Road-Tested Itinerary: Exploring Normandy and Brittany

Yesterday’s conversation about Normandy and Brittany brought back memories of last year’s trip to these wonderful regions. It was in September, and the weather was gorgeous, unlike this fall. This trip is always a big one for me; there’s no sense in limiting yourself to just Normandy and turning around near Mont Saint-Michel—you have to go further because that’s where all the real excitement begins. I’ll present the itinerary from that journey, feel free to use it if needed. The program has been tested multiple times, refined, and is, of course, designed for those using personal transportation. And let me say upfront, I only organize such trips by request for self-organized groups of up to 7 people.

Tour Itinerary

Dates: May to October (12 days)

Day 1

Morning arrival in Paris. Meeting in the airport arrival zone. Veules-les-Roses – a charming town on the shores of the English Channel, once a favorite retreat of Russian artists. Étretat – a picturesque resort, famous for its stunning chalk cliffs along the Alabaster Coast. Honfleur – one of the most scenic ports in France.

Overnight stay in a hotel in Honfleur.

Day 2

Trouville, the best fish market on the coast. Deauville – the most prestigious resort in Normandy. Bayeux – the city famous for its 11th-century tapestry. On a grand 70-meter-long linen cloth, unknown craftswomen wove scenes depicting the Norman conquest of England. Cancale – the oyster capital of Brittany. Right in the town center, you’ll find oyster farms, and along the waterfront, various restaurants where these oysters are served (and where they should be tried).

Overnight stay in a hotel in Cancale.

Day 3

The abbey of Mont Saint-Michel (UNESCO) – one of France’s main attractions and a true pride of the Normandy region. Fougères – a small town on the very border of Brittany, with a centuries-old history, famous for its formidable castle and the Saint-Sulpice Church.

Overnight stay in a hotel in Cancale.

Day 4

Saint-Malo – a city that has preserved the harsh, formidable, and sometimes even grim spirit of the era of corsairs and adventurous explorers. Dinard – a beautiful resort town located opposite Saint-Malo. A walk along the ocean.

Overnight stay in a hotel in Cancale

Day 5

Cap de Grouin – a wind-swept cliff offering breathtaking panoramic views. Dinan – a fortified town with numerous architectural and historical monuments. A trip to Cap Fréhel and Fort La Latte.

Overnight stay in a hotel in Perros-Guirec

Day 6

Pink Granite Coast – a unique nature reserve of untouched wilderness on the ocean shore. Walks along the coast, relaxation by the ocean. For those interested, a trip to Île-de-Bréhat.

Overnight stay in a hotel in Perros-Guirec.

Day 7

The Parish Closes route, featuring the main ones: Plougonven, Saint-Thégonnec, Guimiliau, and Lampaul-Guimiliau. These are enclosed churchyards that include a cemetery, a church, a large crucifix, and a relic crypt, all adorned with complex sculptural compositions. A visit to the beautiful Breton village of Locronan.

Overnight stay in a hotel in Bénodet.

Day 8

Zinaida Naryshkina

In 1862, Marquise de Serre (Zinaida Naryshkina) purchased the estate of Kériolet (Château de Kériolet). Thanks to Zinaida Ivanovna’s taste, the austere castle was transformed into a luxurious palace filled with beautiful furniture and works of art. In 1891, she bequeathed the estate to the residents of the Finistère department on the condition that it be opened as a museum. By 1902, the castle began to deteriorate, and in 1924, her granddaughter Zinaida was able to claim her inheritance (as per the will’s condition to preserve the house as it existed). In 1960, Felix Felixovich sold the castle.

Pont-Aven – an amazing, picturesque corner of Brittany, where Paul Gauguin created before his departure to Tahiti. Concarneau, or “The Closed City,” is completely surrounded by a well-preserved medieval wall with many battlements and watchtowers.

Overnight at a hotel in Benodet.

Day 9

Stop at Carnac, famous for its largest concentration of prehistoric megaliths, carved from local rocks and erected by the pre-Celtic peoples of Brittany. Vannes, a city with rich architecture and magnificent gardens. On the way, a stop in Rochefort-en-Terre, a small town honored with the title of “Petite Cité de Caractère.” Angers – an ancient city, the center of the Maine-et-Loire department and the cradle of the English Plantagenets.

Overnight at a hotel in Angers.

Day 10

Château de Brissac, which has belonged to the same dynasty of the Dukes of Brissac since the 16th century. Wine tasting. Château Montreuil-Bellay, whose walls have witnessed both brutal sieges and the splendor of royal courts, the era of knights and great courtesans. A troglodyte village museum. Saumur – a historic city home to the most famous equestrian school in France. Saumur is renowned for its mushrooms and unique sparkling (pearl) wine.

Overnight at a hotel in Saumur.

Day 11

Château de Brézé is one of the most mysterious castles in France, featuring a “castle within a castle.” Its uniqueness lies in the underground part, which is not inferior in size to the castle itself. It is the only underground fortress in the world, entirely carved out of stone underground. Château de Cheverny boasts not only its luxurious decor but also a real hound hunt, organized twice a week from October to March by the steadfast owners of the castle from the Hurault family.

Overnight at a hotel on the way to Provins.

Day 12

Provins is one of the most beautiful small towns in France and one of the best examples of a medieval trading town in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Transfer to the airport. Evening flight from Paris, OR you may choose to stay a few more days in Paris to explore this wonderful city on your own.

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