Best time to go in Brittany to avoid both school holidays and hurricanes?

My wife and myself want to go for a photo-shooting on the beaches of Saint-Malo, France, but not especially in the summer. We want it to happen when there aren't many people there, so we want to avoid French holidays (which usually last one month because of the shifted holidays accross the country).

Also every year, we hear about those hurricanes and gigantic waves on the Atlantic shores of France. We definitely want to avoid that extreme weather.

So what are the times of the year to travel to Brittany where there are both no school holidays and no hurricanes?

Best Answer

I used to travel to Brittany every summer, and before having a child in school we'd usually go in late June or early July. You normally get summer weather, but avoid the hordes of children. It's a popular destination for British families so it's worth avoiding the British school holidays as well, and even the Dutch ones. The downsides are: the sea temperatures are still a little low, (not an issue if you're not going in the water); not everything is open.

Just after the school holidays, in September, it's also quiet (maybe not the first week). Again some places are closed, such as restaurants taking a holiday, but the sea will be warmer. I've had good weather then too, but probably more rain. As you get into autumn the chance of rain increases, though the storms you worry about are fairly rare all year round (and dramatic if you find the right cliff-top spot to watch them).