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!
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USA
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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