Cycling Santander to Roscoff, a worthy route???

[alex85]

Hi all

Am in the early processes of planning a trip from Santander to Roscoff hugging the west coast of France. Was wanting to hear other peoples experiences of this trip, any suggestions / tips for the journey. But mainly is it a worth while trip to do.

All suggestions / tips / stories appreciated.

Thanks all...

 

[Dave Davenport]

Hi all

Am in the early processes of planning a trip from Santander to Roscoff hugging the west coast of France. Was wanting to hear other peoples experiences of this trip, any suggestions / tips for the journey. But mainly is it a worth while trip to do.

All suggestions / tips / stories appreciated.

Thanks all...

We did Bilbao to St Malo a couple of years ago and previously did a loop starting towards Santander from Bilbao. We followed the coast as far as Royan then cut inland a bit. The Spanish bit is fantastic untill you get to San Sebastion then it's a bit built up & congested 'till you get past Bayonne. You've then got a couple of days of flat riding through the pine forrests 'till you reach the mouth of the Gironde where you can get the ferry across to Royan.
There's some great cycling in Brittany so IMO it's a trip well worth doing.
Oh, and unless you want to go into Bilbao itself (the Guggenheim is worht a visit), use the transporter bridge just down from the ferry port.

 

[chrtho]

The problem I always find with 'hugging the coast' is that the coastal strip is generally busy with traffic, 'resorts' and holidaymakers. This is certainly true on the north coast of Spain and west coast of France. A few km inland, you can find quiet roads and peaceful countryside:

Apart from that, it's a great route.

 

[alex85]

Thanks, quite roads are always preferred, are there any unmissable parts along the coast so we could maybe flip between the two, and visa versa. Any towns worth visiting en route??

Any ideas on how much time should be allocated for the trip?? We're thinking a couple of weeks should suffice.

 

[chrtho]

Thanks, quite roads are always preferred, are there any unmissable parts along the coast so we could maybe flip between the two, and visa versa. Any towns worth visiting en route??

Nothing I would call 'unmissable'. The coast is OK - just head inland for a bit if/when you tire of the crowds. La Rochelle is probably the nicest town on the coast although it was wet and windy when I passed through.

Any ideas on how much time should be allocated for the trip?? We're thinking a couple of weeks should suffice.

Are you carrying camping gear ? How far do you cycle each day ?

 

[alex85]

Yeah we're planning to camp as much as possible so will have all the gear on the back, haven't decided how many miles a day yet probably average around 70 a day.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Yeah we're planning to camp as much as possible so will have all the gear on the back, haven't decided how many miles a day yet probably average around 70 a day.

Allowing for rest/easy days and a bit of touristy stuff we work on 50 miles a day average over two or three weeks. Mind you, we do like a 'few' scoops of an evening and are decidedly tardy at getting going in the morning.

 

[chrtho]

Yeah we're planning to camp as much as possible so will have all the gear on the back, haven't decided how many miles a day yet probably average around 70 a day.

At that mileage you should be fine but don't forget to allow for rest days and bad weather. A coastal head-wind for five days (as I had) could put a serious dent in your schedule.

I managed 45ish miles/day in France but am a 'plodder' and like to take detours into the mountains wherever possible - the Pyrenees are great for cycling.