Key facts
Brittany at a glance
Areas and places
Brittany area by area
Each area has its own page, with its own character, plans and map.
48.68° N · 1.85° W
Cancale
By carBy campervanCampingCar-free
48.65° N · 2.03° W
Saint-Malo
By carCar-freeBy campervanCampingOn foot
48.83° N · 3.49° W
Pink Granite Coast
By carBy campervanCampingOn footCar-free
48.45° N · 2.05° W
Dinan
By carCar-freeBy plane
48.25° N · 4.50° W
Crozon Peninsula
48.04° N · 4.74° W
Pointe du Raz
47.59° N · 3.04° W
Carnac and the Gulf of Morbihan
47.34° N · 3.18° W
Belle-Île-en-Mer
48.02° N · 2.17° W
Brocéliande Forest
Plan the trip
Brittany, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Brittany
May, June and September: long days, boats to the islands running and space in the car parks. In July and August the coast fills up and you need to book ferries and accommodation early. From November to March many hotels, campsites and boats stop, leaving the spring tides and the storms.
How you travel
Brittany your way
The ways of travelling that suit Brittany. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By carBy planeBy campervanCampingCar-freeOn foot
Nearby
Near Brittany
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
49.10° N · 0.50° W
Normandy
By carBy planeBy campervanCar-freeBy bike
47.40° N · 0.98° E
Centre-Val de Loire
By carBy planeCar-free
45.20° N · 0.60° W
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
By carBy planeBy campervanCampingCar-freeLuxuryBy bike
48.86° N · 2.35° E
Île-de-France
By carBy planeBackpackingCar-freeLuxury
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Plan the day around the tides
The same beach at high tide and at low tide is two different places. Check the table for the nearest port and leave walks out to the islands for low tide.
- 2Bring layers even in July
On the coast the wind blows and the weather changes within an hour. A waterproof and a jumper in your rucksack save your afternoon on any headland.
- 3Book the ferry to the islands
In July and August the car ferry to Belle-Île fills up weeks ahead. On foot or with a bike there is almost always room.
- 4Order galette, not just crêpe
The galette is savoury and made with buckwheat, the main course. The crêpe, sweet and made with wheat flour, is the dessert.
From Saint-Malo to the Gulf of Morbihan via Finistère is more than 600 km of road. You will spend the trip in the car. Pick two neighbouring areas and stay put.
Which part of Brittany should you choose?
Brittany is the peninsula in the north-west of France: almost all coast, with tides that retreat hundreds of metres, fishing ports, lighthouses and an interior of forests and granite villages. It is big: from Saint-Malo to the Pointe du Raz is more than three hours by car. Pick one coast, or two that sit together, and don't try to tour all of it in a week.
- The north coast, from Saint-Malo to Cancale, if it's your first trip. Saint-Malo is the walled city that the sea surrounds at high tide and lets you walk out to the islands at low tide. Cancale is the oyster village, with oysters on the quayside, and Dinan, the medieval town above the Rance, can be seen in a day. Mont-Saint-Michel is less than an hour away.
- The Pink Granite Coast, between Perros-Guirec and Trégastel, if you want to walk: pink rocks in strange shapes, the customs officers' path and boats to the Sept-Îles, where puffins breed in spring.
- Finistère, in the west, if you want cliffs and wind. The Crozon Peninsula has sandy coves and headlands over the sea; the Pointe du Raz looks out to the Île de Sein and its currents.
- The south, in Morbihan, if you are travelling with children or want milder beaches. Carnac and the Gulf of Morbihan offer thousands of standing stones and an enclosed sea full of islands. From Quiberon, the ferry to Belle-Île takes between 45 and 50 minutes.
- The interior, the Brocéliande Forest, west of Rennes: ponds and oaks with Arthurian legends, for a day between one coast and the other.
The thread that ties almost everything together is the GR 34, the customs officers' path, which skirts the Breton coast. You don't need to do all of it: a stretch of two or three hours a day is enough to change the trip.
How do you get there from Spain?
By car, which is the best way to tour it. From Irún it is about 700 km to the Gulf of Morbihan and about 900 to Finistère. You pay tolls on the Bordeaux to Nantes motorway; from there on, Brittany's expressways (N137, N165, N12) are free.
By plane, the most practical flight is to Nantes, with several Volotea routes from Spain, and then a hire car: an hour and a half to Carnac. Brest has flights from some Spanish cities, mainly in season, and is close to Crozon and the Pointe du Raz. There is no direct flight from Spain to Rennes.
By train, the TGV runs from Paris to Rennes, Saint-Malo, Brest, Quimper or Vannes. It works for the cities, but the coast and islands call for a car, a bike or a regional bus and some patience.
How do you get around?
By car, on the toll-free expressways and the coast roads. The BreizhGo regional buses link the cities with some villages and the island ferries, but with few services outside summer. For the islands, leave the car at the port if you don't need it: on Belle-Île a bike works, and taking a car on the ferry requires booking a long way ahead in summer.
Check the tide table every day. Decide whether you can walk to an island, whether the beach has water or whether the bay is a field of sand. In Saint-Malo, the way out to the Grand Bé is open only for an hour and a half either side of low tide.
When to go and what does it cost?
From May to September. May, June and September are the best months: boats running, long days and space in the car parks. In July and August the coast fills up, prices rise and at Carnac the alignments can only be walked among with a guided visit. The weather is Atlantic: even in summer, bring a waterproof and something warm. In winter many hotels, campsites and crêperies on the coast close.
Brittany has mid-range prices for France, below the Côte d'Azur or the Alps. The crêperie is the region's cheap, good meal: a buckwheat galette and a sweet crêpe with cider come to less than a set menu. Oysters on the quay at Cancale are sold by the dozen at producer prices.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need for Brittany?
Four nights for one coast at an easy pace, six or seven for two. To see all of it you would need two weeks.
Are there tolls in Brittany?
Not on the region's expressways, which are free. From Spain you pay on the Bordeaux to Nantes motorway.
Which airport should I fly to from Spain?
Nantes, which has the most flights from Spain. Brest has routes from some cities, mainly in summer. There is no direct flight to Rennes.
Can you swim in Brittany?
Yes, in summer, although the water is cold. The beaches in the south, in Morbihan, are calmer; on the western ones there are strong currents, so swim where there is a lifeguard.
Brittany or Normandy?
Brittany if you want coast, islands and trails; Normandy if the history of the D-Day landings matters more to you. Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel sit on the border between the two and combine well.
Can I go without a car?
To the cities, yes, by TGV from Paris. For the coast, combine a train to Saint-Malo, Vannes or Quimper with regional buses and a bike, and accept that you'll see less.