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Major city · France

Saint-Malo

Stay 2 nights inside the walls: walk the ramparts at low tide, cross to Grand Bé, then day-trip to Mont-Saint-Michel. Skip the car.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (cold, wet, many places shut)
Airports
RNS · CDG · DNR
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • France and Monaco ↗France has run temporary identity checks at its internal Schengen land borders since 2015; carry a passport or EU/EEA national ID on trains and buses from Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg.
  • France and Monaco ↗Nights in France and Monaco draw on the same Schengen 90-in-180-day allowance as the rest of the area; Monaco does not reset or pause it.
  • France ↗France is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors' fingerprints and photo at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
  • France ↗TGV (including the low-cost Ouigo) and Intercités night trains need a seat reservation: a rail pass alone does not let you board.
  • France ↗Paris, Lyon and other large cities run low-emission zones that require a Crit'Air sticker on cars; check before you drive a hire car or your own car into a city.
  • France ↗Carry your passport or national ID card: police can ask for identification, and hotels register foreign guests.

Saint-Malo is a walled port town on the Brittany coast, 2 h 15 min from Paris by TGV and 70 km from Mont-Saint-Michel. The intramuros fits in a day; the tides, the ferry port and the Mont-Saint-Michel run make two nights the useful minimum. Come May–September for the forts and beaches; the town is quiet and half-closed in deep winter.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Saint-Malo, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or a crêpe to go€2–5 (≈ US$3–6)
  • BeerBeer in an intramuros pub€5–8 (≈ US$6–10)
  • Museum or sight ticketFort National entry (cash only)€5 (≈ US$6) adult, €3 (≈ US$4) child
  • Budget bedHostel or basic guesthouse bed, a night, per person€30 (≈ US$35)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, intramuros or near the station, a night, per room€120 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedDouble room, intramuros or near the station, a night, per room€220 (≈ US$300)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €105 (≈ US$130) · High €190 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Walled intramuros and rampartsTidal forts: National, Grand Bé, Petit BéCorsair history and Chateaubriand's graveFerry port for Jersey, Guernsey and EnglandCrêpes, galettes and Cancale oysters
Airports
RNS Rennes–Saint-Jacques (75 km south; bus or train to Saint-Malo, about 1 h 15 min door to door (check)) · CDG Paris Charles de Gaulle (TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Saint-Malo in under 90 min; from CDG you must cross Paris first) · DNR Dinard–Pleurtuit–Saint-Malo (Private aviation only; not a scheduled option)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Saint-Malo: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

9°C

4°C

13 rd

Feb

9°C

3°C

11 rd

Mar

12°C

5°C

11 rd

Apr

14°C

6°C

10 rd

May

17°C

9°C

9 rd

Jun

20°C

12°C

8 rd

Jul

22°C

14°C

8 rd

Aug

22°C

14°C

8 rd

Sep

20°C

12°C

9 rd

Oct

16°C

10°C

12 rd

Nov

12°C

7°C

13 rd

Dec

10°C

5°C

13 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk. Intramuros is small and the ramparts are free and open 24 h. MAT buses reach the station, Saint-Servan, Paramé and Dinard; taxis wait at the station and the old-town gate. A car is a liability inside the walls — use the Park & Ride at Parking Féval (about €3.30 a car for 24 h plus return bus tickets for the driver and up to three passengers, 2025 rate, check) and only pay on exit.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Mont-Saint-Michel

go

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min each way

Keolis Armor coach from Saint-Malo station, Apr–Oct; year-round from Rennes

Go on the first departure and leave before mid-afternoon; the islet is packed in summer.

Dinard

go

Door to door: About 30–45 min

MAT bus or a seasonal ferry across the Rance estuary

Beaches, cliffs and 19th-century villas; October English Film Festival.

Cancale

go

Door to door: About 30 min by car

Bus or car east along the coast

Oyster port; eat at the harbour rather than in intramuros.

Rennes

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

TER train, hourly, about 1 h

Useful wet-day city and the main rail hub.

Cap Fréhel and the Emerald Coast

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Car, west past Dinard

Thin public transport; a car or a long day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Intramuros (inside the walls)

Walk to everything; book early for summer and expect small rooms and no parking.

Near the station (Av Anita Conti)

Chain hotels, 1.5 km east of the old town; best if you arrive late or leave by train.

Saint-Servan / Aleth

Quieter, cheaper, 20–30 min walk south of intramuros; campsite on the Aleth peninsula Apr–Sep.

Paramé and the beaches

East along the 12 km north-coast beach; car or bus needed for the old town.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–90 (≈ US$70–110) excl. bed
Mid
€90–150 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
€150 (≈ US$180)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, intramuros or near the station1 × 2 nights × €120€240
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × €105€420
Park & Ride at Parking Féval, 24 h with return bus tickets1 × €3 · 2025 rate, check€3
Mont-Saint-Michel coach, return2 × €30 · check€60
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€75
Trip total≈ €207 per person per day, bed included€828≈ US$1,000

2026 estimate in euro; travel to Saint-Malo excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or a crêpe to go€2–5 (≈ US$3–6)
Galette or crêpe in a crêperie€8–14 (≈ US$10–17)
Moules-frites€13–20 (≈ US$16–25)
Beer in an intramuros pub€5–8 (≈ US$6–10)
Fort National entry (cash only)€5 (≈ US$6) adult, €3 (≈ US$4) child
Grand Aquarium entry€18.90 (≈ US$25) adult, €13.90 (≈ US$17) child
Demeure de Corsaire tour€8.50 (≈ US$10) adult, €6 (≈ US$7) concession or child
Musée Jacques Cartier tour€6.80 (≈ US$8) adult, €3.40 (≈ US$4) child

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A safe, walkable town. The real hazards are the tides — causeways to Fort National, Grand Bé and Petit Bé flood fast — plus wet rampart stone, summer crowds and pickpockets at the ferry port.
  • The tide comes in fast and cuts off the causeways to Fort National, Grand Bé and Petit Bé. Check the tide table before you cross and never start a crossing on a rising tide.
  • Fort National is cash only and opens only when the tide is out and the flag is flying (Jun–mid Sep).
  • Demeure de Corsaire tours are in French only and cover 3 of 56 rooms.
  • The Château museum closed in 2019; you can only see the exterior.
  • Summer ferries and the Mont-Saint-Michel buses fill up: book dated tickets ahead.
  • Rance Tidal Power Station tours must be pre-booked.

Emergency numbers

European emergency (police, fire, ambulance)
112
Ambulance (SAMU)
15
Police
17
Fire
18
Emergency by text (deaf callers)
114

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Saint-MaloSaint-Malo

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

À cette adresse, s'il vous plaîtTo this address, please

Emergency

  • European emergency112
  • Ambulance (SAMU)15
  • Police17
  • Fire18
  • Text emergency (deaf callers)114

Embassy

No embassy in Saint-Malo; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian, Irish and New Zealand embassies are in Paris. The US also has a consulate-general in Rennes (check the address).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Park & Ride Parking Féval, 24 h + bus: about €3.30 (≈ US$4) a car, pay on exit (2025 rate, check)
  • Train Saint-Malo → Rennes: about 1 h, hourly (check)
  • TGV Saint-Malo → Paris Montparnasse: under 90 min, every couple of hours (check)
  • Ferry Saint-Malo → Jersey (DFDS): about 70 min, daily (check)

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello (bon-ZHOOR)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-SEE)
  • L'addition, s'il vous plaît — The bill, please (la-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH)
  • À quelle heure est la marée basse ? — What time is low tide? (ah kel URR eh la ma-RAY BASS)
  • Je peux payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card? (zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART)
  • Où est la vieille ville ? — Where is the old town? (oo eh la VYAY VEEL)

Tipping: service is included by law; round up or leave 5–10% for good service. Tide tables are posted at the old-town gates and at the tourist office on Esplanade Saint-Vincent.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Saint-Malo. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (cold, wet, many places shut) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Tide-table fixture for the three tidal crossings, with safe windows printed on the pocket card.
  2. Ferry and coach cutoffs: Brittany Ferries to Poole and Portsmouth, DFDS to Jersey, Keolis Armor to Mont-Saint-Michel.
  3. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: intramuros, Saint-Servan and Aleth, the beaches, the Rance dam.
  4. Place pages with verified hours and prices (cathedral, Fort National, Demeure de Corsaire, Grand Aquarium, Musée Jacques Cartier).

Meanwhile

Back to France

Sources