Page 266 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Brittany

264  SUR VIV AL GUIDE

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Brittany is easy to reach by air, train, road or connecting flight or train from there; Brittany
ferry. The region’s four main airports – at has fast rail links from Paris and the rest of
Brest, Dinard, Nantes and Rennes – receive France. If you choose to drive from Paris by
direct flights from many parts of the UK and autoroute, it takes around 3 to 6 hours. There
the rest of Europe. Long-haul travellers are also frequent ferry services to Breton
generally fly first to Paris and then catch a ports from the UK and Ireland.

Green Travel Airports
If you don’t hike or cycle,
Travelling without leaving a however, exploring the Breton The airport of Brest-Bretagne is
massive carbon footprint is countryside without a car can 10 km (6 miles) northeast of the
easy in France thanks to the be difficult, and will take time, city. From the UK there are
high quality of public transport, as local buses are often slow regular flights with Flybe from
especially the SNCF rail network and infrequent. Birmingham, Edinburgh,
(see pp266–7). Manchester, Newcastle and
The French love to cycle, Southampton. There are also
and there are spaces to carry Arriving by Air flights from Barcelona and Paris,
bikes on most SNCF trains; Flights from the UK and the Marseille and other French
information on cycle facilities rest of Europe land at one of airports. Brest is also the
on the railways can be Brittany’s four international departure point for Finist’Air
found on the SNCF website. airports: Brest, Dinard, Nantes light-plane flights to Île
France has been a pioneer and Rennes. Three more small d’Ouessant.
in the development of airports, at Lannion, Quimper Dinard airport, 5 km (3 miles)
free-access cycle schemes, and Lorient, receive only south of Dinard, serves St-Malo
such as Bicloo in Nantes and domestic flights. and the north coast. It is chiefly
Vélo Star in Rennes. Tourist Travellers from outside used by Ryanair, with flights
offices will have information Europe usually need to fly to from London Stansted and East
on all cycle hire facilities and Paris first, and get a domestic Midlands. There are also small-
bike routes. flight or train to Brittany from plane flights to Guernsey with Air
Brittany has an exceptional there. From North America Aurigny, but no domestic flights.
network of long-distance foot- there are frequent flights to Nantes-Atlantique, 8 km
paths, including the famous Paris from about 20 cities, (5 miles) southwest of Nantes,
GR34, which goes all around with Air Canada, Air France, is the largest airport in Brittany
the coast, and the Voies Vertes American Airlines, Delta and and the west of France. A new
(green ways), a series of hiking, other airlines. The only direct airport, Aéroport du Grand Ouest,
cycling and horse-riding trails flights to Brittany are operated 30 km northwest of Nantes, was
that criss-cross the country, by Air Transat from Montreal scheduled to open in 2017 but
bypassing roads on long- to Nantes (May–October only). may be delayed. From the UK and
distance routes such as from There are no direct flights to Ireland there are flights with Flybe
St-Malo to Rennes. For more Paris from Australia or New (Southampton and Manchester),
information, visit Rando Zealand, so changing in easyJet (London Gatwick),
Bretagne or the Brittany Singapore, London or another CityJet (London City and Cork)
Tourism website (see p258). airport is necessary. and Ryanair and Aer Lingus
(Dublin). There are also flights
with Air France, its budget airline
Hop! and other airlines from
many cities in France and the rest
of Europe, and some long-haul
services, including Air Transat
flights from Montreal in summer.
Rennes-St-Jacques, 6 km
(4 miles) southwest of Rennes,
has many domestic services
from Paris, Marseille and other
cities. From the UK there are
Flybe flights from Manchester,
Southampton, Birmingham,
Newcastle, London City, London
Southend and Exeter (some
summer-only); in summer Aer
Passengers disembarking from an Air France aircraft Lingus flies from Dublin and Cork.

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