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not flying but sailing - where to stop between Roscoff and the Loire

not flying but sailing - where to stop between Roscoff and the Loire

Old Apr 18th, 2010, 02:47 PM
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not flying but sailing - where to stop between Roscoff and the Loire

completely by co-incidence, DH and I, in company with our two children who are now at 22 & 19 too big even for me to call them "kids" have decided not to fly anywhere this summer, but to spend what is probably our last summer hols "en famille" in a gite in the southern Loire area - actually in a tiny hamlet about 30km south of Saumur called St. Generoux.

our plans for the week are pretty fluid - take in a few of the smaller/less popular chateaux [we've been to this area before so we've seen most of the biggies], laze around a bit, see the rose show at Doue la Fontaine, visit the Puy de Fou near Cholet [done that before and loved it so we want to do it again, especially the cinescenie son et lumiere show featuring literally a cast of thousands] - which should more than fill our 7 days.

my query is this - anyone got any good suggestions for stopping off points? we need one on the way out, and one on the way back. we land at Roscoff at 7am on a wednesday, and have the gite booked from 4pmish on the Thursday, so we are pretty free to go anywhere on those two days, so long as we are heading roughly in the right direction.

however, on the way back the ferry leaves Roscoff at 14.45, the day after we leave the gite, so we need to be there by 13.45. ideally we will have a meal before we board, so that really means staying within a 2 hour drive of the ferry porty, the night before.

ideas anyone for interesting one-night stands? we've stayed in Morlaix, Quimper and Rennes, so don't really want to repeat them.

BTW, for anyone also considering renting a gite this year, Brittany Ferries have/had some very good deals, even for bookings in July . our holiday straddles the 1st and 2nd weeks and includes July 15th, but we still got a very good inclusive deal which is barely costing more than the price of the ferry alone. How long these deals will last in current circumstances must be open to question.
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Old Apr 18th, 2010, 03:13 PM
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I would recommend Fougères or Vitré.
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Old Apr 18th, 2010, 03:45 PM
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I feel like that's my territory, the bits of France I know and like best.

How about Vitré as a stop on the way to the Loire? It's a little to the east of Rennes, has plenty of nice medieval stuff, an okay chateau, and at least a couple of decent restaurants. I have never overnighted there, so I can't day anything useful about accommodation. Or perhaps Fougères, which is not too far away, and has a fine castle, very pleasing gardens, and a couple of other interesting bits and pieces? It would be feasible to have a look at both towns on your journey.

Your specification for the return to Roscoff is more challenging. If you take what I would consider the most direct route, St. Brieuc is about 2 hours from Roscoff (at my driving pace, anyway) but, apart from a mildly interesting cathedral, I don't consider it a particularly riveting visit. In fact, I can't immediately think of a good stop that is about two hours from Roscoff and near the N12. There are some pleasant villages in the area, but I don't know if there is much of particular interest, and I don't know the accommodation options.

You could take a slightly more circuitous route, along the Loire to Nantes, then along the south coast of Brittany to a postcard village like Pont-Aven for your final night.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2010, 03:20 AM
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Great minds?

I don't know either of your outward suggestions,so i'll have to give them some thought.

DH has suggested Dinan - i know it's in Normandy, but only just, and there would certainly be enough to keep us occupied for an overnight stay - perhaps too much?

as for going back, I quite like your idea Padraig of doing the south coast, as the furthest we've ever got is Quimper.

more research clearly required - thanks both of you for pointing me i what I hope is the right direction.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2010, 05:52 AM
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Dinan would definitely have enough to keep you occupied - very pleasant place. St-Brieuc is equally interesting.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2010, 07:33 AM
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Dinan is interesting, but in a straight contest with Vitré, I would give it to the latter (I think, from previous posts, that StCirq has a similar opinion). Vitré also makes for slightly better routing.

You could stop in Dinan on your way back (about 3 hours from Roscoff, I think) and make your own judgement.

StCirq, what did I miss in St. Brieuc?
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Old Apr 22nd, 2010, 08:17 AM
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>

Well, it's easy just to see it as the industrial center of the province, but we loved the half-timbered houses, the Quartier Gouédic, the port with all the pretty boats, the parks, and the food. Also, there was a unique (for us) gathering just outside town - a big field where work horses were being sold and traded. The horses were gorgeous, the whole enterprise was fascinating to me, and there were great cider and galettes on offer.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2010, 08:54 AM
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Thanks for that. I have been there three times, and I thought the characterful stuff was overwhelmed by soulless modern buildings and the rush of commerce. Didn't get as far as the port, but it looks as if it might be pleasing, perhaps like that at Morlaix, which I quite like.

I'll look again next time I am in the neighbourhood.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2010, 08:59 AM
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What about Vannes and Nantes for the outward leg?

Vannes is a delightful city on the Gulf of Morbihan, still with its medieval walls and lots of half timbered houses strung out down the hill towards the harbour.

Nantes, of course, is much much larger - one of France's biggest cities. Great shopping abounds, and some very fine eating to be had. There is a very fine cathedral and also you can see the results of fifteen years of restoration work on the The Ducal Chateau - it's now one of my favourites in France (and it contains a pretty nifty Nantes History Musée too).

It's a really modern and buzzing kind of place - definitely a contrast to the rest of sleepy Brittany and the Loire.

Whatever you chose have a great time.

(oh yeah, I think Dinan's a great idea too - but that has enough fans around here to stick up for itself.)

Dr D.
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Old Apr 22nd, 2010, 12:32 PM
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bonsoir, mes petits fodorites!

Thanks again St. cirq, Padraig and Dr. D - some great ideas here. Sadly, we only have one night each way, and Dinan is probably elected for the way out - i found the residence hoteliere Dugueslin near the centre with a great deal on a 2 room suit for all 4 of us for €115 for the night - with free parking and a swimming pool. by the time I found it, it was full for the date we'd need for coming back, so it's hobson's choice if we want to go to Dinan.

Vannes sounds great - I'll have a look at that too, and St. Brieuc, though i think that Vannes is too far away from Roscoff for the return leg.

Merci encore!

merci
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Old Apr 22nd, 2010, 05:14 PM
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Promise us one thing, Ann: that you will walk down the rue du Jerzual to the river port (and back up).
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Old Apr 23rd, 2010, 01:58 PM
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Promise us one thing, Ann: that you will walk down the rue du Jerzual to the river port (and back up).>>

ok, Padraig - just a little obscure - in which particular town????
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Old Apr 24th, 2010, 02:24 AM
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Rue du Jerzual is in Dinan. It is a steep cobblestoned street. You will recognise you are at the top of it by the sight of red-faced breathless people taking the last few steps.

But it's worth the effort.
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Old Apr 24th, 2010, 05:09 AM
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Just 30 minutes south of Roscoff, you find two of the most beautiful villages in Brittany, St. Thegonnec and Guimiliau, with their famous enclosed church districts.

In St. Thegonnec, there is the Auberge which is a 3-star hotel and which has a Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurant. It is a wonderful place to admire the medieval sculptures in the church district and to have a fantastic meal afterwards. The meal would be too sophisticated for a lunch before you board the ferry but excellent for a dinner the night before, especially when you intend to stay overnight in St. Thegonnec.

http://www.aubergesaintthegonnec.com/

Roscoff itself is mildly interesting - there is an aquarium with marine life of the channel and a pretty cactus garden, maybe enough to fill the morning before you board the ferry.
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Old Apr 27th, 2010, 07:53 AM
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nice idea, echnaton, [I had a look at their website] but the family have put in a request for a place with a pool/beach, as our gite has neither, and it will be mid-July, with the hope of decent weather. I've found the hotel l'ocean at concarneau with a family suite and sea view for €177 for the night. it's at the top of my budget but ticks all the boxes being on the beach AND having a pool and is about a 2 hour drive from Roscoff.

anyone know concarneau [not that we'll be there long] and/or this hotel?
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Old Apr 27th, 2010, 09:57 AM
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Concarneau is a very beautiful historic town, completely walled. The old town is called "ville close" and it is Concarneau's main attraction. Be sure to walk on the wall around the ville close.

There is another option. In Brignogan-Plage, which is 45 minutes from Roscoff on the North Coast, there is a cute small hotel right on the beach with a pool. We never stayed there, but often enjoyed dinner.

hôtel restaurant « castel régis »
Brignogan plages
Tél. 02.98.83.40.22
Fax. 02.98.83.44.71
Email : [email protected]

Somehow their website does not work. If you are interested, you may call them.
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Old Apr 27th, 2010, 11:08 AM
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Concarneau has two main attractions.

The first is the ville close that Echaton has mentioned. It is interesting and attractive, and has been pretty well entirely given over to tourism, meaning that just about every building is a catering establishment or a shop selling souvenirs. It's worth making the imaginative leap and trying to picture it before the days of mass tourism. [The same goes for Dinan.]

The second attraction is a reasonably nice beach.

Me, I like the port and the boats.

It's a goodish drive from Amboise, so you may have to be careful in selecting what things you look at along the way.
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Old Apr 28th, 2010, 01:04 PM
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Echnaton, Padraig, thanks for the suggestions.

Pagraig, I like the port and the boats too, but the family have to be placated. is it close to the ville close?

Echnaton, thanks for what looks like another great hotel/reastaurant suggestion. However, it'd be quite a drive to do in one day - even further than the Amboise to concarneau trek, though in fact we are staying a little closer to Saumur than to Amboise, but there's not much in it; Michelin says it's about 4 hours to Concarneau and another 2 to Roscoff. but I will certainly add it to my list of Brityany possibles.
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Old Apr 28th, 2010, 02:27 PM
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Ann, the ville close is an island in the port (accessible by fixed bridge) so you can have the port and the boats and a placated family. See http://brittany.angloinfo.com/maps/2...rneau+Map.html.

To help you feel more at home, see also http://www.quimper.cci.fr/1-3-econom...ornouaille.asp.
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Old Apr 30th, 2010, 12:42 PM
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thanks, Padraig,

we like staying in towns as it gives us something to do "en famille" once the swimming has to stop/it starts to rain, so it looks as if we'll all be happy with the ville close.

I've lost count of the number of times that I've got blank looks from french people when we say that we come from Cornouaille en angleterre.
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