Bonjour, We are considering a road trip around France for about 3 weeks and would welcome your input Normandy area is a must, but after that anything is possible. Ideally, we’d have a home base (or 2 or 3) and train/drive to various sites from there. What are your favorite spots? Off the beaten path gems? Ideas for central locations? Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2883 posts
Here's a good starting point. See what appeals to you.
https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/france/itinerary
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
8301 posts
As long as you’re up north in Normandy, head west and visit Brittany, too. It has a different culture from the rest of France, although it’s definitely still part of France, as well.
Home base in Quimper (Kemper in Breton language), but be sure to make a visit to Josselin, with an authentic fairytale castle. There’s also the Granit Rose coast in the northwest corner, with bizarre pink rock formations.
There’s also Carnac, a Neolithic site with smaller standing stones than Stonehenge, but there are thousands of them, and it’s much older! We hired a sea-kayaking guide in Lorient, and camped out for a night on the Ile-de-Groix, paddling to and from that island.
Don’t miss having a kouign-amann (pronounced “Queen Ammahn”), a cinnamon roll on steroids!
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
1946 posts
Oui, oui to Brittany!
Posted by
Normandie
441 posts
I don't know your background or history (if any) visiting France, but if you're planning to be in Normandy I would think heading south to the Loire Valley and its châteaux would be a considerable draw, if you haven't toured them previously.
Brittany (Bretagne) is nice as well. There are some interesting historical and geologic sites, but there are reasons why the Loire Valley is on almost every general France tour guide's list (including Mr. Steves') while Bretagne generally is not a focus.
And if you do head south to the Loire and have a bit more time available, going further south to Oradour-sur-Glane to see its ruins and learn about the fate of its residents in the summer of 1944 is worth some time.