Driving in France, West Coast

Gallant_JJ

Hey folks,

Myself and herself are heading for the west coast of France for 10 days, around the 3rd week of September. Thinking of getting down as far as Bordeaux / La Rochelle.

I'm just looking for any advice regarding things to do or places well worth seeing en-route.

So far we are thinking of stopping in Pontorson or some where around there with a view to visiting Mont Saint Michel. From there, possibly onto Carnac hopefully to spend a day or two, visit some of the megalithic sites and possibly a boat trip to Belle Ille. Thinking of maybe stopping en-route in Guegon/Joosselin to see some of the countryside, either in a Kayak or on bikes.

Other than that I'm open to suggestions and would appreciate any tips, advice or experiences. Our time is quite limited, but should we be spending more time along the west coast of Brittany? Love sightseeing, interesting places etc.

Thanks

P. Breathnach

I don't much like Pontorson. Its only advantage (but a seriously good one, I'll admit) is that it is near the Mont St Michel. I think Dol-de-Bretagne, a little further west, is a much nicer place to overnight. Mont Dol, about 3km north of Dol, is worth an hour or two.

Carnac can be very quiet in September, but the megaliths are still there. I'd stay in or near Vannes or Auray and work from there to view the megalithic sites. There is a very good boat trip to be had in the Golfe de Morbihan - it's been a while, so I can't remember where to find it, but if you ask locally, you'll be told.

The coastal route from Vannes or Auray towards Nantes is interesting. I'd recommend Guérande and the Brière Natural Park as places to see en route.

Gallant_JJ

Thanks P,

Out of interest do you reckon it would be worth spending a night or two in the Brière Natural Park, I was thinking maybe a night or two in Guérande, I was thinking it could be a nice base to see the park on the bikes.

P. Breathnach

I didn't spend that much time in Brière, so I can't judge. It might well be worth that much time. It's very watery - low-lying land. There are pathways, but I think boats are also an option (you would probably need to be taken by a boatman who knows the way around).

Guérande is cute, but small. I don't know what your feelings are about evening entertainment. My preference is to find a good restaurant, so when I am in places that I don't know much about, I target slightly larger towns where the dining options are better. La Baule is not far away. It's a major beach resort of the type the French call "chic et cher" (upmarket); there are two attractive ports, one at either end of the huge curved beach of La Baule: Pornichet and Le Pouligen. It might be worth investigating those for accommodation options. The area is worth a couple of days, but the trade-off is how far down the west coat you might reach.

[I'll be trailblazing for you, because Herself and I are doing a similar trip in the second week of September, and are thinking of La Rochelle as the endpoint of our trip. We have seen a lot of that area in the past.]

Gallant_JJ

Thanks P. Tastes are similar, nice restaurant and good food and drink, will check out La Baule. Budget is tight so, so looking at accommodation outside the major towns that seems to offer better value for money. I actually been thinking of a change. Instead of continuing south from Briere, I was considering heading east towards the Loire Valley, possible spending a couple of days in Saumur sampling France's finest. Not 100% sure though, so much to see and do.

P. Breathnach

East! West is the Atlantic.

The Loire is always good, and I like the wines you get around Saumur. I don't think the stretch between Nantes and Angers is particularly interesting. From Angers to Saumur and beyond as far as Amboise, is my favourite stretch of the river. I also think it's a bit easier on the pocket than the coastal resorts. I can give you a few restaurant recommendations if you take that option.

La Baule itself can be a budget-breaker: look at the places nearby for better value.

bamboozle

if you make it to Bordeaux be sure to visit St. Emilion - beautiful village surrounded by acres of vines.

franc 91

There's Douarnenez (the Maritime Museum) and the village of Locronan. I like La Rochelle, l'Ile de Ré, where you can go cycling across the sea marshes out to Loix or Trousse-Chemise and the harbour at Saint Martin de Ré has some nice restaurants along the quays. Brouage, Rochefort and the Corderie Royale - where they're building a replica of 'L'Hermione'. Nantes and Angers are worth seeing and the Golfe de Morbihan and Gavrinis. (I'll stop there)

P. Breathnach

franc 91 wrote: »

There's Douarnenez ...

... if you can find a parking place!

Gallant_JJ

Thanks folks for all the tips. Reckon I'm definitely going to head east towards Saumur, and would really appreciate any advice you have on restaurants if it is not too much hassle P.

I have one other quick query, does any one know of anywhere within a 2-3hour radius of Cherbourg where I could watch the All Ireland final on the 23rd? Maybe a long shot!

P. Breathnach

Two at Les Rosiers sur Loire, about halfway between Angers and Saumur:
http://www.au-val-de-loire.com/
http://www.restaurantlatoqueblanche.fr/accueil.html

Two in Saumur:
http://www.auberge-saintpierre.com/
http://www.bistrotdelaplace-saumur.com/

Want me to do Amboise as well?

Gallant_JJ

Thanks very much for that, perfect. That should definitely be enough, I doubt we have the time to spend in Amboise.

franc 91

You might find this useful - the Irish Pubs Directory France
http://www.irishpubsdirectory.com/France.htm

horslips

Saw you intend to cycle around South Brittany.

La Baule is very quiet in September and the season ends this weekend. Many of the restaurants will begin to close.

However, on the upside, it is a great place to cycle. The sea-front is 6 miles with bicycle tracks on both sides of the road. Even better is Le Pouligeun where there are cycle tracks on the sea front heading towards Le Crosiac. Love it up there.

Check out the Pierre and Vacances apartments in Domaine de Cramphore which are about a mile and a half from the centre of Le Pouligeun on the way to Le Crosiac. Very quiet but only a few hundred yards from the sea (and cliff-top cycle paths) and about half-mile from a good Intermarché.

Also check out the great Leclerc on the edge of Guerande. It is huge.

A visit to Guerande is good - old walled town. Le Crosiac is an old fishing village which now mainly relies on tourism but it is quite "chic" with some really good restaurants. The town has a nice loop of roads around the point which are nice on a bike.

P. Breathnach

I said that I would be trailblazing, and here I am - in Guérande. I revise my advice. It's a bigger place than I had remembered, and a reasonable base for the locality. The whole area is well set up for cyclists, both in the towns and the countryside.

If you want more info, ask me.