tonyr

My wife and I are going to Paris for a few days, probably in April 2009. We have been to Paris twice before, but nowhere else in France. We thought we would also spend a few days visiting with some friends who now live near Sarlat. Spend a couple days with our friends and then tour around Dordogne on our own for 3 days.

My wife thought that we should visit some other people we know near Brest, in Brittany, while we are in France. I know this is probably quite a drive.

My question is what route to take between Sarlat and Brest. I'm thinking we will fly to Toulouse, drive to Sarlat for 4 or 5 days, then drive to Brittany where we will spend about 4 days, and then end up in Paris. Where do I want to stay between between Sarlat and Brest? What route to take? Will it take 2 or 3 days?

Tony

StCirq

Unfortunately, there's no easy, or particularly scenic, route between Sarlat and Brest, but if I had to do it I'd head for La Rochelle for the first night and then pick my way through Nantes to Vannes and on to Brest. If you wanted to spend two nights on the road, Vannes is a lovely town.

Have you looked into train connections? Not originating in Sarlat - that wouldn't work at all - but from Toulouse or Bordeaux or Périgueux or Brive or even Limoges?

traveller1959

The distance is 800km and will take about 9 hours - IMO, quite doable in one day.

If you want to stop on the way, you have several options:

- Make a detour to the Loire and visit one or two castles there. Azay-le-Rideau, Ussé, Langeais, Saumur are in the area. Driving time from Sarlat will be about 5 hours, from there to Brest another 5 hours - so it is right in the middle.

- As StCirq has mentioned, the area around Vannes would be another option. There are the famous megalith alignments of Carnac, Quiberon peninsula... Driving time from Sarlat to Vannes is a little more than 6 hours, from there to Brest 2 1/2 hours.

tonyr

Thank you to you both. This is exactly the information I wanted.

klondike

We have pretty much done the same thing on a yearly basis because we love the Dordogne, have friends in Bordeaux and family in Brest area.

We tend to overnight in La Rochelle because it is one of our favorite cities--much to offer in scenery, history and epicurean delights.

You could easily make the drive to Brittany the next day, but if you wanted to sightsee along the way I would pass through the delightful village of Rochefort-en-Terre (inland) and Carnac and the megaliths before overnighting in Concarneau (Some would choose La Trinite or Pont Aven). The next day, I would stop in Quimper-Cathedral, faience, museums- and Pleyben for its Paris Close and cookie factory on the way to Brest.

Or instead of La Rochelle, Saintes is a most intriguing cityon the Charente to overnight in, but there would be a little longer travel time the next day.

tonyr

Thank you Klondike. This sounds perfect. I thought at first this would be a difficult grind, but you all make it sound doable and even fun.

Tony

klondike

Via Michelin gives somewhere around 4 1/2 hours-it always takes us longer because we like to enjoy ourselves for sights or lunch.

If it is in your budget range-I would recommend:

1) Champlain-France-Angleterre (see www.hotelchamplain.com), a 3***Best Western located in a former Hôtel with a lovely private garden, secured parking next door. Though the rooms are normally 110-120 euros, we were able to get our rooms for August 2008 for only 70 euros if we reserved before April 1. I know these less expensive rooms-they are small but very nice all the same. Ask for the garden side.

2) Dine at Richard Coutanceau right on the beachfront for a gastronomic meal that you will remember for a long, long time. Reservations a must-concierge, Elizabeth, will be glad to make them for you.

klondike

Oh, I forgot to mention, I always reserve directly through the hotel rather than through the BW website. Their email address is given on the site and they speak wonderful English-so language isn't a problem. I find this tends to work better than going through the corporate site.