I%26#39;m thinking of spending a week in Breton at the beginning of August. I realize this is the high season, but I was curious to hear which towns might be underrated gems, with less crowds and great food.
I%26#39;m hoping to have a chance to have plenty of crepes, seafood %26amp; traditional specialties while I%26#39;m there. Which town would you suggest I should use as my base?
Is Dinan going to be crowded in June?
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Early August is the busiest time of the year. French holiday weeks (plus the Brits %26amp; Dutch), many houses are holiday homes, lots of camp sites, loads of gites, plus hotels - and they will all be full to capacity. Given that most destinations are not large they will be very, very busy. If you want to see the place, and it is very worth seeing, you will have to suffer mass tourits.
You ask if Dinan will be crowded in June? Simple answer is no. The tourist period starts warming up in mid May, but by mid June you should find everywhere open and is a good time to visit. The general area around Dinan/Dinard/St Malo would make a good base for the north east coast.
I hope you will have a car as I think it essential to make the most of your visit.
If you want the real French hotel experience with a regional menu definately available try the %26#39;Logis de France%26#39; website. They are all privately owned local hotels, usually smallish. A standardised chain they are definately not, each is very individual, and from my experience you get what you pay for.
Hope this helps, enjoy your week.
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Hi phoenika,
although August is busy for Brittany it is not subject to the mass tourism of other areas in europe so is not unbearable and getting about is still easy (exception to this in my experienxce is access to the quiberon peninsula which is congested in high season). In your post you do not mention if being beside the coast is important or whether you will have children with you which could have bearing on any recommendations In general in Brittany everything beside the coast is more expensive and more touristy (although in general not tacky). The type of food you describe is available all over Brittany. As suggested above Dinan is an excellent base for the north coast, Benodet is a personal favourite of mine on the south coast.
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Thanks for your help, Travelling Tyke. It looks like we will have a car. Thanks also for reminding me of the Logis de France website. I had some luck using the site for a hotel in Lorraine a couple years ago.
Do you have a favourite place to stay in Brittany?
Hi Pato,
Thanks for letting me know Brittany is not subject to the mass tourism like other parts of Europe, and I%26#39;m relieved to hear it%26#39;s generally not tacky towards the Coast. That is what I wanted to avoid. Thanks for mentioning Benodet. I had been drawn towards the western and southern parts of Brittany, after reading about how crowded St. Malo can be, but I had also read nice things about Dinan.
I%26#39;d like to spend at least a few nights near the coast, but I%26#39;m tempted to split my time up with a few nights on the coast, and some more in the country, in another part of Brittany.
I won%26#39;t have any children with me, in fact it%26#39;s likely it will be me (a 30something), my 50something cousin and my 70something parents. We%26#39;re not big beach people, but we do like long walks, seascapes, villages, cultural highlights, etc.
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Have a look at the TA reviews for La Maison Blanche in Malestroit. Lovely Chambre d%26#39;hote with 3 bedrooms. Good area for exploring and exceptional creperie and restaurants within walking distance.
Hope this helps
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Thanks Maxmayo!
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We go to Brittany every year in August as we have a cottage near Dinan. We have never found Dinan to be too crowded when we have been in June, though August is a little busier. The tourist season tends to be for around 6 weeks, mid July to end August. We visit a lovely seaside town called Le Val Andre which never gets too crowded (NW of Dinan). Also there is Le Dahouet which has a lovely port and a few very nice restaurants serving local specialities mussels, crepes, galettes etc. Dinard is also a pretty seaside town and is closer to Dinan than Le Val Andre. It has some nice restaurants serving local delicacies. You can get a tourist boat from Dinan to Dinard and St Malo. Enjoy your trip, Brittany is lovely.
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Thanks for the suggestions, Sheffydoo;)
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