Eurostar to Rennes

Rennes is a beautiful city in France with a rich history. If you like your holidays to be fascinating, Rennes is the place for you. It’s one of the connecting destinations available on Eurostar train services, so it’s never been easier to get to.

About Rennes

Rennes is famed for being the capital of Brittany. Brittany itself has a fascinating history, well known for being the home of King Arthur and his knights of the round table, and so Rennes has some interesting landmarks to visit. Rennes used to be separate from France. It was only in 1534 that it was officially integrated into the rest of the country. The Dukes of Brittany had their coronation ceremony in Rennes. Take a trip to the Saint-Pierre Cathedral, where the ceremony took place. It’s a stunning and fascinating building. If you want to immerse yourself further into Rennes’ history, spend some time visiting the Parliament of Brittany. The building dates back to the seventeenth century, and is filled with a stunning collection of paintings.

It is also a city with a large University. An estimated sixty thousand students study in Rennes, and the nightlife is vibrant and buzzing. Head down to rue Saint-Michel, which is known by the locals as the "Road of Thirst"! Here you’ll find all the clubs and bars you’ll ever need for a great night out.

Rennes is also home to a number of markets and fairs. It’s definitely worthwhile spending an afternoon wandering around the stalls in the Place des Lices taking in the local produce. While you’re there, you should definitely try the famous regional crepe, sweet or savoury.

Les Champs Libres - Museum of Brittany – is also worth a visit. Not only is it full of fascinating exhibitions, a planetarium, and the Science Spaces, the building itself is a sight to behold. The architecture is futuristic, so you won’t miss it.

If you time your visit well, you might be in Rennes for the annual Trans Musicales Festival. It takes place in December, and celebrates electronic music from all over the world. And if you’re there in November, you might catch Yaouank, the biggest ‘fest noz’ in all of Brittany. This festival celebrates the traditions of Brittany.

Rennes by Eurostar Trains

Rennes is one of the Eurostar’s connection services. This means you'll have to change trains at some point. Eurostar trains depart from St Pancras International, a very easy-to-get-to destination in London. With speeds of 186 miles per hour, it's an easy journey. Your simplest option of connection services after getting on the train at London is to change at Paris Gare du Nord, but you’ll have to take a taxi or get on the metro to catch a connection train from Gare de Montparnasse. If you take the metro, get on line four going to Porte d'Orléans. From Gare de Montparnasse, there are a number of TGV services which will take you directly to Rennes. All in all, if you travel from London, you can expect the journey time to be about five hours.

Visit the official Eurostar web site to book your train tickets to Rennes.