Cycling Normandy, France
April 2015 bicycle tour around Normandy, France and not a bike ride that Garry would typically put on here, being under 500 miles. But this was his first venture abroad in more than sixteen months.
Garry had spent a good part of last year in and out of the hospital after suffering a prolapsed disc on his 2013 tour to Greece. As a result, he had spent the past year and a half touring in the UK. Unfortunately, the first operation wasn’t a success. And he was back on the operating table in January this year.
Garry had already been on another tour in England four weeks ago. And he was going to stay in England for this tour. But not knowing where to go, Garry decided to jump on a ferry and head abroad.
After arriving in Portsmouth, Garry went to book a ferry. He could have ended up in Spain if that was the first available crossing. But it wasn’t; the first ferry out of England was to Saint-Malo, France, which was good enough for Garry. During the crossing, Garry decided to retrace the route he took on his first-ever long-distance ride in 2008.
Garry arrived in France early the following morning, although it took a while to disembark. After eventually getting off the ship, Garry started to cycle along the coast, following it all the way up to Cherbourg.
From Cherbourg, Garry was on one of his favourite stretches in France. The D-Day beaches of Normandy. Garry had already cycled along this route twice before, but it held such a fascination for him. It was well worth cycling again. Garry even got a guided tour of the American War Cemetery at Colville-sur-Mer. Which was absolutely fascinating, and Garry learnt some interesting facts.
Once Garry reached Caen, he boarded the ferry back to England. A short ride, and Garry was only away for four nights, covering 322 miles.
Bicycle Tour Photos
Garry’s YouTube video
Garry’s Route
Follow & Support
If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel Garry’s next mile, you can always support him by buying him a beer. Or subscribe to his blog and follow him as he travels around on his bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow Garry on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. Garry’s also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all his tours, along with regular photo updates that he generally publishes each month.
If you want to find out if Garry’s away touring at the moment and check his location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And after thousands of miles on the road, Garry’s condensed everything he’s learned into one place. So if you’re planning your own cycling adventure, read his reality check on long-distance touring.
Garry McGivern is a solo, self-supported bicycle tourist and the creator of Travelsonabike2. Having cycled over 70,000 miles worldwide on his trusty bike, Passepartout, Garry documents the reality of long-distance travel. Follow along for updates, gear insights, and the daily highs and lows of bicycle touring, whether he’s camped beside the road or in the luxury of a hotel. Join Garry on the road, and be inspired to start your own adventure. Read more.