Breathtaking Brittany Road Trip, France

Brittany Road Trip

What amazed us most on our Brittany road trip, a region in the northwest of France, were the absolute jaw-dropping panoramas that we came across. From the raw coastal stretches to the medieval towns, there was such amazing diversity on display. If you are motorhoming in France, this Brittany road trip offers a great taste of a little bit of everything. 

Video Photo Inspiration for a Brittany Road Trip

Brittany road Trip Map

Click on the square icon in the top right hand to expand the Brittany map and the left square to see the key highlighting the places we parked the campervan overnight and the places we recommend visiting on your road trip through Brittany.

Visit Brittany

Brittany is the westernmost peninsula region of France bordered by the regions of Basse-Normandy to the north and Pays de la Loire to the east. With just a four-hour drive from Paris, it is popular as a weekend getaway rather than just a day trip. With 2800 kilometres of stunning coastline, you’re going to need the time.

For accommodation and car or campervan hire options, click here which will take you further down into this article so you can make your selections.

Places to Visit on your Brittany Road Trip

Kerhinet, Brittany

Continuing our France road trips, we came to the gorgeous historic village of Kerhinet, which is just outside the border of Brittany. Kerhinet is a  restored hamlet consisting of eighteen thatched cottages.

This tiny hamlet is pedestrian access only and entry is free. You’ll also find a tourist information centre with interactive displays.

Walking through these beautiful, flower-adorned cottages gives you a feel of life in by-gone times. You expect someone from a Jane Austen novel to step out of one of the cottages at any moment. It feels very much like being in an English Cotswolds village rather than a French Hamlet.

Kerhinet – our first Brittany road trip stop

Mesquer, Brittany

Mesquer, is a popular seaside summer destination with many of the homes remaining unoccupied over the colder months. We visited in early spring and found things to be pretty quiet. However, we were told by Nils Dessale, a local and renowned full-time professional photographer, that this is definitely not the case come summer.

Nils hosts his own photography website, displays his amazing photos locally (at the restaurant ‘Le Belem’) and will gladly guide visitors to the best photography spots in the area. We can personally vouch for Nils and he certainly did a great job helping us.

 Mesquer Beach, Brittany

 Mesquer Beach, Brittany

Sarzeau, Brittany

Sarzeau boasts not only beautiful contrasting views of its coastline but also a long 5-kilometre beach of pristine sand. You can understand why people descend here in droves over the summer to enjoy this little patch of paradise.

Visit the Suscinio Plage (beach) and also wander around Suscinio Castle. The castle was built in the 14th century and was once the hunting lodge of the Dukes of Brittany. It is free to walk around its grounds and it is open to visitors for guided tours in the summer.

More info and opening times for Suscinio Castle: http://suscinio.fr/

Sarzeau Views on our Brittany Road Trip

Sarzeau, Brittany

Suscino Castle, Sarzeau, Brittany

Quiberon, Brittany

This is just such a dramatic and interesting coastline. The 14-kilometre long Quiberon Peninsula juts out from the Morbihan coast in southern Brittany and it is just 23m wide at its narrowest point.

This was the busiest overnight campervan spot that we stayed at on our road trip through Brittany. However, the cliff walks weren’t busy and it in no way felt crowded.

Interestingly, swimming here is forbidden due to the rough seas. It is those very rough seas that have helped form the dramatic rock formations along the coast. The many coastal walkways give you unforgettable views of this wild coastline. Make sure you don’t miss the majestic Arche de Port Blanc (White Port Arch), close by the town of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon, (See map above).

Arch de Point Blanc, Quiberon, Brittany

Quiberon Views, Brittany

Quiberon Beach, Brittany

Perros-Guirec, Brittany

Perros- Guirec was our next stop on the Brittany Road trip. It’s famous for its pink granite rocks carved out by the sea. The coastal town of Perros-Guirec lies on the Côte de Granit Rose, (Pink Granite Coast).

The day we were there, the fog rolled in from the sea, enveloped the hill and crept down the beach – it created an eerie but mesmerising landscape. To be honest, we were expecting more ‘pink’ hues to be visible but maybe the light wasn’t right for us.

Pinkish granite rocks at Perros-Guirec, Brittany on a foggy morning

Perros-Guirec Beach, Brittany 

Perros-Guirec, Brittany, enveloped in the morning fog

Plougrescant, Brittany

This was one of our favourite sights on our Brittany road trip. Standing at the very northern peninsula tip and still within the Cotes d’Armor district of Brittany, is a spectacle you don’t see too often.

Nestled between two towering boulders, sits Castel Meur or La Maison des Gouffre (‘House between the Rocks’).

The surrounds here are just spectacular. The combination of the deep blue of the sea and the wilderness and vast rocky formations create a raw but surreal type of serenity. It’s a perfect getaway location for those seeking solace.

Castel Meur at Plougrescant, Brittany

Plougrescant Coast, Brittany

Dinan, Brittany

This well-preserved medieval town of Dinan, with its cobbled stone streets and timbered houses, also lies in Cote d’Armor. Dinan has the oldest ramparts in Brittany and it actually feels like you have stepped back in time as you wander the old town streets. The old timbered houses are much like those you’d find in the fairytale-like villages in Alsace, in the northeast of France. 

Dinan, Brittany

Dinan, Brittany

Lehon, Brittany

Lehon merged into the commune of Dinan in Jan 2018. It is home to the quaint Abbey Saint Magloire de Lehon. It has both Romanesque and Gothic architecture dating back to the 9^th century which gives it a distinctive character. The gardens of the Abbey were open to wander and are framed by huge stone arches.

Abbey Saint Magloire de Lehon, (near Dinan)

Internal gardens of the Abbey Saint Magloire de Lehon

Route of our Brittany Road Trip 

Suggested 4 Day Brittany Road Trip Itinerary

Brittany Road Trip Day 1

Total Driving: 11 km

• Explore Kerhinet Historic Village (11km from Mesquer)
• Check out the seaside resort of Mesquer/ walks and cycling
• Camperstop/Accommodation in Mesquer or surrounds

Brittany Road Trip Day 2

Total driving: 125 km

• Drive from Mesquer to Chateau de Suscinio in Sarzeau (55km)
• Whilst in Sarzeau explore the cove and views at Plage Suscinio
• Drive from Suscinio to Quiberon (70km)
• Walk along the fabulous coastline on the Quiberon Peninsula and view the White Port Arch
• Camperstop/Accommodation in Quiberon or surrounds

Brittany Road Trip Day 3

Total driving: 211 km

• Drive from Quiberon to Perros-Guirec (200km)
• Explore Perros-Guirec and the Pink Granite Coast (Côte de Granit Rose)
• Drive to camperstop overnight stop at Trevou -Treguignec (11km) – or find accomodation that suits you for next day at Plougrescant.

Brittany Road Trip Day 4

Total driving:  144.6 km

• Drive to Plougrescant (18.6km) and visit the ‘House between two Rocks’ and the incredible black rocks on the coast.
• Drive to Dinan/Lehon (126km) – either park up (if in a camper) at the Camperstop in Lehon or drive to booked accomodation in Dinan.
• Explore the medieval town of Dinan and the small village of Lehon.

Where to Stay on Your Brittany Road Trip

Brittany Motorhome/ Camper Stops

Camperstop in Mesquer, Brittany

If you are travelling through Brittany with a motorhome or camper then we can recommend these stops which we stayed at. They are either free or low priced.

• Mesquer Aire: 6 euro
• Quiberon Aire: 7.55 Euro/ 100 places/ hardstanding by the coast
• Trevou-Treguignec: 11 euro inc Electricity/ near Beach
• Lehon/ Dinan: Free camperspot/ 20 min walk to Dinan

Brittany Road Trip Accommodation

If you are travelling by car then you can check out Booking.com here to find the best deals for the areas you would like to stay in:

Booking.com

Brittany Road Trip Transport

Motorhome/Campervan Rental

We had hired a campervan through ‘Motorhome Republic’ who find the best deal for you in whatever region you need to hire a van. So if you are thinking of renting a van you can get an online quote here to find the best deals around.

For more information on motorhome tips for driving in Europe you may be interested in reading the following posts;

1. Campervanning in Europe
2. Best Motorhome Tips for Beginners
3. Everything you need to know about Hiring a Motorhome

Car Rental

If you are planning on renting a car for your Brittany Road Trip then you check out Rental Cars Connect to find the best deal

(to return to the earlier section of this article, click ‘Visit Brittany’)

Driving in Brittany: What You Need to Know

• In France, you drive on the right.
• You will need to have the following documents:
  •  Drivers licence (An international driver’s licence isn’t required)
  • Vehicle insurance
  • Vehicle registration document
  • Passport
• You are also required to have the following in your vehicle:
  • Reflective Vest
  • Warning triangle
• Driving in France requires adjusting the beam pattern to suit driving on the right so that the dipped beam doesn’t dazzle oncoming drivers. You can cheaply purchase beam deflectors to adjust the beam.
• Many of the motorways have tolls. To avoid them you can program your navigator to avoid tolls and you can also use www.autoroutes.fr to plan your trip and find out the costs of tolls etc.
• Speed Limits are as follows unless otherwise signposted and on dry roads
  • 130 km/h (80 mph) on toll motorways
  • 110 km/h (68 mph) on dual carriageways and motorways without tolls
  • 80 km/h (50 mph) on other roads
  • 50 km/h (31 mph) in towns. Town name starts the limit, a bar through the town name is the derestriction sign

Brittany Road Trip Tips

 1. Lifejourney4two’s Top 3 Brittany Road Trip Places

If we had to choose the top 3 places not to miss on your road trip across Brittany they would be:

1. The house between the rocks at Plougrescant
2. Quiberon Peninsula
3. Kerhinet

2. Must-Try Foods on your Brittany Road Trip

• Galettes – a type of pancake which can be filled with cheese, onion and ham with an egg and sour cream on top.
• Crépes – typical Breton Food
• Breton Cake – this is lush and is a cross between cake and shortbread -it has plenty of butter and loads of egg yolks – all healthy ingredients 😉

We departed Brittany, with not only amazing photos but beautiful memories. Our next stop was Mont Saint Michel, the first stop on our Normandy Road Trip.

Did we miss any of your favourites towns in Brittany? Let us know in the comments below.

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