We will be traveling to Europe for two weeks at the end of May. Right now the plan is to fly to Amsterdam and spend about 4 days there. Next we are thinking about Belgium for a few days and then going on to France. We have houses rented in Normandy for the first week of June where we will be meeting up with family members. (lots of them) Between Belgium and Normandy we have 3 or 4 days which we would like to spend in a different area of France. I don't want to stay in Paris so I was thinking maybe Brittany? Any suggestions on where would be a good home base? We will have a car while in France. Thanks

>> I was thinking maybe Brittany? Any suggestions on where would be a good home base?<<

Dinan. We've stayed in Gites in Brittany for 5 weeks and in Normandy for 2 - plus about 5-6 more days in hotels in both regions. We prefer Brittany over Normandy.

Stu Dudley

Between Belgium and Normandy south of the Seine there is a lot of territory that can be explored. Amiens has a great cathedral, there are beautiful gardens to be seen near Dieppe, etc. You might want to take a look at my trip report that starts in Ghent; click on my name to find it.

to whet your appetite: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...36592493/show/

Brittany does not make sense geographically, as you would have to cross Normandy to get there.

Dinard if you like a classy beach type holiday, Dinan is very nice, Quimper is glorious. If you like the idea of lots of kids on bicycles then there is a canal along the spine of Britanny which makes for a good stay. Fougeres makes a good place to stay though worth checking with tourist info to see what festivals are on.

I'd avoid St Jean-le-Thomas, a bit dull despite its name

While in Belgium, before heading into France, make sure you gallivant leisurely on minor roads through the countryside, you'll make lots and lots of memorable discoveries if you keep your eyes open and are ready to stop and investigate often rather than keeping the hammer down.

It is well worth exploring, even without a guidebook, although I recommend getting one or two detailed ones that talk about places other than Bruxelles and Antwerp and Bruges...

Just google the words "Belgium countryside" for starters and see how much there is!

>>Brittany does not make sense geographically, as you would have to cross Normandy to get there.<<

Agree - but you could cross Normandy by train instead of car.

Lv Ghent at 9:25, change trains in Brussels & arrive at CDG at 11:49

Lv CDG at 12:49 & arrive in Rennes at 15:59.

We've done the reverse once.

Dinan is close to Rennes. Rennes is one of our favorite cities in France. Quimper is waaaaay far away. I would not count on a typical "seaside" experience the last of May in Dinard. Summer doesn't start there until late June - if then.

Do you have my Normandy & Brittany itinerary???? I've sent various itineraries to over 5,000 people on Fodors & aol. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail. Identify the specific itinerary (Brittany/Normandy) you want.

Stu Dudley