St. Malo vs Dinan
 

Am planning a trip to France. It's a very ambitious site-seeing trip a la Rick Steves. 12 days doing normandy, brittany, loire and dordogne before ending in Paris. I am renting a car...so very mobile. I am having a tough time deciding whether to stay one night in St. Malo or Dinan. Up to that night...I will have overnighted in Honfleur and Bayeaux. Where to stay on that third night between visit to Mt St Michel/St.Malo and small town south of St. Brieux to visit a family homestead before heading to the Loire. I would like to spend the evening in one of St. Malo/Dinan/Dinard/Cancale...I seem to read equally glowing reports about St. Malo and Dinan. But can't decide! Please help!

oth of those towns are so picturesque. I say stay one night in each!

I vote for Dinan. We have been in St. Malo but just for a few hours, but we stayed in Dinan for two days. It is a very picturesque little town. Our hotel, I'm sorry but I forgot the name, was up at the top of the town and had free parking. We left the car and just roamed all town. When we got to the bottom and saw the river below, it was breath taking. One full day would be plenty of time to walk around and see the sights and enjoy this lovely little town.

Nina

Thanks for your help. I was swaying towards Dinan...and will take your advice!

I would stay in Dinard, it's between the two and there is bus service to Dinan, St-Brieuc, St. Malo so you could see it all.

I just got back from a trip that included Normandy & a bit of Brittany. We loved Dinan. We drove around St. Malo, but the traffic was unbearable, and couldn't even get in to the city. Of course, what time of year you go will make a difference, but you can't go wrong with staying in Dinan.

We also stayed in Hotel Arvor, which I'm sure is the one Nina is speaking about. It's a comfortable hotel, centrally located with FREE parking. My husband and I really liked the proprietors as well. They were warm, welcoming and very helpful.
Paule

I was in St. Malo after spending the day at Mont St. Michel. We parked outside the city walls and spent a leisurely late afternoon walking around the city, taking in the seascapes and shops. In the evening, we chose a little bistro and ate outside, punctuating an amazing day. I vote for St. Malo after dark for its resort-like qualities, romance, and restaurant.

I will be curious to see what you end up deciding, as I'm planning 2-3 days in this area also.

Stayed three days in Dinan this August, using it as a base. It's worth at least one full day by itself. We stayed at the d'Avaugour. Does not have parking but pay and free municipal is nearby.

Working on a trip report but stuck on Mont St-Michel. Hope to post it soon.

Dinan is the better of the two, I think, but I'd also cast a vote for the resort town of Dinard if you'd like to have access to a good beach.

marmar:

Yes, consider Dinard..Underhill is right...the beach is quite amazing..at low tide, one can walk long distances on the hard-pack toward the sea. Dinan would be my second choice. You may want to consider the Manoir de la Rance in the countryside close to all three towns...I suggested it for Hopingtotravel on another thread.

Stu T. (http://www.guidesdecharme.com/reserv...782FA----.html
Stu T.

These are helpful. Especially, when I initially started looking at maps and books and it was Dinan -- Dinard yikes, which is which? who does what where? Thanks, guys.

I'm also trying to decide where to stay for a few days in Brittany after spending time in Normandy. I'm torn between staying in Dinan, or over on the coast. The Manoir de la Rance looks lovely - such a glorious setting. Any "reports" or comments from any of you will be greatly appreciated.

Just a comment on St. Malo (I stayed in an hotel between there and Cancale). I think it is a great day trip, and I enjoyed my visit (about 4 hours)but I would not have been interested in staying there for the whole day and certainly not overnight. I'd say move on.

I really loved my early morning drive from my hotel, toward Cancale, around the headland. If you click on my name, you will find my Brittany trip report.

Regards Ger

Let's see: Sue4, my trip isn't until 2007. However, if you stay at Manoir de la Rance, I'd be interested in hearing all about it. Someone named Michael on another thread posted favorable comments on it.

Ger, I'm tentatively planning 2 nights about 10 miles east of St. Malo. Bascially that gives me only 1 full day plus whatever time I have if I arrive early from the Bayeaux the day before, etc.

If I want to see some of that coastline between Cancale and St. Malo, some of Dinan and Dinard, do I need another night in the area? I'm wondering about seeing some of the ramparts, etc, at St. Malo since people sound like the traffic is incredibly bad. BTW your e-mails and routes have been very helpful.

I have been pulling up posts from others as far back as 2001.

Topping this thread from last year to see if anyone has any additions. If I continue to not hear back from Manoir de la Rance, am thinking that instead of planned 2 nights there, I might try one night in Dinan and use the other night in Finisterre.

All this DInan Dinard stuff.

Dinan has a nice cathedral and places to visit near it plus small yacht harbour. Loved it as akid.

St Malo great fun, swiming, restaurants. Dinard well pretty but a bit dull.

Dinan for me as a few old castles to visit

I would not change locations - theres lots to see near Dinan.

Did you call them???

E-mail Karen Brown if you get no response & tell her that Stu Dudley from San Mateo suggested that you contact her (her office/travel agency is less than 1 mile from me - I don't know her, however).

Stu Dudley

Hi Stu. I was already planning a couple of nights in the Finisterre area. This would just take one night of Dinan area and move it west -- more time for seeing Point de Raz, Lacronan, etc.

By the way, I appreciate your Brittany itinerary. As usual, would love to spend the amount of time in some of these places which you do.

hoping, we spent two weeks in Britany this Sept. After reading the postings here we came up with the schedule to stay 3 nights in Dinan arriving from Bayeux. One week in a gite near Roscoff and then 4 days in Locmariaquer.

Dinan was a delight. We have been to Mont Saint Michel, Carcassonne, and Briancon so enjoy the medieval type of narrow cobbled streets. Dinan has all that plus a lively market and easy access to St. Malo and Cancale.

We found the fishing museums in Douarnenez and Concarneau to be unexpected highlights. We visited so many lovely towns in Brittany that Locronan for us was rather a disappointment.

With such a variety of coastline, the Cote de Granit Rose, around Ploumanac'h was like stepping into modern sculpture. The rock formations were spectacular.

I am sure you will enjoy your stay in Brittany. Deborah

My wife and I just came back from a trip that included both Dinan and St Malo. We enjoyed both very much with a slight edge to St Malo, it just seemed to be a very relaxing town with enough small things to do to fill up the day without overwhelming. If you are in Dinan the walk down to the river Rance is pleasant and picturesque.
We stayed at the Hotel Arvour in Dinan which was clean, inexpensive and central but not much more then that. We both highly recommend the Hotel Elizabeth in St Malo, run by a very helpful and friendly couple who speak excellent English if thats a concern.

>>By the way, I appreciate your Brittany itinerary. As usual, would love to spend the amount of time in some of these places which you do.<<

Thanks. If we ever get winter weather here in Calif & I want to spend time inside with the PC, I'll update my Brittany itinerary to cover the 2 weeks we spent in a gite near the Cote de Granit Rose. We also spent some time in Nantes (only OK), Vannes (fantastic), Rennes (one of my top 5 cities in France) and a few towns in the Guerande area & a few villages between Vannes & Mur de Bretagne.

Like DeborahAnn, we were a little disappointed with Locronan. I think you even have to pay to enter the village (actually, it may be a parking fee) Pointe de Raz was excellent.

So far, we've spent 2 weeks near Dinard, 1 week near Pont Aven, 2 weeks near the Cote de Granite Rose, the Nantes/Vannes area, plus Rennes. Excluding the big cities, our favorite area was Dinard.

Stu Dudley

Ok, I'm jealous, jealous. But actually more so about your gite stays in Provence. Maybe we'll get back there someday.

Interesting to hear that about Vannes. The way I've restructured the trip, we won't have to go roaring by it.

Am planning (but still need to book) 2 nights at Douarnenez based on Ger's trip report.

Re: winter weather. We now have 5" of snow here in our yard in Alaska.

Happy to see this post again. I didn't make it to Brittany when I took my May trip to Normandy, but hope to go next year.

HopingtoTravel, please do a report when you return - I want to hear about the Hotel de la Rance.
And marmar10, too, please report in. I'm always anxious to see reports on Brittany.

Stu, please let us know after you update your great Brittany itinerary.
I have all of yours - and they have been so helpful.

Hoping,

Have I sent you my "On the Road in Brittany" articles? I've forgotten.

>>Stu, please let us know after you update your great Brittany itinerary.<,

The weather has been so beautiful here in the San Francisco area, that I don't want to be "holed up" in the PC room enhancing both my Provence & Brittany itineraries. I'll post something when I've completed them.


Stu Dudley

Yes Jean, I have really helpful itineraries from both you and Stu.

Jean, I take that back. Without looking in my voluminous box of notes, I know I have your Normandy itinerary.

Seems I remember trying to access a Bonjourparis.com (or slowtrav.com) link that had a Brittany itinerary for you and whatever I clicked on had expired.

If you still have Brittany, I can send you my e-mail again. (I have yours).