A beginner traveler here going on my first real long trip.

>>1292414

What do you like to do for fun OP? I dont know the Brittany region too well but I do know that Normandy is worth checking out since you are so close. Definitely visit Mont st Michel (castle island off the coast) and plan atleast one day trip to Rouen (principle city of Normandy) to experience the true culture of northern France. Since you are American the beaches and american cemeteries at Normandy are also worth a look.

Dont overlook Paris or the south of France, either. Marseille / Cannes / Nice are all fantastic places to visit in Provence but getting there by car will be a pain in the ass. Tollroads are not only common in France but incredibly expensive, and combined with the price of petrol here it is easy to burn a hole in your wallet. Since money isnt apparently a concern for you its no big deal but you might want to check out car sharing services like blablacar to save money if and when your funds eventually deplete.

>I dont speak French

Work on that. Seriously. Outside of Paris or other tourist traps French people usually dont speak English. You will get so much more out of your trip even if you only have a basic grasp (A2-B1) of the language. I cant stress this enough - French people outside of Paris do not usually speak ANY english. This is not a meme.

Im happy to answer any other questions you have op - I'm also an American and live in France.

>>1292568
>What do you like to do for fun OP?
See cool stuff and drink. I'm not much of a partier but I like comfortable bars and nibbling on food and drinking.

I'll check out Normandy but what should I look out for?

Mont St Michael is probably one of the first things I'll do, what is special about Rouen?

Money is a concern but I will have a partner to share the costs. She is French, speaks French and English, and will be with me most of the time. This is partially why I'm not so concerned about the language barrier but I should be more proactive about learning. As far as the trip is concerned it is more about what I want to see and do and I have never had an interest in France so I don't know what I want to see and do. Stuff that fascinate me are history related, the older the better like castles or old standing architecture. Second would be extremely scenic and beautifully unique nature spots.

I'll look at my duolingo maybe tomorrow.

>>1292976
The older the better?

The south coast of Brittany has a lot of famous megalithic sites, though I haven't been there myself

>>1292414
Lots of old megalithic sites like tje other anon pointed out, especially Carnac
Quiberon
Saint-Malo
Le golf du Morbihan
Lots of cute little islands (Groix, Belle-Ile, Ile aux moines, Sein, Ouessant, Glenan, Brehat, Batz...)
Paimpol
Perros-Guirrec
Pont-Aven (where Van Gogh and Toulouse Lautrec came to paint)
Concarneau
Quimper
Rennes and Nantes are decent sized cities
A few old castles and churches
Music festivals even though mostly in summer
Oldest monument in Europe : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnenez
The coast offers great scenery in many parts of Britanny
I'm probably forgeting some but you have a base to work on

>>1293038
>Le golf du Morbihan
Stuff like this is great.

Any advice on food? Personally the more exotic the better. I've had calf brains before and escargot, both of which I plan on having again. What totally "out there" desserts or dishes are there?

>>1292568
>I dont speak French
That's ok. Most Bretons don't either.

>>1292976
Bavaria might better suit your tastes

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>>1294618
Absolute bullshit, I hope you were kidding mate

>>1294635
I don't see why. Bavaria is based but don't underestimate the hume amount of history related stuff in Brittany and Normandy, and all France for that matter.
I'll grant you Bavaria has the Alps, but if OP wanted "regular" mountains I'm pretty sure he would have looked for it immediatly instead of planning a trip to the ocean. Brittany coastline is its own kind of breath taking

+ It's not like France didn't t have its own Bavarias with castles and mountains. Obviously with a culture and architecture different from Bavaria, but my point being no need to suddenyl change the destination from France to Germany to see those things

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>>1294495
Crêpe is the typical breton dish, lots of seafood and fishes of course, Kig ha farz even thougb it isn't really out there, pic related Kouign amann is the best and most typical dessert Britanny has to offer imo

>>1294999
trips of Truth, kouign amann is fucking delicious. You may be surprised at first about the taste of "real' french butter, as none of the anglo-saxon (store bought) butters I ever tried had the same taste as fresh farm butter from Bretagne. But shit's addictive yo.

>>1294999
I've had this before and it was absolutely delicious but pretty heavy. When you eat it you just know it's loaded with so many calories. I was told to warm it up in the oven first which made it nice, totally worth it.

I've had crepes before but not galletes which I'm looking forward too.

>>1294642
What are some castles or other stuff like that nearby? Doesn't have to be castles but just about anything old and architecture oriented? The more unique, cool, or neater the better.
Your pic related is gorgeous btw.

>>1295071
As someone else mentioned, Mont Saint-Michel is a pretty safe bet when it comes to architecture.

Yes, it's a touristy trap overridden with Chinese, but for a reason, this place is amazing.

>>1295071
If you go to Normandy visit Bayeux. It has the tapestry, a good museum and another museum dedicated to the Normandy landings.

Caen has some other buildings related to William the Conqueror. There is a giant fortification in the middle of the town but the keep itself is a ruin.

>>1295071
If you're really into castles, you might want to see the Loire valley between Angers and Orléans. I'm living in Caen and I've been there for a couple of days recently, castles are everywhere, fees are a bit high though (typically around 10€ to visit).

I don't know where you're planning to arrive, but it could be worth beginning or ending your trip there.

I've heard the coast at the north of the Manche is beautiful (just above the Flamanville nuclear plant). Don't miss the Cap Fréhel in northern Brittany, the Côte de Granit Rose. If you push as far as Normandy, you must see the Etretat cliffs, and the small towns around on the coast are nice (Yport, etc). Bayeux is worth a stop for the cathedral and the tapestry.

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>>1295071
If you are looking for old architecture I recommend
>Locronan
>Moncontour
>Rochefort-en-Terre
>Saint-Suliac

I chose them because they are all on the list of France's most beautiful villages, for good reasons, and in Brittany. Link related, here's the map of all listed villages since you will have a car to go anywhere http://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/en/map-most-beautiful-villages-france
Not on the list but worth it are Dinan, Saint-Malo, Vannes. All worth it but too big to be on the list I mentionned. There's a small but old thing worth mentionning as well, the 800 y.o "oratoire de Saint-Guirec" in Ploumanac'h

Concerning castles, check out

>Château de Vitré
>Château de Suscinio
>Château de Pontivy
>Château des Ducs de Bretagne (in Nantes)
>Fort la Latte

For scenery stuff, check out

>The "Côte de granite rose" (pink granite coast)
>The cliffs of Cap Fréhel
>The cliffs of Plouha
>Saint-Brieuc bay
>The islands of Ouessant and Belle-Île-en-Mer
>The Monts d'Arrée, for their landscapes reminding Ireland or Wales

That's just for Britanny, but Normandy boasts the impressive Etretat cliffs and the Côte d’Albâtre, as well as the pretty Ecalgrain bay.

Some things I didn't mention like Concarneau because Anon already did here >>1293038 but are worth it

If you want to know more about megalithic sites, just ask

>>1292414
Also OP I just realized you're gonna be there for 3 fucking whole month, so even though there is plenty to do in and around Brittany don't hesitate to ask about other places in the country, seems lile you are into old stuff and we have plenty of it in every region

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>>1292976
>See cool stuff and drink

Cider is a big thing in Britanny and Normandy, and really excellent. Try Calvados as well, an apple spirit produced in Normandy, and Pommeau
I don't know much about beer breweries in Brittany, but the Northmæn farm/brewery in Normandy makes some good ones

OP come back and give us the (You)s we deserve
Also, bump

>>1292414
Visit Carcassonne mate

You should visit Dinard and St-Malo too, amazing cities with beautiful old houses.You can take the boat to cross the sea which separate both cities

>>1295889
Not OP but here ya go

>>1292976
>> drink
There are a few good beer, 1 or 2 made with sea water, try them.

>> stuff to see
go to Bréhat, a beatiful little island, visit the glassmaker there.

>> I'll be able to go anywhere in France btw with the car.
In that case, go to Strasbourg (The Cathédrale is one of the oldest in Europe), city is nice, food will be very different from what you'll find in Brittany. While in Alsace go to Mont Sainte-Odile and small cities like Ricquewihr or Ribeauvillé. Alsace is full of old castle and nice views.
Try Toulouse, also Carcassonne.
Puy de Dôme has some awesome scenic views.