Car Hire in St Malo

St Malo is one of the most picturesque towns inFrance, and the port full of the masts of ships and yachts make for the stunning foreground for the back drop provided by the huge range of weather fronts seen here. With one of the highest tidal ranges found anywhere in the world, time lapse photographers and those with video cameras will be able to document the huge change in scenery in just a few hours, particularly when the storm clouds roll in.

The ramparts of the city walls also provide a second job as sea defence, but on the most wild days even they are no match for the power of the sea, which lashes over the top onto the roads below.

Don’t let that put you off coming here though as storms rarely last long, and before you know it there will be miles upon miles of stunning beach to sit on, and the clouds disappear to let the sun warm you up.

The town itself has a strong history and the ramparts around the town were first built in the 12th century. During the 17th and 18th centuries the towns port became more and more important to the country, and pirates and merchant ships set sail from here trying to avoid the power of the English navy.

In the summer the boats leaving port now head straight to theChannel Islands, bringing rather more welcome English people back with them.

As with all towns near the coast, the best way to get around the area is to hire a car. You can get a ferry straight fromPortsmouth, or jump on the Eurostar to Paris and the TGV back to St Malo. You can pick up the cars you hire from us in both the city walls and at the train station or you can fly to one of the nearby airports and pick up a car there before driving to St Malo.

What to do when you hire a car in St Malo

Ile du Grande Be

With one of the highest tidal ranges in the world, you get access to some of the islands just outside the city, and the Ile du Grande Be is one of them. The 18th century writer, Cahteaubriand was born in St Malo and was buried on the island. During high tide you can be stuck for up to 6 hours, so check the tidal times before you visit. If you do run out of time and the tide starts to rise stay on the island as the depth of the water is very deceptive.

Cathedrale St-Vincent

Heavily damaged during the Second World War this cathedral was once the resting place of Jacques Cartier, who received the blessing of the bishop of St-Malo before discovering Canadain the 1500s. After the war all that remained was his head, and the cathedral which was constructed between the 12th and 18th centuries has been repaired to some extent.