Brittany help please
 

I've been perusing the Brittany and Normandy info here and it's been of enormous help (for example, we've made plans to spend one night in Mont St. Michel as that sounds so absolutely wonderful) -- but I could use a little input: We arrive CDG June 11; spending that night Giverny; on to Bayeux on the 12th, then to Mont St. Michel the 13th. Our next hotel reservation is in Chartres on June 20; we fly out from CDG on June 21. It's those 6 days in between, in Brittany, that I'm asking for help on now, and here's what I've come up with: 3 nights in the north and 3 nights in the south. Then we can explore the coast and the interior (I've a real desire to seek out places in the interior, due in great part to reading Richard Binns's wonderful book "Hidden Corners of France.") So does anyone have a suggeestion of a small neat town in northern Brittany and another in southern Brittany - and we love small places to stay too -- I thought Carnac would be a good location, for example, but all the hotels there seem to be resorts and we don't want that. Gites, B & B's, chambres d'hotes, small inns. And for under 100 euros, I hope.<BR>Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

In today's Sunday Times (www.sunday-times.co.uk) in the property section there is an interesting article about towns in Brittany. Although the focus is on Brits looking for second homes, there is lots of good info about the various towns and their restaurants, attractions.

In Carnac, there is an hotel called 'Hotel de la Marine' It is located up in Carnac, on the square, across from the church, not down in Carnac sur Plage where the resorts are. It was the cheapest (yes you get what you pay for) place on our trip last year. The rate card for 2001 was 220 to 290 FF (31 to 41 euros). Definately in your price range. Lots of good restaurants within a hundred metres.<BR>For other small towns/cities we enjoyed Vitre and Lannion.

To BTilke: Thanks so much for informing me about the Times article on Brittany -- I'd never entered the Sunday Times site before, and was fascinated to see this newspaper! So in addition to learning more about Brittany, I've had a new resource introduced into my life. I liked the sound of Josselin, and will check out some of the other names of towns I found there. Actually I think I'd like to buy a house in Brittany -- sounds like some not-bad buys. Well, maybe next year . . .<BR>I'd still like some more suggestions, if anybody has any. I love doing the research.<BR>

My only comment would be that Brittany is much bigger east to west than north to south; I would opt for at least one of your stops being further west than Carnac.<BR><BR>Someone-Mimi? suggested Pont Aven the other day in a similar question, and there or Roscoff or Quimper might not be a bad idea as well as somewhere like Josselin.

I think that you need to rethink the first few days of your vacation.I just did Normandy and part of Brittany in late March.You don't seem like you are allowing for jet lag and actual sightseeing the first 48 hours? I feel that you need to allow 2 days in Bayeux for the following reasons:one MUST visit the War Musuem in Caen and it is a minimum of 3-4 hours(yes,even if you are not into history,hate museums-you will thoroughly enjoy and appreciate this wonderful museum).After you learn about the war,you can leisurely drive to visit the various landing sites/ American Cemetary and villages(great spots to eat along the coast). In Bayeux, you must visit the tapestry and also appreciate the shopping and eating in this cute town.The drive from Bayeux should allow for some stops at Mere L'eglise(place where the paratrooper got caught in the church tower),possibly the tourist town of the copper pots,etc. on your way over to Mont St. Michel( the road leading to it from Bayeux area had alot of construction in late March-sometimes down to one lane).Mont St. Michel is wonderful and definitely better at night when everyone leaves. We were told to go over to St. Malo on the coast in Brittany and ended up spending two nights there and using that as our base.The whole area is wonderful for sightseeing,eating and shopping-take time to enjoy the outdoor markets,the people,etc.

You're right, Sheila, someplace further west would be good and someone mentioned Lannion, which would fulfill the north and the west requirements - any ideas about hotels in Lannion, anyone? Or somewhere near there?<BR>And I'm still studhying Carnac for the other 3 nights - I appreciaet everyone's help!

Sheila, thanks for your thoughts - we're skipping throug Normandy becasue we've been there before - your suggestions were good - I hope we're not going to be too jetlagged to enjoy Giverny! But our flight gets in early; we should have enough time I think. When you stayed in St. Malo for 2 days, did you feel you could see most of north Brittany from there? And, where'd you stay in St. Malo? I've just been reading about Concale, and think that might be nice too. O dear, too much to do, too little time! decisions decisions.

Oops, I meant thanks Debbie for the latest thoughts! Sorry . . .

In Lannion we stayed in an Ibus that is right across the parking lot from the river. Rate was 327 FF last sept. (47 euros).<BR>It was fun to watch the tide flood the parking lot and watch the tourists scramble who did not read the 20 foot by 30 foot sign that read in French only. Today this parking lot floods by...1900 hours.<BR><BR>I have last year's Carnac tourist guide beside me. Any specific questions? There are 22 hotels listed from * to ****.

I was just in Brittany in March and stayed in Cancale @ a wonderful bed and breakfast. There isn't all that much to see in Cancale, but it's close to St. Malo & Mt. St. Michel. If you have time, take a side trip to Fougeres...it's a beautiful, hilly town with a big fortress. I also went to Caen, and the traffic there is horrible, so beware. Le Memorial is one of the best museums, so do check it out, especially the American gardens in the back. Bayeux is a 2-3 hour stop...see the tapestry (which is really cool), then move on.

I believe Carnac is an awful place to stay, indeed. You could want to check Locmariaquer, which is way less touristed, is right on the Morbihan gulf (so you could visit some island), has some interesting magalithic monuments too and is very close to Carnac, so you could easily visit it from Locmariaquer.<BR><BR>As I already wrote quite often on this board, the north-eastern part of Britanny (the Ille-et-Vilaine "departement") is interesting for its old towns, but has a dull landscape, except for the Paimpont/Broceliande forest (and the coast west of St-Malo). The truly beautiful landscapes and old villages are to be found in the western part of this region (Cotes d'Armor and Finistere).<BR><BR>Not to say that you shouldn't stay in the Ille-et-Villaine (The Mont-St-Michel, St-Malo, Dinan, Fougeres, etc..are wonderful places to visit) or in the Morbihan (The Morbihan gulf, the megaliths, Josselin, Vannes,...). But the true, legendary Brittany isn't there. <BR><BR>The coasts are impressive and beautiful pretty much everywhere, though...