Brittany - advice for a base for 2020 cruise

[West Coast]

Planning ahead for summer 2020 as if this is to work I need to begin negotiations well ahead for some extended leave from work

I am based in the Clyde, usually cruise Scotland west coast but plan to cruise to Brittany in summer 2020. Boat is 44' Jeanneau, 2.3m draft. Focus area is SW Brittany. I am weighing up whether to negotiate extended leave (3 - 4 weeks) to allow trip south, 2 weeks there and trip home. However, if I cannot take such an extended break in one go, alternative is trip south, base the boat there for a month or two, flying out for 2 weeks (other family members may use the boat in the interim) then sail the boat home. There seem to be flights to Rennes, then an approx 2 - 3 hour journey to the Brittany coast.

So - what would the suggestions be for a good location to keep the boat if I break the cruise in this way? Would want to keep the cost reasonable, but access to-fro airport would be important also.

Thanks........

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Lorient has a lot going for it, Benodet is an easy bus ride from Rennes SNCF, don't know about the airport. . I'm looking forward to other peoples' suggestions..

 

[Bandit]

Its a long way, why not sail down hard with a bunch of mates leave it these for a couple of weeks have a summer extended cruise then leave it there over winter and do the reverse in 2021?

 

[[3889]]

Its a long way, why not sail down hard with a bunch of mates leave it these for a couple of weeks have a summer extended cruise then leave it there over winter and do the reverse in 2021?

If you can get further east Pornichet is on train line to Nantes for airport. Otherwise Vannes for train to Rennes airport. AFAIK, there are no direct flights from Brittany to Scotland (assumming you live there).
Edit. Just re-read the Rennes flight bit. Vannes is your best bet. Train from Rennes, marina in city centre, immediate access to Golf du Morbihan and best sailing bits - Belle Ile, Houat, Groix and Glenans

 

[Bandit]

Brest Airport to London Southend or Southampton. Roscoff Plymouth Brittany Ferries.

 

[dunedin]

Having sailed that area then returned to the Clyde, I would recommend that you research where you can fly to from Glasgow or Edinburgh airports then work from there.
We mostly had to go via Stanstead, and left boat at Vannes and St Malo - as well as over wintering in La Rochelle.
Would agree with suggestion of ideally going South one year and back the next, to have time to enjoy the new location (though many hardy types have done a rapid round trip from here).

 

[West Coast]

Thanks for the ideas. An extended stay in the area would not really work for me as I would have very limited opportunities to use the boat while so far away outside of the holiday allowance I have from work.

 

[robertj]

You could always cruise the south coast, get ripped off there then not have a enough cash left for a cruise of Brittany? Lol

 

[robertj]

Or
Ask someone to deliver it to say benodet etc? There’s quite a few wanting to get their mileage in. Then go from there?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Rennes is a small airport and I know there are flights to and from it to Manchester and Southampton as I have done both but they are not everyday.
However as you have very limited time one suggestion is to blast down to La Rochelle leave it there and then take your 3 weeks to make your way back North. To make it work you may have to break your delivery trip and return trip by leaving the boat in Falmouth or Cork. Other than that any of the ports around Lorient should be good with airports and bus links to airports.
You will have a very tight schedule even with good weather moving the boat from the west of Scotland and S Brittany and back within 4 weeks let alone 3. Your plan is ambitious and you will spend all your time on the water with little or none to enjoy the area.

 

[Daydream believer]

Why not go to cherbourg, get 25%discount for rya members. Ferry to uk. Hire a car from enterprise and drive north with crew and gear drop car off your end which enterprise allow. They will also deliver car to your door and to ferry at southern end. Car hire and fuel is cheaper than a lot of transport and easy to carry gear.
From cherbourg you can nip through to guernsey in 7 hours and through to france dead easy. Then back to cherbourg. Get a long weekend to do delivery collection to and from cherbourg. It is safe place to keep boat and fairly cheap

 

[[70521]]

Its a long way, why not sail down hard with a bunch of mates leave it these for a couple of weeks have a summer extended cruise then leave it there over winter and do the reverse in 2021?

That is what I'd do.

Do a "delivery trip" to Roscoff. The family can join you there then have an enjoyable trip.

I am currently based in Plymouth and there are a number of owners have moved to Roscoff and are very happy with the over wintering services there.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Roscoff isn't S Brittany although the coast is quite nice it's different sailing once past the Raz.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Travel wise I would forget airports in Brittany-too restrictive. I would fly Glasgow/Edinburgh to London City or Heathrow and then Eurostar to Paris and then TGV or OUI to Nantes, Vannes, Brest etc. Much more flexible date and time wise. Did Southern Holland to Pornic that way. Easy peasy !

 

[dunedin]

Why not go to cherbourg, get 25%discount for rya members. ............

Cherbourg is one heck of a detour for a boat coming from West of Lands End and heading for South Brittany - over 300 miles extra.
Even a Scotsman wouldn’t go that far for a 25% marina discount

And whilst Roscoff is indeed good for ferries to England, the OP would not have a car there having sailed south from the Clyde (and my experience with one way car hire has been very expensive).

 

[[70521]]

Roscoff isn't S Brittany although the coast is quite nice it's different sailing once past the Raz.

And whilst Roscoff is indeed good for ferries to England, the OP would not have a car there having sailed south from the Clyde (and my experience with one way car hire has been very expensive).

I've clearly not communicated my suggestion well.

The Clyde - Roscoff passage should be see as a boat positioning trip. Once at Roscoff the family can join the OP and sail wherever they want. If, as was suggested in a previous post the OP was to overwinter the boat in France then, from anecdotal evidence of other owners, Roscoff is a good place to store a boat before collecting it for a return journey to the Clyde.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Travel wise I would forget airports in Brittany-too restrictive. I would fly Glasgow/Edinburgh to London City or Heathrow and then Eurostar to Paris and then TGV or OUI to Nantes, Vannes, Brest etc. Much more flexible date and time wise. Did Southern Holland to Pornic that way. Easy peasy !

Further to earlier post just thought : fly Glasgow/Edinburgh to Schipol/Paris and onward by train to S. Brittany. Would be much quicker than via London.
Have flown Gatwick to Nantes, Brest to Birmingham but S.Brittany by air is restricted to certain days or awkward to reach UK airports.

 

[West Coast]

You will have a very tight schedule even with good weather moving the boat from the west of Scotland and S Brittany and back within 4 weeks let alone 3. Your plan is ambitious and you will spend all your time on the water with little or none to enjoy the area.

Hopefully can get 4 weeks, reckoning on having 2 weeks clear cruising and exploring the area. But part of the adventure will be the trips there and back. Will likely get some friends to do the longer trips, with wife joining me there for the 2 weeks cruise

 

[West Coast]

Cherbourg is one heck of a detour for a boat coming from West of Lands End and heading for South Brittany - over 300 miles extra.
Even a Scotsman wouldn’t go that far for a 25% marina discount

And whilst Roscoff is indeed good for ferries to England, the OP would not have a car there having sailed south from the Clyde (and my experience with one way car hire has been very expensive).

Indeed - plan is to get to Scillies and then to west of Brittany. First stop somewhere in the Brest area. I did this many years ago (30+) and our first stop was Camaret.

 

[West Coast]

I've clearly not communicated my suggestion well.

The Clyde - Roscoff passage should be see as a boat positioning trip. Once at Roscoff the family can join the OP and sail wherever they want. If, as was suggested in a previous post the OP was to overwinter the boat in France then, from anecdotal evidence of other owners, Roscoff is a good place to store a boat before collecting it for a return journey to the Clyde.

Thanks, but Roscoff would be too far east. Plan rather from scillies to Brest area.