Rennes

Rennes is the administrative capital of Brittany, a mid-sized French city with a large student population giving it a youthful buzz. It has grand 18th and 19th century architecture, surviving medieval half-timbered houses in the old town, and excellent museums including the Musée de Bretagne and Musée des Beaux-Arts. The city serves as a practical base for day trips to Mont Saint-Michel and Saint-Malo, both reachable by train in under an hour.

Rennes became Brittany's main town in 1806 when Napoleon removed Nantes from the region. The medieval old town was largely destroyed by fire in 1720 and rebuilt on a grid pattern with elegant stone mansions. The city was heavily bombed in WWII but rebuilt. From the 1990s, Rennes developed around telecoms and services while the university grew, creating a large student population. Traditionally students throng the bars on Thursday nights. The climate is Atlantic with rain possible any day.

Rennes Bretagne Airport (RNS) at Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande has regular flights from European cities and London via budget carriers. Air France operates 2-3 daily flights from Paris CDG, though domestic flights under 2.5 hours face restrictions. Other domestic routes include Lyon, Marseille, Nice, and Toulouse. Gare de Rennes is the central railway station with TGV connections to Paris (1hr25min), and regional trains to Saint-Malo (50min), Brest (2hr), and Nantes (1hr10min).

Walking is the first choice in the compact city centre. Rennes has a metro system (two lines) plus bus services. Bus 3 from Republique station accesses Parc du Thabor. Bike rental and taxis are also available.

Rennes can be visited year-round. The Atlantic climate means rain is possible any day, though less than on the coast. Summer brings festivals including Quartiers d'été (summer festival) and Rock'n Solex (May). November features Yaouank, a major Breton folk music festival. December hosts Les Transmusicales, a renowned world music festival. February has the Travelling cinema festival focused on a different world city each year.

Key attractions include Cathédral Saint-Pierre ( Rue de la Monnaie, daily 09:30-18:00), rebuilt 1845 in neo-classical style after collapse. The Musée de Bretagne (10 Cours des Alliés, free permanent entry) covers Breton culture including the Dreyfus trial. Musée des Beaux-Arts (20 Quai Emile Zola, free permanent collection) has 17th century paintings and Pont-Aven school works. Parc du Thabor is a large park with French and English gardens plus botanical rose garden. Portes Mordelaise is the last remaining city gate, 15th century. Stade Rennais FC plays soccer at Roazhon Park (capacity 29,778) in Ligue 1.

Rennes is famous for galettes, Breton salted crêpes made with buckwheat flour. Galettes-saucisses are roasted pork sausage wrapped in a galette, a local specialty. Lait ribot is half-fermented milk, sometimes served with boiled chestnuts. Le marché des Lices (Place des Lices, Saturday 06:00-13:30, established 1622) is the main city market. There are about 20 markets across the city. Popular eateries include La Sarrasine (30 Rue Saint-Georges) for crêpes, Le Coucou Rennais (20 Rue d'Antrain) for organic vegetarian options, and Restaurant IMA (20 Blvd de la Tour d'Auvergne, Michelin 1-star) for French-Far Eastern fusion.

Budget options include Auberge de Jeunesse HI (10 Canal Saint Martin, dorm €27 ppn, open mid-Jan to mid-Dec) and Les Chouettes Hostel (27 Rue Dupont-des-Loges, dorm €25 ppn). Camping des Gayeulles (Rue du Professeur Maurice Audin) is a year-round parkland site northeast of the city. Mid-range hotels include ibis Rennes Centre Gare Sud (15 Rue de Châtillon, B&B double €70) and Hôtel Des Lices (7 Place des Lices, B&B double €85) near old town. Novotel (22 Ave Jean Janvier, B&B double €120) offers mid-price comfort.

Most bars close midnight to 01:00, with late bars to 03:00 including La Contrescarpe (5 Rue de Champ Jacquet, M-Sa 21:00-03:00, vaulted cellars), La Place (7 Place de Champ Jacquet), and Café Cactus (3 Rue Pongerard, Tu-Sa 19:00-03:00). O'Connell's (6 Place du Parlement, M-Sa 11:00-01:00) is a popular Irish pub with anglophone staff. L'Heure du Jeu (11 Boulevard Magenta) has over 1000 board games. Traditional student nights are Thursdays. 1988 Live Club (27 Place du Colombier) is a large music venue with three stages.

Standard urban precautions apply: watch valuables, be aware of traffic, and stay clear of unruly drunks. Rennes is generally a safe city.

As of June 2022, Rennes has 5G coverage from all French carriers. SIM cards from Orange, SFR, Bouygues, and Free are widely available in convenience stores and carrier shops. WiFi is available in hotels, cafés, and public spaces.

Saint-Malo is a wonderful coastal town on the English Channel, just one hour by train with ferries to the Channel Islands. Mont Saint-Michel is an island 70 km northeast with its fortified abbey; bus excursions run from Rennes. Attractive Breton destinations reachable by train or bus include Fougères, Dinan, Vannes, Carnac, Lorient, Montfort-sur-Meu, Guidel, and Vitré. Road routes lead to Brest (west), Nantes (south), Caen (northeast), and Paris (east).