Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
St-Malo's Seafaring Past
St-Malo has been a sailor's town since its origin as an ancient monastic settlement
about 1,500 years ago. After the fall of the Roman Empire, monasteries provided
security and stability for their regions, allowing communities like this one to grow
andevolveintotowns—andsometimesintoimportantcities.Bythe1100s,St-Malo
wasapowerful, fortified island guarding access tothe Rance River Valley fromone
direction and the English Channel from the other. St-Malo later became notorious
as the home of the corsairs—French mercenaries working for the king of France,
andfamousfordaringraidsonshipsfromother(unfriendly)countries.Unlikeother
pirates, these swashbuckling sailors were spared from the usual punishment for pil-
laging (death), as they were considered the king's combatants—a fine legal distinc-
tion. The corsairs of St-Malo were immensely profitable to the king (and them-
selves), and wreaked economic havoc on other countries (such as England) all the
way up until the late 1700s.
By Bus:
The main bus stops are near the Porte St. Vincent and TI (closer to town)
and at the train station (confirm which stop your bus uses—some stop at both).
By Car:
Follow
Centre-Ville
signs to the old center (signs lead to
Intra-Muros
), and
park as close as possible to the Porte St. Vincent (at the merry-go-round). A big under-
ground parking lot is opposite the Porte St. Vincent, and smaller surface lots are scattered
around the walls.
Helpful Hints
Internet Access:
The most central place to get online inside the walls is at
Mokamalo
(closed Sun afternoon and all day Mon, 5 Rue de l'Orme, tel. 02 99 56 60 17). To get
Wi-Fi for the price of a drink, try
Tam's Kaffee
on Place des Frères Lamennais (tel.
02 23 18 24 14, closed Mon-Tue).
Laundry:
Inside the walls, you'll find a launderette on the corner of Rue de la Herse and
Halle aux Blés (daily 7:00-21:00).
Bike Rental:
ThereareseveralplacestorentbikesnearthetrainstationandTI.Askatthe
TIorfind
Ty'Boost
bikesneartheTIat49QuaiDuguay-Trouin(tel.0299564718).
Car Rental: Avis
(tel. 02 99 40 18 54) and
Europcar
(tel. 02 99 56 75 17) are both inside
the train station.
