Saint-Malo Travel Guide

Population : 47 210 inhabitants

Area : 36,6 km2

Population Density : 1286 per km2

Demonym : Malouins and Malouines

Région : Brittany

Twin Cities: : Port Louis (capitale de l'Ile Maurice)

Saint-Malo offers an active port, the second largest in Brittany. But if you don’t have a boat (yacht or barge, for whatever taste) to go out on for vacation, do not panic. There are other simpler means of getting to your destination.

BY CAR

The highway doesn’t pass right by Saint-Malo because of its geographic location. Nevertheless, the city is well-serviced thanks to national and departmental roads that connect it to larger highways. About 75 km separate you from Rennes (around 1 hour by car), 404 km from Paris (around 4 hours and 23 minutes). We are happy to remind you that in Brittany there are no toll roads like in the rest of France, but 4-lane roads, separated by a midway. It is free, but the speed is limited to 110 km/h.

To park your vehicle, you’ll have the choice between the parking souterrain Saint-Vincent, the parking spots inside the city, or the parking-relay from which you can take a free shuttle that takes you to the heart of the city. Here you’ll find the parking prices or you can get a pré-paid card to enjoy a free hour of parking.

BY TAXI OR RENTAL CAR

Once you have arrived in Saint-Malo, you can call a Taxi or rent a car, to be more autonomous.

BY PLANE

The closest airport to St-Malo is Dinard Bretagne Airport a seaside resort that is located just across the way. However, it only assures connections with the Anglo-Norman islands and England.

If you come from other parts of the world, you will land at the Rennes Bretagne Airport,which services French, European and American cities as well as Beijing and Montreal.
Once at the Rennes Airport, you’ll have two options for connections with St-Malo :
1) Take the 57 Star bus that passes by just 300 meters away, at the Aire Libre stop [1.40€* per ticket, valid for one hour and purchased directly in the bus] to arrive at Place de la République. From there, take the bus line 7 from the Illenoo company, that will take you to Saint-Malo [2.30€ to 5.50€* depending on the length of your chosen trip].
2) In the second case, you will also need to go to Place de la République then to the gare ferroviaire that is located 1 km from the square, about 13 minutes walking, to take a train to Saint-Malo. About 20 trains per day can take you there in less than an hour. Expect to pay around 15€ per person for the trip at full price.

BY TRAIN

The city has a modern train station which was erected in 2005. You can hop on a TER or a TGV and be in Paris in only 3 hours. If you want to go further north, you can go to Lille but only during the weekend.
To get a train ticket, please visit the SNCF website.
The downtown shuttle, which is free, stops at the train station to let you get to the interior parts of the city.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

The city is medium-sized. However, the bus lets you connect to différents quartiers rapidement. rather quickly. Multiple lines give you access to the beaches, while others allow you to connect to the outer areas. A transportation card costs 1.25€* and a 1-day ticket is worth 1.90€*. Here is the list of selling locations for transportation cards.
If, afterwards, you want to explore other cities in Brittany, you can take a bus from the resort

In Saint-Malo, you can also cross the sea to reach the Anglo-Norman islands or England.

- Summer
During the summer season, you can do a multitude of everyday activities. In August, you won’t have to wonder what to do on Thursdays. "Renc'arts" is an artistic event that takes place on Thursday evenings. These are free street performances that entertain the citizens of Saint-Malo as well as the vacationers.
You can also attend the festival that shakes up the town, the route du Rock.
Every year, the seaside resort also hosts the World Folklore Festival to pay homage to cultures from all corners of the globe and to give you a tour of the world without paying a fortune. You can also attend some crewed racing like the Transat Québec – Saint-Malo that takes place once every four years. On this occasion, you’ll experience the excitement of the winners and enjoy the festive atmosphere that takes over the town.

- Autumn
In autumn, the city is no longer “invaded” by tourists in love with Brittany. It is brought to life by boating enthusiasts that attend or participate in the famous race named the Route du Rhum. The competitors cast off from Saint-Malo to reach Guadeloupe a few days later, after having crossed the Atlantic Ocean. On this occasion, a village is built in the city and activities are offered to the crowds.

- Winter
Why not adventure in Saint-Malo in Winter ? Surely, swimming would be complicated and there are fewer activities than in Summer, but the temperatures are a lot milder than in the Alps. An added bonus: you can even listen to great music thanks to the winter version of the Route du Rock festival that takes place in February simultaneously in Rennes and Saint-Malo.

- Obviously, you can also explore the beautiful city in Spring, before the crowds, and enjoy the mild temperatures due to its oceanic climate.

Tourist Office: http://www.saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk/

Emergency number: 112 (Euro zone, 112 redirects to 15,17,18,115 and 119)

Fire: dial 18

Ambulance (medical emergency): dial 15

Police: dial 17

Missing children: dial 116

To find public restrooms, go here.

Accommodation :

The prices indicated below are just for reference and include the price of one night in a standard double room and can vary depending on the season.

- Less than 50€, you can stay in an apartment-hotel or a hotel (up to 2 stars).
- Between 50€ and 100€,you’ll sleep in an apartment, bed and breakfast, or a nice hotel with 2, 3, or 4 stars that is well-located.
- Between 100€ and 200€,you’ll be lodged in a luxury apartment or the most prestigious 4 or 5 star hotels in the city.

Take a look at our website to find a place to stay in Saint-Malo.

Restaurants :

The prices indicated below are just for reference and include the price for a dish or meal for one person.

- Less than 5€

• You have to try THE traditional cake called kouing-amann (or a kouingnette, its individualized version) or another cake baked with apples that you can find at the Ker-Y-Pom bakery.
  (Ker-Y-Pom, 5 rue Porcon de la Barbinais)
• You can’t leave Brittany without tasting palets bretons or galettes bretonnes (dry cookies). The best samples can be found at La Trinitaine, a family company that has specialized in Breton treats since 1955.
  (La Trinitaine, 2 rue Broussais)
• Do not hesitate to have a scoop from the reputed Le Sanchez ice cream shop. They have a large selection of flavors to fill your cone at your convenience.
  (Le Sanchez, 9 rue de la vieille Boucherie)
• · What about a bit of organic bread cooked over a wood fire? To do so, go to Robino
  (Robino, 15 Place du Canada)

- Between 5€ and 15€ :

• The Italian “Mama” gave her best advice to the Origano, chefs. Try their excellent pizzas and risottos in a friendly atmosphere.
  (Origano, 57 rue Ville Pépin)
• Want to find a good crepe shop on the ramparts? Le Tournesol. is the place to be. The plates are well-garnished and the service is pleasant.
  (Le Tournesol, 4 rue des Marins)
• Kanazawa, is a good and cheap Japanese restaurant where you can take an express roundtrip over to the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic just by sitting at your table.
  (Kanazawa, 11 rue du Boyer)

- From 15€ :

• Enjoy dishes made with fresh fish and crustaceans on a terrace overlooking the bay. At Corderie, the plates are refined and the prices go up to 43€. (La Corderie, 9 chemin de la Corderie Cité d’Alet.
• This refined restaurant,La Bouche en folie, only uses fresh, quality products. A 3-course menu costs only 29€ and we strongly recommend you to book a table before going there as the dining room is a bit small.
  (La Bouche en folie, 14 rue du Boyer)
• · Expect to pay between 22€ and 35€ to try many original, savory, and gourmet dishes at Le Cambusier.
  (Le Cambusier, 6 rue des Cordiers)

Pour boire au verre :

• The Equinoxial is a bar that serves many different kinds of beers. It is not very pricey and the place is very nice.
  (Equinoxial, 3 rue du puits aux Braies)
• · The Cunningham’s Bar has a spectacular view over the port and offers you a warm environment, especially with its billiards table. Expect to pay less than 10€ for a drink.
  (The Cunningham Bar, 2 rue des Hauts Sablons)

During the summer, you can take a guided tour of the city. Three themes are offered by the tourism office: : Seaside tourism, The liberation of Saint-Malo, Tales for the littles kiddies. If you are more passionate about the aquatic world than the urban environment, you can take part in an exploratory tour of the coast with a naturalist guide or a cruise to explore the bay. (Corsaire company ou Albatros Hermine company)
The tourism office also offers self-guided discovery tours so that you can walk alone without missing the most beautiful places in the city that have existed since antiquity.

Places and neighborhoods to see: :

• The Castle of Saint-Malo
  Built by the Dukes of Brittany during the 15th century, the castle has turned into Saint-Malo city hall. This architectural legacy is in a very good condition.
• Saint-Malo Gates (Saint Louis Bastion, Saint Philip Bastion and Holland Bastion)
  They have contributed to protecting the city during different time periods. Still today, you can see the cannons that served to guard the city.
• The ramparts at the citadel
  With their 1754 m, the city walls are a major attraction. To enter within the fortified walls, you’ll pass by one of the 8 gates (3 posterns, which are smaller, are not big enough to go through). Some date back to the 15th century and are decorated by original sculptures.
• The Old Town within the ramparts You can explore the old constructions of the Cité Corsaire (80% of which was destroyed after the Second World War). The homes have stained-glass windows and wooden framework. On Fridays, enjoy the market that takes place there and buy some quality and artisanal food.
• La Saint-Vincent Cathedral
  This Roman and Gothic cathedral maintains architectural characteristics of both styles. Its construction started in the 12th century.
• The old village of Saint-Servan
  In this neighborhood, you can see traces of the Gallo-roman wall and the Grand Aquarium, a place your children will fall in love with. Expect to pay 12€ per child and 16€ per adult to discover majestic species.

Museum:

• The City's Historical Museum, is located in two towers of the Castle. There are over 8,500 pieces on display that act as witnesses to the past of the city and its people.

Click here to have a look at the pricing list.

Walking and finding the most suitable beach: :

• The Parc de la Briantais
  With 27 hectares of green, the park was redesigned in the 19th century. It opens up to the estuary.
• If you want to spend the day out with your family, here is a list of beaches you can go to : Plage de l'Éventail, Plage du Sillon (3km to find the fine sand beach), Plage du Pont and Plage du Minihic, Plage du Môle, Plage du Val
• To go sailing : Plage du Havre
• To play games that need wind : Plage du Sillon
• The most paradise-like beach in the city: Plage du Nicet

*This travel guide was published in November 2014, prices may then vary.