What better way to discover Brittany in depth than on a bicycle - you can go at your own speed and choose your own route, and there is something special about getting off the beaten track and discovering unspoilt landscapes for yourself. You will have some rare experiences, as when you spot a kingfisher in flight, start a hare from your path or stop to examine a rare wild flower. You can idle down a little lane, leading either to the sea or to a river and perhaps find a cove that motorists never see. Brittany is full of quiet byways passing through beautiful little villages.

Here is an extract from an article called "FROM REDON TO THE SEA", taken from the "Enchanting Brittany" magazine:

You are on holiday for a week? Feel like some quiet cycling that will take in the green of the countryside, the blue of the rivers and the salt of the sea, pausing for a halt in charming villages and at historic sites? A bike trip around the Pays de Vilaine would be excellent - you would explore the great natural site of the Valley of the Oust and the Nantes-Brest canal, the River Vilaine and its estuary, the beaches and ports of southern Brittany and the Grande Brière, the most mysterious of the great French fenlands. On the Cojoux moors you will be astonished at the size of the megalithic site of Saint-Just, one of the most remarkable in Brittany....

There are delights to make you halt at every town you come across. Your journey starts in Redon, a river-port at the junction of the Vilaine and the Nantes-Brest canal. It was founded in 832, at the instigation of Nominoë, the first ruler of Brittany. The ship-owners' houses along the quays, the picturesque salt warehouses in the rue du Port and the ancient houses in the old part of the town all add to its character. Pedal a few more miles and you come into romantic country. The charm of the banks of the old river Oust will have you stopping your bike at regular intervals, and you'll get off entirely when you see the Ile aux Pies - Magpie Island - a little piece of land stranded in the middle of the Oust. Then back on your saddle! In La Gacilly, a town of flowers and craftsmen, the pretty stone houses are neatly arranged along the banks of the Aff. Every one is a gallery for tempting works of art. You can then stroll in the botanical gardens belonging to Yves Rocher, or treat yourself to a boat cruise along the waterways of the Pays Gallo.

But don't use up all your film, as a picturesque little road takes you to the banks of the Vilaine, and the view is worth a look. Here is a good standpoint for gazing at La Roche-Bernard - the tiniest of towns, but what character! Perched on a headland overlooking the Vilaine, it was founded around 920 AD by Bernard, a viking warlord. Its exceptional situation as a meeting-place of road and river traffic has given it a very busy history and a particularly thriving commercial life. The old-age charm of its houses that grow out of the very rock; the warren of twisting alleyways that lead down to the harbour.

Then return to your accommodation, have a shower and a sip or two of chilled white wine before strolling down to choose from one of the many excellent restaurants only a short distance away. After a comfortable night's sleep, you can finish your cycle trip to the sea the next day.

The above sample route follows minor metalled roads, and is suitable for children from the age of twelve upwards. If you have the right map ( e.g. the French IGN series), it would be very difficult to become lost. Bikes can be hired locally if you don't want to bring your own.