Time Trails in Brittany - Sentiers du Temps

It's all about the questions on one of my tours. The more questions you ask, the better!

I often receive messages asking about great places to stay when taking a Timetrails tour and over the last two years I've featured some lovely places. Owing to the way these pages work some of my earlier recommendations have vanished into the deep distant past and you may have missed them. I am therefore bringing my favourite six recommendations together so you can see them all in one place. If you simply need Bed and Breakfast accommodation, look at the chambres d’h ôtes or maison d’h ôtes. For a self-catering holiday rental, look at the Gites So, here goes (and they're in no particular order) 1) La Charbonniére Mohon La Charbonniére Mohon - is a charming and comfortable house offering chambres d’h ôtes (B&B) in countryside close to the village of Mohon. Set on the eastern edge of Lanou é e forest in central Brittany, you'll be sure of a friendly welcome from your host, Cazzie.   La Charbonniére is very cosy, offering a range of twin and double, en-suite accomm

If you'd like a flavour of some of the sites you may see on your Timetrails tour, pop over to my Youtube channel for a "sneaky peek". More videos will be added over coming months so don't forget to like and subscribe so you can be kept up to date. https://www.youtube.com/@TimetrailsInBrittany

  With the cost of living for most of us continuing to rise in these uncertain times, I'm pleased to confirm that tour prices for 2023 will remain the same as 2022. It is my intention to keep tour prices frozen for the whole of the 2023 Spring, Summer and EARLY Autumn season. Prices will be reviewed for tours taken on and after October 1st 2023 as we enter the Winter season   See you soon Please note that discounts apply for group bookings making these tours even better value for money. If you would like to guarantee an exclusive tour (i.e. only YOUR party taking part) please refer to the private group prices which apply for private groups of any size up to a maximum of 9 guests. Timetrails 2023 price list (per person) - Child discounts are available (please ask for details). Tour 1 or 2 pers 3 to 5 6 to 9   Private Group (maximum of 9 guests) Meneac Markers   €   45.00   €   40.50   €   36.00   €             155.00 Guerl

Five stars are not enough! Ten stars at least.  We were staying at La Charbonniére near  Mohon [see details on these pages] and my hubby is into history and was shown the leaflet … me , well I can tag along. The price surprised me. I was in two minds if I should go or not, but I went and boy did I get a surprise!  You see the first location within minutes of starting. Philip, (even though he is a Bsc, MA, etc) is not stuffy, he brings it all alive. He doesn’t lecture you, he poses questions for you to think about. He doesn’t correct you like a schoolteacher, he patiently brings you around to seeing the past. He has a sense of humour… well he would have to have to keep me engaged for the whole afternoon!  Although I am an old lady I didn’t have any problems getting to and from the sites. Sensible shoes and clothes are all you need.  Philip didn’t just know about Neolithic times , he engaged in various other periods (I like medieval) . You can ask questions about anythin

  FIVE STARS! “We had an interesting and thought provoking experience with Philip learning about the giant stones in Ménéac. It was fascinating to hear Philip's stories about the markers, particularly the history of his investigations and discoveries as he researched them. In addition to telling us about these particular Neolithic artifacts, Philip utilises his archeological training to paint a detailed picture of Neolithic times and how the communities lived and celebrated. It was fascinating to walk through ordinary countryside back roads and paths to discover each of the stones and imagine the landscape in those times and the journeys taken by people then. A very different experience from the typical tourist activities in Brittany and a welcome exploration into an ancient time.” Caite, Sydney, Australia

  Here is my schedule of guided visits for autumn, winter and early spring.    These can be booked direct with me via email or through Airbnb Experiences.   From the week commencing September 26th to December 16th 2022 scheduled tours will run on the following days;- Mystery and Prehistory of the Pink Granite Coast - Mondays from 1PM The Ménéac Markers Tour - Thursdays from 10AM The Locminé Loop Tour - Fridays from 1PM   From the week commencing January 9th 2023 scheduled tours will run on the following days;- Mystery and Prehistory of the Pink Granite Coast - Mondays from 1PM The Ménéac Markers Tour - Thursdays from 10AM The Locminé Loop Tour - Fridays from 1PM   Tours are also available to the fantastic assemblage of sites at St Just, near Redon in Ille-et-Vilaine, and to the small cluster of four burial chambers near Lac Guerledan. These can be taken on a day of your choosing subject to availability with the exception of Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons.     Should you b

Let's take a look at the Locminé Loop tour. Adult prices from 44€ per person (based on a group of nine adult guests booking as a single party) If you are living or taking a holiday in central Brittany, the busy little town of Locminé is a great starting point for a visit to some fascinating sites, ranging from the modest to the intriguing and the truly spectacular. Église Saint-Sauveur et Saint Colomban is our rendez-vous point in Locminé. After meeting in the centre of Locminé w e will head south to explore six fascinating sites. Our first stop will be a brief pause at a small dolmen (burial chamber) after which we will move on to discover a range of menhirs (standing stones), and a couple of sites of uncertain purpose, most of which rarely figure on the itinerary of visitors to this part of Brittany. Our first stop We will explore some of the associations between these sites and their natural surroundings whilst also taking some time to appreciate the ingenuity of the

In response to a number of enquiries I would just like to confirm that for insurance and licensing purposes I am unable to provide transport for our tours at this time. For the time-being all our tours are undertaken on a guided self-drive basis so you will need to have access to your own vehicle. Should demand for a chauffeured service continue at the levels we are currently experiencing, however, I will investigate the possibility of offering transport in the not-too-distant future.

On my tours I talk lots about the continuing relationship between the living and the dead and the significance burial monuments had for ancient communities. Many of the tombs I will take you to show evidence that they were the centre for ongoing rituals over many hundreds of years and, it might surprise you to learn, this didn't just happen in prehistory. All over the world similar rituals still take place. Here's a link to an interesting short video from the BBC that gives a snap shot of one such ritual in Mexico. https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p07srkd7/the-village-that-exhumes-its-dead-once-a-year If you'd like to see the evidence of similar rituals in prehistory why not join me on the fascinating Guerlédan Heights tour? Alternatively, my Locminé Loop and Pink Granite Coast tours also include some compelling evidence of long-term interaction between living people and the ancestors. I look forward to sharing these amazing places with you.

Timetrails is run by a qualified archaeologist who gives guided, self-drive tours of many ancient and mysterious sites in central Brittany. All tours are conducted in English and they focus on sites dating from the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Bronze Age. Depending on the tours you chose, you will visit Menhirs (standing stones), Cromlechs (stone circles) and several types of ancient burial monument known collectively as Dolmens. Your guide will explain about the lives of people in Brittany up to 6,000 years ago, highlighting their ingenuity and skill as they constructed monuments which demonstrate a deep understanding of engineering, the land, the seasons and the skies above them. At some sites you'll see enigmatic carvings which tempt us to speculate on the beliefs of prehistoric communities and you'll be amazed at some of their achievements. These tours are a unique experience for small groups, offering unrivalled access to an expert guide who will be happy to answer (or at

Following on from my recommendations on places I think you'd enjoy staying, here's something that definitely isn't at the budget end of the market, but I think it's worth considering. If you’re planning a visit to the incredible archaeological sites of Carnac, don’t forget that Carnac is also a thriving seaside resort through the summer months. It offers several lovely beaches, a good selection of bars and restaurants, a casino and a wide range of accommodation options. For a little taste of luxury I can recommend the four star Le Diana hotel. It's right on the seafront and many of the nicely furnished rooms have views over the bay.   The bar and restaurant are on the expensive side but the quality is extremely good.     There’s a health spa and a lovely heated, outdoor pool and terrace, so you can combine your exploration of some prehistoric wonders with a little pampering.   I’ve not been paid anything for this recommendation. I just happen to have stayed here and

  After a short pause in August while I visited Italy, I'm back out on the Timetrail again.   My tours are growing more and more popular and I'm finding new sites to visit all the time. I've recently added an extra site to the Locminé Loop tour which has a lovely little surprise in store. Tours are booking now for the remainder of September, part of October and selected dates in November. IF you are booking through Airbnb don't forget my tours are scheduled according to a fixed calendar. For more flexibility with dates and times, please contact me via email using enquiries@timetrials.fr See you soon!

If you'd like to learn more about each of the tours we offer, simply go to the menu on the left and browse through each of our tours. You'll find pricing information at the bottom of each page. If you have any questions just use the contact form or email us and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. With summer now in full swing (finally), our tours are getting lots of interest. Here are two of our guests enjoying the last site on our Meneac Markers tours this week.

We're happy to confirm that we now accept payment for our tours via Paypal.