St Malo

Detnor

Detnor

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May 12, 2011
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After years of getting into France and heading south, we are going to take the ferry to St Malo and have a wander around Brittany.
Any advice on the port and local stops would be appreciated.
If any kind funster would like to offer a Brittany Ferries club voyages number to get a bit of a discount - that would be gratefully accepted.
 
We are doing this route for a first time this year having always gone via tunnel. But even with Tesco vouchers the cost is starting to sting and when I add in time and diesel the ferry isn't too dear. So any tips would be appreciated.
 
There are so many interesting places within striking distance of St. Malo, hard to recommend any without knowing what you like to do. Others will doubtless come along with favourites.

However I will give you one little-known gem, so little known it is almost a secret.

Look up the 'Valley of the Saints", and in particular the images. If it appeals, and even if you are not so interested in sculptures or art (us!) it is a fascinating place to walk around, and to visit the sculpture's workshops. The address is Quenequillec, 22160 Carnoët, France.
 
June 21st is music festival day in France. St. Malo generally do a great evening's entertainment.

Dinard - catch the passenger ferry from St. Malo for an enjoyable day out including lunch. Great town to explore.

Dinan - Lovely old mediaeval town. Park in the aire and catch 'Le Petite train' to avoid a very steep walk.

Best advice for the trip - STOP being so bloody mean and buy yourself a book that outlines all of the wonderful places to visit in Brittany. ;)

Roscoff, Brest, Quimper, Point de Raz/Plogoff (watch the Bass fishing boats drift quickly past Isle de Sein), Cote Sauvage, Quiberon the list is endless.

Hope you have a great time in Brittany.(y)

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If you decide to head south, best avoid Nantes and its hazardous and very congested ring road. Last time I drove there it was extremely stressful.
 
Thanks everyone and thanks for the codes.
 
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If you like Oysters, Cancale. The tractors chase the tide out, load and drop off at the restaurants on the way back.

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We've been going to Brittany for years with a caravan and even stored it near Dinan, which saved us a wad of money on ferry costs and storage charges. Apart from the occasional French version of a knob, the locals are agreeable and lack the snobby attitudes you get in other parts of France. There is an excellent English run campsite, La Pointe, near Chateaulin, which is one of the best you'll find with access to loads of places of interest in Finistere. On the way back, you'll find an excellent municipal site, La Hallerais, 40 minutes from Saint Malo. It has an excellent 20 minute walk into the delightful river port of Dinan. The overnight ferries with a cabin are comparatively expensive, but well worth it for the good food and make the trip an enjoyable part of the holiday. Joining the Club Voyage makes it more affordable and the extra cost is worth it to avoid that horrible drive down to Dover, which I hope never to see again.
 
Chuns said:
There are so many interesting places within striking distance of St. Malo, hard to recommend any without knowing what you like to do. Others will doubtless come along with favourites.

However I will give you one little-known gem, so little known it is almost a secret.

Look up the 'Valley of the Saints", and in particular the images. If it appeals, and even if you are not so interested in sculptures or art (us!) it is a fascinating place to walk around, and to visit the sculpture's workshops. The address is Quenequillec, 22160 Carnoët, France.
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Just had a look at it and would like to visit when we go to Brittany in April. Is the car park suitable for a 7m motorhome?

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Jolak said:
Just had a look at it and would like to visit when we go to Brittany in April. Is the car park suitable for a 7m motorhome?
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It's France! Loads of room. Motorhome parking on the right after entrance. When we were there it was free, ( we didn't overnight there, but we had a good think about it) but there may be a charge now.
 
Try these 2 for some ideas

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Lack of Brittany threads

We are off in the morning to Brittany. We have been before about 6 or 7 years ago and in between jobs I ve been trying to find out where MHFers have been but the search function brings up Brittany ferries all the time. So I went to my default of DBK to find some information with his recent time...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Brittany all the Aires. Loads of them

We found this map from a TO I ve taken photos and it is pretty self explanatory. We have been seeing lots of Aires not noted on the apps. If touring Brittany you may want to bookmark this I took them all the same way so no idea why some are sideways. I LL do a scan and copy when we get home.
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
 
Chuns said:
It's France! Loads of room. Motorhome parking on the right after entrance. When we were there it was free, ( we didn't overnight there, but we had a good think about it) but there may be a charge now.
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That sounded a bit negative - the only reason we had to dither about whether we should stay was that we had planned to be somewhere else that night.

We are aiming to go back in better weather to enjoy it properly, as last time we walked around in drizzle, and shall stay.
 
The port gate exit after the passport check is narrow and at an angle, drive carefully or try to to get across to the right hand lane which is wider and straight out. The scrapes on the red paint tell the story. Also avoid the seasonal municipal campsite, it's poor and sloping.

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Detnor said:
After years of getting into France and heading south, we are going to take the ferry to St Malo and have a wander around Brittany.
Any advice on the port and local stops would be appreciated.
If any kind funster would like to offer a Brittany Ferries club voyages number to get a bit of a discount - that would be gratefully accepted.
Click to expand...
You must give Beg Meil a visit about 2hrs from St Malo nice little Village and Beach all within 100yds from Campsite.
 
SpeedyDux said:
If you decide to head south, best avoid Nantes and its hazardous and very congested ring road. Last time I drove there it was extremely stressful.
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First time we went to France docking at St Malo in a converted 4.5t Fiat van we drove straight into the middle of Nantes and parked on the street outside the indoor market and bought Pate and a Baguette for lunch. That was fifty years ago,a few months back went by it on way to St Malo first time since and couldn’t believe the size of the place,also got buzzed for entering a controlled zone but reckon it was above as l was under a bridge and got a buzz again as l left it.
 
Kups said:
The port gate exit after the passport check is narrow and at an angle, drive carefully or try to to get across to the right hand lane which is wider and straight out. The scrapes on the red paint tell the story. Also avoid the seasonal municipal campsite, it's poor and sloping.
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Yes, we remember well the narrow port exit gate. Our Bailey is slightly wider than most and it was a tight fit!
 
There is an aire at Tinténiac which is handy as a first and last stop for the ferry by a canal, it has services but no electric, €5 per night collected by a charming lady with her child in tow in the evening, it was quite popular when I was there at the end of April last year, there is also a municipal campsite on the other side of the canal.

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There is a nice campsite within walking distance of the town. Camping de la Cite d'Alet. Twenty years or so ago we stopped there, we were allowed to camp up in the Bastion itself, I remember driving in through a short tunnel which you can see on Google Earth if you pan around. The Bastion was used by the Nazis as a gun emplacement, now a WW2 museum. Well worth a visit to take a guided tour into the bowels of their installation, sobering shell marks on the steel cupolas. Great views over St. Malo
 
Detnor said:
After years of getting into France and heading south, we are going to take the ferry to St Malo and have a wander around Brittany.
Any advice on the port and local stops would be appreciated.
If any kind funster would like to offer a Brittany Ferries club voyages number to get a bit of a discount - that would be gratefully accepted.
Click to expand...
Brittany is lovely. We’ve been there many times. St. Malo is a lovely little walled town. You can walk around the walls (like York). Other recommendations, are, Morlaix, Concarneau has good markets, Friday being the best, Quimper, Quiberon. Lots of lovely beaches, largely uncrowded if you don’t go peak season. Further south is Vannes, worth a look. Go and enjoy.
 
Jolak said:
Just had a look at it and would like to visit when we go to Brittany in April. Is the car park suitable for a 7m motorhome?
Click to expand...
Yes. We have visited in our 7m motorhome & parked without difficulty. It's a great place for a wander around on a fine day and they have St Piran, the Cornish patron saint of tin miners there, carved from Cornish granite & shipped across to Brittany. Also some Welsh saints, St David and Saint Rhydian.
 

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