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Voykit pocket guide · France
Roscoff
Half a day to a full day is enough: walk the harbour, see the chapel and church, then take the boat to Île de Batz. One night if you want thalassotherapy or a slow dinner.
Roscoff is a small port town on a peninsula in the Bay of Morlaix, in Finistère, Brittany. It was a corsair base and is now a ferry terminal for Ireland and the UK, a thalassotherapy centre and a launch point for the Île de Batz. The sights are compact: the harbour, a 16th-century church, a 17th-century chapel on a cliff, and a short boat ride to an island. Most visitors use it as a stop between the ferry and the rest of Brittany, or as a quiet base for a night or two.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (many places closed or quiet)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- Police 17 · Fire 18 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · European emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café crème) | €2–4 |
| Galette (buckwheat crêpe) with a filling | €8–14 |
| Menu du jour (lunch set) | €15–25 |
| Beer (pint / demi) | €5–8 / €3–5 |
| Boat to Île de Batz, return | about €12 |
| Bus Roscoff–Morlaix, one way | about €5 |
| Parking near the harbour (per day, high season) | €8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BES · Brest Bretagne
- About 50 km (31 mi); Air France to Paris. Bus or taxi to Roscoff.About 31 mi (50 km); Air France to Paris. Bus or taxi to Roscoff.
Typical fares
- Brest airport → Roscoff
- about €60–80 by taxi, 50 min; bus via Morlaix is cheaper but slower (check)
- Roscoff → Île de Batz
- about €12 return, 15 min (check)
- Roscoff → Morlaix by bus
- about €5, 30 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walkable centre. A car is useful for the outskirts and day trips. Buses run to Morlaix but are infrequent. Bicycle rental available in season.
See and do
Known for
- Brittany Ferries terminal (Ireland and UK)
- Île de Batz
- Thalassotherapy centres
- Notre-Dame de Croaz Batz church
- Chapelle Sainte-Barbe
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Île de Batz | Passenger boat from Roscoff harbour, about 15 min | About 30 min |
| Morlaix | Bus from Roscoff (replaces the train), about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Brest | Car or bus via the N12, about 50 min | About 1 h |
| Quimper | Car via the N12 and D785, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Town centre / harbour
- Walk to restaurants, the church and the ferry terminal. Most hotels and guesthouses here.
- Outskirts (near the thalasso centres)
- Quieter, closer to the sea and spa facilities; a car or bike helps.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbohn-zhoor |
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo pleh |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ?kom-byen sa koot |
| Where is the ferry? | Où est le ferry ?oo eh luh feh-ree |
| A table for two, please | Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaîteun tah-bl poor duh, seel voo pleh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Ferry timetables change seasonally; book ahead for vehicles.
- Train to Morlaix is replaced by a bus (track damage since 2018).
- Restaurants may close for lunch between 14:00 and 19:00.
- Parking near the harbour fills up in July and August.
Roscoff is safe. Watch for traffic on the narrow streets near the harbour and for slippery seaweed on the quay. The sea can have strong currents; swim only on guarded beaches.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Roscoff yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Brittany Ferries terminal (Ireland and UK)
- Île de Batz
- Thalassotherapy centres
- Notre-Dame de Croaz Batz church
- Chapelle Sainte-Barbe
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Roscoff official tourism site: www.roscoff-tourisme.com/en/
- Brittany Ferries: www.brittanyferries.com
- Wikivoyage: Roscoff, revision 5112805 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5112805
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Roscoff
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US has an embassy in Paris and a consulate in Rennes. Most other countries have embassies in Paris and consulates in Rennes or Brest.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/roscoff). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.