Where to in Bretagne

I loved visiting the neolithic sites near Carnac. We trained to Auray and stayed there and I hired a great private guide to drive us to sites. Obviously some people are more interested in rocks than others (my husband is not a great fan) but i loved every minute of it. (even later got him to visit some great neolithic sites near Limerick)
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2020/11/29/yes-ed-more-rocks-the-neolithic-alignments-at-carnac/

We (also in your age group) were in western France, June, 2025. We were pleased with all of our Brittany hotel choices, so I will include them. The Jean Luc Bannalec series ( I have read all of them) mention real villages, so you can use those as recommendations for western Brittany.

We stayed three nights in Carnac at Hotel Tumulus which also has an excellent restaurant. We did a one hour walking tour of the stones which I did not particularly enjoy - too much standing in one place. You can easily drive the periphery and see most of the stones. We are big fans of walking through stone circles, but did not feel there was any special feeling to walking through the alignments. While staying in Carnac we also enjoyed day trips - one day took the boat to the Gavrinis cairn and then had a late lunch in the Port Goustan area of Auray. After lunch we visited the Lochmariaquer neolithic site which we enjoyed much more than the Carnac one. The second day we did a day trip to Saint Cado for lunch at Madame Seagull then spent the afternoon in Pont Aven.
Heading north we stopped at Rochefort-en-Terre, the most beautifully beflowered village we have ever seen, then headed to Hotel Mercure near Mont St. Michel for the night. Dinner at Ferme Saint Michel. Next morning 8 A.M. quick visit to MSM, then headed to Saint Malo (Hotel Nouveau Monde which also has an excellent restaurant and parking) for two nights. Day trip was to Dinan. Returned the car at Rouen airport and took the train to Paris.
A few other notes which might be useful: on a previous Brittany trip we stayed at Hotel Ti al Lannec , west of Saint Malo. It was a lovely hotel- while there we enjoyed a visit to Abbaye Beauport. Just south of Brittany is the walled town of Guerlande which was an interesting stop for a few hours. We booked our rental car through Auto Europe and used Avis.
I hope this is helpful to you.

We spent a week in Finistere a few years ago. Of course you've probably got Quimper on your list.

If you want a simple walk with a great view, try visiting Menez-Hom. You can drive almost to the top, and there is a short (and easy) walk to the top. From there you can drive to Landevennec and visit the ruins of the monastery.

In the same area is Locronan. If you can visit during a market day it is interesting. We were there in the summer and they had an evening market with a "Celt" performance.

Finally, between Normandy and the coast is the Valley of Saints.

I second visiting Carnac.

We are about your ages and spent a week in Brittany. Loved Valley of the Saints and the small village of Pont Aven. Fougeres stood out as a very interesting city and we enjoyed a morning stroll through the oldest parts of the city. My sense is that it would be a good home base for short drives to many places.

Highly recommend the Loire Village of Azey les Rideau and Hotel BIencourt. Wonderful setting, pleasant but small village to enjoy in the evenings and the chateau where Camille Claudel, Rodin's tragic lover, stayed one summer is just a little ways down the road. Also, Villandry was amazing at the end of August.

What I loved most was that we felt like we were in France while we were in Brittany rather than in a place filled with international tourists that had changed to accommodate the tastes of modern travelers.

Great suggestions all. I have already made a note about Locronan and try to jiggle things around to see if we can be there on a market day. A fellow NW native also recommended it.
I've got a much better idea of places to go so thank you all very much. I'lll check back when I have a tentative itinerary worked out.
Many mercis!

We spent 2 weeks in Brittany last July. Some thoughts are summarized here https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/brittany-trip

We really enjoyed where we stayed in the coast.

Matt

Stay at Hotel Castel Clara on the island of Belle-Ile, off the coast from Quiberon, and you'll never regret. Plenty of long (and level) walks along a beautiful wild coastline. An hour-ferry ride, or ten minutes by single-engine airplane. Sarah Bernhardt's hideaway!

Hi I've seen all the episodes of the series inspired by the novels by J y Banallec. I like it, but being from South Finistère, I didn't necessarily find my region there or the Bretons for that matter, who are a bit caricatured there, but it's fun to see my compatriots seen by a German 😄. In any case, you have to visit Concarneau, of course, and then the coast called "côte des avens" between Port Manech and Lorient. And then Cap Sizun and Douarnenez, one of the episodes is set there. The Glénan Islands too, but they are only accessible from April, and not every day. Only visit if the weather is nice, it's very small! The Crozon peninsula, the Morgat sea caves etc. And of course Quimper and the River Odet. The estuary is very beautiful.

I would add Le Conquet...nice little town and it is inspiring to stand looking out at the Atlantic from the westernmost point in Bretagne. A stiff breeze and some clouds will add to the atmosphere of power that the Atlantic Ocean sends to you.
And yes to Carnac, Auray, Quimper!

I am curious what is the name of the German TV series based on Bannalec's novels. I've watched both the German and Italian tv versions of Leon's Venetian detective Guido Brunetti books and I agree that the German version does not quite capture the nature of the characters but it is still fun to watch.
I've gotten so many wonderful suggestions for places to visit but am still stumbling as to where would be good bases for visiting the different areas. I am realizing I could have devoted a whole month's trip to Brittany and still not visit every place I want. It was one thing when we were younger and could think we could always come back. Now we ponder how many overseas trips we have left in us. Hopfully a few more!
Again, many thanks for all this great info.

Hi In french, it's "Commissaire Dupin".

I found season one on Amazon Prime. Title is Kommissar Dupin and there are 10 episodes. In German with English subtitles.

Just a little hint: When you are in St. Malo, make sure to visit Dinard on the other side of the bay - it has the fairly unique vibe of a 19th century beach town.
Almost at the Loire, and thus good for a last stop, is Vannes - beautiful medieval town, offers cruises into the adjacent gulf of Morbihan (little sea) and the impressive castle of Suscinio is close as well.

Vannes seems like a good fit with my in progress itinerary and a good transition to the Loire Valley. I have booked 3 nights in Plouer sur Rance. Would it be better to add a 3 base further north near Concarneau(?) or just spend more time in the PSR and Vannes. I feel like I'm making good progress and trip planning in our rainy PNW is a good activity.

Continued thanks for all your collective help.

When we did Brittany, we had four stops with 3 days each. And it honestly felt a little stressful - but it depends on your preferences. Concarneau was nice, but it was mostly just a smaller version of St. Malo - so I am not sure if both are necessary.

I've been away from the forum researching destinations and confirming my calendar and dates. After leaving the north and west Brittany my plan is to stay 3 nights at Les Logis de Kergoulou near the beach of Le Cabellou, and 3 nights near Vannes. I have not found/settled on a place there yet. We would prefer a king bed which is hard to find and no stairs (that eliminates most of the charming fisherman's houses). I do have some Chase points so might splurge here. From there we'll move on to the Loire Valley Chateaux. We'll have 3 nights there which should be enough for us. I'll post questions regarding the Loire on a separate forum.
I have not booked any of these places yet without asking for some feedback on these more southernly destinations.

Many thanks for your help, insight and input.