Rennes and its surroundings

Rennes, the historical capital of Brittany, is located about 350 km west of Paris, and it is only one hour from the seaside and its two most impressive attractions:

  • Saint-Malo, a charming walled corsair city and
  • Mont Saint-Michel, an iconic tower in the heart of an immense bay invaded by the highest tides in Europe.

In the following, they are a few ideas for some trips (one day or several days).

A day trip

  • Mont-Saint-Michel
    • A UNESCO World Heritage Site
    • To see: the abbey, the town, and the bay
    • Journey: 90 km – 1 hr 20 min (by coach)
    • www.ter-sncf.com
    • Leave from Rennes coach station (gare routière)
    • Tourist Office: www.ot-montsaintmichel.com
  • Saint-Malo
    • The corsair town beside the sea. (A corsair was a licensed pirate)
    • To see: Saint-Malo Intra Muros (the old town within the ramparts), the beaches, and the aquarium
    • Journey: 70 km – 50 min. (by TGV high-speed train or local TER train)
    • By coach (illenoo): www.illenoo.fr
    • Leave from Rennes coach station (gare routière)
    • Tourist Office: www.saint-malo-tourisme.com
  • Brocéliande
    • The forest of legends, in which Merlin the magician, Viviane the fairy, the Knights of the Round Table, and King Arthur have all left their traces
    • To see: the Val sans Retour (valley of no-return), with the Étang du Miroir-aux-Fées (fairies’ mirror pool), Merlin’s Seat, the Moulin de la Vallée (mill of the valley), the Arbre d’Or (golden tree), and Merlin’s Tomb
    • Brocéliande web site: www.broceliande-pays.com
    • Tréhorenteuc Tourist Office: www.valsansretour.com
  • Other ideas: Combourg, Dinan, Vitré,…

Getting away for a weekend or a few days

  • Brittany (Bretagne)
    • To see: Côte d’Émeraude (Emerald Coast), Côte Sauvage (Wild Coast), Côte de Granit Rose (Pink Granite Coast), Côte des Légendes (Coast of Legends)
    • Bretagne Tourist Office: www.tourismebretagne.com (suggestions for trips and short stays)
  • Paris
    • Discover the attractions of the capital of France
    • To see: historical monuments (e.g. the Eiffel Tower and the Champs Elysées), museums (e.g. the Louvre), the Georges Pompidou Centre, Notre-Dame cathedral, walks on the banks of the River Seine
    • Travel to Paris by train: TGV high-speed train from Rennes to Paris Montparnasse: www.voyages-sncf.com
    • Journey: 350 km – 2 hr 5 min. (by TGV)
    • Paris Tourist Office: www.parisinfo.com

 

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