For a weekend in Saint-Malo from Paris, take the TGV from Montparnasse: about 2 h 15 to 2 h 55 direct, for about €46 to €130 one way depending on the date (range seen in October 2026, check for your dates). Direct trains are few, and the others change at Rennes: book early. Stay intra-muros, inside the walled city, to do everything on foot, or on the Sillon for the beach. Check the tide times before you go: they shape your plan. This page contains partner links: if you book, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Pedestrian streets, hard parking, old buildings without lifts
Le Sillon
The long beach, thalassotherapy
€€ to €€€€
10 to 30 minutes' walk from the ramparts
Saint-Servan
Quiet, the Bas-Sablons harbour, the Solidor tower
€€ to €€€
More residential, fewer tourists
How to get there from Paris
By train: TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Saint-Malo, about 2 h 15 to 2 h 55 direct; other journeys change at Rennes. The best fares for Fridays go weeks ahead.
From the station: about 20 minutes' walk to the Porte Saint-Vincent gate, or a few minutes by bus.
By car: over 400 km, about 4 hours: not the right choice for a short weekend, unless you want to do Mont-Saint-Michel and Cancale.
The 2-day plan
Day 1: the walled city and the forts
Morning: a walk around the ramparts (about 1.8 km), free and open to all, with views of the islets and Dinard opposite.
Low tide: walk across the beach to the Grand Bé, where Chateaubriand is buried, or to Fort National. They can only be reached at low tide: follow the posted times, the sea comes back fast.
Lunch: galettes or seafood inside the walls.
Afternoon: Saint-Vincent cathedral, the lanes, then sunset from the ramparts above Bon-Secours beach.
Day 2: Cancale, Dinard or the Mont
Cancale (about 15 km): oysters eaten on the harbour, facing the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.
Dinard: the seaside resort across the Rance, reached by water bus from Saint-Malo in season.
Mont-Saint-Michel from Saint-Malo: this private day of about 9 hours includes pickup at your hotel. It is sold per group, around $1,750 to $1,860 depending on the page in October 2026: it only makes sense for a family or a small group. On your own or as a couple, a hire car costs far less. For day trips from Paris, see our comparison Mont-Saint-Michel from Paris: which tour?.
Five hotels by budget
Hotel
Budget
Where
Best for
Le Port Malo
Budget
Intra-muros, rue Sainte-Barbe
Tight budgets, no car
Hôtel France et Chateaubriand
Mid-range
Intra-muros, place Chateaubriand
The location, a historic building
Golden Tulip Le Grand Bé
Mid-range to upscale
Intra-muros
Couples
La Maison des Armateurs
Upscale
Intra-muros, Grand-Rue, near the cathedral
Couples, a boutique hotel
Grand Hôtel des Thermes
Upscale
Le Sillon, seafront
Thalassotherapy, pool, sea views
Budget: Le Port Malo offers small apartments above a bar, about 100 m from Éventail beach; access is up a steep staircase and there is no parking.
Upscale: La Maison des Armateurs, a step from the cathedral, is one of the best-rated addresses intra-muros; the Grand Hôtel des Thermes, a Belle Époque building on Sillon beach, has a spa, an indoor pool and access to the thalassotherapy centre.
Compare all hotels intra-muros before booking: in summer and during the spring tides, prices rise and rooms go early.
When to go
April to June, September: the best time, a lively town without the August crowds.
Spring tides (dates published every year): waves crashing over the Sillon sea wall, but hotels in high demand.
Winter: calm, lower prices, a few restaurants closed; the town is still beautiful in rough weather.
