Family Holidays in Brittany with babies, toddlers and kids

Family holidays in Brittany with Babies, Toddlers and Kids

Brittany is situated in the North West coast of France and is an ideal family holiday destination – particularly if you are travelling from the UK and Ireland as you can take the ferry. Brittany’s clean, sandy beaches are great for babies and toddlers and there are a number of family resorts dotted along the endless and stunning coastline.

The seaside towns have plenty of restaurants to suit all budgets and families will also have a huge choice of accommodation including campsites, hotels, gites and guesthouses providing bed and breakfast. You will be able to get all of your baby and toddler essentials in the towns and cities. The selection of baby food is excellent. Many of the smaller towns charge exorbitant prices for kids clothes and beach toys so make sure you bring these with you if possible.

Brittany is made up of four departments – Finistere, Cotes D’armor, Morbihan and Ille et Vilaine – each offering something different for families. Brittany’s most striking towns are the walled medieval cities such as Dinan, Vitré and the ports of St-Malo in the north and Vannes in the south. Concarneau has a wonderful fortress with a museum, park and restaurants inside.

Finistere is a great option for families. It is an hour from Roscoff and there are plenty of activities and campsites suitable for families with younger kids. The city of Breast has Oceanopolis. a large aquarium with some striking displays and Pont Aven is an idyllic little hamlet with a lovely market which is held once a week. Port Manec’h is set at the mouth of the Aven Estuary and was one of the great holiday centres of the Belle Epoque.

There are loads of castles and forts, particularly in the western more Celtic part of the region. There are also plenty of adventure parks, nature sanctuaries, gardens, zoos and aquariums. Brittany is also the home of the perfect crêpe, both sweet and savoury.

Baby & Toddler Essentials

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding in public is perfectly acceptable in France. Remember to keep hydrated if it is warm.

Water and Baby Formula

Use bottled water with a low sodium and mineral content to prepare formula. Picot, Erielac, Guigoz. Gallia, Bledilait, Hipp Organic, Enfamil are brands of milk readily available in the region. You will also be able to find Milupa Aptamil however it may taste different to Aptamil produced in the UK and Ireland so if you have a fussy baby ensure that you bring the amount of formula that you need with you. If you want hungry baby milk, look for epaisse written on the carton.

Baby Food

Food: Food brands available include Bledina, Carrefour Bebe, Good Gout Baby Bio, Nature Nes by Nestle, Hipp, Holle Bio.

Nappies

You will be able to find Pampers in larger supermarkets and French nappies are high quality.

Supermarkets in Brittany

You will find all your essentials in supermarkets in towns and cities throughout the region. Larger chains which will stock all you need include: Geant, Le Clerc, Marche Plus, Carrefour, Lidl, Cora, Champion, Shopi and Stoc. If possible, visit a hypermarket, where you will be spoiled for choice.

When to Go

It gets quite warm during the peak season of July and August. Prices are also at their highest. However, if you travel outside of peak season, you will find most tourist attractions open between March and October. The sea is warm enough to swim in between around mid-June and mid-September. Don’t rule out visits during the colder months, either – the countryside is beautiful, and there are plenty of opportunities for coastal walks and for visiting the sights when they are not so crowded.

Getting Around

The best way to see Brittany is by car and the roads are all toll free. There are excellent train and bus routes serving the region. See SNCF for more information. If you are travelling with a baby or toddler, most trains will be equipped with a baby changing table and many stations will have stroller accessible platforms however, be prepared to carry your stroller up a few steps. If you decide to travel by bus you will need to stow your stroller under the bus on longer journeys however many of the more local buses are stroller accessible and you should be able to wheel your stroller onto the bus and park it provided it is not too busy. Under 4’s travel free on public transport in France.