Cycle route · V43
La Vélo Francette
From the Channel to the Atlantic through back-country France: Norman hedgerows, the Mayenne valley and the Poitevin marshes, from Ouistreham to La Rochelle.
Normandie → Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Where to sleep on La Vélo Francette
Halta lists 250 places to sleep within 5 km of the route: 161 campsites, 4 bivouac spots, 85 hotels. For each one, the app shows the real detour from your stage — and it is that distance, not the straight line, that decides how a day ends.
- Campsites
- Bivouac spots
- Hotels
Alongside the campsites, mountain huts and bivouac spots drawn from open data, there are the hosts of the Halta community: travellers who welcome others into their homes, usually for free. You write to them before you come; you do not book a slot.
The 7 stages of La Vélo Francette
An indicative split, drawn on real roads: distances and elevation come from route calculation, not from an estimate. In the app every stage can be adjusted — stretched, cut short, or pushed back a day.
| # | Stage | Distance | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ouistreham → Caen | 17 km | 144 m |
| 2 | Caen → Flers | 69 km | 685 m |
| 3 | Flers → Mayenne | 60 km | 424 m |
| 4 | Mayenne → Laval | 35 km | 235 m |
| 5 | Laval → Angers | 80 km | 426 m |
| 6 | Angers → Niort | 154 km | 807 m |
| 7 | Niort → La Rochelle | 65 km | 176 m |
Frequently asked questions about La Vélo Francette
How many days does La Vélo Francette take?
La Vélo Francette takes about 8 days, split into 7 stages over 480 km — an average of 60 km a day. The split is indicative: stages stretch or shorten depending on your form and the weather.
Where can you sleep on La Vélo Francette?
Halta lists 250 places to sleep within 5 km of La Vélo Francette: 161 campsites, 4 bivouac spots, 85 hotels. On top of those are the hosts of the Halta community, travellers who welcome others into their homes, usually for free.
How hard is La Vélo Francette?
La Vélo Francette is rated moderate, with 2 897 m of cumulative elevation gain over 480 km. Per stage, that works out at roughly 414 m of climbing a day.
Where does La Vélo Francette go?
La Vélo Francette runs from Ouistreham to La Rochelle, by way of Flers, Laval, Niort, across Normandie → Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It is travelled by bike and totals 480 km split into 7 stages.
Figures established on 17 September 2026, from Halta’s own data. How they are calculated.
More routes by bike
Étapes indicatives d'après France Vélo Tourisme / La Vélo Francette (ODbL). Halta 2026-07. Places to sleep: OpenStreetMap, refuges.info and DATAtourisme (ODbL). Photo : Wikimedia Commons (CC).