Brittany on Two Wheels - A March Motorcycle Adventure
- Suzie Prevett
- Apr 13
- 21 min read
Updated: Apr 14
Travelling to the Ferry Port
The journey began with a remarkably smooth transit across the South of England. We linked together the A361, A303, Ac31, A37, and finally a brief stint on the M27, enjoying lovely roads and a bike that felt perfectly dialled in. We made a pitstop for a very decent Sunday Roast in the sun at the Sir Walter Tyrrell, before hitting the final stretch to the ferry port.
We arrived at the Portsmouth port by 5:00pm, greeted by a wonderfully smiley chap who pointed us toward check-in. The process took a moment due to some issues with the party in front of us, but the check-in lady was delighted to see her national flag on the side of my bike; she exclaimed that she was relieved that we weren't going to cause her any extra "faff!", ha ha!
While waiting, Kelvin provided the comedy gold of the day by asking if the "Dot 4" writing on my DR front brake reservoir was actually Braille. I haven't laughed so hard for a long time, I was literally almost crying. We spent the rest of the wait chatting with a couple travelling with their dogs; they were former riders who had lived in Portugal for years and were now based in Guernsey. My Argentina flag patch proved to be the ultimate icebreaker yet again. The gentleman noticed it immediately, sparking a great conversation about his own travels to Argentina and the Perito Moreno Glacier in particular, a place we'll never forget experiencing.
Once on the ferry, we realised we were part of an elite (ok, maybe slightly cuckoo) group, only three bikes were on board in total, so us and one couple travelling two-up. After settling into the cabin and practically inhaling some mini Toblerones and pudding, we took our seasickness tablets and headed to the deck. A "Red Alert" aurora warning had flashed on my phone, but the harbor lights were far too bright to see anything. However, we did spot a colossal aircraft carrier lurking in the dark. I just wished it was daylight to be able to have a proper look.
IMPORTANT NOTE: all GPX tracks included in this blog article are taken from what we actually did (recorded routes) and therefore may have some wrong turns / U-turns etc. There were several roads closed, especially on Day 1 so we had to take alternative routes. Road access and conditions are subject to change at any time, so if you choose to use our GPX files for your own trip, you do so at your own risk. They are solely for information purposes about our specific trip, and to serve as a recap for ourselves also.
Day 1 in Brittany - The Coastal Route (Côtes-d'Armor)
Despite setting alarms for 5:30am for breakfast at 6am (the boat runs on UK time), we woke up at 5:53am to silent alarms. No idea what happened there?! Even with roaming and Wi-Fi off, our clocks had automatically updated. So what we thought was 5.53am was actually 4.53am on the boat, so, after rushing to get dressed, we arrived at the restaurant 45 minutes early... again (the same thing happened in our trip last March, ha ha). It seems no matter how many times we do this, we manage to mess up the ship-time vs. UK-time math! Next time we need to remember to turn off 'automatic update' for the time and date!!
It was a good morning despite the toilet flush system failing for the entire ship (much to the dismay of the maintenance crew I'm sure). I was sat waiting to be called down to our bikes and looking at the map, and after overhearing me asking Kelvin for a pen (he didn't have one) a kind lady gifted me a pen. Then, after a very friendly pass through border control, we hit the French tarmac. We were ready to explore Brittany on two wheels!
We explored a bridge over the Arguenon river, and Chateau de la Roche Goyon Fort la Latte (which was unfortunately closed) and checked out Cap Fréhel, though we found a much better vantage point further along the coast. A local Kawasaki 600 rider came over for a chat, admiring the view from his doorstep of Plage de L'Anse du Croc.
After Kelvin adjusted his clutch, we found a perfect roadside pizzeria in Sables-d'Or-les-Pins called 'La Mama'. The pizza was excellent, and we sat in the sun soaking up the atmosphere. The afternoon ride was stunning but slightly tedious due to the endless 30kph (about 18mph) limits through every single village.
At one 'stop' sign, Kelvin managed to end up on the floor, getting his trouser leg caught on his foot peg. Ironically, he actually stopped, whereas I missed the sign entirely! Thankfully nothing was coming. The local French drivers were incredibly kind, stopping to check on him, and both he and the bike were fine. Phew!
We ended the day near Lannion at an amazing spot for just £69. After a 15-minute walk, we had dinner at a place called 'Rosa Louise' (a burger for Kelvin, sushi for me). I found I could understand most of the French being spoken, but my brain kept trying to reply in Spanish!
Back at the accommodation, I used the DMD planner and my paper Michelin Brittany map to plot tomorrow's route, specifically hunting for those scenic "green-lined" roads, and hopefully a few less 30kph zones!
Accommodation Name: Breizh A-Gevret
Accommodation Cost: £69 including an excellent continental breakfast. Beautiful property!
GPX of our travels of the day (137 miles) available here:
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Day 2 in Brittany - Parc Naturel Regional d’Amorique
After a solid sleep and a breakfast of pastries and granola, we loaded the bikes under the watchful eye of Eric, our friendly host. We then grabbed a few supplies at Intermarché and headed south, through beautiful Morlaix and then into the national park.
A lakeside coffee in Huelgoat was a highlight because the coffee was excellent and we really needed a break. Having used the DMD planner in tandem with paper maps, it made for a much smoother riding day, which is what I'd been hoping for. We found beautiful, sweeping roads that bypassed the stop-start frustration of the previous day. It meant not so many coastal villages, but it was well worth it!
We stopped for a windy, yet sunny late lunch at a viewpoint near Le Faou (cue baguette and boursin from my pannier) before crossing the impressive Pont de Terenez. It also gave us a chance to see where we'd got to and decide where we'd likely get in a couple of hours. After a bit of a search we booked some accommodation near the end of our planned route, as it seemed very doable in the time we had left for that day.
In Carhaix-Plouguer, we fuelled up and then stopped for coffee at a "PMU" style bar (lottery, betting, tobacco, and drinks). Some of the bruised clientele looked like they’d just stepped out of a bare-knuckle brawl, but other than that it seemed like a friendly enough place and we could park the bikes right outside. Ideal!
We grabbed bakery snacks and headed to our accommodation to meet our host, Mickael. The place was fabulous with a huge kitchen and a massive bed, with a beautiful ensuite bathroom. Mickael and his wife Estelle gave us some great local tips over the map, and we felt right at home. We'd lucked out again!
Accommodation Name: Ti Laouen Karaez
Accommodation Cost: £56 including a very good continental breakfast. Fabulous place to stay!
GPX of our travels of the day (147 miles) available here:
Day 3 in Brittany - Concarneau and The Quiberon Peninsula
The day started with a "culinary disaster." We opened some cheese we’d bought, and the taste was, to put it mildly, disgusting. We pivoted to Boursin and jam sandwiches instead (not all in the same sandwich)! I messaged our hosts to say we'd left the cheese in the fridge as didn't want to stink out the bin. Apparently, according to them, the cheese is lovely in jacket potatoes, so hopefully they enjoyed it!!
The weather was a mix of sun and looming rain. We explored Concarneau on foot with it's large walled island village, passed through Quimperlé, and once again, had an al-fresco 'out of Suzie's pannier' lunch by Pont du Saint-Maurice. In the quaint village of Pont Scorff, we enjoyed coffee by the river and spotted some unexpected large pink elephants. Ok, they were inflatable, but caught our eye so we spotted the cafe!
We pushed onto the Quiberon peninsula, which was stunningly rugged but incredibly windy. By the time we reached the Plage de Conguel, we were too exhausted to visit the Carnac Megaliths and headed straight for the beautiful and cheap (off-season) hotel we'd managed to find very last-minute. We skipped the €20 buffet breakfast option for the next day, and decided we'd try to find a local café instead.
The hotel's Hammam and Sauna were a godsend for our aching muscles. Dinner, however, was a comedy of errors. The service was exceptionally poor; they forgot my starter, the meal took over an hour to arrive so ate at about 9.20pm, and they served my dessert while failing to offer Kelvin one. They did apologise afterwards with some complimentary "bubbles" and a refund on the wine. We then went to bed with full bellies and absolutely shattered.
Accommodation Name: La Maison OBONO Hôtel & Spa (4 Star Hotel)
Accommodation Cost: £63 excluding breakfast (can add breakfast for 20 Euros pp but we opted to eat on the road for a fraction of the cost). Also includes use of Sauna and Hamam (and pool in season).
GPX of our travels of the day (152 miles) available here:
Day 4 in Brittany - Rochefort-en-Terre, La Gacilly and Josselin
Since our 4-star hotel failed to provide basic tea-making facilities (no milk, no sugar, tiny cups), we were glad for our trusty 'Overland Event' mugs and emergency Tetley tea bags! Plus I had some UHT milk so we were set.
In Sainte-Anne d'Auray, I spotted a "Le Bostock" pastry in a bakery so I had to send a photo to my brother (our surname is/was Bostock)! I had a lovely interaction with a super-friendly lady at a 'tabac' bar who helped me with my French, and provided some well made take-away cafe-au-lait's.
This turned out to be my favorite riding day. The architecture in Rochefort-en-Terre, La Gacilly, and Josselin was breathtaking. The former two places were ones our hosts from a couple of nights back had recommended, and had some very classic, beautiful Breton buildings. In Josselin, it was the huge Castle that really stole the show. We didn't stray too far from the bikes on this occasion, but as you'll see later, this little town drew us back in.
After fueling up and chatting with a CX500 enthusiast at the supermarket in Pontivy, we arrived at our Gite near Saint-Aignan that we'd booked whilst having a break in Josselin. It was a fabulous place, and we got such a good deal. I'd have gladly stayed more than one night, but when I looked the following night was already booked out.
We took a slightly more vigorous than anticipated one-hour hike through a forest path to a local lake (Lake Guerlédan), before settling in with the maps again to plan a big loop out of Botplançon, through the countryside, aiming to end up back in or near Josselin. We'd decide on accommodation tomorrow depending on how we progressed.
Accommodation Name: Gîtes de Botplançon
Accommodation Cost: £50 excluding breakfast but is a whole appartment with kitchen . Fabulous place!
GPX of our travels of the day (142 miles) available here:
Day 5 in Brittany - Beautiful Countryside and A Return To Josselin
We started the day with scrambled eggs at the Gite, followed by a ride past some of the lake's weirs and the 'Abbaye de Bon-Repos'. The abbey was officially closed, however we were able to see it from across the river.
The roads were quiet, and the countriside plentiful, but the weather was turning cold, so we stopped at a motorcycle / roady-themed café, decorated with old metal signs for a double dose of coffee. Unfortunately they weren't serving their lunch buffet until 1pm (it was about 12:30pm), but the coffee out of the wind was much needed, warmed us up and kept us going.
Lunch was a brilliant panini and cake spread at a large bakery. We reached our accommodation in Josselin, where the staff kindly waived the motorcycle parking fee. Kelvin spent some time trying to perform surgery on my heated jacket cable, but unfortunately, it remained dead.
We spent the late afternoon and evening walking the beautiful town. After a beer and coffee across from the hotel, we had a fabulous dinner at 'Creperie Ar Kastell'. The waitress was a delight and the food very tasty, especially the OTT dessert crepes!
During dinner, the sun had set, and the town came alive with lights. Seeing the castle and the medieval houses lit up at night was the perfect end to the day.
Accommodation Name: Hôtel Restaurant Du Château
Accommodation Cost: £54 plus 13 Euros pp for buffet continental and cooked breakfast (and well worth the additional cost)!
GPX of our travels of the day (115 miles) available here:
Day 6 in Brittany - Sweeping Roads and Picturesque Dinan
After a massive breakfast (scrambled eggs, flan, pancakes...the works!), we chatted with an English woman working at the hotel who had moved to Brittany seven years ago. She was loving it and they bought their village house for under 50k, complete with a very caring and sociable community. It sounded fab. Not so easy in the post-Brexit era though unless you're minted or speak excellent second-language French apparently.
The ride was fast and flowing through forests and farmland, though the cold was biting. My broken heated jacket was a major loss, especially when we were hit by a random burst of hard hail. I was very glad of my ZeroFit baselayers, as they were certainly doing their job and stopping me getting too cold. We sought refuge in a tiny bar/shop in Cogles for a much-needed warm-up, again being served some excellent coffee to warm us through.
We eventually reached Dinan, a stunning walled town. It was busy, but after a quick mooch in the main town, we managed to park at the port for another little quayside stoll. We then snagged a table at Les Rossignoles, a fabulous waterside eatery in a much quieter part of the town. It was their first day of the season, and we arrived just an hour before they closed. Our luck was in!
We finished the day at "Chez Glo and Tonio," a lovely spot we'd found to book earlier that day. Tonio was very welcoming when we arrived, and gave us a tour of the place. They had three large, ensuite rooms and we were in the 'Australia' room. We settled in, had a basic 'out of Suzie's pannier' meal and then relaxed with a film.
Accommodation Name: Chez Clo & Tonio
Accommodation Cost: £63 including a good breakfast. Great place with shared communal / kitchenette area!
GPX of our travels of the day (153 miles) available here:
Day 7 in Brittany - Mont Saint-Michel, Cancale and St Malo
We woke up to find we’d lost an hour due to the clocks changing again. Our host was exhausted after a 4:00 AM hospital run for his daughter, but he still provided a beautiful breakfast of homemade bread and yogurt. One of the other guests had just completed a 116km trail run the day before, which made our motorcycle tour feel like a spa day by comparison!
We rode via Dol-De-Bretagne to Mont Saint-Michel (actually in Normandy) for coffee, then took some quiet backroads to get a different viewpoint of the Mont. We were momentarily unnerved riding by a large group of people in high-viz with shotguns surrounding a bright yellow field. Clearly a local shoot in progress, but we didn't stick around to watch.
In the port town Cancale, we stopped for flan and ice-cream, and met a traveller in a vintage campervan covered in stickers from Alaska to South America. It was definitely more interesting than all of the non-descript bright white campers all over the place.
Our final French night was in Saint-Malo, staying at a placed we'd actually booked in advance. We walked to the beautiful old walled city, had a basic crepe snack, and then on to the sea wall, complete with lighthouse, for a fab view back at the old town.
Dinner was a highlight, a hidden-gem creperie recommended by the hotel, where I had a salmon Galette and a flambéed Crepe Suzette. It was a bit over the top, but cool to watch. Kelvin's 'Complete' galette was just what he wanted, and although I'd chosen the most extroverted dessert (ha ha, so not like me), Kelvin's was definitely the tastiest, piled with stewed apple and toasted almonds. No food envy, honest!!
The walk back was much needed as we'd definitely eaten far too much in the way of crepes for one evening, so at least it helped our tummies settle!
Accommodation Name: Hôtel Les Charmettes - Saint Malo
Accommodation Cost: £63 excluding breakfast. Breakfast is available at an additional cost but unsure of price. We needed to leave too early to have breakfast.
GPX of our travels of the day (90 miles) available here (plus the short journey to the Port the following day):
Ferry Time - UK Bound
The journey home began with a bit of a delay at the port. The check-in clerk made a mess of our booking. She'd tried to book us both in together, then both bikes. It transpires you need to do one person and their bike, then the next person and their bike. She then promptly abandoned her post! Fortunately a more knowledgeable lady from another booth saw that we'd been waiting ages, came over, jumped on the computer and managed to sort it out.
When we finally got to the boat, the loading process was a total shit show, with the disembarking vehicles tangled in a bottleneck at passport control, large lorries being asked to move forwards and back to allow the port cab drivers to retrieve the containers off the ferry. It's like everyone had been sent forwards before they should have been, and the port staff seemed stressed.
Once on board, we realised we had a forward-facing cabin, a first for us. We spent the crossing mainly watching films, drinking coffee and, just before arriving in the UK, eating some slightly overcooked jacket potatoes. Saying that Kelvin said the Carbonara sauce he had on his was one of the best he'd had. A lady behind me in the queue kindly used her discount card to save us a few euros on our meal. We arrived in Portsmouth to a beautiful sunset and were pleasantly surprised with a room upgrade at our hotel.
Accommodation Name: Woodlands Lodge Hotel
Accommodation Cost: £58 excluding breakfast. £15pp for breakfast, but on this occasion it was quite poor quality. We've stayed twice before and it was a lot better!
The Return Home
The final leg was a sharp reminder of why we loved Brittany...the UK traffic was intense. Even the supposably 'quieter' roads were packed. I'd hoped my smaller roads route would have been a bit more enjoyable, but sadly it was just so busy.
We stopped at Moto Velo in Crediton for a decent cup of coffee, and our first visit there, before the last stint home, which was the best part of today's journey.
We were welcomed back by our resident cat, who was surprisingly forgiving about our absence. As we unpacked and Kelvin washed the bikes, Kelvin was already looking toward our next micro adventure...the Lands End, trial in just a few days. The bikes might be clean, but for him, the work was just beginning; the Kove needed a service and a new set of shoes, and he had two days to get everything sorted. Time to crack on!
Total Trip Miles = 1291
Total Brittany Miles = 936
Total UK Miles = 355
A Few Top tips:
Use a credit card for fuel, especially at self-service stations. They often 'hold' money and it can take a few days for this to get re-credited to your account. We didn't have a huge amount set aside to spend, so each time it held 120-150 Euros it made quite a dent in our available funds. From that realisation we quickly switched to using our credit card to avoid the issue otherwise by the end of the week we'd be down over 1000 Euros with 'held' funds if they took too long to release it (apparently it can take up to 10+ days in the worst cases, but fortunately most of ours was released in 2-3 days).
Get a decent map and use the DMD2 Navigation software with its 'Planner' function. It's so easy to create routes and tracks, even on a small tablet. It made such a difference to my daily route planning. Combine that with a Brittany 1cm = 2 Km scale Michelin Map, and you can create some really picturesque days on the road!
Travelling out of high season means cheaper accommodation that's often available very last minute. We booked all of ours (bar one place at the end of the week near the ferry port) on the same day as we planned to stay. That way we could really make it up as we went along and no pressure!
IMPORTANT NOTE: all GPX tracks included in this blog article are taken from what we actually did (recorded routes) and therefore may have some wrong turns / U-turns etc. There were several roads closed, especially on Day 1 so we had to take alternative routes. Road access and conditions are subject to change at any time, so if you choose to use our GPX files for your own trip, you do so at your own risk. They are solely for information purposes about our specific trip, and to serve as a recap for ourselves also.
Freaking lekker!! We are taking notes👌🏼😁