Description
Saint Brieuc is the administrative capital of the Côtes-d'Armor departement in Brittany.
Access
By train
By TGV from Paris Montparnasse. St Brieuc is on the TGV Ouest line between Paris and Brest. There are about 10 trains a day. In some cases you may need to change trains in Rennes. The train ride takes about 3 hours.
By car
St Brieuc is on the N12 expressway about 1.5 hours from Rennes. Watch out for the speed cams on the bridges.
By ferry
You can transit through Roscoff (2 hours by car to the West) or Saint-Malo 1.5 hours to the east. Brittany Ferries runs overnight car and passenger ferries from southern English ports of Portsmouth and Plymouth.
By plane
St Brieuc has a tiny airport. The only flights landing are those from the Channel Islands. It's a fast but expensive way of getting here. Ryan Air flies from London Stansted and East Midlands to Dinard Pleurtuit Airport which is about 1.5 hours to the East. Also from March 2008, Skybus will operate a service between St. Brieuc and Newquay Cornwall Airport, 4 days per week.
Transportation
The local bus network (TUB) rserves the St Brieuc urban area. This is similar in scope to any equivalent sized French city. In the region a patchy network of buses exists (Bus D'armor).
It's best not to depend on this as your sole means of transport as the service is very irregular.
Foot – the centre is compact and walkable. There is really no need to get a bus unless you are staying in the suburbs.
Activities and Sightseeing
Saint Brieuc doesn't offer the same tourist draws as other historic towns in the area such as Dinan and Saint Malo. However it's a great place to stroll around and observe a fairly typical working French town. It does have a lively arts scene. During the summer you can enjoy a lot of free music. Talent from all over France descends on the town. Summer music festivals such as les Nocturnes and L'Autour du Blues (at Binic) are big pulls.
The city is blessed with a series of valleys. Two rivers meet (Gouessant and Gouedic) here before they empty into the sea. Very scenic views on the approach to St Brieuc on the N12.
- Shopping – Rue Marechal Foch. All the regular French Chains can be found here.
- Listening to Music- There are quite a few buskers playing folk and traditional Breton music in and around the Rue St Guillaume.
- Les Nocturnes – during the long summer evenings in July and August the local council lays on a musical extravaganza in various public locations throughout the town. The emphasis is on traditional Breton, blues and world music.
- Strolling around – Exploring the Place Du Chai and admiring the architecture at the Place au Lin. Sitting in the Place Du Chai enjoying a cafe au lait and watching the world go about its business.
- Nearby – resorts of Binic and Le Val Andre are a must. Very lively and bustling with young people. St Brieuc is like a support town for the Cote du Pentievre and the Cote du Goelo that draw people from all over France and Europe
Shopping
Your usual Breton souvenirs. St Brieuc is not full of tourist trinkets. (mercifully) It's more your regular French large town. Most of the consumables you'd find in any town are available.
Celtic art gift shops have sprung up in the past 5 years. Cufflinks with triskell motifs make good presents. The Breton flag (Gwennadu) also looks mean on a T-shirt.
Restaurants
- Au Pesked, 59 rue du legue. Recommended restaurant. Great seafood but a little pricey. It's a bit out of town. About 1 km north of the city centre.
- Les Bains Champ de Mars, a favourite Brasserie. Really decent grub served in a fastidious Parisian manner. Nice wine en carafe and wide selection of daily lunch specials.
Nightlife
Any of the places on Place du Chay. The most lively place in St Brieuc.
Lodging
There's Youth Hostel about 2.5 km out of town (Manoir de la ville guyomard).
If that doesn't float your boat there are numerous 2 star hotels in the immediate city centre.
Out of town at Langueux (new commercial development 2 klicks east of town on the N12). There are the regular French motel type chains. Formule 1 and Ibis (Yffiniac) are represented there.
See the Listing of the Hotels in Saint-Brieuc
Nearby
- Sea and Sun await at the nearby – Cote du Goelo (to the northwest) and Cote du Penthievre (to the East)
- Visit Erquy the capital of the Coquille St Jacques and the breathtaking Cap D'Erquy. This beauty sport is where the author of the Asterix comics drew inspiration for the valiant Gaul's home village.