Slow travel: Discovering the best of Brittany without a car

26.06.2024 - 16:41 / lonelyplanet.com

Jun 26, 2024 • 5 min read

Our slow travel series explores how you can take more mindful journeys by train, boat, bus or bike – with tips on how to reach your no-fly destination, and what to see and do along the way. Here, Rebecca Crowe explains how she explored the northern-French region of Brittany and beyond using the extensive public transport network.  

Visit Brittany, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Colorful timbered buildings, medieval forts and worn cobblestone streets all but dare you to slow down and savor the details as you explore. 

Other than a friend who currently lives in the region, I knew next to nothing about (or no one in) Brittany. Yet as a budget traveler who loves to get away from the crowds, the region’s numerous small towns, each with its own culinary heritage and history, intrigued me. So I set off – sustainably. 

Gateway to Brittany, the striking Gare de Rennes is where you can catch a train, city bus or metro, or long-distance coach. It’s packed with a mix of commuters striding confidently towards their destination, tourists huddled around translator apps and maps, and day trippers staring up at the departure boards. Skipping the ticket office, most travelers map their routes and buy their tickets using SCNF Connect. This invaluable app turned out to be my constant companion during my Brittany trip. 

Trains in Brittany are double-decker style, with plush seating, ambient temperatures and sometimes even a cafe car. A journey on the rails tends to be a relatively quiet and relaxing affair, with everyone absorbed in their own thing. 

By comparison, buses can feel a little like going on a school trip. The bus driver checks your tickets and throws any large baggage underneath. As you settle into your seat, the wi-fi you keep sniffing stops working as soon as you connect to it. The seat quality varies, but given how reasonable seats are compared to the train, you’ll be fine for a couple of hours – and have plenty of pastry money left over. 

Brittany abounds with intriguing destinations. On the way to popular Brest, a naval town in the far west, you might stop in charming St-Brieuc, which has colorful streets, hiker-friendly coastal trails and a fabulous art deco chapel. Alternatively, you could jump on a train or bus to Quimper, known for its majestic Gothic cathedral, stopping along the way at Lorient in coastal Morbihan, where a Celtic festival draws crowds each August. 

I opted to start in the coastal town of Vannes, whose half-timbered buildings, medieval ramparts and expansive views out onto the water are the stuff of fairy tales. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see someone emerging from one of the town’s delicious galette restaurants singing a song. 

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