The 9 most beautiful bike rides to do in Rennes

As everywhere in the major cities of France, the trend is to cycling in Rennes: much more pleasant than the car to explore the center as the surroundings, to junction its two-wheel drive quickly becomes a reflex in the capital of Brittany.

In the centre of Rennes or its peripheral districts, the bike paths are multiplying, facilitating the two-wheel drive. In the vicinity, and especially along the Vilaine, bike routes also have the odds.

Whether you live around the corner or you are on the way, the cyclist option is becoming more and more naturally. It also offers you the freedom to discover all the most beautiful bike rides in Rennes!

The most beautiful bike rides from Rennes

1. La Vallée de la Vilaine from downtown Rennes

Here is the best bike ride in Rennes to get out of the city easily and quickly, while taking a good bowl of air and greenery. To find the start, it’s easy: from the city centre, follow the docks of Vilaine and then the road and keep the course.

Very quickly, the decor evolves as you pedal on a track planned for bicycles. You only have to follow the Vilaine Valley and the river stream. You can of course adapt your itinerary to your level and your desires of the day.

In this example of a path, a getaway for Bruz allows you to pedal well on flat terrain and without difficulty. This route is particularly pleasant for the variety of landscapes: you can scroll on the road ponds, woods, canals, small rural heritage, etc. A real pleasure!

2. A bike loop in Rennes

You can create a multitude of bike rides in Rennes by riding bike paths and pedestrian streets, so give you a beautiful view of the city and its historic center. Apart from some old paved soils not always pleasant by bike, there are no big difficulties to predict.

Like this large 17km loop in Rennes, you will have the opportunity to discover the essentials of the city and its neighbourhoods from the saddle of your bike. You will discover the city centre, but also the university district, the Thabor Park, the southern districts, the train station... No matter where you start the itinerary, you always come back to your starting point.

3. Boucle from Gayeulles Park

Just northeast of the city, the Gayeulles Park, popular with Rennes, offers a really nice space for a bike ride in Rennes. Composed of both woods, ponds and clearings, this vast park is on free bike access and directly overlooks the countryside around the city.

The route we offer here offers the advantage of a beautiful exit to the green of easy level, accessible to all cyclists, even the youngest. The presence of cars on the road is very limited, which is always a plus for a beautiful bike ride.

4. The tower of the Apigné pond

A bike ride in Rennes ideal with family, to get out of the legs while staying in an easy exit level. As for the first ride, follow the Vilaine docks to get out of Rennes, with the aim of the Apigné pond.

At 30 minutes from the city centre at the most, think to take with you swimsuits and towels because you can easily swim in the waters of this beautiful pond in the beautiful days! The stopover at the beach thus marks a pleasant break, before continuing all around the pond to reach the starting point by the Vilaine and close the loop.

The most beautiful bike rides around Rennes

5. La Boucle du Moulin du Boël

Situated in large part of a very pleasant cycle route, the Vallée de la Vilaine is ideally suited for a beautiful bike ride in Rennes.

At the level of the old Boël mill (Boël is 35 minutes away by car from Rennes), the course of the Vilaine takes frankly bucolic accents, with its well-crafted banks and its more marked reliefs. The trail allows you to easily pedal at the waterfront, back-to-back, using country paths to form a loop route.

6. Discovering the Rennes countryside

In the northwest of Rennes, the small residential town of Pacé is a good starting point for a bicycle immersion in the Breton countryside. We are a 15-minute drive from the centre of Rennes, which is also easily reached via the cycle track in 40 minutes to extend the exit.

Just out of Pacé, this pretty bike ride in Rennes takes you on various paths and country roads, alternate fields, forests and rivers: in summary, a real green bet.

7. South of Rennes in the Vilaine Valley

We are back in the Vilaine Valley, with a bike ride variant around Rennes, not along the river, but towards the villages around it.

In this example, we start the exit in Pont-Réan (a 30-minute drive from Rennes), directly on the Vilaine. Between Guichen, Laillé and Le Boël and his mill, the ride goes on one side and on the other side of the Vilaine Valley.

8. The campaign of Bourgbarré south of Rennes

The advantage of a bike ride around Rennes is to be able to travel a lot of kilometers to get out of the countryside, and disconnect a good blow from the city. This will be the case with this exit from Bourgbarré, a 30-minute drive from Rennes city centre.

A trip on the road, a stroke on the trail or country path, the mountain bike will probably not be too much on some portions of the ride, especially in wet weather. This course promises a refreshing getaway through fields, quiet, where you will not be afraid to get dirty!

9. The tower of the Cantache pond

This bike ride around Rennes is nice and rather accessible. The Cantache pond tower is appreciated by hikers, as by cyclists. A well-equipped path offers you the opportunity to make the whole tour of this beautiful pond with a well-preserved wild nature, including many species of breeding birds (presented especially in winter!).

Stop to take the time to observe a few minutes the view that offers you this long cycle route of more than 12km, on the dish. To reach the Cantache pond from Rennes, there is an average of 45 minutes drive. Enjoy it to make a crochet by Vitré, the nearby city, to discover its castle and medieval streets.