Planning trip to France with 5-6 nights in Brittany. Fifth trip to France but first time to Brittany and need help in how much time to allow. Will train to Rennes from Paris, rent car and drive to Dinan for base--planning time to explore Dinan, boat ride on River Rance, time to see nearby resort towns and beach, day trip to Lehon, day trip to St. Milo plus extra time to be spontaneous. Also thinking of overnight at Rochefort-en-Terre. With roundtrip from Dinan, felt it would be more relaxing to do Rochefort-en-Terre as overnight for such a cute village. Then return to Rennes to explore and our departure.
1) Is this too long or do I need more time to explore and enjoy Dinan and the area leisurely?
2) Should I do an overnight at St. Milo instead of day trip? We've been to Mont St Michel and were so happy to enjoy quieter time after crowds left.
3) Are there other "must see places" in Brittany I've not mentioned? Chose this area of Brittany--the villages are so beautiful but your suggestions from experiencing area are greatly appreciated.
Will be in France a month and still planning time in Southern France for remainder of this trip. Will post another topic when that portion of trip comes together .
Thanks in advance for suggestions!
Posted by
IJzendijke, The Netherlands
1991 posts
My experience with Brittany is limited and visited only the vicinity of Dinan and St. Malo. Between the two on the right bank of the Rance Estuary is former fishing village St Sulliac worth a visit to my opinion. I made a detour to Mordreuc for enjoying the view, think worth doing only if you have enough time. More west Fort La Latte on top of a clif is not to miss. You need a car for visiting all these places.
Léhon is lovely and certainly worth a short visit, very easy to do from Dinan
Posted by
Paris
6920 posts
This is a good length of time. Saint-Malo is a 45-minute drive from Dinan so there is really no need to sleep there: you can come back to your Dinan accommodation as late as you like!
Make sure to take the time to explore the beautiful coast between Dinard and Erquy, including the aforementioned Fort La Latte & Cap Fréhel.
Léhon is next to Dinan, the abbey and castle is definitely not a day trip, more like a few hours.
I have never been to Rochefort-en-Terre and it just about rings a bell, so my only comment will be that it seems a bit far from Dinan. Moncontour is much closer and seems to provide a similar experience (also listed as a Plus Beau Village de France).
Posted by
OP
Richmond, Virginia, USA
116 posts
Thanks balso from Paris and Wil from Netherlands. This forum is great to help with trip planning. Merci! Kyle
Posted by
Noblesville, Indiana, USA
1373 posts
A number of years ago we visited Cancale as a day trip from MSM and enjoyed our time there along the waterfront.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14030 posts
I thought one of the most interesting things at Saint-Malo was watching the tides change so make sure you stay long enough to see it be at high and low. The 3 islets are only accessible when the tide is out and are quite interesting but you'll have to time that with the tides.
Posted by
OP
Richmond, Virginia, USA
116 posts
Thanks to KBK and Pam. This forum is great!!
Posted by
Australia
33 posts
My husband and i absolutely loved Brittany! We scooted around in a hire car and stayed 4 nights in Josselin on the Brest Canal with the most stunning Chateau with a Toy museum and a glorious rose garden. Romantic walks along the canal and very friendly people in the restaurants/cafes. They take turns opening so that they can all make a living. We spent a short time in Rochefort too and it is a beautiful village. We had the added ambience of gambolling kittens.
We used Morgat as our second base for 4 nights and then Dinan for 4 nights. Great market in Dinan too. Very easy to reach St Malo and Dinard from Dinan.
I regretted later only spending one night in Nantes as it had a fantastic atmosphere. So much to see and so little time. I would love to return there. Hope this helps. Have a great trip! :)
Posted by
USA
383 posts
I suggest getting the Michelin Green Guide for Brittany. It lists virtually every town a tourist might want to visit, and also have some suggested driving itineraries. Also request Stu's itinerary; see https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/normandy-and-brittany-stu-dudleys-updated-itinerary-1670294/ We used both of those planning our trip to Brittany and Normandy a few years ago.
We loved our time in the region. If it was me I'd spend a few more days there, but we all have to make choices and leave something behind when traveling. Are you spending a day in Rennes? It's a nice city with a pedestrian-only downtown, a fun feel since there are lots of college students, a beautiful park (Thabor gardens), etc. Across the river from St. Malo is Dinard which we found enjoyable for a walk past the 19th Century homes (it was a popular beach destination back in the day). Cancale is a great place to visit and have some of the best oysters anywhere, dirt cheap right off the dock or you can go to one of the many seaside restaurants. Also Fort la Latte is an interesting site to visit.
We enjoyed drives in the area, including along the Pink Granite Coast. Serendipity plays a role, too. One a drive we saw a farmers market and on the spur of the moment pulled over and walked around. We've done that on several trips, seeing some interesting place and deciding to go take a look.
As for the one night stays, I'd suggest avoiding them. It's a hassle to pack up, check out, and then need to get set up in a new hotel. And honestly I feel safer not having all our luggage in the car so that we can stop at places along the way. Outside of MSM I don't think Brittany is going to be overrun with tourists, and even at St. Malo we got there around 9am and were actually a bit worried to put our car in the underground carpark because it was empty!