Still working on the itinerary for our Normandy/Brittany road-trip in September. - I've figured out most of Normandy and am now looking at heading to Brittany from our final Normandy stay in Cancale. We will have eight days in Brittany before we are to arrive in Paris, turn in our car, and stay for four more nights before flying back to California.

I'm looking at three or four nights in or near Quimper - seems to be plenty to see in the surrounding area, as well as the city itself. We will rent an apartment or a house - hoping to discover what would be the benefits or drawbacks of staying either in Quimper proper, or staying in a nearby village or rural area near the sea? Also happy to hear of any sites we should include (already have Locronen on my radar - actually would that be a good place to stay?)

(After Quimper, we will head toward Vannes on our way back to Paris - any ideas of whether we should stay in Vannes for a few days, or nearby villages also welcome.)

Thank you.

Yo SC, below maybe some ideas?
L'Appel de Mer: a southern Brittany TR (also Paris)

You've already reported that you plan to drive the morning after crossing multiple time zones. You have a really simple way to make sure you are safe to drive: Put your 4 nights in Paris at the START of your trip. Instead, you are choosing to put yourselves -- and EVERY ONE ELSE on the roads at risk. I'm genuinely curious -- why would you do that?

We spent several lovely days in Pont-Aven, which is very artsy and lovely. It's probably a half hour's drive from Quimper. The village is full of old mills and mill races - very watery and bubbly. It was home to a prominent group of artists including Gaugin for a period, and one can walk a trail along which there are little markers showing locations displayed in some of the paintings.

We were fortunate to have stumbled into the village on the eve of a major local festival, one that celebrates the sardine harvest, with lots of antique boats in the river, lots of music, dancing in the streets, and, needless to say, plenty of beer and cider.

Not far from Pont-Aven is Belon, home of Belon oysters - yum. In fact, our trip to Brittany was inspired in large part by an episode from one of Tony Bourdain's travel/food shows (RIP) in which he seeks out a "tower of seafood" which is finally achieved at Chez Jacky, a lovely little waterfront cafe in Belon. It's a grand day trip. Map - https://maps.app.goo.gl/KSTcMrW8B9vbNoNh9

Pont Aven





The boots are used to demarcate one person's garden patch from another's.



Belon

I have posted a trip report that includes Brittany with a good portion around Vannes. We really liked the Maison de la Garenne B&B.
The Peabody Papers 2019, Paris and Brittany, Unmapped
Also check out the StuDudley archive that has been set up.

If you have a car, then stay in villages, not a city. Easier to get in and out, easier to park, easier to get around. Plus there will always be trips when you don't have a car. That's the time to stay in cities.