La Vélodyssée Cycle Route: Roscoff to Hendaye
La Vélodyssée is France’s longest and most popular long-distance cycle route, running around 1,200 km down the Atlantic coast from Roscoff in Brittany to Hendaye on the Spanish border. It is part of EuroVelo 1 and follows a mix of greenways, canal towpaths, forest tracks and quiet country lanes. Along the way it passes through Nantes, La Rochelle, the Gironde estuary and the pine forests of the Landes before reaching the Basque coast. It is gently rolling rather than mountainous, which makes it a good choice for riders who want big scenery without big climbs.
La Vélodyssée also connects with other routes, which makes it easy to build into a longer trip. The Vélo Francette, which runs from Ouistreham in Normandy to La Rochelle, ends right on La Vélodyssée, and you pick the Atlantic route up over the last 30 km or so of the Vélo Francette. Ride the two together and you can travel from the Normandy coast all the way to the Spanish border.