I did something similar with three friends from work last June.
We got the overnight ferry to Le Havre and then followed the Seine inland for about 20 miles before heading south-west to Lisieux. An easy 60 miles. It’s a bit flat and industrial in that part of France but once you’re out of Le Havre itself there isn’t much traffic on the roads. We stayed in Le Grand Hotel de L’Esperance in the centre of Lisieux. Compared to the B&Bs that we usually stay in it was quite fancy but it actually wasn’t too expensive. They also have a secure covered car park with a locked area for the bikes.
The second day was from Lisieux to St Lo. Probably 80 miles. Quiet roads again but much more rural and rolling countryside. Reminded me of Salisbury Plain but without the tanks. We stayed in the Hotel Mercurie – St Lo Centre. A typical chain hotel but cheap, centrally located and with a dedicated bike storage room.
On the third day we headed north from St Lo to join the coast road near Omaha Beach. We followed this to the ferry terminal at Ouistreham stopping at the American Cemetary, the Mulberry Harbour and Pegasus Bridge. Maybe 70 miles all in.
All in this was three days of fairly gentle riding but it could easily be done in two, particularly if you forget following the Seine on the first day and just head south towards Lisieux. No problems with the traffic or French drivers and the road surfaces were good even on small rural roads. One small issue, outside of the main towns this part of France seems to be pretty sparsely populated. A lot of villages seemed to be deserted which made it harder to find somewhere to eat for lunch. Apart from that, Tres Bon!
