Jamie

Anyone who has been to Normandy: Can you rent bicycles there to get around or do you absolutely have to have a car? My fiance and I were wanting to visit the D-Day memorials and just see the area, we'd really like to do it by bike. Any advice? Thanks.

amy

Hi Jamie: I think bikes are a great way to see the beaches--we just did it.<BR><BR>However, we did it with a tour company, so my knowledge of renting bikes is not firsthand. And we also had shuttles from just outside Bayeux to the Peace Museum at Caen, a museum I'd recommend no one miss who steps foot in Normandy.<BR><BR>My favorite reference book, "Cycling France," by Lonely Planet, states that you can rent bikes in Bayeux at Tandem, a bike shop 2 km north of town on Blvd. Winston Churchill. They give an excellent bike route that includes most of the must-sees, although I'd also tack on Pont du Hoc and the Ranger Museum, too.<BR><BR>Good luck--hope you do it!

steve

Many train stations rent bikes

Julie

I think I will be disillusioning you since we just returned from Normandy and Brittany and we had had the thought of doing a lot of biking there. But, we had a rental car as a back-up. I too purchased the Lonely Planet Biking France book even though we were not planning any point to point trips. We were not sure where or when we would be biking so I had even made some preliminary phone calls to shops that Lonely Planet says rents bikes. Here is what we discovered. Many of the bikes that are available for rent are the equivalent of a $5 garage sale bike, and there were enough hills that a bike with more speeds is a real plus. Only once was I able to find a good 21 speed bike. Secondly, do you speak French? We really found no one in the bike rental places (which were for the most part a combo of the local garage dealership)who spoke English. Many smaller tourist offices also were staffed by someone who only spoke French, and they were usually not very informed about bike rental options. And if they were aware of locations, they had no idea if they were good bikes or crummy ones. I speak enough French to get by so that wasn't an issue for us. We really only enjoyed biking on the more minor D roads. Even the more well-trafficed D roads were busier with cars than we were comfortable with since there are no shoulders on French roads. We brought portable gel seats that tie on to any bike. These really saved our rears. finally, be sure to buy the IGN 1:100,000 map of the area you will be in. It is incredible how many small roads there are. Also, if you are going to be in rural Normandy, be aware of the fact that if you want to picnic for lunch, you will need to buy your supplies in the morning. All the boulangeries and charcuteries and epiceries close for several hours at lunch. And, the local cafes and restaurants only serve until 2:00, so if you want to eat out you had better plan to be in a town or village before then or you will be hungry.

amy

As stated before, we know nada about bike rentals. We can absolutely agree with Julie's assessment of the roads (D-roads were our life) and the hours of the boulangeries and restaurants.<BR><BR>The map is vital. Even by car, I must say that we spent more time getting lost in Normandy than our time in the Loire valley. Although it sometimes happened in the Loire, it was much more frequent in Normandy to find the roadside after the turn rather than before it.

amy

Correction: Road sign/town direction after the turn than before it.

Richard

Our advice is to do it. Two years ago we cycled the coast, from St. Malo to Honfleur with a shortcut across the Cotentin peninsula. We travel solo, no tour guides or sag wagons. We bring our bikes with us from TX so can't help with rentals but it is a lovely way to see the coast. No problems with food or lodging, we don't make reservations since we never know how far we'll travel on any day, we arrive and look for a 2 star hotel. No problems with directions (keep the sea on your left) or traffic. We are not "Tour de France" cyclists, I'm 64 and Sandi is 55 and we travel with 40 lbs. of gear each.

Florence

Bonjour all,<BR><BR>I've just emailed a request for information on bike rentals to the "Ligue de Haute-Normandie de Cyclotourisme " http://perso.wanadoo.fr/cyclotourisme.haute-normandie/ <BR><BR>explaining your questions and your needs and linking to this board. I'll let you know their answer. With luck, they may even look over here and answer themselves.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

steve

you might also check with the Cyclist Touring Club in England for info.<BR><BR>I recommend getting the Michelin map 54 - a 1:200,000 map. Use only the roads colored in yellow or white unless there is no alternative. In several weeks of cycling in France, I have never had a problem with cars on these roads.