Questions about Brittany
 

I'm planning on spending a week in Brittany in the spring, and have a few questions. <BR> <BR>I'm looking for a good place to stay in western Brittany as a touring base for that area. Morlaix is a possibility. Any seasoned Brittany travelers out there who could give me some suggestions for a place and a good hotel? <BR> <BR>Also, I'm planning to visit Gavrinis (a passage grave near Carnac) and wondering if anyone has done this and if there were any problems getting the ferry to Gravinis. Also, could you recommend a good hotel in the Morbihan area? <BR> <BR>Last question: does anyone know if Carnac is still fenced off from the general public? <BR> <BR>All and any info will be very much appreciated! (Sorry to piggyback these questions, but I didn't want to be a thread hog.)

We used Quimper as our base, coming out from Paris by train and renting an Avis car there. There's a small hotel within a few feet of the station and the car rental office. A short walk along the riverbank brought us into the center of town. Very picturesque. Last time we were in Carnac we found no fences keeping us away from the dolmens. <BR>E-mail us directly if you have questions.

Thanks, Al. (I think the fences at Carnac are rather recent, as in the past 2 years. They were put up so the eroding earth around the stones could build up some vegetation. They were supposed to be temporary, and I'm wondering if they've come down yet.)

I have 3 guidebooks. One says nothing about fences, the second says totally fenced/no entry, the third says buy tickets/ entry limited to one hundred people per day. If you find out anything Mary, please post. Does France have an equivalent to the English Heritage organisation? I have not found reference to one.

I was at Carnac in May of last year. There were fences and no entry. There is a little theater that has an entrance fee. They do a pretty good job trying to explain that they have no explanation for the stones. <BR>We stayed at Quimper and near Vannes. Vannes was my favorite town in the area. It is a beautiful walled city. <BR>Have fun

Thanks, folks. Rand, I'm still looking around. Which guidebook mentions the limited entry? Is this the most recent of the three?

Here are a few informations I got from French www sites: <BR> <BR>http://www.ot-carnac.fr/eng/doc/menhir.htm <BR>For informations in English on visiting Carnac and the Morbihan. <BR> <BR>The latest informations from the French Environment Ministry (March 1999) are that access will remain restricted during the dry season (April to September) in order to protect the soil and the remaining archeological traces. The fence will be replaced by low trees, a free circuit around Kermario will open, and guided tours allowing max 180 people/day to roam freely around the megaliths will be organised. <BR>

Gee, Florence. Thanks. Where in heck did you find that information? (I've been to the ot-carnac pages, last updated in 1997, and didn't find too much.) Again, thanks.

1999 was two years ago! Why don't you e-mail them and ask for up-to-date information: [email protected]