Five Days Alone in Brittany
Apr 18th, 2006, 09:24 AM
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Five Days Alone in Brittany
I am attending a conference in Lorient,on the south coast, in mid-June. Following the conference, my plan is to rent a car for five days before returning to Paris via Lorient. Should I plan on staying just in the south or venture north as well? All suggestions for routes, (small) hotels, sites (esp. Celtic or Arthurian-related) very much appreciated, as I am beginning to get scared! thanks!
Apr 18th, 2006, 09:38 AM
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Here is a trip report from someone that was in the area this month: http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...2&tid=34787645
Keith
Keith
Apr 24th, 2006, 06:10 AM
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From Lorient, the first day you can drive to west to Concarneau-about 1/2 hour of easy drive : there is a old "fortified" town, a beach : very nice town.
Then back to east with a stop at Quiberon a 1hour and a half drive.
In Quiberon, the "côte sauvage" worth the detour.
There are a lot of nice hotels on the front beach.
On the "côte sauvage" there is a good
restaurant if you like crabs, oysters,.. : Le Vivier.
Day 2 : Quiberon- Carnac : 3/4 hour of drive : this is where are the "menhirs"(dressed stones) and some dolmen("stone's table) and in the afternoon, drive to Vannes via La Trinité sur mer, one of the capital of
sail's racing.
In Vannes, the center of the town is
pedestrian.
You have a good hotel in Conleau, Le Roof(from the Best western chain) with option to dinner of the "cafe de Conleau" just near Le Roof-sea food restaurants, basic or drive near the railway station to eat at Regis Mahe restaurant-very good one star Michelin restaurant, not too expensive...
Day 3 :
From Vannes, I'll drive the day after to Saint- Malo on the north coast of Brittany another fortified town with a great beach...A lot of cosy hotels on the beach and good seafood restaurants
in the centertown. Also some creperies-
"la creperie de Chantal" is a good one.
Day 4/5 :
Finally, you can drive to Paris from Saint Malo via le Mont Saint Michel and
if you have time a night in one of the hotel in the Mont itself is really a good choice(Le relais saint Michel, from the chain Logis de France is really good).
I'm from Vannes.
Erik.
Then back to east with a stop at Quiberon a 1hour and a half drive.
In Quiberon, the "côte sauvage" worth the detour.
There are a lot of nice hotels on the front beach.
On the "côte sauvage" there is a good
restaurant if you like crabs, oysters,.. : Le Vivier.
Day 2 : Quiberon- Carnac : 3/4 hour of drive : this is where are the "menhirs"(dressed stones) and some dolmen("stone's table) and in the afternoon, drive to Vannes via La Trinité sur mer, one of the capital of
sail's racing.
In Vannes, the center of the town is
pedestrian.
You have a good hotel in Conleau, Le Roof(from the Best western chain) with option to dinner of the "cafe de Conleau" just near Le Roof-sea food restaurants, basic or drive near the railway station to eat at Regis Mahe restaurant-very good one star Michelin restaurant, not too expensive...
Day 3 :
From Vannes, I'll drive the day after to Saint- Malo on the north coast of Brittany another fortified town with a great beach...A lot of cosy hotels on the beach and good seafood restaurants
in the centertown. Also some creperies-
"la creperie de Chantal" is a good one.
Day 4/5 :
Finally, you can drive to Paris from Saint Malo via le Mont Saint Michel and
if you have time a night in one of the hotel in the Mont itself is really a good choice(Le relais saint Michel, from the chain Logis de France is really good).
I'm from Vannes.
Erik.
Apr 24th, 2006, 07:17 AM
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You might be interested in the last part of my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...2&tid=34444403
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...2&tid=34444403
Apr 24th, 2006, 10:42 AM
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Sorry for the mistake...I was thinking that you'll drive from Lorient to Paris..
So after the night in Le Mont Saint Michel(another option is a night in Cancale, charming harbor near Saint Malo
or in Dinar-a more turistic beach station)
you can drive back to Lorient via Dinan-
a medieval town or Rennes-the Brittany's regional capital...very charming.
Another option is to drive from Le Mont
Saint Michel to Lorient via Malestroit
and Rochefort-en-terre, which are two
charming "villages" of Brittany(both are
# 1h30 from Lorient).
Erik.
So after the night in Le Mont Saint Michel(another option is a night in Cancale, charming harbor near Saint Malo
or in Dinar-a more turistic beach station)
you can drive back to Lorient via Dinan-
a medieval town or Rennes-the Brittany's regional capital...very charming.
Another option is to drive from Le Mont
Saint Michel to Lorient via Malestroit
and Rochefort-en-terre, which are two
charming "villages" of Brittany(both are
# 1h30 from Lorient).
Erik.
Apr 24th, 2006, 11:10 AM
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Arthurian sites:
Here's a hotel I'm considering for our trip this summer. It's in the Foret de Paimpont, which has associations such as the Lady of Lake and Merlin's entrapment.
http://www.le-relais-de-broceliande.fr/
Here's a hotel I'm considering for our trip this summer. It's in the Foret de Paimpont, which has associations such as the Lady of Lake and Merlin's entrapment.
http://www.le-relais-de-broceliande.fr/
Apr 26th, 2006, 04:15 AM
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Merci beaucoup pour les reponses!Erik, it is so kind of you to actually provide a schedule! and, Pausanias, I do want to include the Foret de Paimpont. Will keep you helpful folk informed as my plans progress; just now my Amazon order for a detailed map is temporarily delayed. again, many thanks from terry
Jun 25th, 2006, 05:43 AM
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It seems forever since you all wrote me so helpfully; I took all your advice with me, and this is what happened.
First of all, every moment in Brittany was a happy one. Possibly most exciting for me was the opportunity to speak French for five days straight (the only place I heard American voices was Mont St. Michel)--most flattering was being asked my "Departement" when I made a purchase!
So, particularly relevant for Erik and Pausanias, here is what I did (or didn't!)
Erik, I didn't do everything you suggested, but close! I find that being my own planner/driver/navigator is stressful in larger cities--Dinan was the only place I had to park the car, find the tourist office and ask, "How do I get out of here?" (en anglais!) and thus I never faced the challenge of Vannes or Rennes,but stuck to the countryside.
I never, helas, drove west from Lorient, but headed first for Carnac ("Comfort Hotel Carnac"--which turned out to be literally around the corner from the road to the menhirs). After the pleasure of walking to the town centre ('ker kreisz')where a wedding was about to take place (I stood nearby as the bride (tres serieuse!) approached avec pere in an elderly brit Bentley convertible!)I decided to use the long June evening to head down to Quiberon. I very much enjoyed the lengthy stroll along the seaside, but could not find the restaurant you recommended, Erik, so settled for buying salad, fork, and corkscrew from the local Supermarche!
Early the next morning I struck out to walk along the Menhirs and found, as with most of Brittany--sans Mont St. Michel--that I was blissfully on my own.
It was a Sunday morning, and there was the odd tourist bus, but mostly it was me and others on foot exploring--I had several designated 'sites'all to myself--very moving and special.
I would rcommend my next destination; I found it in the Rough Guide: the Cairn Gavr'inis--an astonishing neolithic chamber in a (huge) tumulus on an island barely larger than the tumulus itself. Heads up: the ticket seller may not be on time and beware of scary parking--when I backed out, the only obvious route was straight into the water!
I then drove north to my goal (THANK YOU PAUSANIAS) of the 'RElais de Paimpont' going via Rochefort en Terre and Malestroit (thank you Erik--I very much enjoyed my stroll around the latter and wish I had investigated more about the Canal and the possibilities of boat rides;it is lovely there.) But have to say, though I had an excellent salmon fumee crepe there, that Rochefort en Terre is overrated and a bit stuck on itself!
But for you and Pausanias--attention!--my decision to make Le Relais de Broceliande my mid-Brittany base was, for me, an excellent one. I stayed there four nights and became a bit of a resident mascot: 'la petite Americaine.' M. Beller, the proprietaire, did not know of his rave review in the Rough Guide (I've sent him one as a cadeau). My room was on the third floor (pas d'ancenseur!) and struck me at the beginning as a bit basic, but I grew to be quite happy there--two windows with very different but equally enchanting views. But for anyone interested in "being in Brittany" [and sorry if that sounds snotty--I don't mean it to], this is certainly one place to find out! The auberge is a true 'hang out' in the village--everyone drops in in the morning, including for example the postman (in those 'sailor pants' in which only French men look good) and of course has a coffee. Or the long time ami de M. Beller who shares with him 'cafe Alsace'--what else but cafe noir and vin (alsacien, bien sur) blanc? Mr.Beller told me that this tradition harks back to the "chausseurs" depicted on the amazing, unique, solid oak hand carved bar (Merlin and Viviane, local deities, depicted there as well).
Speaking of which, here was my most astonishing Experience Bretonne. Of all the suposedly 'Arthurian' sites in this very beautiful foret, the one I wanted most to see was the 'Fontaine de Barenton,' supposedly the place where Merlin and Viviane met (or didn't, or remet, or something like that). M. Beller gave the general directions (ie which ways to turn at the 'rondpoints' and how to head for the aptly named village of 'Folle Pensee.' But that didn't prepare me for a totally solitary Truly Arthurian Quest (some help from the Rough Guide, but not a lot)to La Fontaine. All on my own (not another soul in sight--and pas de pas de signage--and good for you, Bretagne)I finally almost literally stumbled upon a mother and child at the Fountain (it is actually a Spring). She was singing to it! We three sat there in companionable and awe-ful silence for about a half hour until we heard others coming. She began to sing again at one point (in French, although she spoke German to her daughter), and it was clearly a song to/for the Spring.
That was a peak experience, as was finding the 'Venus de Quinilpy'--near Baude. She's quite the striking hieratic statue (not overtly a fertility goddess like the Willendorf Venus) who, according to the Rough Guide, was worshipped by 'peasants' and heaved into the local river at least three times by the Church--and of course rescued. Now she has her own beautiful jardin to preside over.
Yes, Erik, I did make it to Mont St. Michel. And had that 'voici' experience that I've probably had only once or twice before (rounding a corner in Wyoming and coming upon the Grand Tetons; and almost genuflecting before Giorgione's 'Tempesta' in Venice). "Oh my god, there it is." I almost had to pull the car over--I was that breathless.
so
o many thanks to my helpmates in my solo venture! You really were in my mind (and mental map!). I hope you see this message as it is so long after you responded so helpfully!
merci bien,
terry
First of all, every moment in Brittany was a happy one. Possibly most exciting for me was the opportunity to speak French for five days straight (the only place I heard American voices was Mont St. Michel)--most flattering was being asked my "Departement" when I made a purchase!
So, particularly relevant for Erik and Pausanias, here is what I did (or didn't!)
Erik, I didn't do everything you suggested, but close! I find that being my own planner/driver/navigator is stressful in larger cities--Dinan was the only place I had to park the car, find the tourist office and ask, "How do I get out of here?" (en anglais!) and thus I never faced the challenge of Vannes or Rennes,but stuck to the countryside.
I never, helas, drove west from Lorient, but headed first for Carnac ("Comfort Hotel Carnac"--which turned out to be literally around the corner from the road to the menhirs). After the pleasure of walking to the town centre ('ker kreisz')where a wedding was about to take place (I stood nearby as the bride (tres serieuse!) approached avec pere in an elderly brit Bentley convertible!)I decided to use the long June evening to head down to Quiberon. I very much enjoyed the lengthy stroll along the seaside, but could not find the restaurant you recommended, Erik, so settled for buying salad, fork, and corkscrew from the local Supermarche!
Early the next morning I struck out to walk along the Menhirs and found, as with most of Brittany--sans Mont St. Michel--that I was blissfully on my own.
It was a Sunday morning, and there was the odd tourist bus, but mostly it was me and others on foot exploring--I had several designated 'sites'all to myself--very moving and special.
I would rcommend my next destination; I found it in the Rough Guide: the Cairn Gavr'inis--an astonishing neolithic chamber in a (huge) tumulus on an island barely larger than the tumulus itself. Heads up: the ticket seller may not be on time and beware of scary parking--when I backed out, the only obvious route was straight into the water!
I then drove north to my goal (THANK YOU PAUSANIAS) of the 'RElais de Paimpont' going via Rochefort en Terre and Malestroit (thank you Erik--I very much enjoyed my stroll around the latter and wish I had investigated more about the Canal and the possibilities of boat rides;it is lovely there.) But have to say, though I had an excellent salmon fumee crepe there, that Rochefort en Terre is overrated and a bit stuck on itself!
But for you and Pausanias--attention!--my decision to make Le Relais de Broceliande my mid-Brittany base was, for me, an excellent one. I stayed there four nights and became a bit of a resident mascot: 'la petite Americaine.' M. Beller, the proprietaire, did not know of his rave review in the Rough Guide (I've sent him one as a cadeau). My room was on the third floor (pas d'ancenseur!) and struck me at the beginning as a bit basic, but I grew to be quite happy there--two windows with very different but equally enchanting views. But for anyone interested in "being in Brittany" [and sorry if that sounds snotty--I don't mean it to], this is certainly one place to find out! The auberge is a true 'hang out' in the village--everyone drops in in the morning, including for example the postman (in those 'sailor pants' in which only French men look good) and of course has a coffee. Or the long time ami de M. Beller who shares with him 'cafe Alsace'--what else but cafe noir and vin (alsacien, bien sur) blanc? Mr.Beller told me that this tradition harks back to the "chausseurs" depicted on the amazing, unique, solid oak hand carved bar (Merlin and Viviane, local deities, depicted there as well).
Speaking of which, here was my most astonishing Experience Bretonne. Of all the suposedly 'Arthurian' sites in this very beautiful foret, the one I wanted most to see was the 'Fontaine de Barenton,' supposedly the place where Merlin and Viviane met (or didn't, or remet, or something like that). M. Beller gave the general directions (ie which ways to turn at the 'rondpoints' and how to head for the aptly named village of 'Folle Pensee.' But that didn't prepare me for a totally solitary Truly Arthurian Quest (some help from the Rough Guide, but not a lot)to La Fontaine. All on my own (not another soul in sight--and pas de pas de signage--and good for you, Bretagne)I finally almost literally stumbled upon a mother and child at the Fountain (it is actually a Spring). She was singing to it! We three sat there in companionable and awe-ful silence for about a half hour until we heard others coming. She began to sing again at one point (in French, although she spoke German to her daughter), and it was clearly a song to/for the Spring.
That was a peak experience, as was finding the 'Venus de Quinilpy'--near Baude. She's quite the striking hieratic statue (not overtly a fertility goddess like the Willendorf Venus) who, according to the Rough Guide, was worshipped by 'peasants' and heaved into the local river at least three times by the Church--and of course rescued. Now she has her own beautiful jardin to preside over.
Yes, Erik, I did make it to Mont St. Michel. And had that 'voici' experience that I've probably had only once or twice before (rounding a corner in Wyoming and coming upon the Grand Tetons; and almost genuflecting before Giorgione's 'Tempesta' in Venice). "Oh my god, there it is." I almost had to pull the car over--I was that breathless.
so
o many thanks to my helpmates in my solo venture! You really were in my mind (and mental map!). I hope you see this message as it is so long after you responded so helpfully!merci bien,
terry
Jun 25th, 2006, 09:15 PM
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Nice trip and report.
But next time, don't be affraid, "large towns" in France, specially the mid town like Vannes or Saint Malo are not "US towns"...It's easy to drive and often there are parking lots at the entry of the historic centers allowing you to park and to do all by feet...
The restaurant "Le Vivier" in Quiberon is 1 mile 1/4 from town on the "cote sauvage"...
Erik
But next time, don't be affraid, "large towns" in France, specially the mid town like Vannes or Saint Malo are not "US towns"...It's easy to drive and often there are parking lots at the entry of the historic centers allowing you to park and to do all by feet...
The restaurant "Le Vivier" in Quiberon is 1 mile 1/4 from town on the "cote sauvage"...
Erik
Jun 25th, 2006, 10:05 PM
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I really enjoyed reading through this! It has been many years since I drove through Brittany with my brother and his then-girlfriend; such a special part of France. Your take-your-breath-away comment on seeing Mont St Michel for the first time was on target. (Also felt that way on another France trip seeing Chatres in the distance for the first time.)
Now I'm in the mood for a Breton crepe!
Now I'm in the mood for a Breton crepe!
Jul 3rd, 2006, 12:09 PM
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Hi Terry,
Brittany is a joy. I just travelled to Rennes, St. Malo, Mont St. Michelle, Dinan, Fougeres, Quimper, Vitre and Cromburg this April.
In case you are interested my trip report and photo links are below:
The link to Murphy’s Great Adventure Part I http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34823999
The link to Murphy’s Trip Photos: France http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34828804
Can't go wrong with any of these towns but on the whole I would consider Mont St. Michelle a must-see, followed by Dinan, Rennes and Fougeres. Of these places Quimper would be the one I enjoyed the least, but it too has some lovely features.
Oh yes, do try the local cidre - wonderful!
Cheers,
Murphy
Brittany is a joy. I just travelled to Rennes, St. Malo, Mont St. Michelle, Dinan, Fougeres, Quimper, Vitre and Cromburg this April.
In case you are interested my trip report and photo links are below:
The link to Murphy’s Great Adventure Part I http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34823999
The link to Murphy’s Trip Photos: France http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34828804
Can't go wrong with any of these towns but on the whole I would consider Mont St. Michelle a must-see, followed by Dinan, Rennes and Fougeres. Of these places Quimper would be the one I enjoyed the least, but it too has some lovely features.
Oh yes, do try the local cidre - wonderful!
Cheers,
Murphy
Jul 3rd, 2006, 12:13 PM
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Oh dear, I am all red faced terry - I failed to realize that was you that just returned from Brittany - I thought it was someone else sharing, I should have read more carefully. Sorry my comment is irrelevant.
Glad you had a great time in Brittany!
Many more happy travels,
Murphy
Glad you had a great time in Brittany!
Many more happy travels,
Murphy
