My wife and I, along with our 7 year old daughter are travelling to Brittany next weekend for a weeks holiday. We are staying in a Gite near Vannes, and have the use of a car.
We have travelled extensively in France over the years but strangely have always seemed to miss this area. Does anyone have any strong recommendations of what not to miss (and what to miss!)? My daughter is well used to travelling and likes to just explore places - especially castles and the like. We are arriving by air at Dinard and plan to detour to Mont-St-Michel immediately before driving off towards our destination.
Any suggestions?

I liked Dinan, and St. Malo- even though it's a bit commercial, it's a great location on the coast, the ramparts, beaches etc.

Although further west than where you are going, you might want to look at the third section of my trip report: Trip Report: Ghent, Normandy and Brittany. The "enclos" are definitely something to see.

Mnay interesting places to visit in Brittany.

On the way done from Dinan to Vannes, perhaps you will like to stop by Foret de Paimpont, where (according to story)Merlin and Viviane lived. Nearby Josselin is an interesting town with an impressive chateau closeby.

West of Vannes,I enjoy Carnac very much,where huge groups of megaliths at the outskir of town. From Carnac down to Quibernon,is is nice to walk along the miles long sand bank.

A little further west,Pont-Avon,a pretty little riverside town with well-known artist community,many art galleries around. Nearby Concarneau is a large fishing port,but children shall enjoy walking Ville close-a well-kept walled island off the shore and fish museum.

If you have more time, further west Quimper is a very impressive medieval city with lovely old town.

Thanks for the replies.
Beatle - Yes, Dinan sounds great.
Michael - I've read the link and Quimper is now a must.
JudyC - Thanks for the tips on the way from Dinan to Vannes. I'd obviously read about Carnac in the books, but it's nice to have it recommended as well as it could have been a disappointment. Thanks also for the info on Pont Avon. A colleague told me about the fortified island but couldn't remember where it was, so thanks.
Does anyone know of a place to hear real Breton spoken and to meet the people? I am a Welsh speaker and many of the words are identical (for instance, Pont Avon is the same in both languages but we would spell it - Pont Afon), so even though a full conversation is out of the question, I may be able to understand the common words.

Don't miss Carnac.

The great delight of Brittany for me is the sea, and its million faces.

To hear Breton, you will have to go way west into Cornuaille and the Bigouden.

I've not been to Vannes itself, but I think the whole area is magical. Have a lovely trip

In Dinard, there is a very nice walk around the point with St Malo in the distance, and a very nice seaside restaurant, La Gonellle.

St. Malo can really get crowded.

Dinan is a wonderful town with many timber framed buildings and a nice shopping district and a picturesque port on the river.

It's Pont AvEn, with the N pronounced, which may bring its pronunciation even closer to Welsh. Many of the signs in western Brittany are now bi-lingual.

RonZ, Is there any reason to expect St-Malo to be crowded in late October?

Keith

To be honest, you may not hear any Breton spoken at all, even if you head into deepest Finistère. I lived in Quimper for a while and never heard anyone speak Breton, apart from the odd word (most common word used was Kenavo - goodbye), although road signs are in both languages. As is the case with so many minority languages, it can be hard to find "real" speakers.

Here's an article on the subject that you might find interesting: http://www.brittany-bretagne.com/pg/langue.htm

You'll enjoy visiting Concarneau and Pont-Aven, although the latter will probably be fairly quiet in October. You might also want to check out the pretty thatched cottages at Kerascoet.
I'd also recommend St Malo, which may still be busy in October (it's a popular seaside town) but won't be mobbed, I shouldn't think. There's a great aquarium on the outskirts of St Malo which would be fun for a 7-year old.

St Malo was mobbed when I was there in Sept. Oct I don't know.

Thanks again for all replies. I'm afraid that Pont Aven takes the language a little further away from the Welsh (Pont = Bridge, Afon = River. I assume that Aven means river in Breton?).
Thanks for the info on the aquarium. I've also read about an aquarium in Quimper (Oceanopolis) but that it costs around 40 euros for a family. Does anyone know if it's worth it?

If I remember rightly, Oceanopolis is in Brest - which is about an hour's drive from Quimper. I used to work at the reception/information desk at a huge campsite near Pont-Aven and on rainy days we'd suggest Oceanopolis as a visit for families: on the whole, kids and adults seemed to enjoy it greatly.

However, another aquarium option, which is nearer if staying in Vannes, is the "Océarium du Croisic". (I think the town of Le Croisic is about 50 miles from Vannes.) It's supposed to be a lot of fun.

Dear AR

did you write a trip report, I didn't find one from you?

Which area did you like better, with a view to basing there for 3 days - Vannes area, or Quimper? thanks.

I am suprised no one has mentioned Fougeres. It is one of my favorites. It may have the greatest castle in France, some great views of the river valley, and a couple of churches worth checking out.

Also, I agree with RonZ on the walk on the boardwalk in Dinard. In nice weather, there is an incredible view.

Here's the link to 3 articles on Brittany that I wrote for the bonjourparis.com web site. I hope it will give you some suggestions.

http://www.bonjourparis.com/pages/se...Jean+Underhill

Fougères is said to be the largest castle in Europe, but it's no longer intact. Still, you can get a feel for what it once was. For a hulking castle that's still entire and occupied, head for Josselin, southwest of Rennes. It's perched high above the river, in a very dramatic setting that's mirrored in the water.

I couldn't find a report back either.

AR: did you go? how was traveling in Brittany w/7 yr old? made it to Oceanoplis and was it worth Euros??

For those planning a new trip...Josselin is very romantic and on the canal. A different option to a gite: It is possible to rent a self-drive barge and lock up and down the canal, with a couple of bikes you can have great fun and see a lot of the countryside.

I like Fougeres, also, but am partial to Vitre. According to Michelin it is the best preserved medieval town in France. I like it because not only is it charming, but small and more manageable than say Nantes or Rennes. It's also on the SNCF route so you don't need a car to enjoy it.

Sorry. I completely forgot to post the report!
I will put something on in the next few days.
We flew into Dinard, and the drive to Vannes was far, but not too far. We want to return and will base ourselves in the north next time. I'll also post a link to the website we used to book the cottage/gite as it was simply outstanding. We have used them again to book a villa in Provence next July.
Didn't make it to Oceanopolis, Klondike.
Quimper was great, flygirl.