Reaching the Veloscenic cycle route by train

How, say, can you depart from the Mont Saint-Michel by train, with your bike? Which train stations can you leave from and arrive at?... Simplify your searches thanks to our interactive map, highlighting the train lines and conditions for taking your bike on trains using these lines.

To view information rapidly: Map of the relevant train lines - Returning by train from the Mont Saint-Michel - Conditions for boarding with bikes - Practical advice for carrying out your searches and reservations - Frequently asked questions

11 train stations along the Veloscenic cycle route

11 train stations, RER crossrail lines and major train lines (grandes lignes) are located along or near the cycle route, allowing you to start your cycling trip at various points. Some stations that are located 20km or more away from the route are linked to the Veloscenic by greenways or signposted roads and offer the possibility of enjoying outings along chosen sections of the route (e.g. Dreux, Briouze, Flers and Avranches).

ℹ Click on the symbol up in the left-hand corner to show the key / click on the stations or the lines to show practical information.

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How can you return from the Mont Saint-Michel by train, with your bike?

From 1st of July to 4th of September 2022: seasonal line Paris - Pontorson Mont Saint-Michel

Started in summer 2020, a brand-new seasonal, once-a-day rail service allows you to organize a return trip from Paris to Pontorson Mont Saint-Michel and back in a day, using the closest station to Normandy’s Marvel. Pontorson Mont Saint-Michel station, 10km from the Mont Saint-Michel itself, is linked to it by a greenway. The relevant Intercités service is available May to September; you can take your bike on board for free, without making a reservation, as is the case for all trains in Normandy.

Year-round:

>> Pontorson train station

Line Pontorson > Caen > Paris (TER regional trains + Intercités services: free spaces for bikes, but spaces are limited in number)
Line Pontorson > Rennes > Paris (regional TER + high-speed TGV services: you have to pay to take your bike on board and you need to reserve a space in advance)

>> Granville train station (50km from the Mont Saint-Michel): Granville > Paris using Intercités services

>> Saint-Malo train station (70km away, linked via the Vélomaritime cycle route): Saint-Malo > using high-speed TGV services

Conditions for taking a bicycle on board trains

RER crossrail services in Greater Paris’s Ile-de-France Region: on weekends, you can take your bike on board for free, plus you can do so outside of rush hours on weekdays (note that there are no special areas reserved for bikes)
Regional TER and national Intercités rail services close to the Veloscenic cycle route: you can take your bike on these services for free, but there is only a limited number of spaces available
High-speed TGV services: you can make a reservation to take your bike on board for €10 (but if you can take your bike apart and put it in a cover, then you don’t have to pay for it)

⚠️ If you indicate on the website oui.sncf that you’re travelling with a full-size bike that you won’t be taking apart, certain TER regional train options may not come up on your search, although they do in fact take bikes… To get more information and advice on how to show all the trains that are actually available, see the dedicated paragraph below dealing with the subject.

Frequently asked questions

I can’t find any trains on en.oui.sncf for the date on which I wish to return…

Case 1: You may be searching for a date too far in the future for rail information to be available yet. As a reminder, high-speed TGV trains and Intercités services are generally only put on sale four months before the date of travel. However, there is no hard and fast rule on this. Find out further information about this matter on this page or create an alert so that you’re kept informed of when exactly reservations can be made.

Case 2: In the case where you’ve ticked the box indicating that you’re travelling with ‘‘1 non folded or disassembled bike(s)’’, certain TER regional trains and connecting journeys involving at least one TER train will not show up, although the possibility does in fact exist to take a full-size bike on such trains. So, start your search again, but without ticking ‘‘1 non folded or disassembled bike(s)’’, in order to view all the trains that are operating on the day concerned. Also refer to the paragraph "Astuces" (‘‘Tips’’) during your search and when making your ticket reservations to find out more on the matter.

Case 3: Unfortunately, there really are no trains available at the time or on the day you wish.

I’m travelling with a child-trailer / a tandem/ a handcycle / ..., so can I take it on the train?

Type of bike or equipment	Allowed on board	Comments or suggested alternatives
Child trailer	❌	1) It might be best to hire your bikes and children’s trailers from one of the bike-hire companies that can deliver them to your starting point and pick them up at your end point. 2) Consider organizing your own circuit, connecting up several cycle routes. We recommend you make full use of the overarching websiteFrance Vélo Tourismewhich centralizes all the information and tracks for France’s main cycle routes and suggests some routes especially suited to families.
Single-wheel trailer	✔️
Handcycle	✔️
Tandem	❌	"Recumbent bikes, tricycles, tandems and any kind of trailer are not allowed on board." (source : https://www.oui.sncf/aide/transport-de-votre-velo)

Source : https://www.sncf.com/fr/offres-voyageurs/voyager-en-toute-situation/velo-a-bord

Is it possible, using trains, to jump certain stages or move on ahead along the cycle route?

If you’re worried that you’re short of time on your trip or that you’ve been overambitious, do note that with certain stages, it’s possible to take the train to advance along the route. The sections where this could work well are:

between Rambouillet and Chartres, where you’ll find 5 stations along the way that provide very frequent services across the year.
between Chartres - Illiers-Combray - Nogent-le-Rotrou: trains are less frequent on this line, but you can easily advance by half a day’s cycling (30km) if you realize, the day before, that your plan isn’t feasible.