Hey guys and gals-
Has anyone ever been to Belle Ile en-Mer off the coast of France (I guess it's considered Brittany)?

I'm coming from Orlando, arriving in Paris at CDG, with my final destination to Belle Ile en-Mer. I'm traveling alone and know little French (as of yet).

I'm wondering 1) how difficult it is via public transportation, 2) do I need train and ferry tix ahead of time, and 3) if it's worth making the trek over to Belle Ile on the same day (I arrive at 11:30 am) or should I spend a night at a cheap hotel near the airport first and leave the next day?

Thanks ya'll...

I don't really know the answer to any of your questions because the last time I visited Belle Ile was in 1972. But thanks for bringing back the memory. My friends and I went because we saw it in the Michelin green guide to Brittany with three stars, vaut le voyage. Hitched around the island, stopped at small beaches to sunbathe.

Somewhat reminiscent, if I remember correctly, of Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard.

Since a ferry trip is required, and since you are arriving in Paris early in the day, maybe it would make sense to travel to the location of the ferry the day you arrive, spend the night there on the mainland (we stayed in Quiberon and made Belle Ile a day trip), and take the ferry the next morning.

First I would locate it on a map and do the train and bus research to your mainland jumping off point. I don't know if this is the same Belle Ile that is close to the Qumiper area or not. We flew into Nantes from Paris and then rented a car. The drive was several hours. Perhaps you could train to Nantes and spend the night and get more help from tourist info about the onward journey.

Thanks, ya'll, for your comments!

I like a challenge so I did some digging. Yes, you can get to Belle-Ile en Mer on the same day that you arrive at CDG.

Take a TGV directly from CDG to Rennes, departing at 13:38. Take a regional train to Auray and a regional train to Quiberon, arriving at 19:30. Take a boat from Quiberon to Le Palais, leaving at 19:45 or 20:30.

If you book the CDG-Rennes TGV well in advance at sncf.com, you can get a PREM'S (discount) fare for as low as €25. The regular fare is €56.90. There is no price break for advance booking on regional trains so just buy your Rennes-Auray and Auray-Quiberon tickets at the TGV station at CDG.

What day will you arrive at CDG? While there is an English version, there are some tricks to booking tickets on the SNCF site. If you want to know more, just ask.

The information I found on the Quiberon-Le Palais ferry schedule is only in French. It says that the ferries carry over 400 passengers so you certainly don't need to buy a ticket in advance. Take tomorrow, for example. Except for the first ferry in the morning which still has room for 80 passengers, there are over 300 seats left on the rest of the day's sailings.

I visited Belle-Ile for a day trip in December. I was staying in Vannes and got a bus to Quiberon, then the ferry.
Trains run to Quiberon only in high summer, from 23 June to 26 August this year. At other times, buses connect at Auray station:
www.keolis-atlantique.com/lignes/56
The ferries take 45 minutes from Quiberon to Le Palais on Belle-Ile. The schedule and fares are in French and English on www.smn-navigation.fr.

Gosh, y'all thank you sooo much. I was starting to think I'd have to stay somewhere like Quiberon and take a ferry in the morning. I must say, though, the thought of continuing on the trip to the island after coming into Paris from Orlando already souns exhausting! By the way..they've been having unseasonable weather on the island this summer (so they say), cold and rainy all the time....

have a look at
http://www.belle-ile-en-mer.de/engl/start.html

i hope it isn't late.

take the train tgv - station paris montparnasse to auray. from auray to quiberon. time about 4 hours.
from quiberon with the boat to belle ile. time about 45 min