This weekend, I cycled along the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy on a perfect coastal cycle route, discovering the beautiful “Côte de Nacre” and its History. My route covers parts of the famous Vélomaritime and a short section of the Vélofrancette, two famous French cycling routes. We had already cycled along these cycle paths as a family because they are very pleasant and easy, right by the water. This time, it was a solo adventure for me. I’m going to give you all the details here, so that you too can set off on this adventure, solo, as a couple or as a family! It really is a cycling route suited to all levels and completely flat! A dream if, like me, you don’t like hilly roads!
Cycling adventure along the D-Day beaches of Normandy : a brief summary
Starting point: Ouistreham
Take the ferry from Portsmouth to Caen. You will arrive in Ouistreham which is Caen’s harbour. I recommend the 8:00am sail to arrive at 3:00pm in France. Then you still have time to cycle. In the past I have tried the night ferry but I didn’t like it as the night is too short. They wake you up very early. Then I was very tired and didn’t really enjoy my first day cycling in Normandy.
Cycling distances to have in mind:
- Ouistreham -> Lion-sur-Mer : 4km
- Ouistreham -> Pegasus Bridge : 6km
- Ouistreham -> Caen : 16km
There are several possible variations for your road trip. I will give you some ideas to extend your cycling adventure, later in that article.
The 2 famous cycling routes passing through Ouistreham:
The Vélomaritime: this is a famous cycling route (part of the EuroVelo 4) linking Roscoff to Dunkirk over 1,500 km. Heaven for cycle touring fans like us! We have already cycled several sections with the children. The section in Calvados, Normandy, is particularly ideal for beginners, to discover the joys of cycling while enjoying the seaside!
The Vélofrancette: it starts in Ouistreham and heads south. I followed it along the Orne canal, from Caen to the sea. So, shall I take you along?
Here is a map to help you:
From Ouistreham to Lion-sur-Mer by bike, along the D-Day beaches
Ouistreham -> Lion-sur-Mer: 4km, ~30min by bike (leisurely)
In Ouistreham, you will see all those little huts on the beach. If you love History and specially WWII you should visit the Grand Bunker, Atlantic Wall Museum.
What a pleasure to pedal while admiring the English Channel! We are now on the Côte de Nacre (Mother-of-Pearl Coast).
Leaving Ouistream towards the west, what’s on the programme? Beautiful golden sandy beaches, beach huts, half-timbered houses and Belle Époque villas! And of course, all along the route, there are several monuments linked to the Second World War, especially around Sword Beach, one of the famous D-Day landing beaches.
In terms of architecture, you pass large half-timbered Norman houses.
Some seaside resorts are prettier than others. Lion-sur-Mer is my favourite!
By the way, if you are in Lion-sur-Mer on June 5th to June 7th, do not miss the D-Day Swing Festival! For this 2026 edition you will have:
- Swing concerts
- Tap and singing shows
- Exhibition of a MkIX Spitfire
- Conference about the Enigma machine and its code
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As for cycling, the terrain is still completely flat! There are sections where you are asked not to ride faster than 10km/h: no risk of that for me! Especially with the headwind. The path is sometimes tarmac, sometimes a sandy track.
On this section, you really enjoy the sea views!
If you still have time, you can cycle further Lion-sur-Mer and reach the next seaside towns of:
- Luc-sur-Mer (~3km from Lion-sur-Mer) to say hello to the whale: there you can see the skeleton of a whale that washed up on the Côte de Nacre at the end of the 19th century.
- Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer (~6km from Lion-sur-Mer): a pretty little seaside resort. In this area, the cycle path sometimes leaves the seafront and takes you behind it. In that case, I recommend getting off your bike and walking along the promenade so you can still enjoy the sea! You will see the Casemate WiderstandsNest 27 on the Promenade, an original anti-tank gun.
Where to stay in Lion-sur-Mer?
I loved sleeping at La Villa Louis, facing the sea, listening to the sound of the waves! La Villa Louis is a Belle Époque house in Art Nouveau style, with a beautiful loggia on the sea side, decorated with ceramic details such as scallop shells and crabs. But above all, this guest house has a soul! The owner is absolutely passionate and loves welcoming guests in the spirit of a family-run boarding house. Inside, it is a real romantic jumble. If you like minimalist décor, this is not for you. The delicious breakfast is served in the old lounge, facing the sea, with good local and homemade products, all to the sound of vinyl records.
In short, it has an old-fashioned charm, with the imperfections of an old house full of history. I loved it: the creaking floorboards, all the vintage finds, the plants, the architecture, the kindness of the owners and, of course, the sea! I would happily go back with my family!
From Ouistreham to the Pegasus Bridge and to Caen: cycling along the canal
Ouistreham -> Pegasus Bridge: 6km
On day two, in the morning, you relax and swim in Lion-sur-Mer before doing the same route as the day before, back to Ouistreham (4km).
From Ouistreham, you reach the banks of the Caen Canal to the sea. From there, it’s zero cars all the way to Caen! I love it! A perfect greenway! The scenery is very soothing, the surroundings are calm, the cycling path is flat and in excellent condition. Wind should be blowing from the sea, therefore it should help you going to Caen. At the exit of Ouistreham, I walked my bike through the fish market because it was lovely and cool inside, and I love fish stalls!
At Bénouville, you pass the famous Pegasus Bridge, a historic site from the 6 June 1944 D-Day landings. This is where British paratroopers landed and secured the bridge so that it would not fall under German control, thereby facilitating the operations taking place simultaneously on the beaches. The bridge’s name pays tribute to the British parachute troops, whose emblem is the winged horse Pegasus. A visit to the Pegasus Memorial Museum is really interesting. And if you have children they will like it too. You can see the original bridge, a replica glider and many personal belongings of the soldiers. Allow 1hour30 for the visit. Open from March to mid-December.
Near the bridge, there is also the option to sit on one of the café terraces if you are not in a hurry. A very pleasant spot!
At the Pegasus Bridge, you have several options:
- Cycle on the east side of the canal, towards the Orne estuary and its nature reserve: the previous time, I went that way with my “Ticoeur”. It is a beautiful natural area! Then you turn around and head back to Ouistreham or, if you are a very kin cyclist, you can manage to go all the way to the beautiful seaside town of Cabourg, along the Vélomaritime and then go back to Ouistreham.
- Cycle on the west side of the canal all the way to Caen, on the Vélofrancette cycling route. Then, you can take a stroll through the pretty city of Caen before cycling back to Ouistreham. This city clearly deserves a visit! To see: the Castle, the Caen Memorial for History fans, the botanical garden and simply the lovely streets of the centre.
Back in Ouistreham, I took the ferry to Portsmouth with the 4:30pm boat. The crossing takes 6 hours and is operated by Brittany Ferries.
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Take your bike on the ferry or hire:
In the Ferry form Portsmouth to Caen (Ouistreham):
I chose to take my bike with me.
- At the moment of booking, just add a bike to your reservation (it’s an additional 10£)
- Once in the ferry, there is room for all bikes at the same level as cars. Staff will secure the bicycle for you and attach it.
- Logistics is very easy and you can be the first out at arrival which allows you to get to Passports controls first!
For those who do not have a bike…
- Bike hire company in Ouistreham: to hire a regular or electric bike for the whole weekend, there is for example Normandy Bike, on Ouistreahm Beach.
- The Vélolib network: you can use the electric bikes located at the docking stations in the area (near the Harbour, in Lion-sur-Mer and in Caen). See prices on the Vélolib website. I should warn you, however, that there is a small risk that there will be no bikes left when you arrive at some stations.
- Regular or electric bike? As the route is easy, a regular bike is more than enough! However, when cycling towards the sea or westwards, you often have a headwind, so an electric bike reduces the effort. Personally, I prefer using a regular bike. The effort is part of the experience!
My cycling equipment
My bike:
I have an old road bike that is 20 years old, with a completely rusty chain and gears that no longer change properly! Why am I telling you this? Simply to prove that this cycling getaway on the Côte de Nacre is so easy that even an old bike will do! That said, my bike does at least have the advantage of not being too heavy.
Bike pannier:
I had one, to hold my clothes for the weekend and 3 pairs of shoes! Yes, I had a lovely evening planned, so high heels, then low heels for the end of the evening, and a third pair just in case :-). At the bottom of the pannier, I also had a high-vis vest, bike lights and a pump.
Other luggage:
- Backpack: for my washbag, books (I had time to read 3 books on my ferry journey!), my phone charger and water.
- A small crossbody handbag: for passport, wallet and keys.
Other accessories:
- Bike lock: it is essential; I never set off without one, even with an old bike. U-locks are the most effective.
- Bring a bike helmet for safety.
- What did I forget? I should have taken a power bank for my phone because I ran out of battery before Lion-sur-Mer. Fortunately, it is absolutely impossible to get lost! The signage on the cycle paths is very clear!
- What I did not take: I did not bring a rain poncho because I sacrificed it in favour of the shoes :-)… The weather forecast only promised sunshine! But I really was very lucky because by the sea, forecasts are never very reliable and I narrowly missed some serious showers! In short, take a poncho!
Cycling along the D-Day landing beaches with children?
This time I was alone, but in the past, we have often come to the Côte de Nacre, in Normandy, with the children: it is well suited to families, between the beaches and the visits. By bike, I also cycled this section of the Vélomaritime with my “Ticoeur” when he was 12, over two days. As I described above, this cycling route is easy, so the only thing to manage is the choice of distance according to your child’s ability. My Ticoeur has often done stages of around 30km of cycling per day since he was 8. That is quite sporty. For a first experience, perhaps aim for 10 to 20km per day.
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So? Tempted by a bike ride along the D-Day beaches of Normandy?
And for more route ideas and detailed maps, you can go on the official Vélomaritime website. With 1,500km of cycling route along the sea, from Roscoff to Dunkirk, you should find plenty of inspiration for beautiful cycling weekends!
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