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Getting to Plouhinec
By Air
Protectionist instincts have prevented France from
liberalising the domestic aviation market more than in name.
No Ryanair or Easyjet from Paris, but only Air France
subsidiary HOP!! from Orly or Lyon. This is the French
version of the no-frills airline, so now you have no frills,
without the low fares. Sadly, protecting inefficient
companies and the high speed train that isn't really high
speed seems to be more important than supporting the local
economy.
By Train
Travel by train is possible to Lorient, 10 km from
Plouhinec. Generally, trains to Lorient depart from "Gare
Montparnasse" (Southern side of Paris) and take anywhere
between three hour twenty minutes and four and a half hour
due to the fact that the "Grand Vitesse" (high speed)
disappears from the TGV after Le Mans and the trains just
become ordinary trains. To illustrate their lack of speed,
an ordinary car trip takes as long, even in busy traffic.
Unfortunately, travel by train via Paris still involves
dragging your suitcases up and down the stairs in the Paris
Metro. If you want to avoid this, there are a few direct
train per day to and from Charles de Gaulle Airport,
departing to Lorient in the early evening. Departure from
Lorient is at around 7.00 in the morning.
More info and bookings on www.tgv.com
By Car
By far the easiest way to get to Plouhinec is by car. If you
do not own a car, France has an extensive organised
hitch-hiking / carpool network that can take you anywhere if
you are flexible at low cost. The most important,
though most likely not the only are:
http://www.covoiturage.morbihan.fr
operated by the administration of Morbihan.
http://www.covoiturage.fr/
is the general site for France, also available in English.
If you own a car and do not have a navigation device,
directions can be obtained from www.viamichelin.com
and through Google Maps. The good
news: highways in Brittany are not subject to toll like in
other parts of France, though the maximum speed limit is 110
km/h instead of the usual 130.
Car rental companies in France offer good value for money.
Especially if you are with two or more persons, they can be
a good alternative to both train and airplane. Time is
hardly longer than even the plane, but you avoid the rather
expensive taxis.
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By Bus
For the more adventurous, there is always the
bus. Eurolines takes you as far as Rennes or
Nantes when coming from Paris for song, after which regional
commuter trains (TER) can take you to Vannes, Auray or
Lorient. More information can be obtained at the Eurolines
website.
There are local buses from Lorient and Auray to Plouhinec. The timetable can be downloaded from this
link. For those not familiar with Plouhinec, the bus
stop "Place Kilkee" is just near the church on Rue de
Pontoir, leading from the Place d'eglise.
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