We’ve stayed at four different campsites across Brittany, two of them in Carnac, plus one further north on the Pink Granite Coast and one up near Dol-de-Bretagne for an October half term. Between the megalithic stones, the sandy bays and the granite coastal paths, there’s a lot more to do here than just lie by the pool, even if the pools themselves are pretty hard to leave. This is our list of the days out we’ve actually done with the girls, plus a couple of the big regional names worth knowing about, alongside our Brittany campsite guide if you haven’t picked where to stay yet.
Carnac is the part of Brittany we keep coming back to. We first stayed at Camping des Menhirs in 2020, then returned to the same stretch of coast for a stay at La Grande Métairie de Kermario this year. We’ve also pitched our own tent for ten nights on the Pink Granite Coast at Le Ranolien near Perros-Guirec, and done a last-minute October half term further north at Domaine des Ormes near Dol-de-Bretagne. That’s not every corner of the region, but it’s enough ground covered to point you toward the days out worth your time.
Our favourite days out in Brittany with kids
- The Carnac standing stones
- Carnac Plage and Men-Du beach
- La Trinité-sur-Mer
- Vannes
- The Pink Granite Coast walk to Ploumanac’h
- Trestraou beach, Perros-Guirec
- West Wake Park
- Forêt Adrénaline treetop course
- Mont Saint-Michel
- Saint-Malo
- Rainy day ideas
The Carnac standing stones
The Alignements de Carnac are rows of ancient menhirs stretching for miles across the countryside just outside Carnac, part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing shared with other megalithic sites along the Morbihan coast. Staying at La Grande Métairie, the Kermario alignment ran right along the edge of the campsite, but honestly, we only ever drove past them. It was the middle of a heatwave and walking around looking at rocks didn’t appeal to anyone in our family that week. If your kids are more into history than ours were that trip, the Maison des Mégalithes visitor centre near the stones is worth checking for opening times before you go. It suits older children who can get into the prehistory angle more than toddlers, who’ll likely just want to run around.
Carnac Plage and Men-Du beach
Carnac Plage is one of our favourite places. It’s in a bay, so there are barely any waves, which makes it brilliant for paddling, digging and sunbathing without worrying about anyone getting knocked over. At Camping des Menhirs the beach, the town and the supermarket were all within walking distance, so we didn’t touch the car for days. Staying at La Grande Métairie, the beaches are around 3km away, so you’re driving rather than walking, and we’d check the tide times before setting off. We got caught out more than once with the tide right out, which meant a long walk to actually reach the sea. Men-Du, a short cycle or drive further along, is sandier and quieter, and when the tide is in it forms a shallow bay that’s great for little legs.
The town of Carnac plage is one of those up-market seaside resorts and we are here for it. There are so many places to eat out so make sure you give a few of them a try.
La Trinité-sur-Mer
La Trinité-sur-Mer is a sailing town a short way along the coast from Carnac, built around a busy harbour full of yachts coming and going. We cycled there from Camping des Menhirs along a coastal track that took us through Men-Du first, and stopped for a bite to eat by the marina. It’s an easy, mostly flat route, so it suited us with a bike trailer on the back. It’s a nicer day out for families who fancy a wander and a delicious French lunch over anything more active. There’s not a huge amount for very young kids to actually do once you’re there beyond watching the boats, so it works best paired with a beach stop either side.
Vannes
Vannes is a genuinely beautiful historic town with a well-preserved old centre and a lively harbour, and we’ve visited on both our trips to the Carnac area. There’s a little tourist train that runs through the narrow medieval streets if small legs get tired of walking. We stopped for coffee in one of the squares and just wandered, it’s more of a sightseeing and food day than an activity-packed one, so it suits families who are happy to mix a town day into a beach-heavy holiday. It’s a worthwhile wet-weather option too, since a lot of the charm is in walking the streets and ducking into cafes rather than anything outdoors dependent.
The Pink Granite Coast walk to Ploumanac’h
This was the highlight of our stay at Le Ranolien. A coastal path runs straight out from the campsite gates along the Côte de Granit Rose, the pink granite coast, taking you to a string of villages including Ploumanac’h. We walked it in both directions on separate days because it’s a decent length, especially with a four-year-old, and found it fairly tough going for her in one stretch. The scenery, huge pink granite boulders piled up along the shoreline, is like nothing else we’ve seen on the French coast. This suits families who like a long scenic walk and don’t mind carrying a reluctant toddler for the last bit. A pushchair probably wouldn’t manage the rougher sections, so a carrier is a better bet if your kids aren’t strong walkers yet.
Trestraou beach, Perros-Guirec
The path to the right of Le Ranolien’s gates leads to Perros-Guirec and Trestraou beach, where we ended up spending most of our time during our stay. It’s a lovely sandy beach, and it was full of tiny hermit crabs, which kept our girls (and me, if I’m honest) entertained for ages. We mostly went in the afternoons when the tide was out, but caught it in once and the water covered a huge amount of the sand we’d been playing on not long before, so keep an eye on the tide if you’re there for the whole day. In summer, a shuttle bus runs from the car park outside Le Ranolien every 15 minutes, which saves the walk if you’ve got tired legs or a lot of beach gear to carry.
West Wake Park
West Wake Park is a wakeboarding activity park built into an old quarry about 40km (around 45 minutes’ drive) from Carnac, with wakeboarding, kneeboarding and an inflatable aquapark that’s a bit like a floating assault course. Mike’s had a go at waterskiing here on both our Carnac trips, and we’ve had lunch at the on-site bar and restaurant after watching him attempt it. It’s an exhilarating one for older kids and adults rather than toddlers, who’ll mostly be watching from the side.
Forêt Adrénaline treetop course
Forêt Adrénaline is a treetop adventure park near Carnac with climbing courses and ziplines for a wide range of ages, including courses suitable from age two at the main Carnac site. We ended up going here during our stay at La Grande Métairie because the on-site treetop course only started from age seven, and our girls were too young for that one. Guests staying at La Grande Métairie got a discounted rate when we visited, worth mentioning where you’re staying when you book. Check the current age limits and prices on the official site before you go, since these things change.
Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel, the abbey on a tidal island in Normandy, right on the border with Brittany, is one of France’s most famous landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage site in its own right. We haven’t been ourselves, but it comes up repeatedly as a must-do day trip from the Dol-de-Bretagne area, within reach of Domaine des Ormes. The site gets busy and parking fills up early, so arrive as soon as you can if you’re planning a visit, and check tide and opening times before you go since the bay’s famous tides can affect access. It suits families with older kids who can manage the walk up and the crowds better than toddlers in a pushchair.
Saint-Malo & Aquarium
Saint-Malo is a walled port city a short drive from Domaine des Ormes and the Brittany Ferries port most people sail into for that campsite. The ramparts loop right around the old town for about 2km and are free to walk, with sea views out toward Dinard. We haven’t walked them ourselves, but Saint-Malo’s beaches, seafood restaurants and the aquarium (which has a touch pool and a submarine ride) make it a solid family day out whatever the weather, and it’s the kind of town where you can easily fill a full day.
Rainy day ideas
Brittany’s weather is changeable, so it’s worth having a backup plan. Around Carnac, the Musée de Préhistoire and the Maison des Mégalithes are worth knowing about for a wet morning (we haven’t been in ourselves), plus there’s a cinema and an indoor thalassotherapy centre in Carnac itself. Saint-Malo’s aquarium is a good option near Domaine des Ormes. On site, the indoor Dome pool at Les Ormes kept us swimming comfortably through the damp October mornings, and the warm indoor pool at La Grande Métairie opens an hour before everywhere else if you want to beat the crowds on a grey morning. Pack wellies if you’re visiting out of summer, we found the campsite at Les Ormes really muddy after rain.
Where to stay
Here’s where we’ve actually stayed in Brittany, each one close to a different mix of the days out above.
- La Grande Métairie de Kermario, Carnac: a big, activity-filled resort right by the Kermario stones, best for families wanting a full-on pool complex and kids’ clubs. Read our review or check prices.
- Camping des Menhirs, Carnac: minutes on foot from Carnac Plage and the town, best if you want to barely touch the car. Read our review or check prices.
- Domaine des Ormes, Dol-de-Bretagne: a countryside resort with a huge indoor pool dome, best for an October half term or a wet-weather break near Mont Saint-Michel and Saint-Malo. Read our review or check prices.
- Le Ranolien, Perros-Guirec: our own tent on the Pink Granite Coast, best for families who want coastal walks and a calm, holiday over a kids’ club scene. Read our review or check prices.
For the full picture on each of these, including prices we paid and what we’d do differently, see our best campsites in Brittany guide.
FAQ
What is there to do in Brittany with toddlers?
Carnac Plage and Men-Du beach are both calm, low-wave bays that suit toddlers well, and Trestraou beach near Perros-Guirec is sandy and shallow at low tide. The Pink Granite Coast walk is better suited to older kids, we found parts of it tough going for our four-year-old.
Are the Carnac stones worth visiting with kids?
They’re genuinely one of the biggest prehistoric sites in Europe and a UNESCO listing, so worth seeing if your kids are into history, but we drove past rather than stopped on our most recent trip. Younger children may get more out of the beach and the town than walking around standing stones.
Is Mont Saint-Michel a good day trip from a Brittany campsite?
It’s within reach of campsites near Dol-de-Bretagne, like Domaine des Ormes, though we haven’t done the trip ourselves. It’s a popular day out from that area, but arrive early for parking and check tide times before you go, since the bay’s tides can affect access.
What can we do in Brittany on a rainy day?
Around Carnac there’s the Musée de Préhistoire, Maison des Mégalithes and a cinema, and Saint-Malo has an aquarium with a touch pool near Domaine des Ormes. On site, the indoor Dome at Les Ormes and the indoor pool at La Grande Métairie are both good for keeping swimming when the weather turns.
Is Brittany a good half term destination in October?
We think so, we did October half term at Domaine des Ormes and the indoor pool dome kept us swimming comfortably despite mild, muddy weather outside. Have a look at our October half term deals before you book.
Not sure which Brittany campsite would suit your family? Try our find your campsite quiz.
Camping somewhere else in France? We’ve also got guides to the Vendée, the Landes and Hossegor, the Gironde and the Dordogne.
