Please assess reality of this route from Saint-Malo to Amboise

I haven't been to most of the places you mention, just Saint-Malo and Rennes, but I think a lot may depend on where you are able to park your car vis-à-vis the restaurants and sights you want to see. I wouldn't go to Rennes, which has a nice, not-small, historic area, just to have breakfast. If you're just looking for food, it makes sense to stop in a smaller, easier-to-navigate place. If you do want to see the historic center in Rennes, I don't know where you'll need to park the car and how far you'll need to walk.

Thanks acraven, that's really good advice.... I'd not thought about parking in large'ish Rennes.

We're planning a separate trip to focus on Brittany in the future so perhaps we'll save Rennes for that and just stop en route someplace else for breakfast, or even just pack breakfast. Then we'll be able to give Rennes the attention it's due, and more leeway during this day.

I've driven from Vannes to Chinon with a stop at Fontevraud on the way. Driving from Vannes to Chinon was less than four hours (my daily limit) and gave me time for a stop on the way - but then I stayed in Chinon before moving on (by bike) toward Amboise. I was able to bike in a day from Chinon to Amboise with a stop at Villandry, so it can't take that long to drive (Via Michelin puts it at a little over an hour driving).

Chinon is nice because the citadel and town have a different (older) feel than much of the Loire.

I'd reconsider a stop in Rennes for breakfast. There is likely to be traffic in and out of the city that will cost you time you can't really afford to lose. Pick up pastries and coffee before you start driving and plan lunch in Chinon.

It's a long day that will only allow a couple of hour stops at Chinon and Azay before continuing on. I think you can make it but you might regret not having longer stops on the way.

Thanks Brad. Yes definitely the longest day by far. Wish we had more time, but at least we can break the drive up a little after the long first leg. We do a lot of driving from DC to NYC/NJ so 5 hours is something we're pretty used to. Hoping the drive is scenic at least. (which is more than I can say for the drive to NYC!)

We will not stop in Rennes for breakfast. Back to via Michelin to see if there's a way to avoid even driving through Rennes next.

ETA: Ah, I see the fastest route takes us around Rennes, peripherique style.

I've driven from Amboise to Dinan and found it to be relatively relaxing. With rennes out if the equation, you should be fine.

Hi Matt! Sorry did you mean Chinon? If so I am relieved to hear it.

Yes Rennes for breakfast is definitely out of the equation. That buys us a lot more time I think, and I think only doing Rennes for breakfast is really shortchanging it and not worth it. So we'll pack a breakfast and head straight down to Chinon.

I have driven the route a few years back from Dinan to Angers and the stretch of national roads between Laval and Angers proved to be troublesome. Due to roadworks I had to make a serious detour and lost a lot of time. Using tools like Viamichelin is to my opinion quite accurate for the freeways if you can keep most of the time the speed to the planned 130km/h. But for other (national) roads it is lesser easy to keep the maximum speed due to the constantly varying speed limits and the presence of slow(er) moving traffic like trucks and agricultural vehicals, getting worse during rush hour. So lesser accurate planning the needed time.

Best way and more relaxing to drive if you don’t want to loose to much time to my opinion is: St.-Malo – Rennes – Le Mans – A11 direction Angers till you hit the A85 direction Tours – Chinon. It is not the shortest but with the limited time you have the best to calculate so planning more accurately.

Thank you Wil, this is so very helpful.

I will research your route on viaMichelin. I would rather get from Saint Malo to Chinon as quickly as possible and worry about more scenic routes the rest of the trip, so your advice for a speedier trip works for me.

Merci.

If you think having time you can have breakfast in lovely Vitré, east of Rennes. But best is not loosing too much time on the way to Chinon. There are a few roadside restaurants like the one along the A11 to think about too, most of the time they sell sandwiches.

In Chinon at the north-east side of the château are two free (if nothing has changed) parkings along the Avenue François Mitterand, finding a spot must be in April not a problem. The entrance of the château is just some 10 minutes walking through Rue du Château.

Wonderful Wil thank you! The info on the parking is very helpful.

We will have two days in Saint Malo, so I think we will just buy items for a good breakfast en route, and find coffee someplace. That way we'll minimize stopping and get to Chinon as soon as possible.

But I am making a mental note on Vitré for our longer term Brittany trip. Thank you!