AZKathy

It looks like I might get to go to Brittany this April with my husband, perhaps April 15th to May 1. His grandfather was from the Cote d ‘Amour area and we are thinking of spending about 10-12 days there in a gite. I don't expect the weather to be great but I think we will have fun, relax some and get to know Brittany a little. I am planning on renting a car at CDG when we arrive, driving to Honfleur, have lunch and then drive to the Ryes area for a B & B for 2-3 nights and see the D-Day sites before heading to Brittany and checking in at the cottage on Sunday the 18th. We have been to Paris twice (and visited Chartes and Giverny) so although we would love to see Paris again we don't need to. We might stay there one (or two) nights before we fly out though.

We are about to get our FF tickets (CO—April 14-May 1) and settle final dates and payment with Titchmouse Farm Holiday Cottages. We have a couple days we could do something different with at the end of our time in France. Currently I have a rental car for 2 weeks, starting Thursday the 15th. I was thinking of dropping it off and being somewhere we don’t need a car for the last couple of days but we could keep it if that allowed us to do something else (inexpensive). We could spend a night or two in the Loire Valley or ? We are in our mid 50s and on a very tight but workable budget. The cottage rents from Sunday – Sunday. We could arrive in France a day earlier or leave a day later if it made a big difference.

Thanks for your ideas and critique!

Kathy

JulieVikmanis

How widely are you planning to travel within Brittany while you are staying at your gite (which looks adorable BTW)? You might use the additional days to get some experience with the "southern" shores of Brittany, say stay in the area around Vannes or our favorite La Trinite sur Mer, then drive to Rennes, drop your car there and take the TGV to CDG. Otherwise, your idea of spending time in the Loire area is a good one. You'd want to keep your car for that as well and could drop it off and take the TGV from Tours to CDG. There's certainly nothing wrong with spending more time in Paris. The more you get to know the city, the more it rewards your interest.

Michael

If you are arriving from overseas, the drive on the same day to Honfleur and beyond might be a bit much.

My trip reports might give you some ideas for your trip. Just click on my name to find them.

AZKathy

Thanks for the ideas. I know we will be tired but I am hoping that because we arrive in Paris in the morning, have 2 drivers, take a break after 2 hours (according to Viamichelin) and are used to driving long distances, we will be okay. Viamichelin shows the total drive at about 3.5 hours, does that seem accurate? And if we are dead we can stop early or skip Honfleur. I guess we could just stop at a place in Honfleur, if it had a place for the car.

grandmere

Seems like most of us after an overnight flight don't drive even as far as Honfleur, but if you do that, I think you'd be better off spending the night there rather than forging on to yet another place. Just my opinion!
Have fun!

Padraig

I like the "Cote d'Amour"! Correctly it is Côtes d'Armor, which is less enthralling than the love coast you describe.

Where are the ancestral links, and where is the gîte?

AZKathy

Thanks Grandmere. I will rethink it. Anyone know of an inexpensive B&B there?

And Padraig, thanks, I am confusing Cote d'Amour (the coast west of Nantes and just south of Guerande) with Cotes d'Armor.

He is a Lehardy and it looks like they have been in that area for a long time. We found this link, and found that that Lehardy is his great grandfather's brother (or great-great..?). At any rate, Lehardys are still in the area, though the family has lost all contact with those still in France.

http://archives.cotesdarmor.fr/asp/i...A22009348.html

This gite is not too far from Plancoët.

Michael

If you have a car, Gites de France is probably the best bet for a B&B or a Gite.

http://www.gites-de-france.com/gites...ambres_d_hotes

Padraig

In all my travels in Brittany, I have yet to visit Plancoët: it's a place I pass by on the way to somewhere else. You have probably already established that it is near a lot of interesting places, like St. Malo, Dinan, and the Mont St. Michel.

Between Plancoët and Mont St. Michel, Dol de Bretagne is worth a stop for its interesting cathedral and some nice medieval buildings on the main street. Mont Dol, close by, has a special magic, and you can drive up almost to the very top and park.

I like the north Brittany coast, and you will be near to some attractive bits of coastline. In my opinion, the stretch west of St. Brieuc has more appeal, but you might have enough time to make your own judgement.

I suggest also that you make a trip to Rennes and Fougères (perhaps also Vitré, if you are up to a long day).

If I were working my way back from Brittany to CDG, I go via the Loire Valley and stay near Saumur: it allows quite a few possibilities without relocating every night, and is a very pleasant small city.

Surfergirl

ttt

Hoping to go to Brittany this summer for one of the celtic folk music festivals.

grandmere

La Cour Ste Catherine is a nice, reasonably priced B&B, run by a very friendly and helpful couple. Great location, large rooms, convenient bathrooms.
www.giaglis.com

Padraig

Surfergirl, THE Celtic music festival is Lorient: http://www.festival-interceltique.com/index_an.php

Surfergirl

Padraig, should that be the one that Alan Stivell will be playing, I hope to be there! Thanks much for the link!

AZKathy

Thanks again Padraig, Dol de Bretagne was on my radar at one point but I had forgotten about it and Fougères looks great too. Rennes was already on the "must do" list. Wish we had a month instead of just 10 days.

Actually, most of the relatives were from that western section, but I chose this location because it seemed more convenient for other sightseeing. I don't know the area at all, just picked a pleasant-looking, affordable gite.

I have booked the gite and reserved the tickets, looks like we might actually do this!

surfmom

I'll second the recommendation for La Cour Ste Catherine in Honfleur. We stayed there and were very happy and they were very nice!