Lily & Pierre

When to arrive ?

Depending on your point of origin, we recommend you arrive on Friday evening for a restful night before the celebrations on Saturday that will require all your energy!

If you want to participate in the brunch on Sunday, we suggest you delay your departure until 15h.

Also Brittany is gorgeous and you should therefore stay a week ;) - see suggested itineraries below.

How to get there ?

FOR OUR NON-EU GUESTS: Tourist visa is not required for US citizens, however please make sure your passport is valid for at least three months beyond the date of departure from the Schengen area. The 12-page U.S. emergency passport is not valid for visa-free entry into France.

From Paris, you can drive or take the train (flying closer is also an option but can your carbon footprint tolerate it?). We have listed the easiest routes below:

• Option 1 (no driving): Train to Quimperle + Taxi (around 4h train with 1 connection + 25 min taxi). Alternative to taxi is a public bus - timetables to follow.
• Option 2 (small drive): Train to Lorient + Rental car (2h45h train + 35 min drive). You can also consider the train to Vannes and drive 1h.
• Option 3 (straight from Paris airport): Rental Car (6 hours drive) --- Hoping off the plane, you can get a car and consider driving straight to Brittany. We have gathered some suggestions for stops on the way so you can combine our love celebration with sightseeing of beloved France - see section below.
• Option 4 (flying more): Plane to Brest + rental car (1h15 drive) or Plane to Nantes + Rental car (2h30 drive).

Trains can leave Paris from the stations Gare Montparnasse or potentially Gare de Roissy CDG. All can be booked on the French train company website (if you are lost on how to use it, it’s normal - we also are and we are French: https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/train-ticket)

P.S.: Train ticket bookings open three months before departure, so we will send a reminder in April.

Car rentals: your usual Sixt, Europcar, etc. companies should operate in Paris or other medium size cities. We also recommend GetAround for the airbnb of car rental (options to unlock cars with the app and do all check in on the app).

Where to stay?

Pont-Aven is an adorable touristy town that has quite some options for stays but remember that the best and closest ones will go fast so don’t hesitate to book ahead!

Booking link for hotels and B&B at Pont-Aven.

More importantly some accommodations are accessible with a 15 min walk in the woods from the venue… This could be a great alternative to driving back, should you feel like a nice walk in the night to wind down.

We also have a google sheets where you can share your AirBnB and space available.

Itinerary ideas

For a long day of 4 days

Friday/day 1:

In the morning, take a walk in Pont-Aven: explore the city center, its craft shops and art galleries. Don't miss the Pont-Aven museum dedicated to the Pont-Aven School and its famous painters like Gauguin.

Have a gourmet lunch with the affordable lunch formula at 3 Buis - or start your stay in Brittany with crepes (please blend in and call them “galettes” when savory) of course: the Crêperie Armelle offers original recipes with good products (don't miss the buckwheat ice cream!).

To digest, stroll along the Moulins trail - starting with the Xavier Grall promenade - along the Aven river to admire the bucolic landscapes and the restored mills.

End the day with the Trémalo chapel where Gauguin found his inspiration for several works.

Saturday/day 2

Wedding - gather your strength to be ready at the church at 2:30 p.m.

Sunday/Day 3

Wedding recovery and brunch

If you feel like exploring the immediate surroundings, we recommend going down the Aven and passing through Henan village at high tide to see the tide-mill. Then stop at Saint-Nicolas beach in Port Manech or Rospico beach in Rospico. The village of Kerascoet is home to thatched cottages - typical houses of the region. Finally, end the day at sunset at the Pointe de Trevignon, with the castle and lighthouse on the horizon.

Monday/Day 4

For the cultural/historical option, head to the walled city of Concarneau, a fortified city on the water, with its alleys, ramparts, and its Fishing Museum. Stroll along the port and have lunch overlooking the sea or at the Jardin d’Angelina (also tested and approved by your favorite couple).

In the afternoon, go to the Sables Blancs beach to relax or to the Keriolet castle to continue your dive into history (more recent this one).

For the more active option, go to Riec-sur-Bélon and start with an oyster tasting directly at the oyster farmers . Explore the Bélon estuary, a peaceful and superb place.

Then walk on the GR34 coastal trail to admire the panoramas.

Pass by the port of Merrien or the beach of Kerfany and rent a kayak!

For a week

If you have 3 or 4 days more than the previous itinerary we recommend (with directions vs Pont Aven):

• Further east (or coming from Paris): visit Suscionio , a magnificent medieval castle between swamps and the seaside then go to Vannes and its charming old town (have lunch at La mere 6 sous for the setting!).
• To the southwest, plan a day on the Glénans archipelago , otherwise known as the Caribbean of Brittany (except for the water temperature...)
• Further west, a day to visit Quimper: check the Saint-Corentin cathedral, stroll through the cobbled and shopping streets, and explore the traditional earthenware factories. Take a detour to one of the most beautiful villages in France: Locronan, granite streets and artisan shops. And/or go to Douarnenez, a pretty, colorful maritime city and former flourishing fishing port.
• Further East (/back towards Paris): spend a day on the island of Groix , rent bikes and explore the coasts.