Comment from tony2212
Time: February 11, 2010, 10:10 am

Generally…
Normandy, Brittany and the Loire is a big area for one week. If you like driving then fine but it does take half a day to drive from Bayeaux/ Caen to Roscoff. In addition, all of these areas are rural so once you get there you will probably do lots of smaller drives to explore. As a result, I would be a careful about how you plan if you want to avoid car fatigue. The Loire is a huge area in it’s own right and half a day again from either Normandy or Brittany. Personally, I think you would have a more relaxing time if you stuck to just 2 areas.
As to getting there, Brittany ferries do the whole north coast but they are a “quality” driven operator so their prices reflect that. P&O do some crossings too. Plymouth – Roscoff is easy (nice boat, quiet, Roscoff is a picture postcard place) but expensive since you generally need a cabin, Portsmouth or Poole – Cherbourg is probably the cheapest and fastest of the longer crossings unless you go round to Dover where SeaFrance, LG Lines and P&O’s do 1-2 hour cheap crossings – you get to Calais area and then drive 2-3 hours round to Normandy. Oh and Speedferry does the “vomit comet” 35 minute crossing.
LG Lines Newhaven – Dieppe is probably the cheapest landing in Normandy (north of Normandy but just about in it) but it is a pain to get to Newhaven.
For Normandy:
Bayeaux area is lovely. Lots of small villages to see and then the whole Normandy beaches thing with museums, walks and so on. The rural villages are attractive too – huge stone buildings, largely unspoilt by modern expansion. We stayed in a lovely hotel in Crepon near there (3* about 120 euros a night). Further in I would recommend the area south-east of Rouen (not Normandy but lovely). Lyon le Foret, Les Andelys stick in my mind.
For Brittany.
Brittany is a long way from Paris and feels very different…rural, forested inland, rocky coastlines. Reminds me of Cornwall without so many tourists. I personally find it idyllic. Try Locronon for a very beautiful village or St Pol de Leon for a nice town (near Roscoff which is also nice).
For the Loire.
Very different again. Not my personal favourite but the wine is good and the chateaux (e.g. Azay, Chenonceau) are worth a visit. I found that many of the chateaux hotels are very poor unless you pay a lot of money. The buildings are lovely but the owners have no money and so they make very poor hotels once you get past the amazing building and contents. Chissay was an exception but even that was faded. For towns I liked Amboise but none of them grabbed me. Central Chartres is wonderful but I am not sure if it qualifies as Loire.

Comment from scratcha
Time: February 11, 2010, 12:30 pm

The Michelin Guide is really good for finding accomodation. It tells you a range of places, what days they are closed (yes some hotels have days off in France) very often a town map and brief scrips of restaurants with a plat du jour price.
The Loire is lovely for the chateaux and is fairly easy for a weeks trip. I would concentrate here rather than Brittany which can be a bit bleak at this time of year.
I remember Blois, Chinon, Saumur and the bits between as being a nice area for touring. Le Havre or St Malo are probably the best ports. Don’t leave ANYTHING on view in your car overnight, particularly if you need to street park. In fact leave no valuables in the car if possible.

Comment from keni
Time: February 11, 2010, 1:28 pm

your choice of ferry depends on where you live. we go portsmouth-caen because we live in hampshire. St Malo is handy for Normandy/Brittany. If you live in Devon or Cornwall there is Plymouth-Roscoff.
a must-see is Mont St Michel, near St Malo.
I like the fishing village of Cancale
any long drive is best done on Sunday or a bank holiday as the lorries are not allowed on the road.
when you plan for lunch in a restaurant, you MUST sit down to eat before 12:30. they expect to close at 2pm. Sunday is more flexible but during the week the small places cater for workers who have a fixed lunch time, turning up at 1pm is not good!

Comment from Claire
Time: February 11, 2010, 2:25 pm

P&O and SeaFrance to cross the channel from Dover. Book early for good prices.
Must see the Mont Saint Michel and Etretat in Normandy, and the Chateaux de la Loire if in that area.
Accomodation: sorry, don’t know, I am French and don’t stay in hotels there.