Rennes - Nantes And beyond Rennes it is much the same along the River Vilaine, before cutting inland to Grand Fougeray And onwards broadly mainly following the Montpellier route through the rural lanes of the charming Brittany countryside                                    And into Nantes Nantes to Royan From Nantes there is a veloroute from the centre of the City that follows the River Nantaise. At Le Chene crossing the causeway to follow the route to Spain we now part company from the route to Montpellier and head Westwards towards the coast. Continuing  through the beautiful Loire/Vendee countryside via La Roche-sur-Yon, and Lucon Until reaching the flat almost Somerset level character of the Marais countryside, and the beautiful town of Marans The sun breaks through the early morning mist to herald another fine Autumn day. It took until day 17 and close to the Spanish border to record any rain! The Marais countryside continues through the villages to the east of La Rochelle And on to Rochefort and its bustling Sunday market that closes the otherwise trafficked streets in the town centre. For the cyclist to cross the river and avoid the main roads at Rochefort it is necessary to use one of the few remaining transporter bridges in use in the world The cycleroute that follows the Canal de Seudre is basically a bumpy field! But it is important to stay on the North side as there are no crossings!                                                                                               And through the flat marshland to Marennes It’s necessary to cross the River Seudre and the main road viaduct is the only option, but it does have a cycle lane.  A cycle route takes you along the coast through the Forêt de la Coubre and along the Côte Sauvage all the way to Royan. Royan to Arcachon