Brittany · France
Where to stay in Rennes
Rennes is a city in Brittany, France, home to about 231,000 people.
- Best months
- May to September
- Nearest airport
- RNS6 km · Rennes-Saint-Jacques Airport
- Currency
- EUReuro
- Time zone
- Europe/Paris
- Language
- French
About
About Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany region and Ille-et-Vilaine department.
Rennes has long been one of the main towns of Brittany, but until 1806 it was overshadowed by the capital and Atlantic port Nantes. Then under Napoleon I Bonaparte, Nantes lost that role and indeed was removed from Brittany, so Rennes came to the fore. Its small river Vilaine was canalised and made navigable, and connected to other towns, so freight and industry were boosted even before the arrival of the railway.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Rennes
See
- Musée de Bretagne
- Cathedral Saint-Pierre
- Portes Mordelaise
- Musée des Beaux-Arts
- Parlement de Bretagne
- Parc du Thabor
- Frac Bretagne
Do
- Le Blizz
- Stade Rennais FC
- Jardin Moderne
- Travelling
- Mythos Festival
- Rock'n Solex
- Les Tombées de la Nuit
- Quartiers d'été
- Yaouank
- Les Transmusicales
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Rennes
22 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Balthazar Hotel | 2014 | 0.7 km |
| Mama Shelter Rennes Mama Shelter | 2023 | 0.2 km |
| Best Western Plus Hotel Isidore Best Western | 3.0 km | |
| Château d'Apigné Rennes | 6.6 km | |
| Château de la Villedubois | 12.4 km | |
| Château du Bois Glaume | 24.5 km | |
| Escale Oceania Rennes Cap Malo | 10.5 km | |
| Hôtel Anne de Bretagne | 0.8 km | |
| Hôtel l’Ortega Rennes Aéroport | 3.3 km | |
| Hôtel Lecoq Gadby, the Originals Relais | 1.3 km | |
| Hôtel Mama Shelter | 0.2 km | |
| Hotel Mercure Rennes Cesson Mercure Hotels | 5.2 km | |
| Ibis Styles Rennes Cesson Ibis Styles | 4.0 km | |
| Kyriad Rennes Centre Kyriad Hotels | 1.2 km | |
| La Malcotais | 6.4 km | |
| Le Saint-Antoine Hotel & Spa, BW Premier Collection | 1.0 km | |
| Mercure Rennes Centre Gare Mercure Hotels | 1.1 km | |
| Mercure Rennes Centre Parlement Mercure Hotels | 0.6 km | |
| Mercure Rennes Centre Place Bretagne Mercure Hotels | 0.5 km | |
| Novotel Rennes Alma Novotel | 3.6 km | |
| Novotel Spa Rennes Centre Gare Novotel | 1.1 km | |
| Oceania Rennes | 4.6 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Rennes
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Rennes are May to September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 24 °C; December is the wettest, with about 89 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Rennes: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Rennes-Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS), about 6.4 km from the city centre in a straight line; Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE, 107 km) and Jersey Airport (JER, 127 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Trains run hourly from Paris Montparnasse, taking 90 min nonstop to Rennes. They continue to Saint-Brieuc and Brest, another two hours, as the winding line through Brittany isn't upgraded for TGV speeds. From Paris CDG airport take the RER train into the city and change at Chatelet/Les Halles for Montparnasse - the direct train starting in Lille only runs twice a day. Likewise from the south of France, you usually change across Paris. From Nantes an hourly regional train takes 80 min nonstop. From St Malo an hourly regional train takes an hour via five stops.
Getting around
Walking is always first choice in the compact city centre. Star is the city transport system, with 50 bus lines and two Metro (VAL and Neo VAL) lines. The hub for these is the mainline railway and intercity bus station Gares. The principal routes run 05:30 to 00:30. The metro lines run an extra hour longer until almost 02:00 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. In 2023 a single ticket is €1.50, valid for one hour and unlimited transfers. A one day pass is €4.20, three days is €11.70 and seven is €18.35.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
RNS · Rennes-Saint-Jacques Airport
NTE · Nantes Atlantique Airport
JER · Jersey Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Rennes
Stay safe
Standard advice over care of valuables, traffic, and staying clear of unruly drunks.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Rennes: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Rennes?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Rennes are May to September. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 24 °C; December is the wettest, with about 89 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Rennes?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Rennes-Saint-Jacques Airport (RNS), about 6.4 km from the city centre in a straight line; Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE, 107 km) and Jersey Airport (JER, 127 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Rennes?
euro (EUR).
Nearby
Destinations near Rennes
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.