I vote for St. Malo. I've stayed there twice and think your French friend is correct. Both towns are highly touristy, but at night, St. Malo lights up with street life. It's just wonderful to walk around, eat ice-cream at the wonderful ice cream place and listen to the music and watch all the action. If you decide on Dinard, there's a nice walking tour of the city you can take from the tourist office (in English,too) for an hour or so. I can't remember the cost, but it was either free or very inexpensive. We were there in July and we were the only people on the tour! It was lots of fun. Also, take the windy walk down to the Harbor.

Wren - I probably do. I'm at work right now (should I be doing this at work?) but will check it out tonight at home.

wren: Fougères was a highlight of our trip to Brittany and Normandy a few years ago. It has the supposedly largest medieval castle in Europe - great fun to tromp around in - as well as lovely shops and a great market. The public gardens are beautiful, and there are some really interesting sites outside of town, including a village where we saw a recreation of the taking of Normandy in 1106 and the creation of the Bayeux Tapestry. The nearby town of Viré is also beautiful, with a marvelous castle and some excellent half-timber architecture.

Stcirq: do you mean ViTre? If so, I agree it is a wonderful little gem. Haven't visited a Vire, though.

As long as we're mentioning little places in the area...we stopped at Guingamp on the way to St. Malo and found it to be very charming. The church is one of the most unusual I have seen architecturally and has two clothed virgins, one outside in the porch and one inside. Beautiful! Several neat antique stores, a pedestrial walkway, lovely fountain. Several nice restaurants.

I still vote Dinan over St. Malo, but then I prefer the smaller. less crowded choices. If you do choose St. Malo, I would recommend the Creperie/hotel "L'Artimon". The owners are extremely friendly and talk about a collection of Quimper faience! One of the best collections I've ever seen. Sorry, I don't know what the rooms run, but the crepes are great.

wren: I stayed at Le Relais de Lion d'Or. Unfortunately that's all the info I have, but it was 1 street back from Quai des Talards which runs alongside the River Rance on the side opposite the road up to Dinan's Upper Town. It was a homely, family-run Chambres d'Hote with very friendly hosts who even offered to do my laundry for me while I went out. There are cafes and restaurants along the Rance and it's only 2-3 minutes to cross the Rance and tackle the steep cobbled lane up to the town. Dinan Info Centre might help with more info: www.dinan-tourisme.com, or email [email protected]
Good luck

We found Dinan delightful for a walk around. St. Malo didn't grab us in the same way so if your choice is definitely between the two, I'd vote for Dinan. But if you're open to other options, I can't praise Le Richeux in Cancale too highly. It was my favorite hotel on our trip through Normandy and Brittany. Wonderful interior appointments, a terrific seafood restaurant and the views over the ocean with the tide out toward Mt. St. Michel can't be beat. It's somewhat pricey but not terribly so and worth every penny.

Julie, I smiled when I saw your post. I am of the theory that trip money should be spent on restaurants, not hotels; however, I would plunk down cash for Le Richeux any day.