St Malo / Dinan in July from ship

Posted by beckaboo on 03/27/19 11:22 PM

We are going to be in port in St Malo from 8a - 10p on a Monday in July... is it even remotely possible to explore both St Malo and Dinan in a day? I was thinking to do the walk that Rick recommends in St Malo, and then catching a train / Uber to Dinan, which seems really interesting.

Is this overly ambitious? I've read about crazy crowds and traffic, especially heading back to St Malo. Do we skip St Malo & focus on Dinan, or just St Malo and Dinard? And are the transit options of Uber / the train (even with a stop) the right ones to think about?

Also, the ship has a tour of Dinand / Dinard - but it's only 4 hours, meaning time on the bus and not much else... this doesn't appeal to me at $99/pp.

Thanks in advance!

Posted by acraven

Washington DC

03/27/19 11:59 PM

27136 posts

Just taking a look at the Deutsche Bahn website (which I find easier to use than SNCF, but you should check SNCF as well), a problem I see is that rail service between St-Malo and Dinan is not terribly frequent. Perhaps there are buses that would work well for you. I see trains departing from St-Malo at 7:58 AM, 10:26 AM and 12:17 PM. Returning trains depart Dinan at 12:17, 16:35, 16:59, 18:13 and 20:26 PM. I think there's always a change of trains in Dol de Bretagne. Most of the trips only take an hour, but sometimes there's a long layover in Dol de Bretagne.

This is the bus company providing service between St Malo and Dinan, I believe: Illenoo.

This strikes me as rather risky when you have a drop-dead time for being back at your ship. If you decide to attempt to visit two towns, make St. Malo the second one so you're not at risk of missing the ship because of a late-afternoon transporation glitch.

All three towns are worth visiting, so I think I'd go with logistical simplicity.

Posted by korriganed

03/28/19 08:11 AM

151 posts

Half a day both in Dinan and St Malo are enough. You could also spend more time in St Malo and about 2-3 hours in Dinan. The train is not a good solution between these cities: consider illenoo buses, or uber, or a private tour.
The traffic is not that crazy in comparison with other parts of France in summer ; especially on a Monday, it should even be normal. So combine St Malo and Dinan over one day is a good plan.

Posted by Travel Boss

Florida, USA

03/28/19 05:34 PM

12172 posts

It's not far. If buses run regularly, that may be your best bet. I had a car and visited St. Malo in the morning then went to Dinan for the night.

With a car, I could easily see the center of Dinan, eat lunch in Dinan's port area, then head back to walk around the walls of St. Malo until I had to get back on the ship.

You wouldn't have time to visit the maritime museum in St. Malo (I didn't so can't say what you're missing). Also, at low tide you can walk out to some island fortifications from St. Malo. I wasn't there at low tide so didn't get to do it. I think that would have been fun. Inside the wall in St. Malo is primarily boutiques, hotels and restaurants. It's built for tourists and only interesting to avid shoppers.

Posted by beckaboo OP

03/29/19 09:04 PM

2 posts

Thank you everyone - I'm going to look into the buses for sure. It's a long day in port (8a - 10p) so we have some wiggle room in terms of getting back. It seems to make sense to start with Dinan and then look at St Malo if time permits.

July can't get here fast enough!

Posted by Tim

Wyckoff, NJ, USA

03/29/19 09:25 PM

7317 posts

I’m not a shopper, but I enjoyed strolling the historic streets of St Malo inside the walls, as well as walking the walls. (I haven’t read the novel.) The large pleasure marina outside is also interesting, and packed in the summer. Note that St Malo is on a peninsula, so there is roadway overhead of 15 minutes each way, even in an Uber (assuming it’s legal and quick to arrive there.)

Dinan is fine, but far from the best medieval/half timbered town I’ve been to. I’m not sure it’s worth the time and expense of your particular schedule needs. It’s every bit as touristed as St. Malo.

My opinion is colored by our having a rental car and seeing St Malo from Dinard. Dinan was another day. I am prejudiced against Uber, but you should ask yourself how the driver is compensated for a one hour empty return?