Fresh-seafood pit stops and sleepy villages – a road trip is a deliciously contemplative way to explore France's north-west coast, writes Tricia Welsh.

Departing Paris for Brittany, our hotelier remarks: "I hope you have an umbrella." These are words no holiday-maker wants to hear, but as my husband and I make our way through the maze of roads that finally whisk us for three hours through Normandy and further west, the heavens open. It explains the verdant countryside; fields are filled with tall corn, well-fed cattle and fruit-laden trees.

Our first destination is Fougères, a picturesque town where the French invasion of 1488 began. It boasts an impressive chateau considered a superb example of medieval military architecture. An early morning walk reveals an old town of fabulous Tudor-style buildings that survived the bombings of World War II.

Heading north, we catch our first glimpse of celebrated Le Mont St Michel through a heavy mist before the sun breaks through to spotlight it almost on cue. Built as a Benedictine abbey in 966, its fortified walls and isolated position in high-tidal Couesnon estuary give it a mythical air.

At tiny Le Vivier-sur-Mer, we stop at a beachfront restaurant for bowls of just-harvested mussels – the only place in France where these molluscs are Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée-accredited. With France's oyster capital, Cancale, visible in the distance, we celebrate with a dozen plump oysters to start.

We're heading for St Malo, once the headquarters of the corsairs – the French kings' privateers. Although most of the old walled town was destroyed during World War II, it has been restored and today small, family-owned hotels and restaurants line the inner walls of the ramparts.

Continuing westward, we explore the pink granite coast up to Perros-Guirec with stops at fashionable seaside Dinard and Dinan on the Rance, whose old town of half-timbered houses was once a centre for linen and leather.

Yacht-filled marinas and busy fishing ports remind us of Brittany's seafaring tradition. Ubiquitous striped Breton nautical jumpers make ideal souvenirs as do the faience pottery from Quimper.

We use motorways through the countryside, then turn off onto local roads where we discover beautiful coastal villages. At Binic, we sit at tables by the marina and order mussels, galettes – lacy, thin buckwheat pancakes – and savour a prune and custard-type dessert called Far Breton.

Each village seems prettier than the last. Banks of blue, pink and purple hydrangeas contrast against stone houses and appear to grow almost out of control.

Further into the Breton countryside we arrive at Châteaulin on the Aulne, reputedly the most salmon-rich river in France. We wander the cobble-stoned streets of Locranon – Le Petite Cité of Character Bretagne, whose medieval granite houses line a small square, and ponder the draw of Pont-Aven; its soft light famous for attracting artists in the 1880s, including Gauguin.

At sleepy Sainte Marine, near Combrit, we stay at Hotel du Bac – a perky hotel and restaurant overlooking the Odet estuary where wooden boats lie at anchor. The only movement is a small ferry that travels to equally quiet Bénodet, 10 minutes away. Grandfathers take their grandchildren fishing, youngsters dangle pieces of meat on string to catch crabs, others skip stones across the water. It's a place where time slows and a few days' holiday is as restorative as a week elsewhere.

LOCAL TIP

Bretons say the best months for a road trip are June and September. Avoid July when it can rain and tourists are out in force.

WHERE TO STAY

In Fougères, the Hôtel Restaurant Les Voyageurs is great.

In St Malo, choose one of the many family-run hotels within the walled ramparts, such as the Hôtel Elizabeth.

In Sainte Marine, try the waterside Hôtel du Bac or the more upmarket century-old Villa Tri Men.

MUST BUY

Henriot is the most famous name connected to the naïve faience pottery from Quimper. Most harbour towns have a cooperative store that sells Breton jumpers and clothing.

Buy or borrow a GPS navigation system or rent a car with one already fitted, as there are trillions of roundabouts en route and many one-way roads in small villages and towns.

MUST TRY

Brittany is famous for its Breton sweet crepes and savoury galettes, kouign-amann and local cider.

BEFORE YOU GO

To discover where and when local markets are held, go to www.francemag.com.

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