hopingtotravel

Actually I may post it then duck! Before you are too critical of what I know are a lot of one-nighters, keep in mind that our last trip had sections of four one-night stays in a row.

I'm looking at sometime early May;
3 nights Paris -- maybe D'Aubusson, maybe not
1 night Petite Les Andelys -- La Chaine D'Or

We've been to Giverney so am debating maybe stopping there for lunch and to see something different in bloom.

Drive the route of the abbeys to Honfleur.

1 night L'Ecrin - Honfleur

2 nights Bayeux - still open to suggestion but am looking at Chateau de Sully

Hope to see tapestry, some D-Day beach areas, cemeteries, Pont du Hoc, etc,

1 night -- Mont St. Michel -- preferably not on the mont

2 nights -- maybe Manoir La Rance

Somewhere in the last 3 days hope to tour a garden or two. Also maybe stop at the town that makes copper pots. If anyone has a nearby garden suggestion -- ?

Possibly after leaving Mont St. Michel, take a walk along the beach between Cancale and St. Malo.

While staying on the Rance, see Dinan. Am I right in thinking Fodorites prefer Dinan over Dinard or St. Malo?

One night -- Douarnezes Bay (oops spelled that wrong, but don't have it in front of me right now. Anyway, it's reached by heading west in Brittany beyond Morloix.

Next morning see Locronan, and Pont Re.

One night -- Audierne. (hope I have this one spelled right). (Hey, when it rains on July 1 it gets to me!0

Drive through Quimper, see Carnac, and on to Saumur.

Two nights Saumur -- hopefully Anne d'Anjou
See Chinon and Fontevard Abbey

See gardens of Villandry, and maybe Azey le Rideau on way to Amboise

Two nights Amboise -- maybe Le Clos de Amboise (just because we've already stayed at Les Minimes)

See cathedral at Chartres, turn in car, take train to Gare Montparnassee in Paris

Last night at Hotel Sainte Beauve.

It makes for an awfully long trip but we spend at least two full days flying. And, of course, we never know when/if we'll get back.

annhig

hi, hoping,

have I missed something?

why are you expecting to have to duck?

OK so it's busy, but you're not trying to get too far each day, and it's not all one-night stands!



if travelling in early May, you could even consider not booking ahead! [apart from Paris, of course].

good luck,

regards, ann

Judy

Hi hoping, when we stayed near Mont St Michel, we actually stayed in Concale....could consolidate a stop for you.
The drive to the Mont was easy and the views of it from our room at Chateau Richeux were spectacular....not to mention the food!

If you google Maison de Bricourt you should get the website which includes the Chateau. Have a wonderful trip.

Padraig

If I read your sketch correctly, it looks as if "the town that makes copper pots" is Villedieu-les-Poeles. I like it, but can't explain why. In many ways is is just another Normandy town.

Avranches, on the onwards route towards Mont St. Michel, takes great pride in its Jardin des Plantes.

I prefer Dinan over St. Malo, but both places have great appeal, and are quite interesting in different ways. Dinard is easier to pass by; it's a pleasant seaside town.

Your tour of Brittany involves a lot of driving. You will be shooting past a lot of good places in order to see other good places.

hopingtotravel

Thanks for going easy on the criticism guys. Yes, this trip I've tried to keep the 5 hour per day drives to a minimum!

Judy, thanks for the chateau idea. If one of the other rooms doesn't work out, Cancale might be an option.

Padraig, thanks for the garden info. Yes, I know that the area between St. Malo and Douarnenez is rich with places that I won't have time to see. I will miss Cap Freghel (spelling again) and the beach with the carved animals and probably the pink granite. I would like to see some of the little villages with parish closes.

I know DH won't drive that 4 1/2 hours non-stop so we will have some chances to pull over. If there's a village that's especially pretty on the way, let me know.

Padraig

"Along the way" depends on the road you take. You mentioned Morlaix, so I presume that is the route you have in mind. From Dinan to Morlaix you bypass all towns unless you choose otherwise.

One small town just beside the road that might make a good break for an hour is Guingamp -- an interesting church, medieval and renaissance buildings, some bits of town wall, and the stump of a fortified chateau (never completed).

I like Morlaix. A medieval quarter, a huge railway viaduct over almost the centre of the town, and a river port used now by pleasure boats.

I don't know the road between Morlaix and Douarnenez. You could choose a route to include Sizun and see one of the more spectacular "enclos paroissials", and then pass through the pretty village of Chateaulin, near the mouth of the Aulne river, once an important navigation.

That should be more than enough!

hopingtotravel

Thank you Padraig. It's so nice that someone has been that way!

I see an error in my original post. I think I meant Point du Raz. I never have a map handy when I'm typing!

Padraig

A connection between your Brittany and Loire Valley programmes: Locronan and Chinon are both popular with film-makers as settings for period films.

An Irish connection for you: Locronan is named after the Irish saint Ronan, who is said to have sailed to Brittany in a stone boat.

hopingtotravel

I added Locronan to the itinerary after comments by Ger who frequently posts trip reports here. I think there is some Irish ancestry there.

DH should enjoy it; he loved the 2001 trip to Ireland.

I'm realizing weather all along the coast may be better in September but can't drag him away from fishing for silver salmon in Alaska in the fall!

hopingtotravel

Topping this in case there are fresh posters today.

DeborahAnn

hoping, I know there is "quality not quantity" information here on Fodors about Brittany because I have read it all several times over in planning our trip this Sept.

Something for travel planning in Brittany I discovered on www.viamichelin are some audio tours of places in Brittany. It might help you discover some of the things you may be driving past between Dinan and Douarnenz On the site I found audio guides regarding the Enclos Paroissiaux and others sights by looking at the local attractions around Brest, St. Brieuc and Josselin to name a few.

We have more time on this trip and have been to Normandy and Mont St-Michel previously so we are staying 4 nights in Bayeux to concentrate on the D-Day beaches, 3 nights in Dinan, a week in Roscoff to tour Finistere/Morbihan and then 4 nights in Locmariaquer, mainly because my husband is fascinated about megaliths.

I will try to keep copious notes to help answer any future questions you might have. The Tour de France is going to begin in Brittany next July so in May the towns should by making themselves even prettier for all the world to see the beauties of Brittany during those stages of the race.

Enjoy your planning, Deborah

hopingtotravel

Thank you. I didn't know about the audio tours! Will check that out.

Also, when are you taking your trip?

DeborahAnn

We arrive in Bayeux on Sept 7th after picking up our rental car at CDG and return to Paris by train from Rennes on Sept 26th for 4 nights. We were at Giverny in early May one year and it was beautiful but it does "eat up" your traveling time if you have been there once. That's my reasons for passing up a return to Mont St.Michel, so many places to visit, so little time Deborah

hopingtotravel

Ah yes, the 'so little time'. I'll be looking forward to your report.

I'm still debating going in to Giverney and having lunch in the garden, or just having lunch nearby.

DeborahAnn

hopingtotravel, just saw your post about someone's trip to Italy where you mentioned you have been married 38 years. Ron and I also celebrated our 38th this year and it just seems like yesterday Happy 38th to you, Deborah

hopingtotravel

Thank you. 1969 was a good year! And it does seem it's all gone so fast.