erb

We are planning a trip to Paris and Loire valley and have 2 spare nights...we are considering Nantes or Rennes as possibilities.
We dont want to do anything in particular for those two nights in terms of activities.
Any feedback would be appreciated!
Thanks
erb

StuDudley

We prefer Rennes. I was a little disappointed with Nantes.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Been to both and could not recommend one over the other. Both are nice.

erb

THanks Stu and Palen
We have one more option that has popped up which is Dinard.
Have either of you been?
Would this be preferable to the other 2 options?
THanks for your help!

PalenQ

Dinard and especially St-Malo are lovely seaside towns that may be more relaxing than big cities like Rennes or Nantes.

StuDudley

We've visited both several times. We're not big fans of Dinard. There are some nice spots around the Pointe des Etetes cliffs - but much of Dinard is a little too "ordinary" - perhaps too "grungy" in spots for our tastes. The Plage de l'Ecluse/casino area with the public pool was a real "turn off" for us. St Malo is super-touristy. If you are an architecture "purist" - much of the reconstructed buildings don't look as nice as those that survived the WWII bombings. We much prefer St Malo over Dinard, however. My opinion is just the opposite of PalenQ's - neither Dinard nor St Malo seem "relaxing" to us. We like Dinan.

Both Rennes and Nantes are large cities - so comparing villages to cities is a little like apples & oranges. Rennes is one of our "top 5" big cities in France - after Paris. The La Cigale restaurant in Nantes is quite an "experience" for the eyes.

Stu Dudley

erb

THanks to both of you!!!
Really helpful...dont want to make a mistake and waste 2 nights!!! Leaning towards Rennes!

FrenchMystiqueTours

Are you driving or relying on public transport to get from the Loire to Brittany? Where in the Loire will you be leaving from? Why not consider Dinan over Rennes, Saint-Malo or Dinard?

erb

We will be driving from paris to brittany and then to western loire valley from brittany.
I think we will likely prefer city over small town now that I have given this more thought, as we can always drive into the towns for day trips.
THanks for the input!