Brittany and Normandy from Paris Logistics Suggestions Please
 

Mrs. Peabody and I are considering a September trip to France. We haven't been to Brittany or Normandy. I would like a few days in Paris before traveling around. We may want to include a few stops along the way to or back from the west also, such as Bayeux (for the tapestry) and Monet's garden.

So, theoretical options include renting a car in Paris and returning it there, taking a train to B/N area and renting a car there, and the various combinations involving where to pick up and drop off the car. Although I know how to use a manual transmission, Mrs. P does not, so guaranteed availability of an automatic transmission would be very highly desirable, especially when I need Mrs. P as a designated driver after dinner.

We'll work out where we actually want to visit as we go along. Will spur of the moment hotels be feasible?

Any insights? Thanks.

AJ

Why limit yourself to hotels? Look at various web sites that offer B&B accommodations, such as Gîte de France, and make a list of those that would be in the area where you plan to stop for the night. Call them for room availability around lunch time. Chances are that you will find at least one with an available room.

Take train to Bayeux - pick up car here or at Caen which has more rentals and you can stop at the Caen Memorial - about the best overall orientation place - large relief map orients you to the whole area. On the way to Bayeux - one of few Norman towns not blitzed in WW2 invasions - great cathedral and Queen Matilhda's super long Tapestry documenting the whole 1066 Norman Invasion of England.

Or, rent car in Rouen and backtrack a bit to Giverny - stay in Rouen a neat city with famous cathedral whose front Monet put on canvass so much. Les Andylys near here is a gem too.

Anyway go to Mont Saint Michel and stay overnight - gaggle of hotels on mainland at where causeway comes in - some on island too but a hassle with car.

End up in Rennes for TGVs back to Paris.

Now, book TGV trains far in advance for nice discounts (trains to Rouen have a modest discount but not that much difference usually than full fare.

For lots on trans check www.oui.sncf; www.seat61.com' BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

Or if time keep car and go to Loire Valley and turn in at St-Pierre-des-Corps (Tours) station to go back to Paris car-less.

If you are starting in Paris and want to visit Brittany & Normandy, it is perhaps best to take the TGV from Paris to the farthest destination west - then work your way back to CDG.


There is a super fast TGV to Rennes where there are plenty of automatics available. You could start your Brittany adventure by either starting in Rennes or taking the short drive to Vannes, Dinan, or MSM. You could also take the TGV to Quimper, where there are also automatics available.


You might consider driving to Chantilly near CDG your last night, visit the Chateau & village, then drive to CDG if you have a late morning or afternoon flight. In June we are arriving at CDG and taking the taxi to St Germain in Laye where we will visit & stay the first night. Then we will pick up a car in the morning & drive 1 hr to our gite near Rouen. You could do the opposite and end your car adventure in St Germain & taxi to CDG in the morning.


Stu Dudley

Auvers-sur-Oise could be a good area to see en route back to CDG or Chantilly - really neat chateau town - Auvers was where van Gogh spent his final years before shooting himself in the cornfields around town. As usual he painted furiously and now copies of his portraits are put up exactly where he (and other post-Impressionists like Cezanne) - I found Auvers, strung out along a main canal, even more delightful than Giverny especially since most everything is outside - just walking into the Cornfields where is posted one of van Goghs last portraits with a dark sky and a murder of crows are encircling the field - van Gogh tried to kill himself shortly later and died in the local hotel of the time - his blood-stained room is still there.

I really like to be in the city of my departure flight a night before my flight, and even though I'm perfectly willing to change hotels frequently, I don't like to do so unnecessarily --- so I would leave for Rennes ASAP and spend a night or two there before renting a car and working my way back to Paris. Just an option for you to consider.

Some very helpful ideas so far. I just got Stu Dudley's Normandy and Brittany itinerary to go over also. As for skipping an initial stop in Paris, I know how I react to a long travel day plus jet lag. An initial night or two in Paris will definitely be an advantage. My last trip to Paris I got a fatigue induced migraine just before first dinner time. Being already in a hotel room made a big difference.

In that case, you have myriad options and only your interests and preferences to set your course. Enjoy!

Looking at just the logistics, maybe the general plan should be to spend a short time in Paris for adjustment after flight. Then train to the farthest practical point where a car with automatic transmission is collected. Tour around and work east. Drop car and train to Paris or drive to Paris seeing sites along the way. So, what would be the best choices for possible car pickup train termination places?

Another logistics question, probably unanswerable, will be how to modify plans due to weather. We'd rather not be involved with scenery in the rain if it will rain for days on end, for instance. I guess have cancelable reservations and alternate plans. Can't really predict day to day this far in advance. We could always train or drive in another direction. Normandy and Brittany are the areas where we have never been and we are getting toward the upper age limit for enjoyable driving trips so that will be the goal of this trip unless rendered unfeasible.

>>So, what would be the best choices for possible car pickup train termination places?<<


I already answered that question in post #4. Rennes or Quimper. I omitted Vannes as a car pickup because of various reasons involving the car rental offices in Vannes.


Don't get hung up on the weather. If it is pouring down rain - visit a museum or two. September is a busy month in Brittany & Normandy because they usually get pretty good weather then. Unless you are in your 20as or 30s and/or like "adventure and challenges", don't just drive "anywhere" and pull into a village after 3PM & expect to find accommodations.



Stu Dudley

It may be a little busier next September than we found in October when we did our trip report of the area, because the 75th anniversary of D Day in June will put a spotlight on the area. I would book ahead. We based in Bayeux and Dinan. You can get to quite a few places from each of those areas and simply alter your daily itinerary depending on the weather. I don’t think changing bases would be a solution. And, perhaps it was after 8 days of driving on narrow winding roads in Sardinia (not so bad because of little traffic), but we found Brittany and Normandy to be a very easy area to drive.

Can you get a train to Paris directly from Dinan, or do you need to take the train from Rennes? If yes, how does one get to Rennes from Dinan (we're not driving)?

There are 2 trains that goe from Dinan to Paris with a train change in Rennes
Depart 12:12 arrive 5:04
Depart 4:13 arrive 7:04


There are other schedules with 2 train changes.

This year we are returning to Paris from St Malo. The train leaves around noon and has 0 train changes.


Schedules may change.


https://reiseauskunft.bahn.de//bin/query.exe/en



Stu Dudley

Replies greatly appreciated and quite useful. Working fast since the cheap plane fares to Paris expire tomorrow. I did look into open jaw with mandible in Paris and maxilla in Brittany, but that added $400 or so per person. Now settling on flying into Paris, a few nights there, then TGV to Rennes. Rent car, tour central Brittany to coast then heading east via le Mont St Michel at least as far as Bayeux while fitting in Fougeres. Depending on how we feel as further planning progresses, dropping car then train to Paris or drive to Paris, a few nights in Paris before return. I like the idea of having a couple of bases rather than moving every day. The daily move without reservations was our style while younger when the internet was not even a gleam in some techie's eye, but not now. Oh, for the days of Europe on $10 per day and bargaining for a lower hotel rate at 7 pm.

Oh, for the days of Europe on $10 per day and bargaining for a lower hotel rate at 7 pm.>

youngster - I used Europe on $5/day and recently looking thru some notebooks I did not on many days spend even that!

The die is cast. Two weeks in September RT Paris via Air France ticketed. About 10 days will be spent touring. Stu Dudley's itinerary has been an immense help in sorting which candies to select from the candy store of sites. Must hustle, only 5 months to plan routes, hotels (or BnB's), food, rent car, get trip insurance, pre-book TGV, and any other hyperplanning my OCD will promote.

Questions for today: When to book cheap TGV tix? AutoEurope for car, right? SIM card?

AJ

For TGV PREMs, start looking 92 days before your travel dates. Not an absolute guarantee of the best price (sometimes there are deep discounts rightbefore you travel, but don't count on that). OUIGO is a good deal always if your chosen train has OUIGO cars.

Yes to AutoEurope. Always the best deal if you want 24/7 assistance in English. If you're fluent in French and good at car talk, you might do better, but probably not.

SIM card: Orange or SFR. I think they both have tourist specials, but not sure because I live here and have the standard cheapie Orange deal.

The problem seems to be that we will be travelling on a Sunday in May, so less options if we don't want to arrive in Paris quite late in the day or endure 2 changes. I am considering taking a cab from Dinan to St. Malo and catching the12:01 TGV there, which is direct to Paris and arrives at 14:47. Any opinions about taking a cab to Dol de Bretagne and the TGV from there? The receptionist at the hotel in Dinan was aghast at the cost of a cab to St. Malo. Or is there some other route I haven't considered? Thanks.

You could take the TGV from Dol. The only reason we are catching it in St Malo is because there is not a "good" car rental drop off in Dol. Also, we are staying in a gite closer to St Malo.

Stu Dudley