# Planning trip to Brittany - advice please



## 120194 (Feb 7, 2009)

Hiya, 
We got our first motorhome in April and are planning our first trip to Brittany next year in convoy with a few friends. Can you offer any advice, on useful things we should look out for. Also do you know of any quiet, dog friendly campsites, parkups etc... or particularly nice places to go to in Brittany. We like walking, good food and exploring.

Many thanks
RubyTuesday


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## Chudders (Jul 5, 2008)

Hi, We went to Brittany last June by way of Brittany Ferries. Went only about 60 miles from Roscoff to a place called Chateaulin and just outside the town to a site called La Pointe Camping. Its a quiet non touristy area and the site was reasonable but not fantastic. Toilet facilities were in the process of being updated. The owners are British and very helpful. The weather however was not good, rain most days but I am told we were unlucky. I have also been told that had we ventured a bit further south to the area around Benodet the weather would have been better. 
Driving is easy, roads are quieter than the UK
Regards Dave
PS The Plymouth, Roscoff ferry was in my opinion expensive.


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## Daedalas (Nov 12, 2009)

We spent May & June 09 touring Iberia and home through France - lovely lovely Picos mountains was my favourite.

For the first time ever [in 47 years] we travelled as two vans, not exactly in convoy but going the same way on the same day.

We decided on the destination for the day and drove independently ... but co-pilots kept in visual contact if possible: what proved most helpful was a couple of cheap walkie talkies relaying back any unforeseen easy to miss turns et al and soon the girls were chattering like a flock of sparrows. The walkie talkies were the piece of kit they rated as 'most useful'.

Beware relying on SatNavs: ours was a useful guide to navigation but the maps were not as advertised: and they are absolutely no replacement for a 1:200,000 Michelin Atlas and common sense.

But I'm sure you will enjoy it to the full


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

All round the north coast and southern area of Brittany are great.

Do you have children to occupy.

Which ferry are you proposing to use.
Are your friends tuggers. If not aires are plentifull, arrive before 2 in the afternoon.
I agree Brittany ferries are expensive but depending on where you live and your destination can on balance save time.
As a member of property owners club i get 30% discount but next years quotes are way to expensive.

Dave p


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Benodet*



Chudders said:


> Hi, We went to Brittany last June by way of Brittany Ferries. Went only about 60 miles from Roscoff to a place called Chateaulin and just outside the town to a site called La Pointe Camping. Its a quiet non touristy area and the site was reasonable but not fantastic. Toilet facilities were in the process of being updated. The owners are British and very helpful. The weather however was not good, rain most days but I am told we were unlucky. I have also been told that had we ventured a bit further south to the area around Benodet the weather would have been better.
> Driving is easy, roads are quieter than the UK
> Regards Dave
> PS The Plymouth, Roscoff ferry was in my opinion expensive.


I will second that, if you get nice weather in Brittany and go to the lovely clean Beaches around Benodet, it comes very close to the Mediterranean.

Very nice people, if you do some research you may be suprised as to Britain's connection with Brittany.

Brittany ferries are a rip off.

Just had a quote for St. Malo and it came out @ £325
You can go all the way from Belgium or Holland to Hull on the same date for £173 for an 8.5m Motorhome.

Unless you live around the South West Coast, not worth the expense.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

I'm not sure how big your van is but we've enjoyed the Condor Ferries fastcat for the last couple of years. It effectively halved the price of a Brittany Ferries crossing for us (no need for cabin, plus Sunday evening departure from St Malo gives us another day en France!)

Dave


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Hi DaveB
I thought Condor were part of Brittany ferries.

Dave p


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

Hi
We "did" Brittany in May this year and can't wait to go back. Countryside as we used to know it. No vast prairies - lots of small villages, farms and contented cattle.
Ferry used was LD from Portsmouth to Le Havre - no problems and not too expensive.
If you go to Le Havre and use a satnav, on leaving the port and going along Winston Churchill Avenue, ignore any instruction to get in the left hand lane ! It goes into a 2.5m tunnel.
Favourite village was La Gacilly and on the north coast we happened across Lancieux. The beach was so glorious that we stayed for three nights. There is an Aire next to the church, but we used the Municipal Site which is on Ave. Fredy. Make sure you fill your water and dump your grey stuff beforehand, cos this site doesn't have many MH facilities - but it's onlyfive minutes from the beach. At about E9 inc mains, it was a bargain.

Hope the weather is kind for you.

TC


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Hi DaveB
> I thought Condor were part of Brittany ferries.
> 
> Dave p


No, Dave. They had (maybe still have) a Joint Venture on the Poole-Cherbourg route, whereby Condor undertakes the service on behalf of Brittany, but they are separate companies. Condor Ferries is part of Admiral Holdings:
http://www.aferry.co.uk/news/Condor_Ferries_owners_saying_no_changes-1191.htm

Dave


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Best Moules a la Creme in the whole of France.

>> Here <<

Dave


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## ronin56 (May 25, 2007)

RubyTuesday said:


> Hiya,
> We got our first motorhome in April and are planning our first trip to Brittany next year in convoy with a few friends. Can you offer any advice, on useful things we should look out for. Also do you know of any quiet, dog friendly campsites, parkups etc... or particularly nice places to go to in Brittany. We like walking, good food and exploring.
> 
> Many thanks
> RubyTuesday


Brittany is wonderful and varied. There is a saying 'En Bretagne il fait beau plusieur fois par jour' which, roughly translated, means 'in Brittany we have lovely weather several times a day' and that just about sums up the necessity to understand that you're not on the Cote d'Azur. On the upside the Bretons are lovely as is the countryside. One of our favourite places for a small, quiet but lovely campsite is here: http://www.campinggreveblanche.com/gb/index.php

There are many others all around the coast from North right round to the South and you should have no problem getting into any of them even in high season. The characteristics of the coastline will change as you move around it. There are some lovely rural areas inland as well and the roads are generally well made and very quiet. There are no toll roads in Brittany but the dual carriageways (voies express) are excellent and light of traffic if you're in a hurry. These generally run from East to West.

Dogs are welcome practically everywhere in France so no problem there. Some sites limit you to one dog in high season which is generally late June to the end of August.

There are aires all over the place for camper vans and wild camping if you want it. It's all very relaxed as long as you respect other peoples space.

It depends which part of Brittany you plan to visit which ferry route you use. If you don't mind a lot of driving, Dover - Calais is the cheapest but it is a long way. St Malo is good because you're smack into an area of very interesting countryside. St Malo itself is very nice, Dinard is just across the 'barrage' and Dinan, with its lovely medieval city is only a half an hour or so to the South. To the West are the lovely beaches of St Lunaire, Lancieux, St Cast, and many, many more. Cherbourg is a shorter crossing but a longer drive down the peninsula to get from Normandy into Brittany. Roscoff is good for those wanting to explore the West but it does tend to be more expensive ferry wise.

By no means comprehensive, if you want to look at some pictures of places I have visited have a look here: http://web.mac.com/ronbannell/iWeb/RB Photo Gallery/Bretagne 2.html

If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Good advice from last poster. Brittany is fab and the motorhome rules. You will not believe the number of vans you will see in June! Some of the gift shops even sell little model campervans as souvenirs. We went this June and went via Calais. Normandy for the 65th anniversary, Mont St Michel and then worked our way around the Brittany Coast. We spent nothing on campsites or aires the entire time we were there. Most of the Aires are free and wild camping is very much accepted. You are unlikely to be on your own for long though. I thought the north coast was nicer than the south coast but thats just my opinion. Its also very very safe and the people are lovely.

BD


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## 120194 (Feb 7, 2009)

*Brittany advice*

Gosh folks

thank you all for your prompt the replies and advice, starting to get excited. We will be coming from Wales, so I guess the Portsmouth crossing would be good. Our vans are all small vw's and ours is an autosleeper clubman. We won't have children to entertain, only our four legged friends who love walking and beaches. Some of our pals like boarding and cycling. Must get the map out now and check routes.

Is it right that we have to have high vis jackets for all onboard incase of breakdowns. Is there a good breakdown cover for France?

Thanks again for all your help
RubyTuesday


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Hi RT

High vis vests for each member of party

Spare pair of specs if you need them for driving.

Warning triangle

First aid kit

Beam deflecters

Our EU breakdown cover in with insurance.

A relaxed mind and go as you please attitude.


Dave p

EDIT.
You must carry original documents for your vehicle, log book, insurance, mot etc.

Keep a copy at home.


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## goldi (Feb 4, 2009)

Good evening
Yes you will have to have hivis jackets and they have to be positiond in the van that you can put them on without getting out of the van, we stuff ours under the seat.

France is a very dog friendly place , often seen in restaurants and the waiter is likley to bring them abowl of water.
Use poo bags as you would in England.

Good luck
norm


road is life life is the road


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## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

Go into the campsite map, plan your route and just move the ones you like the look of into your own brochure , make sure you pick a few in each area so you can be sure of a spot somewhere. 

Then choose the print option in your brochure and take it with you. 
You can also print out copies for your friends so you all know where you are going and what to expect. Not all the details come onto the printed version so you may want to make notes on your own copy. 

I have done this a number of times when we have been with friends and it means you don't have to travel nose to tail and can wander off as you all know where you are heading and where to go if one is full. 

It is a lovely place to go, have fun
Mandy


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

You might want to consider buying an Aires book such as All The Aires from Vicarious Books. http://www.go-motorhoming.co.uk/all-the-aires.htm it shows all the Aires in France and there are loads in Brittany, what facilities they have, how many vans it will take and most importantly GPS positions. If your using a sat nav you need to get to grips with Lat and Long for planning your trips as postcodes cover too big an area in France. Also we downloaded the Aires as points of interest of the web (sorry I cant remember where but it could have been the TomTom site and I think they may be on here as well). Then you can set your sat nav to warn you when your near one or just navigate to the nearest one.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Morning Ruby

I would certainly get the "All the Aires" book as suggested by Barry. It's excellent, and you will save the cost of it in two nights - three at the most!  

I presume you have had a browse in >> here <<.

You will find most of your questions answered in there, and if you have further uncertainties please inform the author of that particular Guide so it can be amended. (They have all tried to be as comprehensive as possible, but don't claim perfection.   )

Also have a look on >> here << for the POIs Barry also mentioned. It may well have been from here that he got them.

Hope this helps

Dave


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

If you have a laptop you can purchase a cd with all the aires on.

Try www.campingcar-infos.com.

We find it usefull.

Dave p


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

Hi RubyTuesday - I always feel a bit wary of recommending places to visit - one persons meat etc. However, about 4 years ago we were in Brittany and picked up a booklet in the Tourist Office somewhere. It's called "Towns of Art in Brittany. In English it covers all the interesting towns in Brittany under the headings of "Small Towns of Character", "Towns of Art and History" and "Historic Towns". 

I tried to "google" it, but couldn't find it. But the Brittany tourism site has downloadable (?is that a word) brochures on places and campsites/aires and could give you lots of information you may want.

The other books I use in planning are the Dorling Kingsly Eye Witness Guides. There is one specifically on Brittany. They are a bit expensive, but if you buy the series one at a time, it is not so bad on the pocket and give lots of ideas of places to visit depending on your personal interests.

Enjoy your planning and trip. We are going Plymouth/Roscoff in June - ferry booked.

Sue


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## AlistairG (Nov 23, 2009)

Hi
Back from Tregastel in August stayed at www.camping-tourony.com Would recommend it but just along the road there is also an Aire near a supermarket, handy for the beach and Tregastel itself. It is well laid out, level, coin operated etc. The 'Pink Granite Coast' is an absolute must see and a stroll to Ploumenach is lovely at any time of day. The rock formations between here and Perros Guirec are fascinating. Do not miss!

AlistairG


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Also dont miss Dinan http://www.francethisway.com/places/dinan.php which is a fabulous little town in the north east of Brittany about 20 miles inland. The Aire is down by the river and always busy but as you are in VW's you will be able to be really smug and slip under the height barrier in the car park opposite and have your own private Aire!


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## dinger (Jul 30, 2007)

*Brittany*

will definately second a visit to Dinan, lovely old town with enough , bars restaurants, sights for 2 -3 days.

Dinger


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