Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [37]
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Air Travel | Bus Travel | Car Travel | Train Travel
AIR TRAVEL
Aéroport de Rennes has domestic flights to and from both Paris airports and Bordeaux, Lyon, Toulouse, Marseille, Strasbourg, and Basle-Mulhouse. Aéroport de Nantes also hosts Ryanair flights to and from London Stansted.
Air Travel Information: Aéroport de Nantes (Bouguenais, southwest of city | 44000 | 02–40–84–80–00 | www.nantes-aeroport.fr). Aéroport de Rennes (St-Jacques de la Lande, southwest of city | 35000 | 02–99–29–60–00 | www.rennes.aeroport.fr).
BUS TRAVEL
Brittany is serviced by a bewildering number of companies. While the region is nicely threaded by train lines, some towns are bus-only. These include Carnac (90 mins) and Quiberon (2 hrs), on a Keolis Atlantique bus from Vannes; Dinard (30 mins) with a Keolis Emeraude bus from St-Malo; and Cancale (40 mins, €2), also from St-Malo.
As for Mont-St-Michel, buses connect with St-Malo (1 hr, 50 mins via Dol, €4.50) and with Rennes (80 mins, €10.30). Use Transports Caoudal from Quimper to reach Pont-Aven.
Bus Information: Keolis Atlantique (02–97–47–29–64 | morbihan.fr). Cars du Kreisker (02–98–69–00–93 | www.cars-kreisker.com). CAT (02–96–39–21–05 | tibus.fr). Keolis Emeraude (02–99–19–70–80 | www.keolis-emeraude.com). TIV (02–99–26–11–11). Transports Caoudal (02–98–90–88–89). Transports Le Bayon (02–97–24–26–20 or 02–99–29–60–00 | www.rennes.aeroport.fr).
CAR TRAVEL
Rennes, the gateway to Brittany, is 310 km (195 mi) west of Paris. It can be reached in about three hours via Le Mans using A81 and A11 (A11 continues southwest from Le Mans to Nantes). Rennes is linked by good roads to Morlaix (E50), Quimper (N24/N165), and Vannes (N24/N166). A car is pretty much essential if you want to see out-of-the-way places.
TRAIN TRAVEL
Most towns in this region are accessible by train, though you need a car to get to some of the more secluded spots. The high-speed TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) departs 15 times daily from Paris (Gare Montparnasse) for Rennes, making this region easily accessible. The trip takes about 2¼ hours (€55).
Some trains from Paris branch in Rennes to either Brest or Quimper (4 hrs, 45 mins from Paris; €83), stopping in Vannes (3 hrs, 20 mins from Paris; €63.80). From Rennes there are frequent regional trains via Dol to St-Malo (55–80 mins, €16).
You can reach Dinan from Dol (20 mins, €6). Change at Auray for Quiberon (train service July and August only; otherwise, bus links, 1 hr; €6.30).
Train Information: SNCF (36–35 [€0.34 per min] | www.voyages-sncf.com). TGV (www.tgv.com).
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Vitré | Rennes | Combourg | Dinan | Cancale | St-Malo | Dinard | Paimpol | Trébeurden
It’s useful to know that Brittany is divided into two nearly equal parts—Upper Brittany, along the Channel coast, and Lower Brittany. The latter (called in French Basse-Bretagne or Bretagne Bretonnante) is, generally speaking, the more interesting. But the Channel coast of Upper Brittany has its share of marvels. The rolling farmland around Rennes is strewn with mighty castles, such as the one in Vitré—remnants of Brittany’s ceaseless efforts to repel invaders during the Middle Ages and a testimony to the wealth derived from pirate and merchant ships. The beautiful Côte d’Émeraude (Emerald Coast) stretches west from Cancale to St-Brieuc, and the dramatic Côte de Granit Rose (Pink Granite Coast) extends from Paimpol to Trébeurden and the Corniche Bretonne. Follow the coastal routes D786 and D34—winding, narrow roads that total less than 100 km (62 mi) but can take