WELCOME TO HISTORIC BRITTANY
A PORT WITH MORE CHOICES THAN ONE DAY CAN HOLD
Most cruise passengers leave this estuary knowing very little about it, and that is a pity. Within an hour of your ship you can stand on medieval ramparts, drift through the marshes of the Brière, sit down at a Michelin-starred table, or taste Muscadet where it is made. The real question is what you most want from your day.
Depending on its size, your ship may berth at Saint-Nazaire, Montoir-de-Bretagne or Nantes. Send me the ship's name and your date, and I will confirm where we meet and build the day around your time ashore, in a private vehicle, just for your group.
CHOOSE YOUR EXCURSION
PRIVATE SHORE EXCURSIONS FROM SAINT-NAZAIRE
Every excursion is private and fully flexible, with guaranteed return to your ship well before all-aboard time. You can also combine destinations, time ashore permitting.
Guérande: Salt Marshes & Walled Town
Walk the ramparts of a medieval town that belonged to the Duchy of Brittany, then head out into the salt marshes, where paludiers still harvest fleur de sel by hand.
The Brière: Thatched Cottages & Local Table
Thatched villages, flat-bottomed boats and the silence of the marsh, with lunch in a typical Brière thatched restaurant to taste the local specialities: frogs' legs and eel.
The Brière: Michelin-Starred Lunch
The same marshland, with a very different lunch: a Michelin-starred table in the heart of the park, subject to availability on your port day.
La Baule: The Great Atlantic Bay
A long sweep of sand and Belle Époque villas, the classic French seaside resort. It pairs easily with the Guérande ramparts and salt marshes, just behind the bay.
Saint-Nazaire: U-Boat Base & Operation Chariot
The monumental German submarine base, and the story of Operation Chariot: the British raid of 28 March 1942, when HMS Campbeltown rammed the dock gate packed with explosives. You see the destroyer's gun on the waterfront.
Batz-sur-Mer: The Grand Blockhaus Bunker Museum
A German Atlantic Wall command post turned into an incredible museum, subject to opening. It tells the story of the Saint-Nazaire pocket, held by German forces until 11 May 1945. Please note: the bunker has stairs and is not suited to reduced mobility.
La Gacilly & Rochefort-en-Terre
Two of the prettiest villages of inland Brittany in one day: La Gacilly and its artisans, then the flower-decked granite houses of Rochefort-en-Terre.
Nantes & the Muscadet Vineyards
The former capital of the Dukes of Brittany and its castle, followed by the Muscadet vineyards around Nantes for a tasting with a winemaker.
Approximate Travel Times
- Saint-Nazaire U-boat base 10 minutes
- Brière (Kerhinet) 20 minutes
- Guérande 25 minutes
- La Baule 25 minutes
- Batz-sur-Mer 30 minutes
- Nantes 50 minutes
- Rochefort-en-Terre 1 hour
- La Gacilly 1 hour
- Muscadet vineyards 1 hour 15
From the Saint-Nazaire area. Your exact berth and the traffic can change these, so we plan with a margin.
SEEN ON MY OWN VISITS
AROUND SAINT-NAZAIRE
GOOD TO KNOW
YOUR PORT DAY, QUESTION BY QUESTION
Where will my ship dock?
Cruise ships calling on the Loire estuary use Saint-Nazaire, Montoir-de-Bretagne or Nantes, depending on their size. Your cruise line can confirm the berth, and I adapt the meeting point and the route to it.
Will I get back to the ship on time?
Yes. Your return is guaranteed. I plan the day backwards from your all-aboard time and keep a margin for traffic, so you never have to watch the clock.
Which excursion suits a short call?
Saint-Nazaire, the Brière, Guérande, La Baule and Batz-sur-Mer are the closest. La Gacilly, Rochefort-en-Terre, Nantes and the vineyards need a longer day ashore.
Can we combine several places?
Yes, as long as your time ashore allows it. Guérande and La Baule go naturally together, and the Brière sits close to both. History lovers can pair the Saint-Nazaire base with the Grand Blockhaus.
Is the excursion suitable for reduced mobility?
Most of it can be adapted, so tell me your needs when you enquire. The one exception is the Grand Blockhaus at Batz-sur-Mer: it has stairs and is not suited to reduced mobility.
Is this really Brittany?
Historically, yes. Saint-Nazaire, Guérande and Nantes belonged to the Duchy of Brittany, even though the department of Loire-Atlantique has been administered separately since 1941.
Other ports in Brittany
Before you book
No two days are the same. Here is where prices start, what moves them, and what is worth knowing before you book.
- How much does the private shore excursion from Saint-Nazaire cost?
- Half-day tours start from €650 and full-day tours from €900, per vehicle for the whole group of 1 to 7 passengers, never per person. Most quotes come in above these figures, depending on your group size, the season (April to October is peak), where we collect you and where we drop you off, and whether you book an English-speaking driver or a certified driver-guide. Send us your dates and those details and we confirm an exact, all-inclusive figure before you commit. The price we quote is the price you pay, with nothing added afterwards.
- Is this tour priced per person or per vehicle?
- Per vehicle, for the whole group, never per person. One quoted price covers 1 to 7 passengers in a Mercedes V-Class or similar. A couple and a family of six pay the same for the same day, which means the cost per traveller drops sharply as your group grows.
- What is the difference between a private driver and a driver-guide, and does it change the price?
- In France these are two separate professions, and yes, it changes the price. A private driver holds a professional transport licence and handles transport, logistics and local advice, but is not legally permitted to give guided commentary inside monuments on a tour sold to you. A driver-guide holds both that licence and the national guide-conferencier card, and both drives you and guides you. A driver-guide costs more than a driver alone, and less than hiring a driver and a separate guide, which is a third option, the most expensive, and worth it for larger groups or tightly scheduled days.
- Are the driving times on this page reliable?
- They are the times we count on in ordinary conditions, and they hold for most of the year. They do not hold in July and August, over the May bank holidays, or during French school holidays: the roads through Normandy and Brittany fill up, coaches queue at the popular sites, and everything takes longer, sometimes noticeably. We plan for that rather than hope around it, starting earlier where it matters and reordering stops so you are not arriving somewhere at its worst hour. If your dates fall in a busy period we will tell you when we quote, not on the morning.
- How much luggage can you carry?
- As a rule, one suitcase per passenger. A full vehicle, seven passengers with seven large cases and seven cabin bags, will not fit, and that is not something we can solve on the morning. It is also common for two travellers to arrive with four to six pieces between them, which needs a larger van. So tell us how many bags you are bringing, and roughly what size, when you request your quote: we confirm the right vehicle, or arrange a second one, before you book. Luggage is the detail most often forgotten and the only one that cannot be improvised.
- What is included, and what is not?
- Included: private transport with your driver, your driver-guide, or a driver and a separate guide, whichever option you choose, plus fuel, tolls and parking. Entrance fees depend on the format you choose: with a certified driver-guide they are often included, the abbey at Mont Saint-Michel in particular, while with an English-speaking driver alone they are usually added. In every case your quote states in writing which fees are included and which are added, and if you would like them included you only have to ask. Meals and personal expenses are not included, so you stay free to choose. Anything added on the day is quoted before it happens, never after.
- Will Belinda be my guide?
- Most days, yes, I guide myself, and that is how I prefer to work. When my dates are already taken, or when your group needs a second vehicle, I hand you to a driver-guide or local driver I have worked with for years and chosen myself. I tell you who is coming with you as soon as I know, and always before the day itself. And if having me personally matters to you, say so when you enquire: I will tell you straight away whether your dates are free.