Walking Holidays
France

Emerald Coast

The Emerald coast in France is home to some of Brittany’s most impressive coastlines, with dramatic rocky headlands jutting into the sea, enclosing picturesque coves of beautiful golden sand. Each day’s trail on this independent walking holiday changes character from the opulent villas of Dinard and the fabulous historic walled town of St Malo to the wild heathland and stunning 70m cliffs of the Frehel Peninsula. Your walking trail follows a beautiful path known as Chemin des Douaniers (Customs’ trail) which for almost all of its length hugs the Brittany coastline passing through a number of pretty sea-side resorts such Saint-Briac, Saint Lunaire, and Erquy. Inbetween you’ll discover sheltered beaches, tiny fishing ports, wild and scenic headlands as well as dramatic wooded coastlines which have a 'lost world' feel to them. Our 5-day self-guided walking holiday cherry-picks the best sections of this part of Brittany's beautiful coastline and can be shortened or lengthened to tailor it to your wishes.

Holiday Profile

6 nights/7 days: 5 days independent walking moving between guest houses

Dates

Everday of week subject to availability during 1 April to 31 October

Walking Profile & Grade

Walks on this self guided holiday in Brittany are through undulating coastline alternating between easy and moderate walking, distances varying between 15 & 18km per day. On most days the amount of up and downs is no more than 300m. Some days feel harder as they constantly rise and descend, sometimes on steps, and so it is harder to find a rhythm. The paths are well maintained and for the most part well sign posted.

This walking holiday is graded moderate. You should have some experience of day walking and be in reasonable health. See more information about walking grades.

Accommodation & Meals

6 nights accommodation in several charming small guest houses and hotels in double or twin rooms with own bathrooms. A variety of styles with good hospitality and comfortable accommodation throughout.

When to Travel

Our self-guided walking holiday on the Emerald Coast is available from the beginning of April to the end of October. Brittany has a typical maritime climate with warm summers and mild winters. Average summer temperatures are around 21ºC - 27º C (70° F -80º F) with winter temperatures rarely falling below freezing especially along the coast. Rainfall occurs regularly but in-between, sunny, cloudless days are also common. In the summer months, temperatures in the region can reach 30 °C however, the climate generally remains comfortable when compared to further south in France.

April average daytime temperatures are 14°C, climbing to 20°C by the time you get to June, whilst May is the wettest of these 3 months. As well as being the warmest months, July and August are generally also the driest months and on average each have 2 day’s with some rain per week. September is similar to June with warm days at 20°C, but is slighly wetter on average. October however, is considerably more unsettled than the other months and has much reduced sunshine totals.

Navigation, Walking Notes & Maps

Most of this walking holiday follows the red and white waymarks of the GR34 long distance GR trail. The markings are regular. Smal sections will also follow local trails waymarked in yellow. There is a fairly dense network of signposts with place names and directions. The walking follows clear paths, tracks and minor roads for its entire duration. Our walking notes are very detailed (more information here) and include intermediate distances for sections of the trail. They also include information about the sites which can be explored along the route. We supply one walking guide per person on this holiday. As well as the detailed walking notes we supply official walking maps produced by IGN at a scale of 1:25,000. Your trail is highlighted on the maps.

Luggage Transfers

On this walking holiday your main luggage is transferred between guest houses so you only have to carry a day rucksack with picnic lunch (supplied by the guest houses and included in the holiday price), water and spare clothes, waterproofs, camera etc. On this holiday a local taxi company is responsible for transporting your main luggage, so if you have any specific requests such as a lift to the next guest house then you can speak with the taxi driver. Please limit the weight of your bags where possible to 20kg. We only use hotels and small guest houses in historic buidlings and some of the rooms are accessible by stairs.

Travel Info

Make your own way to your first guest house in St Malo

By Ferry:

Brittany Ferries run from Portsmouth to St Malo in Brittany whilst Condor Ferries run from Weymouth and Poole to St Malo. Your guest house is within walking distance of the ferry terminal. If you arrive by car, there are long stay car parks outside of the main historic centre.

By Train:

Eurostar and the TGV run trains from London to Paris where you need to change and make you way to Paris Montparnasse. Take a TGV train either direct to St Malo or to Rennes and change to take a local ter train to St Malo.

Flights:

Ryan Air run flights to Dinard from East Midlands. Short taxi journey to St Malo.

Transfer at end of holiday to Lamballe train station.

Further Information & Advice

For useful advice about independent walking and preparing for your self guided holiday please take a look at the articles in our top-tips section. Once you have booked on this independent walking or trekking holiday, further information about the walking, the region and what to bring, will be sent to you. We do have a web page dedicated to what clothes and equipment you should bring. Please contact us if you need any further information.

Travel Insurance

All customers booking with High Point Holidays are required to have suitable travel insurance to include cover suitable for the activity as well as emergency evacuation and medical treatment. You are required to accept our terms

• From €1095 
• Prices are per person and based on 2 sharing a room
• Optional extra night at Dinan with boat trip down the Rance Estuary €170 p/p
• Loyalty scheme reduction applies for returning customers (see terms and conditions)