Coastal Brittany
From Mont-Saint-Michel to Saint-Nazaire, the customs officers’ path runs along the entire Breton coast, from cliffs to harbours, to the rhythm of the tides.
From Mont-Saint-Michel to Saint-Nazaire, over 1,993 km.
The GR34 follows the Breton coast from one end to the other. It starts in the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, in the Manche, and ends at Saint-Nazaire, in Loire-Atlantique, after crossing Ille-et-Vilaine, Côtes-d’Armor, Finistère and Morbihan. Its nickname, the “customs officers’ path”, recalls the patrol path that appeared at the end of the 18th century, from which customs officers watched over the shore and hunted down smugglers. Abandoned in the early 20th century, the path was reopened to hikers section by section from the 1970s onwards.
The route strings together very different coastlines: the Côte d’Émeraude and Cap Fréhel, the bay of Saint-Brieuc and the Goëlo, the rocks of the Côte de Granit Rose, the Pays des Abers, the Crozon peninsula, the Pointe du Raz facing the Raz de Sein, the Pays Bigouden, then the Gulf of Morbihan and its islets. Cliffs, moorland, beaches, harbours and estuaries follow one another, often right at the water’s edge.
The path never climbs high, but its short, repeated ups and downs make it a more strenuous route than it looks. MonGR and the topoguides split it into sections of a few days, from one town to the next, so you can tackle it piece by piece, one week’s holiday at a time. It suits regular walkers; the sections close to towns and stations lend themselves well to a first long-distance walk.
Mont-Saint-Michel
The SNCF station closest to Mont-Saint-Michel is Pontorson; Manéo and Keolis Emeraude coaches also serve the area. More broadly, Brittany is linked to Paris-Montparnasse by TGV, then by coach networks specific to each department.
Saint-Nazaire
The GR34 ends at the Saint-Nazaire bridge. Saint-Nazaire has an SNCF station served by TGV from Paris and by TER from Nantes.
The path can be walked all year round. From April to October, conditions are at their most favourable; in autumn and winter, some sections become very wet or muddy.
Challenging
No altitude and no technical sections, but a succession of short, sometimes steep climbs and descents that make some stages demanding; the FFRandonnée describes it as a strenuous route.
18 gîtes, 2 unstaffed huts, 4 youth hostels and 108 B&Bs
Hotels, B&Bs, gîtes and campsites are spread along the coast, mostly in the seaside resorts and harbours. In July and August, it is best to book. Luggage transfer services and organised trips are available on several sections.
Along much of the coast, access relies on the pedestrian right of way established by the law of 31 December 1976: it is reserved for walking, and the path sometimes crosses private land. The Urban Planning Code (article R111-33) prohibits wild camping on the seashore and in listed or registered sites, unless an exemption is granted: plan to use campsites or other accommodation.
The path regularly passes through villages, harbours and towns where you can find water and supplies. On the foreshore and in the bays, carry a charged phone and let someone close to you know your route. Out of season, some shops and seaside campsites may be closed: check before each stage.
TrekGR stage plan: each stage ends where you can sleep. Actual walking time excluding breaks (DIN 33466 standard).
1,022 places to stay near the route, from refuges to campsites.
No current alerts for this GR (checked on 12 November 2026). All live updates →
The GR34 starts from Mont-Saint-Michel, its starting point since 2017, and ends at Saint-Nazaire, at the bridge over the Loire estuary. It crosses the Manche, Ille-et-Vilaine, Côtes-d’Armor, Finistère, Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique.
It partly follows the patrol path that appeared in Brittany at the end of the 18th century, from which customs officers watched the coast, fought smuggling and prevented the looting of shipwrecks. Having fallen into disuse in the early 20th century, it was reopened to hikers from the 1970s onwards. The MonGR feature tells this story.
Wild camping is prohibited on the seashore and in listed or registered sites, unless an exemption is granted (article R111-33 of the Urban Planning Code). Municipal by-laws may add further restrictions. The safest option is to sleep at a campsite or in other accommodation.
Yes. Some sections run along the foreshore or cross bays, and the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel has some of the strongest tides in Europe. Check the tide times before venturing off the waymarked path, and never cut across a bay on foot without knowing the terrain.
The path can be walked all year round. From April to October, conditions are at their most pleasant; in autumn and winter, some sections become very wet or muddy. In July and August, remember to book your accommodation.
It has no technical difficulty and no altitude, but the climbs and descents come one after another over short distances, which is more tiring than you might think. A regular walker can tackle it in sections of a few days.
Route: OpenStreetMap contributors. Elevation: IGN’s RGE ALTI®, one point every 50 m. Text checked on 10 November 2026.
