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Coastal Normandy: From Bayeux to Honfleur offered by supplier M09630 (read about supplier) Key Information: Tour Duration: 7 day(s) Group Size: 2 - 16 people Destination(s): France   Specialty Categories: Bicycle Touring   Season: April - October Airfare Included: No Tour Customizable: No Minimum Per Person Price: 725 Euro (EUR) Maximum Per Person Price: 1015 Euro (EUR)

Normandy possesses so much diverse history that if the Smithsonian Museum could speak, it would claim Normandy as its role model. To capitalize on this rich diversity, we’ve designed this eight-day and seven-night tour to allow you to fully experience the awe of France’s northernmost region. From the saddle of your bike you’ll visit the beaches of Omaha and Juno (two of the five main landing sites on D-Day) with stops at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial and the Juno Beach Cultural Center and Museum; you’ll see Pegasus Bridge (the inland locale where D-Day’s first shots were fired); you’ll indulge in Normandy’s many gastronomic specialties, including oysters, scallops, duck, cider, calvados and creamy, five-star cheeses like Camembert, Pont-l’Evêque and Livarot; you’ll stay in Honfleur (the birthplace of impressionism) and see the same sites that inspired Claude Monet and Gustave Corbet; you’ll wander through the chic seaside resort town of Deauville with its many celebrities; you’ll stand before the Bayeux Tapestry; and you’ll cycle across rolling green pastures dotted with thatched-roof farmhouses and moat-surrounded castles. Because this is a self-guided tour, you’ll ride at your own pace and choose which attractions to focus on based on your own interests. Between rides, you’ll lodge in three-star hotels. While on the road we’ll transfer your luggage and have it waiting for you when you arrive to your destination in the afternoon. So, all you have to worry about is snapping pictures and getting your waiter’s attention to order more calvados!

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Day 1: Arrival in Bayeux

Upon arriving you’ll be escorted to your hotel in Bayeux, a historical town of cobblestone streets, timber houses and enough history to fill seven months of programming on the History Channel. There are many must-see sites in Bayeux, including the Bayeux Tapestry (one of the planet’s most celebrated scrolls of linen cloth). Stretching 69 meters (226 feet), this tapestry (which dates back to the 11th century) depicts the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 58 scenes. The Cathédrale Notre Dame, a massive gothic showcase dating back to the 13th century, also warrants attention. After settling in, you will be given your tour information kit. Our rental partner is located a few steps from the hotel and will outfit you with your bikes.

Day 2: Bayeux to Bayeux (48 kilometers/29 miles)

Today you’ll pedal north to Normandy’s famed coast, stopping first at “Arromanches”. Built by the allies during World War II, this manmade harbor served as a strategic landing point. Over a three-month span following D-Day, Arromanches facilitated the arrival of 2.5 million troops and 500,000 vehicles. Nearby Arromanches nests the Longues-sur-Mer battery. Located in between the landing beaches of Omaha and Gold, this four-gun, concrete-protected artillery battery, was part of Germany’s Atlantic Wall coastal fortification. You’ll then pedal through the Aure Valley to Omaha Beach, one of D-Day’s most important battle sites. Located upon the overlooking bluffs, in the village of Colleville-Sur-Mer, you’ll find the equally beautiful and moving Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. From here, you’ll return to Bayeux.

Day 3: Bayeux to Benouville (45 kilometers/28 miles)

You’ll pedal along the Seulles River to the coastal village of Courseulles, home to the Juno Beach Cultural Center and World War II Museum. Consisting of seven exhibit rooms, the center honors Canada’s role in the war through a vast collection of photos, maps, artifacts and videos. If you feel so inclined, you can also visit the town’s Sea Center (Maison de la Mer), which champions the area’s famous oyster beds. Next, you’ll ride to the Chateau de Fontaine-Henry. This stately mansion bears the rare distinction of being one of the only chateaux in France to be continuously occupied by the same family, spanning more than 900 years. Then it’s on to Pegasus Bridge, site of where six British gliders carrying 181 men landed just after midnight on June 6, 1944, which signaled the start of the Normandy Invasion. You’ll lodge at night in Benouville, located along the Caen Canal.

Day 4: Benouville to Beuvron-en-Auge (approx. 38km/23.5 miles)

Today you’ll pedal southeast. Along the way you’ll wheel through the marshes of Dives, the aquatic bird kingdom’s version of New York City. Thousand of birds reside here, including herons, moorhens, mallards, storks, coots and great crested grebes. Continuing on, you’ll reach Pays d’Auge, a hobbit-like region of thatched cottages and half-timbered homes, tucked among the folds of green rolling hills checkered with apple and pear orchards. You’ll reach Beuvron en Auge, your home base for the next two nights (classified as “one of the most beautiful villages of France”). Be sure to sample the area’s specialties- cider and calvados (apple brandy).

Day 5: Beuvron-en-Auge to Beuvron-en-Auge (36 or 58 km/ 20 or 36 miles)

Your ride today will lead you through classic Normandy: stretching orchards, folkloric type villages, and sweeping green meadows with herds of grazing dairy cows and tail-swishing horses. The Chateau of Crevecoeur will be the day’s first stop. Surrounded by a moat, this shockingly well-preserved wood-framed chateau gives the feeling that a Renaissance festival will break out at any second. You’ll then pedal into Saint-Julien-le-Faucon for lunch, before continuing on to the Chateau of Coupesarte. Riders who opt for the longer ride will also visit the chateau of Saint-Germain-de-Livet. Surrounded by a moat, this chateau was built in the 1500s and features an impressive collection of Renaissance murals.

Day 6: Beuvron-en-Auge to Honfleur (48 kilometers/29 miles)

You’ll ride east today and cross the Touques River at Le Breuil en Auge. Here, within the narrow streets of this sleepy village, you’ll have the chance to sample more of the region’s five-star cider and calvados. You’ll then continue into Blangy-le-Chateau, a small village centered around a small square with a gurgling fountain, and then, eventually into Honfleur. This picturesque port town is considered the birthplace of impressionism. Over the years its slate-covered buildings have served as the creative muse for some of the world’s greatest painters, including Claude Monet, Gustave Courbet and Eugéne Boudin.

Day 7: Departure

Depart at your leisure following breakfast.

Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.

Price includes:
6-night accommodations
Daily breakfast
3 dinners (drinks not included)
Meeting with our local representative
Detailed marked maps and/or cue sheets
Luggage transfers
Assistance if necessary
All tax and service charges

Price does not include:
Expenses of a personal nature
Travel insurance
Bicycle rentals. Hybrids are available at the rate of 115 euros per bike for the duration of your trip. This price includes the pick-up and delivery fees.

NB: This tour can also be done from Honfleur to Bayeux (private transfer from Lisieux train station to your hotel in Honfleur can be arranged for free).

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Also see tour packages in:
Europe   France   Outdoor: Land Rambler   Bicycle Touring  

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