We will be flying into Lyon and would like to spend 5 days each in Brittany, Normandy and also in Burgundy. We are driving through these regions.
In Burgundy we thought to base ourselves in Beaune and visit some of these towns; Seymour de Auxois, Vezelay, Chablis and Chambourd.
In Brittany we were thinking of basing ourselves in Dinan (St. Malo) and Maybe Quimper, visiting Cancale, Pont Aven, and Nantes. There are so many small towns to visit that it boggles the mind.
In Normandy, we thought of basing ourselves in Bayeaux or Arromanches, and visiting Etretat, and Bevron - en - Auge, along with all the popular Normandy sites.
Any thoughts regarding these? We’d love any suggestions you might have. Thanks in advance.
Posted by
1028 posts
We so enjoyed being in the Brittany/Normandy regions last spring. Yes to charming, charming Bayeux for your base in Normandy. So easy to drive to all other points of interest that you mentioned including sweet Beuvron-en-Auge. (It was just waking up when we got there, so it was fun to get such people free photos.) We also made a stop for lunch in Honfluer on our way to Rouen. Straight routes are impossible....too much charm to stop and explore!
We had an airbnb in Bayeux which included a parking space. Make sure your accommodations in Bayeux have parking. Otherwise, parking is extremely limited. But, you don't need it in the city center; as it's all so walkable. Everyone is so friendly. Enjoy!
Posted by
USA
417 posts
The Michelin Green Guides for Brittany and Normandy (two books) cover just about every town, have suggested driving routes, etc. We also used Stu Dudley's Normandy & Brittany itinerary; see https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/normandy-and-brittany-stu-dudleys-updated-itinerary-1670294/
in the end, though, I think two things are true: (1) you can't go wrong, Brittany and Normandy are amazing! (2) you can't see it all. So put together a reasonable itinerary and you'll have a great time.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8075 posts
Month of year? These are very popular locations.
Dinan and St. Malo are quite different, if not that far apart. I found Dinan to be hopelessly overtouristed, with Buskers at every corner. We stayed in Dinard, which is less interesting than St. Malo, but also much less crowded. Both of those last two are on peninsulas, which means an extra 10-15 minutes of traffic lights and driving to get out each morning and home in the evening. It happened that St. Malo was having some kind of luxury yacht regatta at the adjacent marina, which was glamorous and attractive. But it made already difficult parking almost impossible. (We chose our Dinard hotel because it included private parking with stanchions and padlocks.) It happens that Picasso like Dinard, but I'm not urging you to stay there. We were told that it has the highest British expat real estate ownership along the Channel. (Even though it has the same climate as the southern UK!)
Posted by
Michigan
10 posts
One word of advice for dining in Beaune: Make reservations early especially on the weekend. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon in September and once we started inquiring with restaurants we quickly realized every single one was full for the night. I honestly think we tried all of them, until we finally tried the one that looked like a tourist trap.
Unsurprisingly the only place in town that said, "sure we have plenty of tables," was far and away the worst meal we had on our trip. We laugh now about eating greasy beef bourguignon while watching TVs showing what looked to be the all England dart championship, but I really wouldn't recommend it.