Advice on Normandy & Brittany driving holiday
 

Hi there,

My partner and I are thinking about going on a driving holiday from the UK to Brittany and Normandy in the summer and I was wondering whether anyone has tips of places to go or itineraries? Don't really know where to start to be honest! Any advice would be appreciated :)

Hi rhianna,

there's a recent thread asking the same sort of questions with some answers that may help:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...mendations.cfm

the info from Stu Dudley is well worth getting hold of.

also, you might like to look at this for ideas:

http://www.fodors.com/search/results...earch=Normandy

where are you starting from and how long have you got? when we lived in the SE we used to get a ferry from Portmouth to Caen and then work our way west, ending up coming back from Roscoff to Plymouth. Cherbourg is also a good place to aim for, depending on how much time you have to spend on the trip.

there is a lot to see in Normandy and Brittany, probably more than you can achieve in one go.

and how

We didn't get as far as Brittany as we only took a week. We had a wonderful time in Normandy. My TR with blog link:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...y-uk-stops.cfm

Good luck.

indydad, I tried to find this TR to tell the OP about it, but couldn't.

glad you could!

You can have a look at these two threads, which will give you an overview of some of the main sites in Normandy and Brittany:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#39058384

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...-Brittany.html

Hi FrenchMystique,

thanks for the link to your Brittany report; it's given me lots of ideas for our short break in Vannes next month.

You're most welcome annhig. As you can tell I am a big fan of the Gulf of Morbihan so feel free to ask if you have any questions. :)

You're most welcome annhig. As you can tell I am a big fan of the Gulf of Morbihan so feel free to ask if you have any questions. >>

possibly you may regret that posting that, FM.

how about this for starters - for people who know nothing about megaliths, dolmen, etc,. where should we start? BTW we had been thinking of staying in Locmariaquer but decided that lovely though it looked, it did not provide enough interest for evening strolls, wet weather activities, etc. It does however have some stones, i believe. are they worth visiting?

Yes, Locmariaquer has has some very notable megalithic sites. Obviously Carnac is the star of the show in that region but Locmariaquer is second. This page from the tourist office website will highlight the main sites in Locmariaquer:

http://www.ot-locmariaquer.com/page....92&IDparent=50

The museum is a must for megalith lovers and don't miss the dolmen called Pierres Plates at the end of the peninsula on the beach, which has amazing carved neolithic art (open 24/7). It's the one in my photo report that has the miserable looking family picnicking on it. I also highly recommend taking the ferry to the island of Gavrinis to see the cairn, which is like the Sistene Chapel of neolithic art (covered in my report).

As far as places to stay Vannes is the largest and liveliest place and it is lovely. Quiberon is next but my problem with it is that it is at the end of a peninsula and it's a 15km drive to get off the peninsula. Traffic is heavy getting on the peninsula in the morning and off in the afternoon since it is where ferries depart for Belle-Île. However, if you stay there you are always going against the traffic, leaving in the morning and returning in the afternoon. Auray is supposed to be nice (stay in the old section by the port) but strangely enough I've never been there. Carnac is where I stayed and it is also lively (pictures in my report). Locmariaquer and La-Trinité-sur-Mer are nice but they are smaller than the other places I mentioned. I like them as bases but since I live in a densely populated area just outside Paris I prefer smaller villages or rural gîtes when I vacation.

I got a map from the tourist office in Carnac that shows the location of the various megaliths in that area. The Michelin maps have icons for the megalithic sites designated as historic monuments (and you'll see many on the map) but there are many others that you'll only find on the tourist office megalith map. If you want to learn more about megaliths in general you can have a look at my report on megaliths:

http://tinyurl.com/n835kv6

So in regards to megaliths, Carnac, Locmariaquer and Gavrinis are the highlights in that region but there are literally hundreds of other megaliths scattered about that region.

Sorry to the OP for hijacking your thread.

oh no Mrs Bilbo is a big Dolmen fan, I'll have to tell her

I've driven from the UK to Brittany and Normandy several times,

As annhig says, much depends on where you will travelling from (I live in the Cotswolds/SW Midlands and have taken ferries from Plymouth, Portsmouth and Dover) and how much time you have.

Tell us that, and then we can come back with suggestions for itineraries to hopefully fit.

annhig... Morbiham is lovely. Try to find time to visit Quiberon at the end of a long narrow peninsula. All sandy sheltered beaches one side and harsh rocky Atlantic coast the other. The little town of Quiberon is quite charming, reminded me a bit of Salcombe. We ended up at some fisherman's festival there, eating a chunky fish soup (a very rustic bouillabaisse) and swaying along with many people in an uncoordinated attempt to keep in rhythm to unfamiliar songs.

Places in those regions I've really liked, for various reasons, and in no particular or logical order...

Rouen
Quiberon
Dol de Bretagne
Dinan
Combourg
Mont St Michel
Vannes
Honfleur
Bayeux
Arromanches
Caen
Veulettes-sur-Mer
St Valery-en-Caux
Cancale (oysters!)
Granville (for the most wonderful beaches somewhere on the coast road north - the shells were incredible)
Pourville-sur-Mer (wonderful restaurant but can't remember the name now)
Dieppe (really good Auchan hypermarket)

And lots more small towns on back roads with masses of charm and character.

Waw. Thank you so much for all the response guys. Not entirely sure where the best place to travel from is. We live in Wales and ferry crossings from Portsmouth seem to be quite expensive! My friend travelled via the channel tunnel, is this a good option or not?
Rhian

Check the Poole ferries into Cherbourg if you click the france to england line towards the bottom it shows you all options and will offer good deals
http://www.directferries.co.uk/england.htm

FMT - thanks for the run-down on the megoliths. We are now officially committed to staying in Vannes so that's one less decision to make. We only really have 2 full days to explore so depending on the weather, I'm hoping to do a boat trip one day and to explore the Locmariaquer side the other - no grumpy picnicing, I asssure you - we'll be in the restaurant eating the oysters!

Julia - thanks for the tip about Quiberon - it's on the list.

Rhiana - the trouble with the tunnel is that it puts a good few miles on the journey, and probably a night too, so it may be a false economy. for example, if you are travelling from Wales, you could head for Portsmouth, get the 16.00 ferry and be in Cherbourg in time for a late supper. the best price i could find for that was £159, BTW.

coming back you could get the early ferry from Caen to Portsmouth for £139 [that was travelling on a thursday].

of course you could drive all the way to Kent to get a ferry or use the tunnel but you'd need to pay for the tunnel or ferry AND probably add an overnight between Wales and Dover or just the other side of the channel, so I'm not sure that it's much of a saving.

we just picked up a good deal that was going, I suspect, because ferry usage is down, so why not wait to see what bargains come up, unless you are tied to specific dates?

Get copies of the Michelin Green Guide for Brittany and for Normandy, along with the relevant maps. Both Guides have suggested itineraries that are very useful.

We took the tunnel over and the ferry back because we were doing a loop and I wanted to try both methods. However, we weren't starting as far west as you would be. As annhig says, you'd be adding a lot of driving time to get to/from the tunnel.

To maximize time (and as part of the adventure), we took the overnight ferry return. Do spring for the room if you do that. We had friends that didn't on another trip and they were pretty miserable. I thought ours worked out well.

I assume you found this: http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/

Good luck.

Like Julia we live in the Midlands and for Normandy and Brittany we usually take the Portsmouth/Poole ferries. For other parts of France we take the Dover ferries.

The overnight ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo is an enjoyable start to a trip and you can enjoy a good meal and a drink in the evening. Of course the pleasure can be weather dependant if you are prone to seasickness!

From both Ludlow and Gloucester I've taken ferries from the south coast AND driven the 4-5 hours to Dover and taken a ferry to Calais (much cheaper and a shorter sea journey). I book my ferry so I avoid rush-hour traffic on the M4 and M25, and it's really quite an easy drive down to Dover now it's all motorway.

I actually prefer the longer drive as I find the longer ferry crossings quite tedious, and if I get a bit seasick I don't want to have to be driving as soon as we dock.

So from Calais I've driven to Paris, Rouen, Dieppe on the same day, arriving early evening. It is a long day of driving, but you get a nice break in the middle, and plan it right and you can be in France for a late lunch!

There are night crossings Portsmouth-Caen but they tend to be more expensive and cabins get booked up well in advance.

I've never driven through the tunnel, but Ashford is even easier to get to that Dover.

Thank you all so much on your contributions. I'm getting excited just thinking about it. The headache for me at the moment getting there.
So, that problem aside for a minute, if you had to choose 3 towns/cities to stay in where would they be? I've been recommended Caen but maybe one further west and one further east?

Also, does anyone know a site that compares ferry crossings/prices. There's skyscanner for flights, is there anything similar for ferry crossings?

rhiana - I'm not aware of a website that compares ferry prices, sadly. we tend to use Brittany Ferries as they go from our nearest port ie Plymouth. for Poole and possibly Portsmouth there is also Condor I believe.

as for places to stay, depends how long you've got. We really liked Dinan [to the west] and Rouen [to the East]. if you wanted to go further afield, Paimpol is a very lively fishing port and makes a very good base for exploring the northern coast of Brittany, and Quimper - on the south coast of Brittany, makes a very base for exploring that region.

in a couple of week's time we're off to the very far south east of Brittany - Vannes. I'll let you know what i think about that when I get back.

We chose Dinan and Pont-Aven for our two bases a couple of years ago. Trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-movements.cfm

Don't make Caen a base when nearby Bayeux is much more charming.

That would be great annhig. I've looked at so many places now I've confused myself. I like the idea of Bayeaux as our 'middle' destination and Dinan has been mentioned by a few so maybe that would be our last stay. Anyone know what Dieppe is like? Would that be an option for our first 2 nights or not?

Anyone know what Dieppe is like? Would that be an option for our first 2 nights or not?>>

depends where you're starting from, Rhian. if you're following the suggestion to use the tunnel/a short ferry hop one way, and to take one of the longer ferries back, that would work very well, I think.

we did stay in Dieppe once but honestly it was such a long time ago, I really don't remember much about it. there are loads of restaurants, so for one night you should be fine.

Yes I think we will be going via Dover to Calais now. The other routes are so expensive and we have a friend who lives in Reading so could stop over with her for a night on the way to Dover. I've just been having a look and we're thinking now maybe Dieppe for 2 nights, Bayeux for 3 nights and Dinan for 2 nights. How does that sound?

it sounds very nice, rhiana. they are all nice towns with plenty to look at both in the towns and nearby. Also there are not that far apart so you won't be chasing around too much.

how are you getting back to the UK? the overnight ferry is nice coming back as you get longer to sleep due to the I hour time difference. going the other way, the 23.30 ferry from Plymouth which we often get gets into Roscoff at 7am which is awful as in fact that's 6 am so they wake you after only 5 hours sleep [if you're lucky].

on our trip we're doing the night ferry going out but it leaves at 20.45 so even after a decent meal on board, we should still get 6-7 hours shut-eye. coming back it's the afternoon ferry so I'll sit myself in front of the cricket on the TV. [hopefully].

The night ferry sounds good as I do like my sleep!! Where would I find details of hat? As I'm a teacher I can only travel during the holidays so the prices are so ridiculously expensive. I'm still only seeing prices in excess if £200 for ferry trips other than Dover - Calais! :(

I'll just add this in regards to your bases. There's nothing wrong with them but what do you want to see and do nearby each base? I always advise to first decide what you're going to see and do on your vacation and then choose a base, or bases, that are central to those things you want to see and do. So have you decided what you will you see/do near Dieppe, Bayeux and Dinan? I'm not saying you need an itinerary but having an idea of the choices available nearby to each base will give you options to chose from once you arrive. It's been a while since I've been there and my memory is a bit foggy but I don't think I'd give Dieppe more than one night. I remember it as being OK but really someplace I'd only do an overnight. I'd take a night away from Dieppe and add it to Dinan. Actually, I'd probably pass right by Dieppe and stay in Etretat instead. I'd probably also take a night away from Bayeux and add it to Dinan but that's just me. Others would probably do it different from me. Of course if you already know what you want to see and do then you can disregard my opinions completely. :)

<<<I>I'm still only seeing prices in excess if £200 for ferry trips other than Dover - Calais!</I>>>

I don't think you will do better than that for the longer crossings, especially at this stage.

Remember, that if you do the overnight you are saving a night's hotel cost BUT you should spring for the room (i.e. beds) on the ship.

Dieppe is a crappy big port with inbuilt industrial landscaping. I would no more stay here than Calais. Nearby you have Fecamp (a nice little harbour)or Rouen or even the brutalist concrete Le Havre and the sublime Honfleur or the slightly concreted over beauty of Harfleur. I would recommend any of them over Dieppe.

I had a look at condor ferries but the best I could find was St Malo to Weymouth for €200:

http://www.condorbooking.co.uk/ExtRe...ateway.aspx?S3

However, I did find fares for Brittany Ferries from Chebourg to Poole for £139 on 6th August, and £159 on 13th Aug.

not sure what your preferred dates are but these might suit!

one snag is that they get in at about 10pm, so you'd probably want to stay overnight before setting off for home.

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/fe...oole-cherbourg

i also found fares on the Caen-Portsmouth Brittany ferry for £159 on 13th Aug, with cabins for £99.

hope this helps!

if you wanted to come back via Calais, you could do Honfleur/Rouen - Dinan - Bayeaux - depending on ferry times.

You will still have to spend a night somewhere though - and I'd rather spend in on board or in France, personally.

Just south of Dieppe is the little seaside village of Pourville. There is a really good restaurant here, though I can't remember the name.

Further south on the coast road is St Valery-en-Caux, which is a bit of a sailing mecca. Lots of yachts but the town is pretty enough.

Continuing down the coast is Veulettes-sur-Mer where I stayed for a couple of nights. Faded grandeur sums it up. You can imagine that a century ago - and indeed can see from the photos displayed in the Hotel des Bains - it was a popular seaside place for the well-off. I quite liked it. We stayed there at the end of our trip, so drove from there to Calais and back to Gloucester in one day. We got home early evening, and also had time for a big shop at a hypermarket. Here's a tip for you - to keep all the cheeses and chilled stuff cool I bought a large frozen fish - the cheapest I could find, and used it as an icepack in the coolbag. It worked perfectly and was only just starting to defrost as we got home 5 hours later. The cat was very happy for a few days lol!

Further south down the coast road you'd get to Fecamp and Etretat.

If you google the names of these places a few snapshot images come up so you can get a quick idea of what the towns look like.

Here's a tip for you - to keep all the cheeses and chilled stuff cool I bought a large frozen fish - the cheapest I could find, and used it as an icepack in the coolbag. >>

Julia, that's a great idea. we may copy it on our next trip.

lucky cat!

or frozen peas

Frozen peas thaw too quickly - you need a great solid frozen lump of something to keep cheeses and meats cool for 5-6 hours on a hot July or August day.

and if you got a decent fish, you could eat it yourself! [ white fish is better than meat or chicken as you can't get food poisoning from it.]

Just looked Rouen and seems like a nice place. Thanks for the heads up on Dieppe! Like the idea of Rouen, Dinan then back to Bayeux... Would mean less if a trip back to Calais. Just wondering whether its easy to get into Belgium from France? Thinking now of maybe adding another couple if days and going to Ypres

"whether its easy to get into Belgium from France"?

no barbed wire any more :-)

the upper border is the old rust belt (around lille) which is less attractive. Ieper is very easy to get to but so is Bruges or Ghent which are really nice.