A new network of routes in France and England opened to the public on the 22^nd of June with events and celebrations in France and in the UK. The Tour de Manche is a new project that allows cyclists to explore the two countries along dedicated, signposted routes. This network of routes is perfect to discover the regions as it bears an emphasis on the discovery of each region and cycle tourism.

With the summer holidays rapidly approaching, new and inventive ways of sight-seeing are continuously being created, one of those being the Tour de Manche. The Tour de Manche is a new cycle tourism project borne out of cooperation between French and British organizations. Cyclists will have the opportunity to visit the South West of England, Normandy and Brittany across 1200km of sign-posted routes while exploring landmark sites like Mont St-Michel and visiting villages to experience the wealth of traditions in each region.

In order to cross the English Channel, cyclists have the possibility of using 3 different ports either side of the Channel; Poole, Weymouth and Plymouth in England and Roscoff, St-Malo and Cherboutg in France. We recommend booking ferry tickets before your trip, and also to book hotels or hostels before leaving as they will be crowded during the summer season.

Cyclists have the choice of which routes they want to take depending on their skills or the time they have to spend. This means that the Tour de Manche is accessible to a wide range of bicycle tourists: from experienced bikers to families with children. If one is looking to still experience the Tour de Manche but in a shorter amount of time, the Petit Tour de Manche is open to all. This shorter tour allows travellers to see around Normandy, Dorset and the Island of Jersey. Every route has been sign posted and is in condition for cycling.

The French section of the project forms part of EuroVelo 4 – Central Europe Route, one of the 14 long-distance routes that make up the European cycle route network.  As part of the project, EuroVelo signs have been now installed throughout this section of EuroVelo 4.  More intrepid travellers could decide to continue along the northern coast of France before crossing central Europe to eventually reach Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine, 4,000 km later!

Interested  cyclotourists are able to register for free on the Tour de Manche website to receive maps and GPS coordinates to help them in their travel. The website also offers the possibility to create a cycling roadbook to add images and share their experience with other users. The website will also allow them to check which hotels and hostels are available along the way. This exciting new partnership promises great success on both sides of the channel. 

About the Author

Matthieu Chateau is a communications assistant at ECF, he is currently studying in Dublin.