I'm trying to finalize the middle 10 days of a 28-day visit to France April-May. The trip begins with a few days each in Bordeaux and Toulouse then continues with 5 days in the Pays Basque. The last 6 days we will be in Paris. I plan to pick up a car when we arrive in the Pays Basque and return it in Rennes before taking the train to Paris. Here's what I've come up with so far:

Tues - Drive St.-Jean-de-Luz to La Rochelle (or Rochefort) - 3 nights
Wed - In/around La Rochelle
Thu - Daytrip to Poitiers?
Fri - Drive to Vannes - 2 nights
Sat - Daytrip to Pont-Aven and southwest coast area near Vannes
Sun - Drive to Dinan - a long, scenic route via Josselin, Pontivy, Mur-de-Bretagne, Cap Fréhel - 2 nights
Mon - Daytrip to St.-Malo
Tue - Drive to Rennes via Bécherel (Book Town) - 3 nights
Wed - Rennes - Fougères and Vitré (and possibly Châteaugiron and/or Essé)
Thu - Rennes - return car
Fri - Morning train to Paris

Some questions:

1 ) Between St.-Jean-de-Luz and La Rochelle, where should we stop for a break and lunch? Arcachon? Somewhere else?
(Not really interested in the Dune de Pyla)

2) We like to base somewhere easy with the car for coming and going and parking. Would Rochefort be better than La Rochelle in that regard?

3) I'm ambivalent about the daytrip to Poitiers. I have always wanted to go there for the Eleanor of Aquitaine history and have never been this close. On the other hand, it is a fairly long drive each way. May skip this.

4) Between La Rochelle and Vannes, we could stop for lunch and a quick look around in Nantes. Good idea or not?

5) Between Vannes and Dinan, we will take D roads up to Saint-Brieuc then along the coast east of S-B before heading to Dinan.

6) Between Dinan and Rennes, we will go through Fougères and Vitré. How much time to plan for each town?

Any comments and/or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. I know we are trying to pack in a lot and are moving fast, but we have done this before and are generally OK with the pace. Also any recommendations for hotels, restaurants, special points of interest are most welcome. Especially any hotel recommendations in or around La Rochelle, Vannes, Dinan and Rennes. We like to find hotels under €125/nt and moderately priced restaurants featuring local specialties. I love galettes and crêpes, so looking forward to having those often.

Thanks!

I would suggest looking at the several recent trip reports on this site that involve Brittany. StuDudley has a lot of information. My own report may also be helpful. I would recommend fewer bases. We spent 3 nights in Vannes, for instance. We also spent a few nights in St-Malo, which was a fine base but probably not worth a destination day trip. These links may help.
The Peabody Papers 2019, Paris and Brittany, Unmapped
Brittany for 6 days
17 days in Brittany

I'm pretty sure I sent you my itinerary for Brittany - so I won't attach one here

Recommendations:
1. Arcachon would be your best bet. Lots of outdoor cafes on the beach boardwalk. Don't forget to walk or drive around through the Ville d'Hiver if you like architecture. My wife probably took 200 pictures of the "follies".

2. La Rochelle would be your best choice for a base - by far. Although we received 2 speeding tickets in Rochefort (we made 2 trips there) and someone smashed our car while it was parked in the parking lot), Rochfort is interesting - perhaps a "B" city. Visit the Hermoine if it is docked there then (If you live in Maine, you may have already visited it on it's voyage to the US several years ago). Also visit the interesting Musee des Commerces d'Autrefois.

3. Poitiers would be on my list of the "most underrated" cities in France. But it is up on a bluff it is a tad difficult to get to the center of town. The tourist office had 3 nice historical walks you can take. The path is "painted" on the sidewalks.

4. Nantes. I'm not a big fan of Nantes. Too much of it was bombed out in WWII. I think you will enjoy La Rochelle & Rennes more.

5. Nice route

6. 2-3 hrs in each town is enough. We enjoyed the medieval viillage of Vitre quite a bit.

We were disappointed with Mur de Bretagne.

Stu Dudley

If going to Poitiers, include Saint-Savin which is about 30 km. to the east.

https://flic.kr/p/8FZhpi
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/230/

and from Pont-Aven try to include some of the calvaries in western Brittany

https://flic.kr/p/8sWFgC
Les 7 calvaires monumentaux de Bretagne » Calvaries

Rather than going to Nantes en route to Vannes, I would take a small detour to Cholet to visit Le Puy de Fou. More than a theme park it is a romp through the history of the Marais from the Romans to the revolution - we went twice and absolutely loved it.

https://www.puydufou.com/en/spectacles

You might try listing the things and sights you want to visit, group them by location, estimate the time for each and then decide how long to stay in an area, rather than saying we'll spend two nights here and one night there before deciding what to see when you are there.

As nice as Puy de Fou is, be aware that it is the second largest theme park in France with 2 million visitors per year, so it is really a full day commitment to go there and see anything.

I agree that La Rochelle is a much better base than Rochefort for that area. Arcachon is a nice lunch stop. If you do go there be sure to visit the nearby Dune de Pilat, a very scenic sand dune. You could stop at the Phillipe Starck designed hotel there called La Coorniche and if the weather is good you eat on the terrasse. I haven't trid the restaurant there but it would be more for the view and architecture.

Here's a picture



https://www.lacoorniche-pyla.com/le-...ement-le-midi/

We have a family home south of La Rochelle in a village called St. Palais sur Mer, and I would recommend that you get off of the freeway past Bordeaux and take the road closer to the coast. If your lunch timing is off for Archachon there is a lovely little village called Talmont-sur-Gironde which has nice restaurants and lovely little shops. It is one of the "prettiest Villages and well worth a quick stop for lunch or coffee.

Talmont with Hollyhocks


Someone shopping in Talmont with her pup

Shops in Talmont

Super cute houses

Known for the hollyhocks


Here a link to its site on the cutest villages site. If you click through the photos it will give you an idea of the drive along the Gironde. It is very scenic. The fishing huts are historically protected and unique to the region and called Carrelets

Carrelets with view of Talmont




In our village, St Palais sur Mer , further up the coast but still south of La Rochelle there is a great crepe shop run by a guy from Brittany called Les Quimperoises, very good and authentic:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...Aquitaine.html

The restaurant that faces the beach is very good as well called Chez Bob

In La Rochelle one of our favorite restaurants is Les Flot right out at the port

Restaurant les Flots - La Rochelle - Restaurant Les Flots

The big deal restaurant in La Rochelle is Restaurant Christopher Coutanceau but it a 3 star Michelin so too fancy and pricey for us

Changing regions on you, we have friends who have a summer home in Dinard in Brittany and they are in a little almost suburb of the town called St Enogat. It is out by the Novotel Spa Hotel which is a nice place to stay:

https://all.accor.com/hotel/1114/ind...ce=google+Maps

There is another wonderful crepe restaurant in the little town center there as well called Côt & Plage, very simple but really good

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Brittany.html

We did a 16-night coastal loop through Brittany last June, using Stu's very helpful notes and the Michelin Green Guide. We began in Rennes and ended in Vannes, but you can certainly visit both in the opposite direction.

I agree with AJPeabody's post #6. In preparation, we made a list of the sights we wanted to see, grouped them by location, estimated the time for each and the distance between them, then having done that, we decided how many nights we needed in each area.

For your question 1:
We've only driven from Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Arcachon in one day, using Arcachon as a 4-night base, so I don't know how much time you would have for Arcachon in a drive from SJdL to La Rochelle. It will be about a 25-minute detour east (22 km), off the A 63, taking exit 22 and heading east on the A660. From SJdL it will take about 2 hours, 15 minutes to Arcachon.

If you could hit it for lunch and have the time, I second Stu's suggestion of taking a drive around the beautiful Ville d'Hiver neighborhood with its stunning architecture.
If you feel you do have the time, I recommend Le Bistro du Port at 5, rue du Port in the fishermen's quarter of L'Aiguillon, which is easy to reach and with very reasonable prices. It was a le Pudlo recommendation that we really enjoyed, but it's quite small, but with a covered outdoor terrace.
Accueil - Le Bistrot du Port/Arcachon.
Or there are several counters for casual, inexpensive and quick dining in the newly renovated and quite spiffy indoor market, Halle Baltard, in the center of town, including the Bouchon du Marché, great for oysters.

If you're not interested in the Dune du Pilat, you can save considerable time by not taking the drive out past Starck's Hotel La Co(o)niche and back, although it's a gorgeous (and expensive) property with formulas in the terrace restaurant priced at €63 and up (a reason we decided to skip it).

We do love Arcachon, and we're headed to La Rochelle for 5 nights this June.
For dining in La Rochelle, on another thread JulieV recommended L’Entracte and Fleur de Sel.
We're staying at the Chambre d'hôtes Villa Verde in La Rochelle in the largest double, Emerald, but the Ruby and Topaz should come within your budget for late April.
https://www.villaverde-larochelle.com/rooms.

For your question 5:
From Vannes to Dinan, I agree with Stu that the D roads, 767/ 700 up to St- Brieuc, then along to coast to St Malo then down to Dinan is a nice drive... but it will be very time consuming, slow driving, especially along the coast.
With Stu's notes and the Green Guide suggestions, we spent an entire day just meandering along the coast from Dinard eastward to Le-Val-André, which is east of St-Brieuc. This coast is really stunning, especially along the heather covered cliffs of Cap Fréhel and Fort la Latte, prime walking and photographing country.

For a lovely small hotel, more of a chambre d'hotes in Vannes (with parking in a close by garage), I like AJ Peabody's choice of La Maison de la Garenne, with a great, central location. We stayed outside of town to have free parking + pool in June, but on a return trip, I'd choose to be in the city.
https://www.maisondelagarenne.com/en/

For Rennes, we stayed at another 2-room chambre d'hôtes, Castel Jolly, near Thabor Park in the historic quarter with great charm, but we didn't have a car. There would only be street parking here, and with only 2 rooms, it's usually always fully booked and rates non-refundable.
With a car, I'd consider the 3-star Anne de Bretagne. Parking there costs 11 euros/day.

We didn't stay in Dinan but instead outside the walls of St-Malo in St-Servan
But we stopped for lunch on market day at the lovely Crêperie Anha, well recommended on this forum.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/categ...4352222595039/.
And if we had chosen to stay in Dinan we would have stayed at the Maison d'hôtes, Maison Pavie, but it's very popular, hard to book.
https://www.lamaisonpavie.com/en/hou...eakfast-dinan/.

For galettes/crêpes in St-Malo we loved Le Comptoir Breihz Café (crêpes with a Japanese touch)but it's extremely popular and needs to be booked in advance.
https://breizhcafe.com/en/.

For the same in Vannes, we enjoyed the Crêperie Saint Guénhael on the charming street of Saint Guénhael within the walls and a short hop from the cathedral.
https://www.facebook.com/claudineCoho/

For Pont-Aven (loved the town and the museum), I'd choose the fabulous Cadoret oysters (that is, if you're an oyster fan...) rather than crêpes at the thatched roof, charming Moulin de Rosmadec. They serve a weekday lunch 2-course formule for €29 and a 3-course menu for €35.
https://www.rosmadec.com/fr/restaurant-rosmadec/carte/
In Pont-Aven the bistrot Sur Le Pont has a Bib Gourmand designation for value and serves these fantastic oysters.
Restaurant Sur Le Pont - Pont-Aven.

Thanks for all the shout outs, Maribel. I got much of my routing ideas from Stu Dudley. Read the advice he gives in his attachment, compare the various ideas in the links I gave in addition, and be advised that driving around Brittany is a fantastic trip. In my report you will find restaurant reviews, two castles, a walk along the Sentier des Douaniers, an oyster farm, and the alignments at Carnac, among others.

Re: Poitiers -- I'm glad I stopped there, in large part because the Notre Dame le Grande is a wonderful example of the Romanesque architecture of that part of France. I was also impressed with the Gothic Palais de Justice, and generally enjoyed roaming the city. Too, I was glad I visited St. Savin while in the area (I believe Michael brought it to my attention) -- impressive!

Hooe that helps!

If you'd be interested in an apartment rental in La Rochelle, joannyc gave us a great recommendation, the "Little Rochelle" apartment.
https://www.vrbo.com/995734a?arrival...ure=2020-06-24.

We only had to pass on it because we were a bit afraid of the 30 days in advance cancellation policy. If it would work for you, it looks great with a dead central location, and there's parking in the building.

You probably have little time on your way from La Rochelle to Vannes, you could have a look at the town of Clisson. Nantes is an interesting and eclectic city in my opinion (even if not "Breton" looking, despite its Breton history), but it would require at least 3 - 4 hours to enjoy it (plus the time to park, traffic, etc..).

You must see Mount St. Michel if you are in the St. Malo area!!

Well to be fair they do have fairly reasonable prices for their "only at lunch" menu-entree prices at 20-28 euros, fairly reasonable for the setting.

jpie,
I completely missed that! I forgot to look at their "uniquement le midi" menu. And you're very right; it's reasonable for the setting and the views!

Thank you everyone so much for all the great information and suggestions. Lots to research and consider and I am already thinking of a couple of changes I might make to the itinerary.

One quick question about maps. I have a 2011 Michelin Atlas Routier France - 1/200.000 scale and am wondering if the maps would still be reliable enough to use it for this trip or if I should get the yellow 1/150.000 maps for the areas we're driving through. I will also use MapsMe or Here for navigation at times. I think it was Here I used last year in Provence with good results.

I found the Michelin yellow maps very, very helpful, thanks to Stu's recommendation of them.
We purchased the two necessary ones for Brittany: the Côtes d'Armor, Ille-et-Vilaine #309 and the Finistère, Morbihan #308, plus the general Brittany regional orange map, #512.

They helped enormously in our planning to gauge distances, and I could annotate them with Stu's recommendations for villages to visit, scenic routes to take, restaurants for lunch stops, etc. But I love maps and have all the detailed Michelin ones in my library, including the super detailed green Zoom maps.

All the wonderful information in this thread is now going into my "next trip" file. I'm sad to have to cancel, but plan to try again in the fall. Thanks again everyone.

Sorry that your trip is cancelled for now, MaineGG, but no trip planning is wasted.

Looking forward to when we can all find our travel dreams coming to reality again.