Granville-Mont St Michel Route advice

[bill50g]

My wife and I will be touring Normandy this summer, and we have one secton from Granvlle to Mont St Michel that goes through Avranches.

Does anyone have a recommneded route that does not go on the main city bypass that I am told is a very major highway? I read of one report that involves this bypass, by using the shoulder of the road.

For what it is worth, I will be bringing a GPS with some mapping capabilities.

 

[sdorrity]

You are quite right the bypass is a fairly major road. The shoulder is ok to use as the French drivers are more considerate than most to cyclists and you can get off in the direction of Mont St Michel fairly quickly after Avranches.

The other way is to go through the town which is up a pretty steep hill.

The first time I did this trip we headed off down to the right early on and went through some small roads which you will see off to the right, but it did meander a bit and most navigation was done with a compass to keep going in the right direction.

There is a nice if modern 'hotel Verte' at the causway at le Mont which is also the campsite, it has nice cabins and is a change from camping. Also of worth is the Logis Hotel de la tour brette at pontorson

( 8, rue Couesnon.
50170 PONTORSON
Tel: +33 (0)2.33.60.10.69
Fax: +33 (0)2.33.48.59.66
E-mail: [email protected] )

The owner is very cycle friendly loading us up with extra pasta 'pour la velo' when we stayed there a couple of years ago.

If your route takes you that way the Suisse Normand area is very nice too

this is a link to a trip we did some years ago

http://www.guernsey.net/~sdorrity/Normandy.htm

Have fun

Steve D

Originally posted by bill50g
My wife and I will be touring Normandy this summer, and we have one secton from Granvlle to Mont St Michel that goes through Avranches.

Does anyone have a recommneded route that does not go on the main city bypass that I am told is a very major highway? I read of one report that involves this bypass, by using the shoulder of the road.

For what it is worth, I will be bringing a GPS with some mapping capabilities.

 

[bill50g]

Originally posted by sdorrity
You are quite right the bypass is a fairly major road. The shoulder is ok to use as the French drivers are more considerate than most to cyclists and you can get off in the direction of Mont St Michel fairly quickly after Avranches.

The other way is to go through the town which is up a pretty steep hill.

The first time I did this trip we headed off down to the right early on and went through some small roads which you will see off to the right, but it did meander a bit and most navigation was done with a compass to keep going in the right direction.

There is a nice if modern 'hotel Verte' at the causway at le Mont which is also the campsite, it has nice cabins and is a change from camping. Also of worth is the Logis Hotel de la tour brette at pontorson

( 8, rue Couesnon.
50170 PONTORSON
Tel: +33 (0)2.33.60.10.69
Fax: +33 (0)2.33.48.59.66
E-mail: [email protected] )

The owner is very cycle friendly loading us up with extra pasta 'pour la velo' when we stayed there a couple of years ago.

If your route takes you that way the Suisse Normand area is very nice too

this is a link to a trip we did some years ago

http://www.guernsey.net/~sdorrity/Normandy.htm

Have fun

Steve D

Thanks Steve. That helps. By the way, we are staying at the Motel Vert in Mont. St. Michelle.

Bill Guthrie.

 

[sdorrity]

Originally posted by bill50g
" Motel Vert " in Mont. St. Michelle.

Bill Guthrie.

That would be the one, The restaurant in the grounds is pretty good, geared towards the tourist but the food is ok. When we were there the waiter kindly gave us a menu in English. Which was fine but he didn't speak English, so we were stuck with a menu that we could understand but couldn't translate and a menu that the waiter couldn't understand either, so pointing didn't work!

There is another restaurant up the road (away from M St M ) that was good last time I was there. Towards St Malo the road across the river is nice and flat and meandering, once you get back onto the main coast road its not too busy, le Mont Dol is worth a visit but its a real trek to the top, good views of M St M.

Regards

Steve D