Can well recommend the Vendee region Stan, just a couple of hours south of Nantes. Drove there a few years back and stopped in a nice gite inland with about a 20 minute drive to some faboulous beaches, if you dont want beaches there are some very nice inland lakes to take a dip in.
But the gite was in a very rural location and very quiet, but you had lots of towns near by.
More info here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vend%C3%A9e