And this is my tent. And you can put the bike 
here, but my bike is inside charging. Hey. A new day. I’m feeling a little tense because 
well, I’m approaching the Normandy Bridge. Waiting on the bus. Why am I taking the bus? 
Well, the bridge from Honfleur to La Havre is supposed to be pretty dangerous to 
cycle on. There’s no cycling lanes, so you can actually book a place on the local 
bus for your bike. And I’m not the only one. There’s two other there’s space for four 
bikes. And then you can go over the bridge with your bicycle. There are five. It’s all in 
French, but the bus driver is coming to help me. Guess you can trust it, but I 
find it a bit scary looking. You’re okay. Well, that’s it. Going in the bus. Do you trust your bike? Cross the fingers. 
Cross the fingers. Yes. After all that effort for the bike, we discover that 
an entire traffic lane is closed for construction. They did that for us you know, 
to cycle. Brilliant. New asphalt, new tarmac. Yay. Yes, the bikes made it. Three bikes. Yes. So, 
that went all well. And I have to say I looked at where you would normally cycle on the bridge and 
there is a little sidewalk and a little barrier in between. You know, it does get probably really 
windy on the bridge, but well, I definitely have seen worse bridges that I had to cross. I’m 
in La Havre. Stayed a night here and now I’m back on the road and I got a little key ring. 
Now I’m officially cycling La Vélomaritime. Today is the first day that is 
bad weather. It’s cold. It’s wet. It’s also a bit boring today. It’s been a lot of farmland the last two days 
and then once in a while you come at the sea. I love the sea. This little village, 
I probably pronounced totally wrong, Veules-les-Roses, is very pretty. I’m 
really happy I went off the route. I’m beginning to find my rhythm. One of the gifts 
of cycling alone is being able to stop whenever I feel like it. But it’s also a challenge. I ride 
slowly and there’s no one beside me to keep me going. Still, as I move through this journey, 
I’m soaking in the beauty of the landscape. I’m in the Dieppe. I just visited the castle 
over here. A lot of towns here on the coast of Normandy have been destroyed in the Second World 
War. Pretty sad. But there are some monuments that they rebuilt like this castle over here. 
So you can kind of see how it used to be. And the landscape is beautiful. The painters came 
here. They were inspired by the landscape, such as a Monet, here and there. There’s panels 
with famous paintings that were made over here. I just went off the road because in my app 
Komoot cyclists mentioned this place. Whoa, this is nice. So, I’m having my little 
lunch here. Some Neuchâtel cheese with honey and ginger that I bought in one 
of those fancy French shops. This is beautiful. Look how blue the sea is. 
And there’s cliffs there in both sides. Wow. I don’t really know why, but I’ve been holding 
back from saying this here. I haven’t been feeling well. I’m still loving the view, of course, 
but last night I got sick after accidentally eating some gluten. I’m gluten intolerant. 
The sea air suits me a little, but honestly, my body feels weak. I’ve reached a new region, 
Hauts-de-France. I don’t know if you can see, but there is a sea. But the cliffs are gone. 
It’s all flat there where I’m going now. Bye cliffs. Still the sea. As usual, I find a 
way to bounce back and I let the ebike do the heavy lifting. Best travel body ever. It’s like I’m in the Netherlands. It’s all 
flat. There’s wetlands. There’s birdies. It’s a total different landscape. Just like ploop 
cliffs and then ploop cliffs are gone. Flat. This is the Bay of the Somme, the largest estuary in 
northern France. I’m heading to Cayeux-sur-Mer. Enjoying the sunset. At the start, 
I couldn’t see the sunsets because, you know, the way the French coast goes, 
the sun wasn’t at the sea and now it is. So, and it seems I’m finally going to really see it 
because mostly it was a little bit cloudy. So maybe you see it, but behind here are the cliffs 
that I left behind. Now it’s all really flat. This is a really nice place. Gorgeous. Wow. Just had some lunch with Friet. Hello. We met each 
other twice, three times so far. We met each other yesterday and then he saw me today and he said, 
“Can we have some lunch?” and he made coffee. So, he was actually Friet. Well, that’s what he calls 
himself, Friet. He is from Belgium and I met him yesterday on one of my breaks and today – he’s 
traveling in a van and he saw me and he beeped. He said, “Come, we have lunch.” So, we just had a 
lunch and well, he could talk Flemish – Dutch. So, it was nice for a change to talk Dutch. And now, 
back on the bike. You’re on the cycling path… Miss… Hello. You’re not moving. They’re not moving. I don’t know. I guess 
I should have asked in French. Sorry. Oh, look. Scottish Highlanders in the water today. I’m so slow. Today there are a lot of cycling lanes 
one after the other. Really relaxing. Whoa, look. What a big beach. It’s like the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, 
we also have these very wide beaches, but the big difference is that there’s 
hardly anyone here, and it’s very quiet. And I’m staying in this hotel, 
but I didn’t get a sea view. So pretty and it’s getting warmer. Finally. Hey, I see little cliffs. Now I see that…. Well, of course you can’t see this, but 
there’s little cliffs there. So, I’m going to see more cliffs on this trip. They’re 
not as high, but still. I can see them from here. As you can see, it’s sunny. I’ve been so 
lucky. So lucky on tthis route. I’ve had so much sun. All wrapped up, including 
my shoes. And this is how I am going to end my trip. A day of rain. They say: 
now it’s enough. It’s time to go home.