Dinan, France: a medieval day out with a private driver

Half an hour from Saint-Malo and Dinard, Dinan is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Brittany, France. Its ramparts, half-timbered houses and the cobbled street that plunges down to the port make it an essential stop on the Emerald Coast. Here is how to make the most of it.

Why Dinan

Set on a spur above the Rance, Dinan has kept nearly three kilometres of ramparts, one of the most complete sets in Brittany. Inside, narrow streets lead from square to square between half-timbered façades, craft shops and café terraces. Below, the little port lines up its old houses along the water, at the foot of a great granite viaduct.

Morning: the upper town

Your driver drops you as close as possible to the old town, where parking is difficult. Start with the castle and its keep, then the clock tower, which gives a view over the rooftops and the valley. The basilica of Saint-Sauveur holds the heart of Bertrand Du Guesclin, Brittany’s most famous knight. Around the Place des Merciers, the houses with wooden porches are among the finest in town.

Down to the port by the Jerzual

The Rue du Jerzual, then the Rue du Petit-Fort, link the upper town to the port by a steep cobbled slope lined with workshops and galleries. Walking down is a pleasure; climbing back up, much less so. That is the beauty of having a driver: he waits for you at the bottom, by the port, and spares you the climb.

Afternoon: the Rance valley

Two options are open to you. The first: follow the Rance upstream to Léhon, a charming village with its abbey, a few minutes from Dinan. The second: sail down the Rance, in season, to Saint-Malo or Dinard, past old shipowners’ manor houses and wooded banks. Your driver meets you at the landing stage, and the day ends without a detour.

On the way back, the road crosses the Rance barrage, between Saint-Malo and Dinard, a tidal power station built in the 1960s.

Why a private driver in Dinan

• Parking. Car parks in the old town fill up quickly in season. With a driver, you step out at the ramparts.
• The slope. The Jerzual is for walking down; the car is for coming back up.
• The boat. A cruise on the Rance only makes sense if someone is waiting for you at the other end.
• A full day. Dinan combines easily with Cancale, Dinard or Mont-Saint-Michel.

Planning your day

Your luxury private driver in Saint-Malo or your private driver in Dinard plans the day with you: timings, lunch, the boat on the Rance. To link several sites, a chauffeur at your disposal stays with you from morning to evening, and our private tours build a complete stay on the Emerald Coast. The next day, why not a Mont-Saint-Michel private tour?

Further west, you may also enjoy Bréhat and the Pink Granite Coast with a private driver.