I decided to visit Rennes after finding a cheap flight from Porto to there! So, I chose to visit Rennes, along with Nantes and Mont Saint-Michel in a 3-day getaway.

And what a pleasant surprise it was! Despite finding the city almost empty, Rennes was lovely 🥰.

Located in the Brittany region, Rennes is a student city (one of the largest in Europe) and was once considered one of the best cities to live in in France.

Rennes is a very photogenic city, largely due to its typical half-timbered houses. But the city holds other surprises. If you are planning a trip to Rennes, then keep reading this post to find out all the tips to visit Rennes: what to visit, when to visit, how many days are needed and much more.

Being located in the Brittany region, you cannot expect fantastic weather in Rennes, especially in winter (it can even snow!). The warmest months are from June to September and the rainiest are November, December and January.

So, there is not necessarily an ideal time to visit Rennes as the weather is a bit uncertain. However, to increase the likelihood of good weather, I suggest visiting Rennes between June and September.

Given the size of the city, one day is enough to visit Rennes. The main points of interest are located relatively close to each other, making it easy to visit.

Anyway, if you choose to stay 2 days in Rennes, on the second day you can take the opportunity to visit Mont Saint-Michel, which is an excellent day trip for those visiting Rennes.

💡 EXTRA TIP: If you would like to know how to get to Mont Saint-Michel from Rennes and other tips for visiting what is one of the most emblematic places in France, I suggest reading my complete guide to visiting Mont Saint-Michel.

Rennes has an airport which, despite being quite small, has connections with some European countries such as:

• Portugal (Porto, Lisbon)
• United Kingdom (London)
• Netherlands (Amsterdam)
• Germany (Frankfurt)

The city of Rennes also has air connections with other French cities such as Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris and Toulouse.

The simplest way to travel between Rennes airport and the city centre is by direct bus (C6), which is located nearby the airport’s exit.

This bus stops at Republique station (one of the most central stations) and the journey takes about 20 minutes. The bus has a frequency of about 20/30 minutes and tickets cost 1,5€ and can be bought directly from the driver.

💡 EXTRA TIP: I suggest checking the most up-to-date information on this site.

I stayed for two nights in Rennes and was quite satisfied with the place I chose. It was a well-located apart hotel (less than 10 minutes walk from the main points of interest in the city) – Aparthotel Adagio Access Rennes Centre.

Although it was noticeable that the hotel was a bit old, it was very clean, spacious and comfortable. In addition, there was a kitchenette in the room, which was very useful for those who want to cook.

However, there are other options available in terms of accommodation in the city of Rennes:

Although it is possible to visit Rennes on foot, as its points of interest are relatively close by, it may sometimes be necessary to use some public transport to cover longer distances.

Rennes has a very modern and efficient metro system (I never waited more than 2–3 minutes for a metro, even at the weekend). Although it is possible to use a contactless card (like Revolut, for example) to travel, you can buy tickets from the machines available at the stations.

Each individual ticket costs 1.5€ and is valid for 1 hour. However, there are other options available, such as 10 trips for 14.5€. More information is available here.

Before starting the list with the places to visit in Rennes, I’ll share a map with the main points of interest in the city to help you plan your trip:

This itinerary in Rennes starts with one of the most captivating parts of the city: its streets with half-timbered houses. In many of the streets of Rennes (as well as in other cities in the Brittany region), we find half-timbered houses from medieval times.

When strolling through the historic centre of Rennes, it will be impossible not to notice these beautiful buildings. There are almost 400 scattered throughout the city 🥰.

Although they were not all built in the same period, there is something common to all the buildings: the use of colour. As with the sculptures on the various façades, the colours were intended to represent the social status of their owners.

So, I suggest a visit to some of the streets where you can find half-timbered houses:

• Pont aux Foulons Street
• Saint Michel Street
• Saint Guillaume Street
• Saint Sauveur Street
• La Psalette Street
• Chapitre Street

Although all the streets are worth a visit, I highlight house number 3 on Saint Guillaume Street. It is here that we can find the oldest house in Rennes (known as Ti-Coz), built in the early 16th century.

Located on Lices Square (Place des Lices), the Lices Market is the most emblematic in the city and has been held every Saturday morning since 1622. In fact, this is the second-largest market in France, with over 10.000 visitors every weekend.

But what is now a popular weekend spot for locals to buy Breton products was once a place where knightly feuds or executions took place in medieval times.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The Lices Market occurs every Saturday from 7.30 am to 1.30 pm. Outside this period, the atmosphere in the square is quite different as the market is closed.

Another place you can visit in Rennes is one of the gates that used to serve as the entrance to the walled city – Porte Mordelaise. This was the main entrance to the city of Rennes and its name comes from the fact that this gate connected Rennes to the city of Mordelles.

Although the current structure is more recent, traces have been found that the current version of this gate was built on a foundation that dates back to the 3rd century.

Since 2018, there is a project that aims to develop the area around this gate and the city walls. The creation of the wall gardens will allow a new interpretation of the city’s history.

Crossing Mordelaise Gate, we immediately glimpse St. Peter’s Cathedral, with its two towers, almost 50 metres high. And believe me, the outside of the building doesn’t give a hint of its beautiful interior. This is really a must-visit place in Rennes!

The history of this cathedral is closely linked to the Dukes of Brittany, who were crowned here after entering the city through the Mordelaise Gate. Although the cathedral’s existence dates back to the 4th century, nothing remains of the original building.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: Entry to St, Peter’s Cathedral is free and it is open every day of the week.

We head to one of the city’s main squares – Place de la Mairie. Here we find the Town Hall of Rennes and, in front of it, the Rennes Opera House.

Although the buildings were built almost a century apart, the way they were constructed makes it seem as if the two buildings fit together.

Although the best way to appreciate the beauty of the Opera House is by attending a concert, there are also some guided tours of this monument.

Built in the 17th century, the Parliament of Brittany is one of the most important buildings in the city and one of the symbols in the history of the Brittany region.

While the building managed to survive the blazing fire that destroyed several parts of the city in 1720, it didn’t escape a fire in 1994. Today, it is possible to visit its interior through guided tours that show us some of the works of art inside😊.

We head towards the Palais Saint-Georges, another historic building in Rennes. Built in 1670, it was once an abbey. Today it is considered a historic monument in France and it’s currently used in administrative services.

The garden outside is quite nice, although small. But it is certainly worth a visit!

It’s time to continue our visit to the banks of the river Vilaine – the river that runs through Rennes. After a short stroll along its banks (it’s a nice area, even though not that big of a deal!), I suggest another stop – Museum of Fine Arts.

Opened at the end of the 18th century, in the Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes we can find works by well-known painters such as Véronèse, Rubens and Picasso.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: Entrance to the permanent exhibitions at the Fine Arts Museum is free of charge. The Museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm from Tuesday to Friday and until 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

It’s time to end this Rennes’ itinerary and we will do it blissfully 😍. The first stop is the Saint-Melaine Church, which is located at the entrance of Thabor Park.

This church is dedicated to the one who is considered the first bishop of Rennes and it served as a cathedral in the 19th century as St Peter’s Cathedral had been destroyed.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The Church is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6.30 pm and from 2 pm to 6.30 pm on Sunday.

With over 150 years of history, Thabor Park is one of the highlights of a visit to Rennes. This park of over 10 hectares is considered one of the three most beautiful gardens in France. This is the perfect place to end a visit to Rennes while watching the sunset.

In the garden, you will find French and English style gardens, a rose garden, a café and many other things.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The Garden is open from 7.30 am to 8.30 pm in summer and until 6.30 pm in winter.

I had the opportunity to try a few restaurants in Rennes and I’ll share all the tips here:

• La Burger Attitude (€€): artisanal hamburger restaurant. The burgers were quite tasty and the menu had lots of options to choose from.
• L’Instant Crêperie (€€): We tried two savoury crêpes (one with salmon and another with tomato and goat cheese). Although I thought it was good, at some point I found it a bit cloying.
• Crêperie La Gavotte (€€): We didn’t get a chance to try the savoury crêpes, but the sweet ones were great. Especially the apple and salted caramel one!

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