Review of Inntravel's self-guided walking holiday in Brittany

Catherine Mack takes time out from children to explore the coast of Brittany on Inntravel's Granite Coast of Brittany self-guided walking holiday

The stunning Plage de Trestrignel. Photo: Catherine MackNo driving, no cooking, no children, no thinking. Lots of walking, sleeping, reading, swimming, good food and fine wine. These were the demands of two working mothers on our first ever week away from our kids. So no pressure, Inntravel , who was organising the independent walking holiday we had chosen, with the post school run train from London to Plymouth and overnight ferry to Roscoff, walking along the Pink Granite Coast of Brittany for five days, being fed and watered the whole way ticking every 'I'm a Mum, get me out of here!' box just perfectly.

Opportunities like this don't come very often for mothers, and with mixed feelings of total exhilaration, freedom and nerves, my mate Katie and I had high expectations of recreating some of the independent, pre-children wanderlust that had been left unnurtured for too long. From the minute the Ordnance Survey maps arrived in the post, and a detailed itinerary of daily recommended walks from one hotel to another, we both embraced the Girl Guide-ness of it all, revelling in this new focus in our lives, comparing notes on walking poles and hiking boots rather than childcare, curricula and cake sales.

On the beach near Tregastel. Photo: Catherine MackThe journey itself was bliss, allowing us to slow down and breathe again from the minute we got on the train. You can read more details and a video of getting there the green way on my Rail and Sail to Brittany video. From the minute we arrived at Guingamp station, about half an hour from Roscoff, where a taxi picked us up to take us to our first hotel, we realised that Inntravel ran a tight ship in terms of its travel logistics. We hardly needed to think at all, with taxi transfers and hotel reservations all organised and put in a clever voucher system. .Nor could they have picked a better starting point than the sumptuous 17th century Manoir de Troezel Vras, a family-run chambre d’hôtes stone manor house, all restored with minimal chic, boasting fine antique furniture and superb Breton art.

From here it was about a forty minutes' walk to the sea, and although we didn't have a recommended itinerary for our first day, Inntravel presuming perhaps that we would just want to settle into our hotel after the journey, these girl guides were itching to get their hiking badge as soon as they could. I even threw my swimsuit into my backpack to test the waters we were going to follow over the next week. Following picture-box-pretty poppy and hydrangea lined country lanes, with country manors and stone farm houses all beautifully maintained in a way that made this feel more like the home counties than wildest Celtic Brittany, our first sight of the sea finally came into view, peaking through the elderflower trees which lined a grassy path down to the shore. From here, the scenery rapidly lost any signs of Britishness, with artichoke fields and swaying grasses juxtaposed with a harsh rocky coastline dotted with tiny islands, one of them housing a mini chateau, no less.

Exploring cliffs in Tregastel. Photo: Catherine MackWe spent two nights at Troezel Vras, feasting on Jean-Marie’s cooking with scallops, seared sea bass and home made crème brulee all par for the course, accompanied by his witty repartee, wise and welcoming partner, Francoise, and a fine collection of Breton malt whisky to boot. Packed off with our picnics, and plenty of water, we headed out on our all day walking adventures the next day following, for the most part, the GR34 path, one of France’s 60,000 kms of walking trails, or ‘Grande Randonées’. With the help of Inntravel’s detailed directions as well as helpful tips on where to stop for a coffee, culture or comfort break, there was no chance of us getting lost, especially with the brilliantly efficient French GR system of red and white markers along every route.

The second full day of walking led us across rocky bays, along country lanes which led down to dunes and more sandy beaches, then back through fecund fields again, making up a 15K circular trail. It also led us into the ancient town of Pleubian, home to an enormous outdoor pulpit, where pilgrims must have trodden the same paths as us to hear their Sabbath sermon. We stopped for lunch at Port Beni beach, a tiny fishing village, where the tides teased us and I dug out my swimsuit. But as the clouds came in, I chickened out, and decided to save my sea swimming badge for another day.

The seascapes started to vary every day, as we proceeded west along this almost deserted coast, where we met no more than a handful of people, despite it being the beginning of June. It must get busier in peak season, I thought, but as Katie pointed out, there is little evidence of mass tourism, just small villages or towns with a creperie here and a brasserie there. One of the biggest hubs was on our third night, where our luggage had been safely deposited for us at the Hotel Aigue Marine in Tréguier, a large market town on the confluence of the Jaudy and Guindy rivers. Our 15kms walk into Treguier was also a confluence of varying land and seascapes, with Brittany’s famous pink granite shores segueing into gladed estuaries and creeks, which suddenly emerged into full on coast again, awash with thousands of magical islands boasting cottages, campsites or, quite simply, burgeoning colonies of seabirds.

On the cliff path between Treguier and Perros-Guirec. Photo: Catherine MackThe hotel Aigue Marine, very different to the last, felt like it hadn’t changed much since the 50’s, but in the most charming way possible. We didn’t see much of it anyway, too exhausted even to try out their outdoor pool. Like all hotels chosen by Inntravel, they are locally owned and specialise in local food when possible, and although this one mightn’t have had the front cover of a design magazine feel about it, it was warm and welcoming and the food, including langoustines, sea bream and a glass or two of Breton cider completely won us over and wiped us out.

Walking from Tréguier, to Perros-Guirec was one of my favourite walks, with the whole coastline starting to explode into various shades of pink, the rocks getting bigger and their shapes getting weirder. Just as cloud watching has now become cult, you could spend hours here watching the granite formations twist and turn into giants, whales, turrets or whatever you want. These enormous natural sculptures, which culminate in the natural sculpture part at Ploumanac’h, totter on the edge of cliffs, or balance at the top of a mound in a display worthy of Goldworthy, inviting the daring to climb to the top and take in the magnificence of each of these bays.

The Brittany weather does, famously, keep you on our toes, with every season crying for attention on an hourly basis. You need to bring everything in your walking backpack on this trip really, raingear being regularly swapped for t-shirts and fleeces for swimsuits, with the blue as the Med, but cold as the Kent coast calling, siren like, to be swum in on regular intervals. Nothing beats that feeling of taking off your hiking boots and wandering over soft sand into the sea, a series of elemental highs hitting within the space of a few minutes.

For starters at Manoir du Sphinx. Photo: Catherine MackBut ‘be prepared’ and bring a flask, as there are moments when a cup of tea would have gone down a treat, especially after those quick dips, such as at the stunning beach at Perros-Guirec. We hadn’t thought of that one, but Katie did win my travel companion of the year award when she produced a surprise hipflask full of single malt during a late night stroll on the Plage de Trestrignel, overlooked by another of our most sumptuous sleepover spots, the Hotel Manoir du Sphinx, where we toasted independence, fresh air, fine food, rest, Brittany’s beauty and, of course, friendship.

From here we walked to Tregastel, not the most attractive of towns at first sight, until you explore the shores and rocks which surround it and all within ten minutes’ walking distance, of course. The Ile aux Lapins, for example, which is accessible when the tide is low, has en enviable supply of the natural sculptures, and a bay covered in smooth backed granite mounds just begging to be swum to, climbed on and dived off. This was where I spotted sea kayakers, and wished we had set aside enough time to organise some, so do check this out as it would be a great way to explore some of the caves and inlets.

Our last hotel, the Park Hotel Bellevue in Tregastel, was where Katie was seen to post on Facebook, “Catherine and I have just discovered there is an honesty bar in our hotel. See you in a couple of months!” Here we mused over our week, and wondered why it had taken us so long to treat ourselves to take a proper break like this, and vowed to keep walking, even if it was just for an overnight getaway, every term. So, to any other Mums, desperate to get away from it all, just get a great mate, beg and bribe childcare, pack your walking boots and take a long, slow break, letting Inntravel, the Brown Owl of them all, to do the organising and thinking for you. It was, quite simply, the best thing both of us have done in years.

Catherine Mack travelled with Inntravel on the Granite Coast of Brittany self-guided walking holiday. From £895 per person based on 2 sharing, including 7 nights' B&B accommodation, 5 dinners, 4 picnic lunches, luggage transfers, itineraries and maps, rail and taxi transfers from Roscoff. The ferry is extra.

Take the train from London to Plymouth with First Great Western and then ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff with Brittany Ferries, which operates up to two return trips from Plymouth to Roscoff a day. Return foot passenger fares start from £54 per person. See plan our journey section: Ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff for detailed itineraries and booking information.

For information on other self-guided and guided walking holidays throughout Europe go to our walking holidays page.

For information on green places to stay in France, see all our French accommodation.