A cycling holiday with 470 km from Nantes to Royan
Marie set herself the challenge of travelling EV1-La Vélodyssée from Nantes to Royan, going 470 km in 7 days, accompanied by her friend Romain.
Where did they get the idea for this cycling holiday? Well, first of all, they wanted to take on an athletic challenge to test their limits and their ability to get by in an unfamiliar environment. They wanted to get back to basics and discover the French countryside.
Day 1: Nantes > Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (66 km)
‘This is it, we’re off on an adventure! It’s our first day of our cycling holiday. We’re a little apprehensive, particularly about the weight of the bikes and the fact that we didn’t train much!
We arrived in Nantes around 1:00pm (we had to stop and see the famous ‘Machines of the Isle of Nantes’). We had just the afternoon to get to Saint-Brevin, so we had to move at a pretty strong pace. After stopping to snap photos in front of La Pimpante ⚓, hidden in a little embankment, stopping for a picnic, and seeing many different landscapes, the Atlantic Ocean finally appeared. We set up our camp as night fell and watched a beautiful sunset. 🌅’
Day 2: Saint-Brevin-les-Pins > Noirmoutier (91 km)
‘After a somewhat restless night, with us jumping at every little sound of branches 🌿, we awoke with the sunrise. The sky was magnificent. We reinflated our tyres, reinstalled our luggage, and got going for the ‘first real day’ of our cycling experience. We had lunch at the harbour in Pornic, one of our favourite spots of the week. The azure sea, the boats, the château, and the blue skies were like a dream!
We saw many of the people we had seen cycling on day one, which gave us an opening to start conversation and make some connections... We ended our day of cycling by crossing the legendary ‘Passage du Gois’ causeway to reach the island of Noirmoutier. On a side note 🔎, this causeway is the old access road to the island and can only be used at low tide. Parts of the road are paved with stone, which can be a little unpleasant on bike 🍑 , but given the views and the unusual nature of the causeway, we quickly decided to go ahead with it! La Frandière campsite, with its 10 camping spots, found a place for us and we were able to spend the night in a safe location and also use the bathroom facilities 🚿 and electricity! 🙏’
Day 3: Noirmoutier > Les Sables-d’Olonne (72 km)
‘We had a fairly light day with not too many kilometres to cover. The weather wasn’t great, but thankfully we avoided the rain! 🌥
We had many views like this one (pictured) throughout the day. The route was pretty and went along beaches. 🏖
We got going early in the morning so that we could enjoy the late afternoon in a campsite that we chose that same day! Swimming in the pool, some laundry, watching the sunset over dinner (yep, another sunset!), and a good night’s rest!’
Day 4: Les Sables-d’Olonne > Longeville-sur-Mer (38 km)
‘One of the shortest days of our cycling experience. We needed a little break in the middle of the week, but given what lied ahead (116 km the next day, then 125 km😱), we chose to get back on the cycling route in the mid-afternoon to make a little progress on our itinerary.
We had a picnic while sitting on a cliff with our feet dangling over the edge. It was blue ocean and blue sky as far as the eye could see (📸) . 🏖 Here’s a little snapshot of how our day ended. 😍
It’s as they say, a picture says a thousand words... 🌅 #sunsetlovers’
Day 5: Longeville-sur-Mer > Châtelaillon-Plage (93 km)
‘We had breakfast on the beach as the sun rose. The night was very cold and we had to put on our sweatsuits over our cycling outfits to start day five of our cycling adventure.🌡
We had quite a long route with lots of long, straight paths and just a little bit of time spent along the ocean. Psychologically and physically, this segment was the most difficult. We started to really feel the cumulative fatigue, the aches and pains, and the not-so-restful nights! 😴 But thankfully, once we passed the sign for the Charente-Maritime department, our morale rose again and the route from just before La Rochelle (going along a canal 📸) to Châtelaillon was quite nice! 🌊⚓’
Day 6: Châtelaillon-Plage > Rochefort (27 km)
‘We woke up late and with difficulty. Our thighs were very sore. The sprint the night before turned out to be a bit too much. We flirted with the idea of taking the train from Châtelaillon, but we didn’t want to give up when we were so close to the finish line! 👊
We got going around noon. We grabbed a picnic lunch from a bakery and headed to a little place we found ahead of time on Instagram. In Rochefort, we decided to find a campsite despite the fact that we hadn’t travelled very far. The municipal campsite had a place for us. It was a great surprise. The price was very cheap and we got a spacious, calm spot with access to clean bathroom facilities. To top it off, there was a pizza vendor! 🙄🍕’
Day 7: Rochefort > Saint-Palais-sur-Mer (83 km)
‘After a good night’s rest at the campsite in Rochefort, we had our motivation back for our last day, though we were a little sad knowing it was the end of our cycling holiday. 🙄 The route was quite nice, with lots of cycling paths along the ocean.
One of my other favourite spots 💓, the street in Ronce-les-Bains leading to the Ferris wheel by the sea, made me feel like I was in Florida.
I had a little scare a few metres before arriving at the campsite. My brakes gave out on a big slope and I couldn’t stop. The wooden barrier that marked where we had to turn was getting closer and closer. Thankfully, I had the reflex to brake with one of my feet, so I didn’t end up in hospital!🏥
We spent the night at our last campsite before leaving the next morning for Royan, where we took a train to go home 🏠.’
To conclude, it was a very tiring, sporty week, but what an adventure! 😍 We rediscovered the simple pleasures in life, got in touch with nature, met people sharing the same interests, and, above all, we pushed ourselves, tested our limits, and made ourselves mentally stronger. A fantastic cycling experience.
Would I repeat this route? YES, without a doubt. The few difficulties we encountered over our cycling holiday were part of the experience and we now look back on them fondly.
I really hope to travel the southern portion of EV1-La Vélodyssée (Royan-Hendaye) very soon, and maybe even try out the many other @eurovelo routes! 🖐 France is a magnificent country with so many nooks and crannies to explore. 🇫🇷
Tailor-made itineraries
Tailor-made itineraries
12 Nantes / Le Pellerin
13 Le Pellerin / St-Brevin-les-Pins
14 St-Brevin-les-Pins / Pornic
15 Pornic / Bouin
16 Bouin / La Barre de Monts - Fromentine
17 La Barre de Monts - Fromentine / St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
18 St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie / Les Sables d'Olonne
The Vélodyssée cycle route gradually moves away from the coast and winds between the Olonne forest and the former salt marshes, now a protected area. This route reaches Les Sables-d'Olonne via the marina, Port Olona.
19 Les Sables d'Olonne / La Tranche-sur-Mer
20 La Tranche-sur-Mer / Marans
Cycle through vast expanses of marshland and farmland dotted with farms and cabins until you reach Marans, a pleasant riverside town bordered by the Sèvre Niortaise River. Be curious and explore the marina, the historic center, and the church with its futuristic bell tower, all of this town that lives to the rhythm of the water.
21 Marans / La Rochelle
22 La Rochelle / Rochefort
Your cycle route continues inland to reach the banks of the Charente River and the remarkable town of Rochefort, a City of Art and History, the historic birthplace of the Hermione, the Corderie Royale, and the Maison Pierre Loti, in the heart of the "Charente Estuary - Rochefort Arsenal" Grand Site de France.
23 Rochefort / Marennes
24 Marennes / Royan
The Vélodyssée offers you a royal stopover with a sea view, a cycle path that winds through the coastal forest and past pretty beaches, all the way to Royan and its Belle Époque villas. Unforgettable!