Bikepacking the Vélo Francette: 630km across France, from the Normandy coast at Ouistreham to La Rochelle on the Atlantic, six days on a loaded bike. Everyone sells it as a gentle river route.
Day 1 had other ideas.
Day 1 runs from the D-Day coast at Ouistreham, through Caen and down the Voie Verte into the hills of the Suisse Normande, over Clécy, past Flers, and finally up to Domfront. Dead legs, an empty water bottle, and one hot dog I’ll regret for the rest of the trip.
Watch the Velo Francette Series here
Episode 1: Ouistreham to Domfront 116km [ https://youtu.be/TFY2bs3_cE0 ]
Episode 2: Domfront to Château-Gontier 127km [ https://youtu.be/ATmN0ghwGN8 ]
Episode 3: Château-Gontier to Saumur 125km [ https://youtu.be/fIk7rJ9knxU ]
Episode 4: Saumur to Airvault 82km [ https://youtu.be/TP25VgAfwIE ]
Riding the Vélo Francette yourself? If you want accommodation or a little more support, start here:
Leave a comment and complete your details here to receive the free GPX file for Day 1
My full notes and GPX file, for the price of a couple of ice creams in Saumur: [coming soon]
Tell me in the comments: what’s the dodgiest food choice you’ve made on a ride? Make me feel better about that hot dog. please !
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8 Comments
Nice trip !
France is not the best country for hot dogs ! 😉
Do you like your bike on this kind of jounrey ? I mean tyres, groupset and of course the frame.
I cycled the Francette in April 2026. I stopped at the campsite at Clecy which was a good thing as the ship wakes you up at 04:45 UK time on the overnight crossing and I needed an early finish. The Suisse Normande on a warm day with lots of kit was not fun, but as you rightly say, the Domfront Campsite is fabulous. I put it in the top 3 of my entire trip from the UK to Spain and only 5E20.
What's the worst food mistake you've made while cycling let me know below ?
That looks like a fantastic trip. I've been low grade obsessed with Ouistreham since reading a Maigret mystery set there. A Guinness quickly followed by an ice cream is not a winning combo in my experience.
Anne and I enjoyed seeing this video and places we cycled past. We were going in the opposite direction in 2025 and broke this leg in two by camping at Pont-d'Ouilly, where we saw the Tour de France go right by the municipal campground. I bet we pitched our tent in the same spot you used in Domfront. We were very impressed with French municipal campgrounds. I can't say we ever had dodgy food (we are vegetarians, which may help), but I was shocked that after cycling and eating my way around Normandy I came home 5 lbs. heavier.
I've just started watching your videos, and am learning lots about cycle touring/bike packing in France.
What I did wonder about, though, is why you weren't wearing hi-viz when between towns, as per one of your other videos. Is it because of the route being mostly away from roads
P S. My food mistake was a pie and a pint, just before a particularly vertiginous mountain bike ride, in the Yorkshire Dales.
I ran out of water on the last stage of the Anjou Vélo Vintage this year for the simple reason that I forgot to fill my third bottle. Uncomfortable, but a lesson learned. Regarding food, setting off on a ride after porridge and coffee is never a nice experience; eat your breakfast well before you cycle to work in the morning!
I did the Francette in August as far as Saumur but then continued on the Loire à Vélo to Nevers. On my first hill in Suisse Normande just outside of Clecy my chain broke. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was heading for the campsite at Pont-d'Ouilly which was still a long uphill walk away. I was unable to repair it so ended up knocking on the door of a house with a Gite sign in hope of finding somewhere to stay or camp. I was in luck because they had a van and took me and the bike to campsite in Clecy that I didn't know existed. The next day I was very fortunate to be given a lift by someone at the campsite to the Decathlon in Flers where I bought a new chain. I learned the hard way to always pack a spare chain.