Travel insurance - Tips & Advice - Holiday destination guides
Located in the northwestern corner of France, you are never far away from the sea in Brittany. From Mont St Michael to Penestin, the rugged coastline, including fabulous rocks on the Pink Granite Coast and jagged reefs on the Coast of the Abers, is ideal for rambling and offers a wealth of wildlife to discover along the way. Long sandy beaches are a haven for rare birds as are the gorse and heather-clad hills that seem to run into the dunes and the sea. You can also explore miles of hilly pastures and heathland that stretch inland from Armor, and the Massif Armoricain that rises up in central Brittany. If you have a holiday home here, nature is right on your doorstep and ready to explore.
Food and wine
The traditional seafood platters, galettes (salty batter pancakes) and crepes (sweet batter pancakes) are three gourmet delights not to miss in Brittany. For a seafood platter, the composition depends on the coast, the season and the catch of the day. But to carry an ‘Authentic Fresh Breton Seafood Platter’ sign a restaurant must provide a choice of six different shellfish and crustaceans served with rye and white bread, homemade mayonnaise and salted butter. Galettes are usually served with ham, cheese and eggs but the galette saucisse is also common in the Rennes region. The most classic crepe is with butter and sugar. Brittany was originally a beer-making region but wine is free flowing as in the rest of France, and cider is a local tipple too – often served in ceramic bowls.
Sports and wellbeing
The fresh air and beautiful landscape are a real attraction for sports enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers and those seeking rejuvenation. There are 450 miles of canal and river on which to cruise. You can also surf, dive, kayak, row and sand-yacht in the sea, or bike, hike or ride horseback along 2,000km of clearly marked paths. Plus Brittany offers 27 golf courses, many overlooking coastal cliffs. Visitors can also harness the power of the sea through a wonderful hydrotherapy called thalassotherapy. There are 11 coastal centres that offer this water and seaweed treatment including those at St Malo, Dinard, Roscoff, Carnac, Quiberon and Belle Ile.
Favourite haunts
Find your perfect spot and make it a home from home. Here are three to try…
By the sea
La Pouldu lies at the mouth of the River Laita and was a favourite destination of the painter Paul Gauguin – art lovers will find museums and galleries devoted to him here. La Pouldu is divided into a tiny port shielded from the sea by a spit of sand, and the main town with its famous beaches and sandy coves. The river is also beautiful for walks and offers kayaking and river trips.
Off the beaten track
Translated as ‘the beautiful island’, Belle-Ile is the largest of the Breton Islands and was a magnet for Saxon pirates and Norman invaders until it was given to the Abbey of Redon in 1006. The shutters, which must be painted in pastel colours under local bylaws, add to the picturesque effect, and bicycles and scooters can be hired to explore the beautiful countryside. You can get there easily from Quiberon on a day trip or follow in the footsteps of Gustave Courbet and Claude Monet and stay a while in a seaside or rural apartment.
City culture
Rennes is the capital of the Bretagne region, built on a hill between the Ille and Vilaine Rivers. It is lined with colourful medieval houses and boasts the third largest market in France on a Saturday morning in Les Halles Martenot. There is a thriving arts and cultural scene with free music festivals in summer from the Orchestre National de Bretagne, plus festivals including Les Tombées de la Nuit music event in July and Le Grand Soufflet accordion celebration in October.
Travelling to Brittany
Road
It’s easy to take your car to Brittany and this makes sense if you have a holiday home there or want to explore the region at your own pace. Brittany Ferries run services from Portsmouth to St Malo, Caen and Cherbourg. From Plymouth you can travel to Santander. And from Plymouth and Cork you can travel to Roscoff. See www.brittanyferries.co.uk. Depending on your start point and destination it takes between two hours and 16 hours (Portsmouth to St Malo is eight and a half hours overnight). SpeedFerries also provides new, low-cost crossings that take 35 minutes from Dover to Boulogne and from there it is about a six-hour drive to Brittany. You can find more ferry carriers and routes at www.brittany-france.com. Or drive through the Channel Tunnel from Folkestone to Calais/Coquelles. It takes five and a half hours to drive to Brittany from there. You may find our guide on driving from the UK to Europe helpful.
Train
Perhaps the most sophisticated and stress-free way to get to Brittany is simply to take the Eurostar from London to Paris or Lille. Then take a high-speed TGV train to Nantes or Rennes stopping in Angers and Le Mans. If you leave around 9am you’ll be there by mid-afternoon.
Plane
Many new routes have opened up between the UK and direct destinations in Brittany thanks to the budget airlines – great for those with holiday homes. For example, fly to Nantes from London, Bournemouth, Dublin, East Midlands and Shannon via Ryanair, or Flybe goes to Rennes from Belfast, Edinburgh, Exeter, Manchester, Newcastle and Southampton. There are also smaller airports in Brest and Dinard served by Air France and Ryanair. See www.flightmapping.com/Europe/France/.
Find out more
Get more information and holiday ideas from www.brittanytourism.com and www.westernfrancetouristboard.com/. Guidebooks like The Rough Guide to Brittany and Normandy, Lonely Planet’s Brittany and Normandy Regional Guide or Frommer’s Brittany with your Family can also help you find your way around while there.
Stay insured
Brittany has low crime rates but you don’t want to take any chances especially in popular tourist areas such as Nantes, Rennes or Brest and on the Côte d’Armor. Make sure you take care of your personal possessions and don’t travel without adequate travel insurance.
With Direct Line it’s quick and easy to sort out your insurance online. Our annual travel insurance policy is perfect for favourite places or holiday homes that you want to return to over again. It’s also great for frequent travellers to Brittany or other places in the world – just make sure your geographical selection covers you for where you want to go. See how much you could save and apply for a travel insurance quote online today.
Related information:
Cancelling a holiday – taking out travel insurance can help you reclaim some of the cost if you have to cancel a trip or cut it short
Is your passport lost or stolen? – a guide on what you need to do if your passport goes missing while you’re on holiday
Carry on camping – you may want to camp while you’re in Brittany – read our guide on planning the perfect holiday under canvas
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