Brittany Travel Guide
France's wild Celtic corner: walled corsair ports, pink granite cliffs, prehistoric standing stones, islands, crêpes and cider, with Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy and the Loire next door.
Ports, islands and wild headlands
From the ramparts of Saint-Malo to the Gulf of Morbihan, every corner of Brittany has its own character.
Saint-Malo
The walled corsair city: granite ramparts, huge tides, tidal islands and seafood on every corner.
Dinan
Half-timbered lanes, three kilometres of ramparts and a little port on the River Rance.
Rennes
Brittany's lively student capital: timber-framed squares, a grand parliament and a famous Saturday market.
Pink Granite Coast
Giant pink boulders, the Ploumanac'h lighthouse and the most beautiful stretch of the GR34.
Brest & north Finistère
A maritime city, wild headlands, the Abers coast and ferries to Ouessant at the end of France.
Crozon Peninsula
Cross-shaped peninsula of cliffs, sea caves and turquoise coves in the Armorique nature park.
Quimper
The heart of Breton culture: a Gothic cathedral, flower-lined riverbanks and painted faience.
Things you can't miss
Saint-Malo Ramparts & Fort National
Walk the walls of the corsair city, then cross the sand to Vauban's fort at low tide.
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Sentier des Douaniers, Ploumanac'h
The customs officers' path through pink boulders between Perros-Guirec and Ploumanac'h.
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Carnac Standing Stones
Around 3,000 Neolithic menhirs in rows across the countryside, now a UNESCO site.
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Pointe du Raz
France's 'Land's End': a jagged headland facing the Île de Sein and the Vieille lighthouse.
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Cancale Oyster Market
Eat oysters straight from the stalls, looking out over the oyster beds of the bay.
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Brocéliande Forest
The legendary forest of King Arthur, Merlin and the Lady of the Lake, near Rennes.
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A Celtic land at the edge of France
Brittany has its own language, its own flag and a music scene of bagpipes, bombardes and all-night fest-noz dances. Its people are as proud of their Celtic roots as their cousins in Cornwall, Wales and Ireland.
It's also one of France's great food regions: buckwheat galettes and cider, oysters from Cancale, salted butter in everything and the buttery kouign-amann.
- Walk the ramparts of Saint-Malo at sunset
- Eat oysters by the sea in Cancale
- Dance at a summer fest-noz
Photo: Lolomorceau, CC BY-SA 4.0
Easy trips into the rest of France
Mont-Saint-Michel
The abbey island on the Brittany–Normandy border, an hour from Saint-Malo.
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Nantes
The dukes' old capital: a moated château, mechanical giants and a buzzing food scene.
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Normandy
D-Day beaches, Étretat's chalk cliffs, Honfleur and Camembert country, just east of Brittany.
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Latest guides
The Perfect 7-Day Brittany Itinerary
A one-week Brittany road trip: Saint-Malo, Mont-Saint-Michel, Dinan, the Pink Granite Coast, Finistère's headlands,…
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The 12 Best Beaches in Brittany
Brittany's best beaches, from family-friendly sand at Carnac and Saint-Malo to wild coves on Crozon and Belle-Île, with…
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Hiking the GR34: Brittany's Coastal Path
A guide to the GR34 'customs officers' path' around Brittany's coast: the best sections, how long it is, waymarking,…
Read article →Brittany FAQ
Do I need a visa for Brittany?
Brittany is part of France and the Schengen area. EU and EEA citizens need only an ID card or passport. Many other nationalities, including UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180, subject to the EU Entry/Exit System and, once it applies, ETIAS. Check your government's latest advice.
How do I get to Brittany?
By TGV from Paris-Montparnasse (Rennes in about 1 h 30), by ferry from Portsmouth, Plymouth or Cork to Saint-Malo and Roscoff, or by air to Rennes, Brest, Nantes or Dinard.
When is the best time to visit Brittany?
May to September. June and September are the sweet spots, with long days, mild weather and fewer crowds than July and August. Winter is quiet, green and stormy.
Is Mont-Saint-Michel in Brittany?
No, it's just inside Normandy, on the border with Brittany. It's about an hour from Saint-Malo, so most visitors to north Brittany include it.
How many days do you need in Brittany?
A week covers the highlights of the north coast, Finistère and the south by car. Ten days to two weeks lets you add islands like Belle-Île and a few slow days on the coast.