a good base or two in Brittany for 3-4 days of day trips? (or biking and hiking and photography)
May 2nd, 2004, 09:23 AM
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a good base or two in Brittany for 3-4 days of day trips? (or biking and hiking and photography)
Hi all
I plan to leave Paris Monday May 31 and be in Bayeux Friday 4.
I plan to spend the week in Brittany (really just Monday afternoon through FRiday morning).
what would you recommend as a good base for day trips? Should I just go all the way to Quimper and base there and do day trips from there? as I ultimately plan to go back east, should I have two bases that week? (Mon-Tues, and Wed-Thurs)? if so, what would you recommend as a second base town?
would Rennes be a good second base town? Go all the way to Quimper on Monday, see as much of the coast as I can (including biking and or hiking, which may mean not going far with the car) and then on the way back east, stay in Rennes for two nights, getting up Friday morning to wend my way to Bayeux?
if there are more preferable little towns, please do clue me in, I only pick these b/c they seem to be accessible to different parts of Brittany as well as being 2.5 hours apart, or so.
and if I make the first day a headlong rush to Quimper, where would you suggest I stop along the way (with the thought that I may not backtrack to see something again, on the way back east).
As I know I am quite limited in time, I know I am limiting what I can see and do. I'd like to limit my B&Bs to two, and maximize the outdoor sightseeing and pictures.
and definitely go for at least one horse back ride somewhere.
not a tall order at all is it?
thanks!!
I plan to leave Paris Monday May 31 and be in Bayeux Friday 4.
I plan to spend the week in Brittany (really just Monday afternoon through FRiday morning).
what would you recommend as a good base for day trips? Should I just go all the way to Quimper and base there and do day trips from there? as I ultimately plan to go back east, should I have two bases that week? (Mon-Tues, and Wed-Thurs)? if so, what would you recommend as a second base town?
would Rennes be a good second base town? Go all the way to Quimper on Monday, see as much of the coast as I can (including biking and or hiking, which may mean not going far with the car) and then on the way back east, stay in Rennes for two nights, getting up Friday morning to wend my way to Bayeux?
if there are more preferable little towns, please do clue me in, I only pick these b/c they seem to be accessible to different parts of Brittany as well as being 2.5 hours apart, or so.
and if I make the first day a headlong rush to Quimper, where would you suggest I stop along the way (with the thought that I may not backtrack to see something again, on the way back east).
As I know I am quite limited in time, I know I am limiting what I can see and do. I'd like to limit my B&Bs to two, and maximize the outdoor sightseeing and pictures.
and definitely go for at least one horse back ride somewhere.
not a tall order at all is it?
thanks!!
May 2nd, 2004, 10:10 AM
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We will be in Normandy at that time, followed by two nights in Brittany before heading south. We have chosen Dinan, but you might also consider (as we did) Fougères or Vitré for a second base.
May 2nd, 2004, 10:50 AM
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We don't have time for Western Brittany, so concentrated on the Eastern portion.These towns are all very picturesque with substantial mediaeval fortifications and well-preserved town centres. We settled on Dinan for its proximity to St. Malo and to Moncontour (another picturesque town) where we will be seeing friends.
May 2nd, 2004, 10:59 AM
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You might want to look at my Trip Report: Ghent, Normandy and Brittany (I give the name of the B&B's we used). I would not consider Rennes as a good base for biking, hiking and photography. I would stay closer to the coast. Cancale might be a good choice (between the Mont St. Michel and St. Malo, with some wild coast in between. Quimper if fine, but not on the coast. On the other hand, it is much closer to the <i>enclos</i> which are a must if you are in that part of Brittany and will provide amploy photo opportunities.
May 2nd, 2004, 12:32 PM
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We loved both Fougères and Vitré, the former with its immense castel and beautiful public gardens, and the latter with its restored half-timbered architecture (also a castle).
On the coast, we thought Vannes was perfect, like the quintessential Maine coastal scene dressed in French finery.
On the coast, we thought Vannes was perfect, like the quintessential Maine coastal scene dressed in French finery.
May 3rd, 2004, 02:45 AM
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thank you everyone. planning trips is such fun...
would it be so awful in this short amount of time if I concentrated more on the eastern part of Brittany and didn't venture west? I want to see the coast but am wondering if I should limit myself to say the Emerald Coast, due to the short amount of time I have.
my fear though is that I may not go back to Brittany for several more years, again.
thanks again.
would it be so awful in this short amount of time if I concentrated more on the eastern part of Brittany and didn't venture west? I want to see the coast but am wondering if I should limit myself to say the Emerald Coast, due to the short amount of time I have.
my fear though is that I may not go back to Brittany for several more years, again.
thanks again.
