We are planning a 17 day trip in March to Brittany and the Loire Valley. Flying in and out of CDG. We will not have a car. I am hoping someone could give me some guidance on an itinerary. I am thinking 4 stops, 2 in Brittany, 2 in Loire. I was leaning towards Dinnan as first, day trip to MSM, Saint-Malo, then either Vannes,Nantes, or Rennes. From Vannes I could see Carnac and the coastline , however it is March! My favorite things to see are towns, I just love the small villages, half timber homes, cafes, shops , and culture.
The next stop being Amboise, and then another stop maybe Cheverney? From each of these I am hoping to see the castles and do a wine tour.
Any advice is appreciated, also, how many days in each? I was leaning toward 4 nights each and the last day getting back to Paris for flight. Is this doable without a car? Thank you so much for advice and guidance!
Posted by
Chicago
1173 posts
I can relate my experience in the Loire in October 2024 with no car.
I spent 4 nights (3 full days) in Amboise. From there, I took the train to Blois where I Uber-ed to and from Chambord and the train station. There is also a bus that runs regularly - I am just impatient and an Uber was available. If you want to take a taxi, there is a taxi rank at the station, but you probably need to pre-book. (at least that was my observation - drivers seemed to be waiting for pre-booked passengers) Blois castle is easily walkable from the train station.
Again from Amboise - I trained to Tours. Enjoyed a morning exploration, then took the train early afternoon to Chenonceaux and return late afternoon, finally return to Amboise. Train between Amboise and Tours is about 15 minutes - like a commuter in Chicago.
Final day was exploration of Amboise chateaux - Royal Chateau, Clos de Luce, and Galliard.
I did try to book day tours with AccoDispo, but it didn't work out - I am a solo traveler. I spoke with them - they offered me a trip to several chateaux as a join-in, but couldn't manage the tour I wanted. They were very helpful - I intend to return to the area with a travel partner next year and will book them. French law requires minimum of 2 on the tour I wanted.
So, my experience suggests that it is possible if not optimal to see chateaux by public transport. With two or more traveling, I would pick a central location such as Tours or Amboise and book day tours for greater ease. I enjoyed my stay in Amboise at the Clos de Amboise. The hotel booked a taxi to and from the station for me with my roller bag. Other than that, I didn't mind the walk to the station. Tours would also be a fine place to stay; it is a larger, but interesting town. Half-timbers in both!
I couldn't get to Cheverny easily and gave up the research. Probably I could have booked a taxi from Blois, but I didn't explore it. Next trip, Cheverny is on the agenda.
Posted by
USA
407 posts
We stayed in Rennes and thought it was a delightful smaller city. Nice pedestrian-only core, a beautuiful park, and it's a regional transit hub. It has some half-timbered buildings, as does nearby Vitré. Being on the TGV line from Paris it might be easier to go to Rennes first and then another stop. Vannes has a nice medieval core but it isn't actually on the coast, it's about a mile inland. I suppose you could look into regional transit from there if you want to visit the actual coast. Nantes or Quimper are other cities that might make a better base, given you're using public transit, than the places you mentioned.
You should get the Michelin Green Guide for Brittany, it has just about every town that would be of interest to a tourist. You might also find the Michelin Map 512 useful for seeing where the various places are in relation to each other (it's a large Brittany map)
I was leaning toward 4 nights each and the last day getting back to Paris for flight.
I'm not sure if you mean return to Paris for a flight that day, but if so I'd recommend getting back to Paris a day ahead of the flight in case there are any hiccups/strikes/etc