Routes · Europe
Sydney to Brittany: Saint-Malo, Dinan and the Pink Granite Coast
Sydney → Saint-Malo → Dinan → Pink Granite Coast
Walled port, a medieval river town & pink rocks Best season (general guide): May–Sep
Brittany, in north-west France, is a land of granite coasts, Celtic heritage and crêpes. This route spends six nights between Saint-Malo, Dinan and the Pink Granite Coast. From Sydney you'll connect via Paris to Rennes, then drive to the coast. You can walk most of the way around the old town on top of the ramparts, looking out to sea.
How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Saint-Malo: day one, drive from Rennes to Saint-Malo; day two, ramparts and the Grand Bé at low tide; day three, beaches and the old harbour. Then spend day four in Dinan: Dinan and the Rance. Then spend days five and six on the Pink Granite Coast: day five, drive to Ploumanac'h; day six, walk the coastal path.
At low tide, you can walk to the Grand Bé, a small island where the writer Chateaubriand is buried; at high tide, the path disappears under water. Dinan, a short drive inland, is a medieval town of half-timbered houses on a hill above the Rance river, with a steep cobbled street down to the old port.
Further west, the Pink Granite Coast is named for its rocks, which glow pink and orange. Around Ploumanac'h, they have been worn into strange shapes by wind and sea. The Sentier des douaniers, the old customs officers' path, follows the shore past lighthouses and coves. Crêpes and galettes, made from buckwheat, are the Breton classics, often served with cider.
May to September is the mildest season, though rain can fall at any time. The ramparts walk in Saint-Malo is best timed with the tide tables, since the beaches and causeways below change completely between low and high water. Dinan is quieter in the evening, once day visitors leave, which makes it a pleasant base for an unhurried dinner.
Practical notes: a car is the easiest way to link the stops. Check tide tables before walking to the islands, and leave in good time, as the sea comes in fast.
Safety: Canada's advice for France is to exercise a high degree of caution (updated 11 August 2026), and the US rates France Level 2 (28 May 2025).
Suggested outline
Sydney
Saint-Malo
A walled port where tides cut off islands twice a day.
Dinan
A half-timbered town above the Rance river.
"Dinan Panorama.jpg" by Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence Pink Granite Coast
Rocks of pink granite and a customs officers' path.
"Cote Granite Rose pano.jpg" by Benh LIEU SONG, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Day by day
- Day 1 · Saint-Malo — Arrive; drive from Rennes to Saint-Malo· Sydney → Rennes (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day, then Rennes → Saint-Malo (overland)
- Day 2 · Saint-Malo — Ramparts and the Grand Bé at low tide
- Day 3 · Saint-Malo — Beaches and the old harbour
- Day 4 · Dinan — Dinan and the Rance· Saint-Malo → Dinan (overland)
- Day 5 · Pink Granite Coast — Drive to Ploumanac'h· Dinan → Pink Granite Coast (overland)
- Day 6 · Pink Granite Coast — Walk the coastal path
- Day 7 · Pink Granite Coast — Travel home from Pink Granite Coast· Pink Granite Coast → Rennes (overland), then Rennes → Sydney (by air)
A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.
Flights, leg by leg
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- Sydney → Saint-Malo (SYD → RNS) · Check today's price Search fares SYD → RNS · 3 Dec ↗
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Saint-Malo
Nearest airport: Rennes Search fares · Rennes ↗
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