questions about normandy and loire valley
Mar 19th, 2009 | 10:00 AM
#21
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,306
Likes: 0
What a great thread - Route du Cidre/du Fromage: On the list!
Splitting Normandy and Brittany for that week would be easier (drive time) than the Loire, and Brittany has plenty to offer. If you are talking strictly 7 nights, that could be (as mentioned) one night in Dieppe... 2-3 nights in Bayeux (depending on interest level - but believe me there is a lot to see and 2 nights really only means one full day) and then visit MSM on your way to Dinan for instance.
If you spent 4 nights leading up to the next stop, you could either spend the next three nights in one place (and then spend one day driving back to Paris - doable but a long day). Dinan would be a nice base for day trips - you could visit the Cote du Granit Rose for instance.
I really enjoyed my brief stay in Vannes, and that's not so terribly far from Bayeux that you could not drive it in a day (maybe 3 hours drive - you could even see MSM before heading south).
Yet another possibility would be to drop the car in Rennes (or Vannes) and take the train back into Paris.
Finally, based on advice here, I am really looking forward to Fougeres and environs. In addition to the medieval castle there, the Parc Floral de Haute Bretagne is nearby, and, apparently a village nearby was very highly rated for the 2008 "Villes et Villages Fleuri" award. (My Dad loves to garden and I just really like flowers).
Splitting Normandy and Brittany for that week would be easier (drive time) than the Loire, and Brittany has plenty to offer. If you are talking strictly 7 nights, that could be (as mentioned) one night in Dieppe... 2-3 nights in Bayeux (depending on interest level - but believe me there is a lot to see and 2 nights really only means one full day) and then visit MSM on your way to Dinan for instance.
If you spent 4 nights leading up to the next stop, you could either spend the next three nights in one place (and then spend one day driving back to Paris - doable but a long day). Dinan would be a nice base for day trips - you could visit the Cote du Granit Rose for instance.
I really enjoyed my brief stay in Vannes, and that's not so terribly far from Bayeux that you could not drive it in a day (maybe 3 hours drive - you could even see MSM before heading south).
Yet another possibility would be to drop the car in Rennes (or Vannes) and take the train back into Paris.
Finally, based on advice here, I am really looking forward to Fougeres and environs. In addition to the medieval castle there, the Parc Floral de Haute Bretagne is nearby, and, apparently a village nearby was very highly rated for the 2008 "Villes et Villages Fleuri" award. (My Dad loves to garden and I just really like flowers).
May 3rd, 2009 | 04:40 PM
#22
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
If you want to be near Le Mont St-Michel (see it from your bedroom window, in fact) contact Château les Hauts for a room. My reommendation would be to drive the coast from Dieppe to Le Mont St-Michel over a period of a week. You will see all the WWII sites along the shore and can drive a bit inland to visit Bayeux, etc. Brittany is a gem of a place. A second week there would also be worthwhile. If your traveling partner doesn't want to the Loire château visit thing, stay in them instead! Visit http://www.au-chateau.com where you will find les Hauts and others that are B&Bs. We're going to be at the far end of the Finistere (Brittany) for a few nights. We've been to Brittany several times and always find something more interesting than the time before.
