Information about St Malo, Normandy, Northern France, and camping holiday resources in and around the city

We normally start these pages with how to get there but in the case of St Malo we'll give that a miss.

So who comes camping here? Masses of families who arrive on the 7.30pm ferry for a start and they use the nearby facilities for overnight stays. Other than that St Malo is a resort in it's own right and people stay here for a week or two to relax and explore the region.

Part of St Malo City wall - wife and daughter posing (again)

This city is the premier ferry port for travellers going down the western coast of France, and it saves so much driving time and stress it's untrue compared to landing at any of the other ports. From here you can take the fast toll free dual carriageway down to just south of Nantes without having to pay a cent, and from there to Bordeaux and the Spanish border on the autoroutes.

It is a small city but it has a long history to go with those beaches as way back in the 17th and 18th centuries this was called the City of Corsairs because the Corsairs, or privateers who harboured their craft in St Malo preyed at will on the English ships crossing the channel. We understand that there was a subtle difference between Corsairs, Privateers and Pirates, but only in their legal status. Nowadays it is Brittany ferries and Condor who bring in British invaders by the boatload.

One of the best ways to view the city and the long golden beaches of St Malo is when you are sailing into the port early in the morning. The beaches near St Malo stretch all the way along the Northern Brittany Coast and are easily accessible.

As cities go this is small, but small is often beautiful, as it is in this case. The walls of the city are 20 feet thick and were originally built in the 14th century, although the military architect Vauban designed most of what still stands in the 18th century. You can climb up on top of the ramparts and walk around them for a mile.

The city itself needs to be seen to be believed. There are wonderful old streets, some are ancient, crammed with shops and restaurants, bars, bistros and boutiques. St Malo, like many other towns and cities in France, has cottoned on to the historical value the city has for visitors and they have a little tourist train which goes round the city with a running commenatry in English and French pointing out all the places of interest. You can hop on and off the train at will (for a small fee) until you finish just outside the walls near to the car park.

For drivers: There is no driving and, therefore, no parking within the city walls! Only residents and those with business interests can drive into the city of St Malo - you will see why when you walk through the entrance from the street. There is ample parking just outside the city and very near to the ferry port.

There are camping facilities here, in fact, St Malo makes a superb central base for exploring the history and beaches of both Normandy and Brittany. Local camping sites offer a variety of camping resources from the hire of pitches for those bringing their own equipment to the hire of pre-erected tents which have all the facilities included for a great camping holiday to mobile homes which are more luxurious and include a bathroom and shower.