Holiday in Finistère (29), Brittany

Getting there - Airlines

From the United Kingdom;

- Flybe (BE). www.flybe.com

Flies from Birmingham (BHX), Manchester and Southampton (SOU). Tel: 013 922 685 29.

The Flybe Fair Deal on Baggage removed excess baggage charges for 99% of the travelling public by increasing hold baggage allowance to 25kgs, the highest in the low cost sector.

- Aerarann. www.aerarann.com

Flies From Galway and Waterford (Ireland) to Lorient in Brittany. Get ther via London Luton airport.

From / to France:

Air France. www.airfrance.co.uk

From Birmingham, Manchester, Southampton, London Heathrow and London Gatwick, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Dublin to Brest or Quimper via Paris or Nantes.

Useful links:

- London Luton Airport (LTN). www.london-luton.co.uk

- Birmingham Airport (BHX). www.bhx.co.uk

- Edinburgh Airport (EDI). www.edinburghairport.com

- ExeterAirport (EXT). www.exeter-airport.co.uk

- Southampton Airport (SOU). www.southamptonairport.com

- Brest Airport (BES). Brest International Airport, Guipavas (55km). Tel: 0033 298 32 01 08. www.brest.aeroport.fr

Local airlines (offering flights to the outlying islands)

- Finistair, flies to the island of Ouessant (15 minutes away). www.finistair.fr

Getting to Brittany by Ferry

- Brittany Ferries. From Poole, Portsmouth and Plymouth to Caen, Cherbourg, Roscoff and St. Malo. Tel: 0033 299 40 64 41.

- Condor Ferries. From Poole, Weymouth (From February 2012 - Leaving from Poole until further notice) and Portsmouth to Jersey, Guernsey, Cherbourg and St. Malo. Tel: 0033 299 20 03 00.

- Irish Ferries. From Rosslare to Roscoff. United Kingdom - 08705 17 17 17 / 0207 499 5744. Eire - 01 661 0511.

More about Roscoff and Saint Malo

Useful links:

 - Port of Portsmouth. www.portsmouth-port.co.uk

- Port of Roscoff. www.portderoscoff.com

- Port of Saint Malo. www.saint-malo.cci.fr

Port of Brest. www.port.cci-brest.fr / Port webcam

Tides in Brest. www.shom.fr

Webcams; Webcam 1 / Webcam (centre)

Getting there - Train

Eurostar offers great value tickets, especially if booked in advance to all major towns and cities in France. You can start your journey from London to Paris via Ashford.

Book your train tickets online: www.eurostar.co.uk

Once in Paris you can continue your journey by taking the TGV train to Quimper (via Quimperlé and Rosporden) or to Brest (via Morlaix).

SNCF is the French national railway company and its website is in English and allows you to easily plan a journey.

The TGV atlantique takes two hours from Paris to Rennes, Allow four hours to get to Brest or Quimper.

Rail travel in France

Getting around by car

It's easy to hire a car at Brest Airport, and if you use a company such as Holiday Autos

remarkably good value.

Car hire in France

Driving in Brittany

The autoroutes in Brittany are free. Try get off the main roads though, as this region is very rural and attractive. If you have the time, take the "D" roads (small country roads).

Hotels in Brest

Abalys Hotel **, 7 Avenue Clemenceau, 29200 Brest.

Hôtel l'Amirauté ***, 41 Rue Branda, 29200 Brest. Finistère.

Appart City Residence **, 81, rue Robert Doisneau. 29200 Brest.

Balladins Express Hotel *, 253 Rue du General Paulet. 29200 Brest (4km to the city centre).

Citotel de la Gare **, 4 Boulevard Gambetta. 29200 Brest. Finistère.

Hôtel Le Continental ***, 41 rue Emile Zola, Square de la Tour d'Auvergne. 29200 Brest. Finistère.

Inter Hotel Centre **, 4 boulevard Leon Blum, 29200 Brest (10km from Brest Guipavas airport).

Kyriad Brest Centre **, 157, Rue Jean Jaures. 29200 Brest. Finistère.

Hôtel de la Paix ***, 32 rue Algesiras. 29200 Brest. Finistère.

Hôtel Océania Brest ***, 82 Rue de Siam. 29200 Brest. Finistère.

Hotels in Finistère (listed by town name)

Hôtel le Goyen ***, Place Jean Simon. 29770 - Audierne.

Domaine de Kereven **, Kereven. 29950 - Benodet.

Le Grand Hôtel Abbatiale ***, 4, Avenue de l'Odet. 29950 - Benodet.

Brit Hotel des Halles **, Place de l'Hotel de Ville. 29900 - Concarneau.

Pierre et Vacances Cap Morgat, Morgat. 29160 - Crozon. www.pv-holidays.com

Pierre et Vacances Les Sables Blancs, Plage des Sables Blancs, Rue des Professeurs Curie. 29100 - Douarnenez. www.pv-holidays.com

Logis De France de la Pointe de Mousterlin ***, Pointe de Mousterlin-Plages. 29170 - Fouesnant.

Mona Lisa à Cap Coz ***, Plage du Cap Coz. 29170 - Fouesnant.

Campanile Brest - Gouesnou **, Zi de Kergaradec. 30 Avenue du Baron Lacrosse. 29850 - Gouesnou.

Oceania Brest Aeroport Hotel, Zi Kergaradec 32 Avenue Baron, Lacrosse BP 161, F 29850 Brest (6km from Brest centre).

Hostellerie des Enclos **, Route de St Jacques. 29400 - Lampaul-Guimiliau.

Iroise Golf Hotel, Parc De Lan Rohou Saint Urbain, 29800 Landerneau (15km from Brest Guipavas airport).

Hotel Beauvoir La Vieille Renommee ***, 11 Place aux Foires. 29580 - Le Faou.

Logis De France le Relais de la Place **, 7, place aux Foires. 29590 - le Faou.

Kerhuon Hotel, 2 Rue Robert Schuman, 29480 Le Relecq-Kerhuon (15 minutes by car from Brest Guipavas airport).

Hôtel du Port **, 3 Quai de Léon. 29600 - Morlaix.

Hôtel de l'Europe **, 1 Rue d'Aiguillon. 29600 - Morlaix.

Comfort Hôtel Kastel Roc'h **, 91 Avenue Charles de Gaulle. 29470 - Plougastel-Daoulas.

Nuit d'Hôtel Quimper, 6 Allée Pierre Jolivet. 29000 - Quimper.

Campanile Quimper **, 1/3 Avenue Georges Pompidou. 29000 - Quimper.

Hotel Mascotte Quimper **, 6 Rue Theodore le Hars. 29000 - Quimper.

Hotel Oceania Quimper ***, 17 rue du Poher, Kerdrezec. 29000 - Quimper.

Brit Hotel le Kerodet **, ZA de Kerourvois. 29500 - Quimper/Ergue-Gaberic.

Hôtel Gulf Stream ***, Rue Marquise de Kergariou. 29680 - Roscoff.

Best Western Grand Hôtel Talabardon ***, Place de l'Eglise. BP71. 29681 - Roscoff. www.bestwestern.com

Citotel Hotel de France **, 29 Rue des Minimes. 29250 - Saint-Pol-de-Léon.

Campanile Morlaix ~ Saint-Martin-des-Champs **, ZA du Launay, Parc d'Ar Brug. 29600 - St Martin des Champs.

Book a hotel in; Brest / Finistère / Brittany / France

Other chains of interest

Hôtel Le Continental ***, 41 rue Emile Zola, Square de la Tour d'Auvergne, 29200 Brest. Finistère. Tel: 0033 298 80 50 40. Ideal for getting around the centre and the main shopping areas in Brest. Spacious rooms and appears to have been redecorated recently. Recommended.

Hotel chains in France

Accommodation - Hostels

 - Hostel World, book a hostel worldwide. www.hostelworld.com

- Hostel Bookers. Book a hostel worldwide. www.hostelbookers.com

Hostels in France

Accommodation - other places to stay

- Gîtes de France - 55,000 countryside gîtes. www.gites-de-france.fr

- Logis de France. www.logishotels.com

- Guides des Charme. A guide rather than a chain or organisation. There are 22 establishments in Finistère. www.guidesdecharme.com

Last minute bookings - we found this link very helpful and full of bargains. www.breizhoo.fr

Villa des Anges - Landeda

Villa des Anges. Tel: 0033 298 04 90 04. We stayed here at the end of our first day. These self catering apartments are very well laid out and decorated, with wonderful views of the bay. Rates are from 110 to 165 euro per night. www.baie-des-anges.com

Gallery

Books and maps about Finistère

Driving? Plan your route - route planners

Events in Finistère

 - Fêtes de Musique (June each year), is a series of events all over France around the theme of music. Many events are free, and most communities seem to participate in some way or other. www.fetedelamusique.culture.fr

 - Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days) Various towns. Every year in September. France's Heritage Days give visitors the chance to take a peep behind the doors of more than 14,000 buildings which are usually closed to the public. All over the country visitors queue for hours to catch a glimpse inside their politicians' homes, or to visit the seats of power. Many museums also open their doors for free. The theme for 2004 was science and technology. www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr

Events in North and Central Finistère. www.finisteretouring.com

Portsmouth Port, excellent events listings. www.portsmouth-port.co.uk

 - Via France. www.viafrance.com

- Maison de la France. uk.franceguide.com

 - What's on When. www.whatsonwhen.com

- Infotourism.net, an independent site with some useful information. www.infotourisme.net

- Le Monde des Arts (current cultural shows in France). www.lemondedesarts.com

Forthcoming events in Finistère (29)

Events in Brittany / Food and other themed events in France

Restaurants in Brest / Finistère

Restaurants in France / Food terms

Spas in Finistere

- Thalasso Douarnenez, Rue des Professeurs Curie. BP 4. Tréboul (South of Brest). 29100 Douarnenez. Tel: 0033 825 00 42 30. www.thalasso.com/douarnenez

 - l'Armor, Thalasso Hotel, Rue Victor Hugo. Dinard. Tel: 0033 298 29 20 20.

Tourist Offices in Finistere (29). www.finisteretourisme.com

Comité Départemental du Tourisme - BP 1419. 29104 Quimper Cedex. Tel: 0033 298 76 20 70.

North and Central Finistère. www.finisteretouring.com

Brest Tourist Office, Place de la Liberté - BP 91012. 29210 Brest cedex 1. Tel: 0033 298 44 24 96. www.brest-metropole-tourisme.fr

Town Hall. Tel: 0033 298 44 24 96. www.brest.fr

Chambres de Commerces. www.cci-brest.fr

Roscoff; 46, rue Gambetta, BP 58, 29681 Roscoff Cedex. Tel: 0033 298 61 12 13. Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00am - 12.30pm, 1.30 - 7.00pm. Sunday and Public Holidays 10.00am to 12.00 noon. Information point at the ferry terminal (summer) Tel: 0033 298 61 18 06. www.roscoff-tourisme.com

Quimper; www.quimper.cci.fr

Tourist Offices in Brittany / France

Useful links:

- Breizhoo, excellent source of information. www.breizhoo.fr

 - Bretagne.com, useful site. www.bretagne.com

Weather in Finistère

Brest / Landeda / Ouessant

Travel and Gîte hire companies

Useful Outside links

 - ABTOF, the Association of British Tour Operators to France. Tel: 01989 769 140. www.holidayfrance.org.uk