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Major city · France

RennesRoazhon

Give Rennes one full day plus a second for a day trip: base in the centre, walk the old town, and use it as a rail hub for Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (crowds on the coast, not the city), mid-August closures
Airports
RNS · CDG · NTE
Nights
1–2
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.

Rennes is the capital of Brittany and a university city of about 220,000, rebuilt in stone after the 1720 fire, with a compact walkable centre and two metro lines. Most travellers use it as a one- or two-night rail base between Paris and the Breton coast. It is a working city rather than a postcard town, and that is the point.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Rennes, 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 at a bar counter€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Sit-down mealDinner, mid-range, per person without wine€25–40 (≈ US$30–50)
  • Street or quick mealGalette-saucisse from a market stall€4–6 (≈ US$5–7)
  • BeerDraught beer in a bar / can from a shop€5–8 (≈ US$6–10)€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi ride€15–20 (≈ US$18–25)
  • Metro or bus rideSingle metro or bus ticket€1.50 (≈ US$2) (check)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per person€28 (≈ US$35)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, budget hotel or chain, a night, per room€120 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedDouble room, budget hotel or chain, a night, per room€220 (≈ US$300)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €55 (≈ US$65) · Mid €100 (≈ US$120) · High €180 (≈ 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.

Parlement de BretagneHalf-timbered old town east of the cathedralParc du ThaborGalettes and galette-saucisseLes Transmusicales festival
Airports
RNS Rennes Bretagne (Saint-Jacques) (6 km southwest of the centre; bus C6 runs to the city about every 30 min, roughly 20 min to the art museum stop on Quai Émile Zola (check)) · CDG Paris Charles de Gaulle (Global connections; TGV from the airport area to Rennes, or RER into Paris and change at Montparnasse) · NTE Nantes Atlantique (Alternative airport with a similar low-cost mix; about 1 h 20 min by train from Nantes to Rennes)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Rennes: 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

3°C

13 rd

Feb

10°C

3°C

11 rd

Mar

13°C

4°C

11 rd

Apr

15°C

6°C

10 rd

May

19°C

9°C

10 rd

Jun

22°C

12°C

8 rd

Jul

24°C

14°C

8 rd

Aug

24°C

14°C

8 rd

Sep

22°C

12°C

9 rd

Oct

17°C

9°C

12 rd

Nov

12°C

6°C

13 rd

Dec

9°C

3°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 the centre: cathedral to Parlement is about 10 min, cathedral to Thabor about 15 min. Star metro and buses cover the rest; metro A runs northwest–southeast and metro B northeast–southwest, both through Gares and Sainte-Anne. Bikes are easy, with docking stations across the city. Do not drive into the centre: many streets are restricted and parking is scarce.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Saint-Malo

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

TER regional train from Gare de Rennes, about 1 h, hourly

Walled port city; go early, the ramparts and beach fill by midday in summer.

Mont-Saint-Michel

go

Door to door: About 2 h

Train to Pontorson then shuttle bus, or a direct coach in season

A full day; check the tide times before you book and wear shoes with grip.

Vitré

go

Door to door: About 45 min

TER regional train from Gare de Rennes, about 30 min

Castle and medieval streets; half a day is enough.

Dinard

caution

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Train to Saint-Malo then bus across the Rance, or a BreizhGo coach

Better as a summer beach day; the connection is fiddly outside July–August.

Montfort-sur-Meu

caution

Door to door: About 45 min

BreizhGo coach or TER from Rennes

Small town on the canal; only worth it if you want a quiet walk.

Bédée

skip

Door to door: About 1 h

BreizhGo coach from Rennes

Village with no draw for a short trip; skip unless you have family there.

Talensac

skip

Door to door: About 1 h

BreizhGo coach from Rennes

Rural village; not a day trip in its own right.

Iffendic

skip

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

BreizhGo coach from Rennes

Lakeside village; only with a car and a specific reason.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Centre / Place Sainte-Anne

Old town, cathedral, bars and the tourist office; walk to everything, metro A and B at Sainte-Anne.

Around Gare de Rennes

Cheapest beds and the transport hub; 1 km walk north to the historic centre, metro at Gares.

Place des Lices / Rue Saint-Georges

Central eating and nightlife, Saturday market on the doorstep; noisier at weekends.

Thabor / Saint-Melaine

Quieter residential edge by the park and university; 10–15 min walk to the centre.

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
€55–85 (≈ US$65–100) excl. bed
Mid
€90–150 (≈ US$110–180) excl. bed
High
€160 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, budget hotel or chain1 × 2 nights × €120€240
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × €100€400
Airport bus C6, both ways2 × €6 · check€12
Star one-day transport pass2 × €4 · check€8
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€69
Trip total≈ €190 per person per day, bed included€759≈ US$900

2026 estimate in euros; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee at a bar counter€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
Galette (savoury buckwheat crêpe)€6–12 (≈ US$7–14)
Galette-saucisse from a market stall€4–6 (≈ US$5–7)
Lunch menu (formule) in the centre€15–22 (≈ US$18–30)
Dinner, mid-range, per person without wine€25–40 (≈ US$30–50)
Draught beer in a bar / can from a shop€5–8 (≈ US$6–10) / €1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
Single metro or bus ticket€1.50 (≈ US$2) (check)
5 km taxi ride€15–20 (≈ US$18–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Rennes is a safe city by day and mostly at night; the real issues are rain, closed kitchens on Sunday and Monday, and late-night noise around the student bars. Keep to lit streets near Sainte-Anne and the station after midnight.
  • It can rain any day, year-round: pack a light waterproof rather than an umbrella that turns inside out.
  • Many restaurants and small shops close on Sunday and Monday, and parts of August.
  • The centre is bar-heavy on Thursday nights in term time; expect noise around Sainte-Anne and Rue Saint-Michel.
  • Pickpockets work the station and market crowds; keep bags zipped in front.
  • Metro and bus stop around 00:30, later on Thursday to Saturday; plan the last ride or a taxi.

Emergency numbers

European emergency number
112
Ambulance (SAMU)
15
Police
17
Fire
18
By text, for 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.

RennesRoazhon

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

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

Emergency

  • European emergency number112
  • Ambulance (SAMU)15
  • Police17
  • Fire18
  • By text, for deaf callers114

Embassy

No embassies in Rennes; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish embassies are in Paris. The US has no consulate in Rennes (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport (RNS) → centre, bus C6: about €3 (≈ US$4), roughly 20 min (check)
  • Gare de Rennes → Sainte-Anne, metro: €1.50 (≈ US$2), about 5 min (check)
  • Rennes → Saint-Malo, TER: about €15–20 (≈ US$18–25), about 1 h (check)
  • Rennes → Paris Montparnasse, TGV: from about €30 (≈ US$35) if booked early, 1 h 30 min (check)

Say or show

  • Bonjour — Hello / Good day (bon-ZHOOR)
  • Merci — Thank you (mair-SEE)
  • S'il vous plaît — Please (seel voo PLEH)
  • C'est combien ? — How much is it? (say kom-BYEN)
  • L'addition, s'il vous plaît — The bill, please (la-dee-SYON seel voo PLEH)
  • Parlez-vous anglais ? — Do you speak English? (par-lay voo ahn-GLEH)

Service is included by law in French cafés and restaurants; round up or leave 5–10% for good service. Tap water is free on request.

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 Rennes. 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–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (crowds on the coast, not the city), mid-August closures · 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. 8 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for RNS: last bus C6 departures, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Sainte-Anne and the old town, Parlement and République, Thabor and Saint-Melaine, the station and Les Champs Libres.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Musée de Bretagne, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Parlement tours, Thabor) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Rail-hub fixtures for Saint-Malo, Mont-Saint-Michel and Vitré so day-trip gates can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to France

Sources