Saint-Malo is an easy French escape from the UK, with the overnight Brittany Ferries sailing from Portsmouth bringing you straight into the city first thing in the morning. If you're travelling from elsewhere in France, Saint-Malo is also easily reached by train, with direct services from Paris taking around two and a half hours. Within the mighty walls of Intra-Muros you'll find grand buildings, little cobbled streets and fabulous French restaurants and cafés, while the ramparts give you views across the sea in almost every direction. Add in sandy beaches, tidal islands, Breton food and plenty of maritime history and there's more than enough to fill a lovely couple of days.

If you're using the city as a jumping-off point for a French road trip, it's also less than an hour's drive to another historic treasure just over the border in Normandy: Mont-Saint-Michel! There are also direct buses, departing from Esplanade Saint-Vincent and the bus station, so a trip out to the UNESCO listed abbey is possible without hiring a car.

We spent 48 hours in Saint-Malo with our two year old, travelling as foot passengers. The Brittany Ferries timetable is ideal for a short break, arriving in Saint-Malo early in the morning, giving you two full days to explore before sailing back to Portsmouth on the third morning.

We’ve written separately about our experience travelling as foot passengers with a toddler, including the overnight crossing, our cabin and the nine-hour daytime sailing home. If you're considering booking the ferry, have a read of our foot passenger guide: Portsmouth to Saint-Malo with Brittany Ferries: A Family Mini-Break Without a Car.

We travelled the Portsmouth to Saint-Malo ferry route as guests of Brittany Ferries but as always, all opinions are our own.

This is how we spent two days in Saint-Malo:

Day 1: Explore Intra-Muros, walk the ramparts and visit Grand Bé

Morning: Arrive in Saint-Malo and visit Saint-Servan market

The overnight journey from Portsmouth brings you into Saint-Malo at 8:15am with the whole day ahead of you. The ferry port is only around a ten-minute flat walk from the centre of town, so you can leave the ship and head straight towards the historic walled city without needing to arrange a taxi or transfer.

We arrived too early to check into our Intra-Muros apartment, so after dropping our bags at Les 4 Saisons (a little green grocer on Rue de l'Orme that offers luggage storage via Bounce), we headed straight back out of the walled city towards Saint-Servan to visit the morning market before starting our sightseeing. The market takes place every Tuesday and Friday from 8am until 1pm, so it's worth checking the days before planning your itinerary (we sailed from Portsmouth on Monday evening, arriving on Tuesday morning).

Saint-Servan market is held in the large tiled hall on Place Bouvet and has around 90 stalls selling fresh, local produce. We picked up local cheese, ham, butter, apples, tomatoes and, of course, a fresh baguette for our picnic lunch. There are also stalls selling oysters, crabs, other shellfish, fish, vegetables, flowers and more, so even if you're not buying lunch, it's a great place to wander around and take in the sights and smells of a working French market.

Delicious local produce at Marche de Saint-Servan

We had plenty of opportunities to practise our French, chat to stallholders (all very friendly and welcoming) and watch people going about their normal Tuesday morning: a different side of Saint-Malo away from the tourist streets of the walled old town.

Marché de Saint-Servan is around a 20 minute walk from the old town, but if you'd rather stay more central, there's the much smaller covered market at Halle au Blé, which is also only open on Tuesday and Friday mornings.

Once we'd bought everything we needed, we walked back towards Intra-Muros with our picnic supplies and started exploring the old city properly.

Late morning: Walk the Saint-Malo Ramparts

First up, we walked the full circuit of the famous city ramparts. This is one of the highlights of any visit to Saint-Malo, with panoramic views of crashing waves, sandy beaches, busy harbours, and offshore forts all the way around. Saint-Malo has been defended by these mighty walls for almost 900 years, though much of what you can walk on today dates from the 18th century.

Exploring Saint-Malo's defensive walls

The full circuit is around 1.75 kilometres, but you can join the walls at various points and don't have to walk the whole way. If you are navigating the city with a pushchair, look out for the access ramps at Bastion de la Hollande and Bastion Saint-Philippe, which offer convenient, step-free access straight up onto the walls. Be aware that if you decide to complete the full loop of the ramparts, you will eventually encounter a few flights of stone stairs (we lifted the buggy between us). Once up there, we found the flat paved ramparts easier to navigate than the cobbled streets below!

One of our favourite views was looking down towards Bon-Secours Beach and across to the tidal islands of Grand Bé and Petit Bé. You can also see Fort National from the walls, and the long sweep of Sillon Beach in the other direction. We ate our lunch on a stone bench on the walls.

Afternoon: Explore Intra-Muros

Ducking back into the old town, this is a good time to just wander. The streets inside the walls are full of tall grey granite buildings, little squares, cafés and shops, and you can easily spend a couple of hours exploring without following a particular route.

Quaint corners of Intra-Muros.

Saint-Malo's historic centre is known as Intra-Muros, meaning "within the walls", and the huge ramparts and fortifications are defining features of the city. At its heart is Saint-Vincent Cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century. The building was expanded over the following centuries, with the Romanesque nave joined by a Gothic choir and later additions to the chapels and transepts. Much of what you see today was restored after the damage of the Second World War.

The cathedral was badly damaged during the liberation of Saint-Malo in August 1944, when Allied bombardments destroyed around 80% of the walled city. The distinctive grey granite buildings were subsequently rebuilt with great care, with many of the façades reconstructed to closely match those that had stood there before. The cathedral itself was restored over 28 years, with the work completed in 1972.

Inside, look out for the tombs of two of Saint-Malo's most famous sons: explorer Jacques Cartier, whose tomb was rediscovered in 1949, and privateer René Duguay-Trouin, whose remains were returned to Saint-Malo in 1973. The interior also has some striking post-war stained glass. The large windows in the choir and transept were created by artist Jean Le Moal and glassmaker Bernard Allain and installed in 1972, bringing a very modern splash of colour into the historic building.

While wandering, we also made time for our first taste of Brittany, stopping for kouign-amann (a buttery Breton pastry with a crunchy caramelised sugar exterior) and a traditional bolée of cider, served in what looked to us like a cappuccino cup.

Pick up world famous Bordier butter and cheese

At around 3:30pm, we headed back to Les 4 Saisons to collect our bags. The little green grocer is directly opposite La Maison du Beurre Jean-Yves Bordier, so before heading to the apartment to check in, we popped across to pick up some butter and cheese for the next couple of days.

Bordier butter is something of an institution in Saint-Malo, and the shop sells an impressive range of flavours alongside the classic demi-sel, or salted variety. Its products are used by chefs and restaurants across France, so it was a great place to stock up for the apartment.

There's more to the shop than simply buying something for your fridge, too. There's a small museum where you can learn about the history and craft of butter-making, and you can watch it being shaped by hand using traditional wooden paddles. It's a fun little stop even if, like us, you're travelling with a toddler who is more interested in the eating part than the butter-making process.

Over the next two days, each morning, we'd head out to a local boulangerie to pick up fresh baguettes and warm pain au chocolat, then take everything back to the apartment for breakfast, with the Bordier butter and cheese we'd bought the afternoon before. So French!

Late afternoon: Walk Out to the Tidal Islands of Grand Bé and Petit Bé

From the high vantage point of the ramparts, we headed straight down to the sand of Plage de Bon-Secours. This is one of Saint-Malo’s most spectacular and distinctive beaches, famous for its historic 1930s seawater swimming pool and iconic concrete diving board. Built so that locals could swim even when the sea recedes, the pool completely vanishes at high tide, leaving nothing but the top of the diving board peeking above the waves.

From Bon-Secours, you can walk out towards Grand Bé and Petit Bé when the tide allows. This is the part of the itinerary you need to plan around rather than simply turning up and hoping for the best. Grand Bé (the windswept burial site of the famous French romantic writer François-René de Chateaubriand) is only accessible on foot around low tide (17:15 on the day we went), so check the tide times for the day you're visiting and work out when you'll be able to cross and, just as importantly, when you need to head back. The Saint-Malo tourism office also recommends checking the day's low-tide time before setting out.

If you're walking on to Petit Bé, allow even more time. The lower causeway between Grand Bé and Petit Bé is covered by the incoming tide before the main route back from Grand Bé to the beach, meaning you can find yourself cut off on Petit Bé while the route to the mainland still looks accessible. Don't rely on being able to cross the water once the tide comes in, either. The currents between the islands can be strong, so make sure you have plenty of time to return before the causeway starts to flood.

We timed our walk for around an hour before low tide and had plenty of time to reach both islands and return. If you're visiting with young children, give yourself extra time as little legs can make the walk much slower, especially when there are rock pools and shells to investigate along the way.

Heading out to Fort du Petit-Bé at low tide

Evening: Moules-Frites Inside the City Walls

After Grand Bé, we headed back into Intra-Muros for dinner. All that sea air builds up an appetite, so it was the perfect time to try a classic Breton comfort meal: moules-frites (mussels and French fries). We ate at Froment & Sarrazin on Place du Marché aux Légumes, where we had a good-value set menu with a steaming pot of fresh local mussels, fries, a small glass of wine or beer and an ice cream. Jamie opted for a ham and cheese galette, then happily polished off most of our ice cream.

One of the nicest things about staying in the walled city was that we could just walk back to the apartment after dinner. There was no racing for the last bus or coordinating taxis with a tired two year-old. Instead, we could stroll home as the daytime crowds finally began to thin out.

Day 2: Explore the beaches and maritime Saint-Malo

Morning: Stroll the Môle des Noires

Start the day with a walk out along Môle des Noires, the long breakwater extending from the eastern side of Saint-Malo. It's a particularly good way to burn off some toddler energy first thing, with plenty of space to run and fantastic views along the way.

You can walk all the way to the red-and-white lighthouse at the end, looking out across the water towards the elegant coastal town of Dinard, watching the local ferries and fishing boats. Looking back towards the city from the breakwater gives you one of the best vantage points for admiring the silhouette of Saint-Malo's mighty ramparts and historic stone towers rising above the water.

The lighthouse and sea views from Môle des Noires.

The breakwater also gives you a good sense of Saint-Malo's history as a heavily fortified privateer port. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Saint-Malo became famous for its corsairs, who were authorised by the French crown to attack and capture enemy vessels during times of war. Some became enormously wealthy and their success helped shape the city you see today.

One of the most famous was Robert Surcouf, a Saint-Malo privateer who became known as the "King of the Corsairs." You might spot Le Renard (The Fox), the yellow-and-black replica of Surcouf's 1812 privateer cutter, sailing around the bay or anchored in front of the ramparts. The original ship was the last vessel armed by Surcouf, and the replica was launched in 1991.

Late morning: Explore the Old Town and Harbour

From Môle des Noires, walk back towards the old city through the Porte de Dinard (Dinard Gate). From here, you can weave your way directly across the heart of Intra-Muros toward the grand main entrance on the opposite side of town. This cross-city stroll gives you another chance to explore Saint-Malo's signature towering grey granite façades, little boutiques and narrow lanes.

No holiday in France is complete without a sweet treat, so make sure to stop by Glacier Le Sanchez along the way. This beloved local ice cream institution is famous for its incredible array of artisanal flavours and provides the perfect, delicious excuse for a mid-morning rest break that will satisfy grown-up foodies and energetic toddlers alike.

Once you pass through Saint-Vincent Gate, you'll find yourself at the harbour, with the tourist information office nearby. This was one of the places where Saint-Malo really felt like we'd walked into a pirate film, with huge stone towers rising above the harbour and palm trees growing beneath the walls.

There's a vintage carousel here, which Jamie was very keen to investigate, and this part of the harbour is also where you'll find the Étoile du Roy, a three-masted replica of a 1745 privateer frigate. The original would have carried 240 crew and 20 cannons. Today the ship is a floating museum that you can visit while it's moored beneath the city walls.

Lunch: Oysters with a Sea View

For lunch, we stopped at La Buvette des Bains for one of the most iconic things to eat in this part of Brittany: oysters. Saint-Malo is just along the coast from Cancale, which is famous for its oyster farms, so you'll see huîtres on menus throughout the area. We had ours with chips, fresh bread and butter, sitting by the water and enjoying the views across the beach towards Fort National.

Afternoon: Relax on Plage du Sillon and Visit Fort National

After lunch, spend some time on Plage du Sillon, Saint-Malo's huge sandy beach stretching along the coast outside the old city. Sillon Beach is often considered one of the best beaches in France, and it's easy to see why. The enormous sweep of golden sand is backed by an elegant promenade and 19th-century villas, while more than 3,000 wooden breakwater posts stretch out into the sea. These weathered, dark wooden piles were originally installed in the early 19th century to absorb the force of the waves and protect the fragile shoreline from severe erosion and are now one of Saint-Malo's most recognisable features.

At low tide, the wet sand reflects the sky and buildings almost like a mirror, making it particularly photogenic. It's also a brilliant place to let children have some freedom after a morning of sightseeing.

As the tide is out, you might also like to walk out to Fort National. Erected in 1689 by the military architect Vauban under the orders of King Louis XIV to defend the city's harbour, this rugged granite fortress sits on a rocky islet just offshore and gives you another great perspective back towards the city walls. Entry costs €5 and is cash only, so make sure you have some euros with you if you'd like to visit.

Mirror-like reflections on the wet sand at Sillon Beach.

Evening: Gourmet Galettes at Breizh Café

For our final dinner in Saint-Malo, we headed back into the old city to Breizh Café. The restaurant is included in the 2026 Michelin Guide and specialises in gourmet Breton galettes and crêpes, making it a fitting place to finish a trip to Brittany.

We treated ourselves to a raclette galette and a smoked duck and mushroom galette, paired with artisanal cider. After two days of exploring Saint-Malo on foot, it was a great way to round off the trip before heading back to the apartment for our final night. Be sure to book a table in advance, as this restaurant is very popular!

Day Three: Heading home

On our final morning, we had one last boulangerie breakfast before packing up and setting off for the ferry port at around 9am. The latest check-in for the 10:30 sailing is 9:45am, so don't leave it too late, especially when you're walking there with a suitcase.

One thing we hadn't factored in was the harbour bridge. It can open to let boats through, and this happened just as we were about to cross. We ended up waiting for around ten minutes before we could continue towards the port, so it's worth allowing a bit of extra time rather than cutting it fine.

The sailing back to Portsmouth takes around nine hours. If you'd like to know what to expect on board, including the activities, restaurants and other facilities available, we've shared our experience travelling with Brittany Ferries in our full ferry guide.

Quick Packing Guide: What to Bring to Saint-Malo

The coastal weather in Brittany is famously changeable (not unlike here in Britain). We were there in September and had a mixture of sunshine, wind and rain, so having a few layers and sensible footwear made a difference. To stay comfortable while exploring the beaches and breezy stone walls, we'd recommend packing these essentials into your suitcase:

• Sturdy old trainers: Crucial for walking to Grand Bé and Petit Bé. If you're planning to walk out to the islands at low tide, leave the flip-flops at home. The route can be wet and uneven, with rocks and seaweed underfoot, so secure shoes with a good grip are much easier to walk in (especially if you are carrying or chasing a toddler!).

• Windproof layers / a light rain jacket: The Atlantic breeze can be surprisingly biting and showers can appear even on a sunny day. A lightweight fleece is perfect for morning walks along the Môle des Noires, and a thin kagool can be stuffed into a day bag in case of wet weather.

• A light jumper or cardigan for Intra-Muros: Don't be fooled by the warm sun out on the open beaches, Saint-Malo's towering granite buildings create narrow, deeply shaded lanes inside the city walls. The old town can feel surprisingly chilly as soon as you step into the shadows, so pack a light layer to throw on while exploring the shops and cafés.

• Comfortable shoes for the cobbles: The historic streets inside the walls are charming but heavily cobbled. Comfortable walking sandals or broken-in trainers will save your feet during long afternoons of wandering.

• Sun protection with secure straps: The coastal wind easily masks the heat of the sun, making it easy to get sunburned without realising it. Pack high-factor sunscreen and wide-brimmed sun hats for the family, ideally with an under-chin strap so the breeze doesn't whip them straight into the sea!

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