I need help yet again!! We are a 50’s couple travelling from England to France in June and would like some help with our itinery. We are staying at the very recommended La Chaine d'Or near Giverny for 2 nights and then will head off towards Quimper in Brittany where we will stay for a week. My questions are…. Does any one have any suggestions of places not to miss on the drive over to Brittany, places to eat and any suggestions where to stay either on the way or in and around Quimper would be very much appreciated – I cannot manage stairs too well so apartments on high floors are out!
Thanks for your help

screamer, how many days will you take between Giverny and Quimper? What are your interests?

My husband and I have been to Normandy but this fall we will spend two weeks in Brittany and a few days around Bayeux to better explore the DDay beaches for the husband. Any suggestions you are given might help my trip planning as well.

Have fun doing your research. Deborah

Hi Deborah, I think I might be helping you more than you me from what you say! We visited Bayeux, the D Day beaches, Rouen last year at Easter and had a very interesting time. We loved Bayeux and whilst is quite touristy you can walk around it easily and even in the rain it was a great place. My husband wanted to see the beaches and we used a guide to see all of them over one day - I cant remember his name but check out the posts on here, it was a minibus holding about 8 people and it was certainly the best way to experience the beaches - he even made it interesting for me! We stayed 2 nights in Bayeux at the Lion d’Or, which was very good indeed. If you haven’t already done so on your previous trip you must not miss Honfleur again quite touristy but very much worth a visit. And of course Mont St Michel. Where are you visiting/staying on your trip to Brittany?

Regarding our visit, we are not new to Brittany having visited several times, we just have not experienced crossing France before and we are thinking of taking 2 days to get to Quimper staying overnight somewhere – I haven’t even booked a gite yet! We like towns very much and interesting old towns best! Hope all this helps!

You might find the last two thirds of my report useful:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34444403

Michael thank you, I have savoured your very interesting report and will revisit it again, linking it to any responses.

ttt

screamer, we have visited many of the same Normandy towns as you, on this trip we just want to concentrate a few days around the D-Day beaches before we head to Brittany.

I think I have read every trip report at Fodors about Brittany, which is really not that many and have planned and booked a 3 night stay in a B&B in Dinan, a week at a gite in Roscoff and then 4 nights at a B&B in Locmariaquer before we head back of Paris. That should put us within a short daily drive to most of the places we want to visit.

For your trip, what about overnights in the area of Alencon, Fougeres or Dinan.

Hopefully someone will come up with some personal recommendations for you. Enjoy your planning, Deborah

Dinan's medieval quarter is attractive enough to warrant an overnight or two. We stayed at Hotel le d’Avaugour. The walk down to the river is steep, but the town runs a sort of trolley down to the port which you could take back up. At the port you can take a short cruise on the Rance. If the tides are right (they weren't for us), there are excursions to the St Malo.

Is the Rance picturesque? Am considering a place on the Rance next year for two nights?

hopingtotravel asked: "Is the Rance picturesque?"

Very.

your heading says Normandy and Brittany, but it seems you have seen a lot in Normandy recently. If you haven't already visited the Loire around Tours/Samour/Angers you might want to head that far south from Giverny then go west to Quimper.

bookmarking

hopingto travel --

Here's what T. E. Lawrence wrote about the Rance in 1906:

“With Dinan and the Rance I am entirely in love. The Rue de Jersual from the old bridge to the place is perfect: the river most lovely. Above the town it becomes very quiet and peaceful . . . lined with aspens and Lombardy poplars. When you add waterlilies, willows and an occasional high bank, crowned with a quaint farmhouse or chateau you have a fair idea . . .of the stream.”

It's all still there. I found the small rivers in Normandy, Brittany and the Loire bewitching. Someday I'll post my trip report.

Splitting Normandy and Brittany is Le Mont-st-Michel.

This is a beautiful place, albeit crowded with day trippers. If you can, spend the night. It's beautiful with the ramparts lit.

I held back on responding to screamer's request because I could not immediately think of places suitable for somebody with mobility difficulties. It is difficult to make suggestions without knowing how much difficulty is involved.

I suspect that Dinan or Mont St. Michel might not meet screamer's requirements, and I would have some doubts about Fougeres. Part of the challenge is that many interesting towns were built to take advantage of hills.

St. Malo is probably on the easier side of things, and appeals to many people.

Pausanias, thank you. I read Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" and am a fan.
Sounds beautiful. I'll keep it in my itinerary.

Thanks everyone! DeborahAnn we have visited Dinan which we loved! It is very beautiful and you will enjoy it greatly I think. Thank you for your suggestions which I will check out. Vttraveler, you are right, we have not visited that area and will check it out too! Thank you. Rastaguy - good suggestion! We are visting Mont St Michel on the way back home- looking for somewhere to stay for a couple of nights around that area - any recommendations? Padraig, thank you for your consideration! Yes it is very difficult to ensure I can get to places - hills are a bit too much for my buggy but I can walk so a few steps arent a problem. Just not very far! St Malo was fine as you suggest. I think I will just have to take pot luck on this one! Thanks once again

You cal look my recomended Brittany itineray at http://corretge.110mb.com/bretagne/Bretagne.html with distances between each interesting point.

I looked and enjoyed but didnt understand a word coretge! Thanks for the distances info tho - very useful!

After reading this wonderful thread, the cat is amongst the pigeons for our June 2008 travels!

We are flying from Vancouver to Paris, with a plane change in Montreal, and my brother/wife are coming from NZ to Paris! I am the youngest, in my early 60's and the others are all Mature citizens!

My husband agrees with those who say "pick up car on arrival at CDG and drive to Rennes". I think we will be too jetlagged to drive a car.
I agree with those that say "take the TGV from CDG to Rennes where we can spend a couple of days and then pick up a car upon departure for our Brittany/Normandy/Belgium/ travels."

On the other hand we could spare a couple of days in Paris and then take the TGV from there? (Though we have all been in Paris this year, it is my fave city so can never have enough of it. My husband and I will overnight in Paris on our return home)
Dear Fodorites, please be your usual helpful and frank selves. Give us your take on this!