10 good reasons to move to Rennes as an expat!

You want to live in France and you are wondering which city to choose? Rennes could well be the ideal destination! With its human scale, its quality of life, its cultural life, its international community and its closeness to the sea, the Breton capital has a lot to offer expats!

And above all, it is a city where it is fairly easy to find your balance between work, going out, nature and meeting people.

Here are 10 good reasons to come and live in Rennes as an expat!

1. Rennes is a city on a human scale

You do not fancy living in a huge metropolis like Paris, but you cannot quite picture yourself in the countryside either? Rennes might be the perfect compromise.

With around 230,000 inhabitants, Rennes stays a city on a human scale. The centre is easy to cross on foot or by bike, and most places are quickly reachable by public transport (metro and bus).

That size also brings a certain closeness to everyday life: you end up recognising the shopkeepers in your neighbourhood, you keep running into the same people, and habits and connections form more easily.

And for an expat who wants to learn French, that is a real advantage! The city is big enough to offer plenty of chances to practise, but small enough that you never feel completely anonymous.

2. Rennes is a beautiful city

With its historic centre, its monuments, its cobbled streets and its magnificent half-timbered houses, Rennes is a city made for walking.

Even a simple trip to work can turn into a chance to spot a new architectural detail or a pretty little street.

Rennes is also a very green city. It has many parks and green spaces, and it is organised around the Vilaine, the river that runs through it.

Water is very present in the Rennes landscape: along the quays, the walkways and some of the big avenues, but also through the canals and the many spaces laid out around the Vilaine.

3. Rennes offers plenty of professional opportunities

Rennes is one of the main economic hubs of western France, with a particularly dynamic technology sector.

The metropolitan area is known for its digital ecosystem and is home to many companies, start-ups and tech players.

A few kilometres from the centre of Rennes, Cesson-Sévigné has become a major technology hub. You will find many companies specialising in digital, telecommunications and innovation there.

So for expats looking for a job in France, Rennes can be an interesting city, especially if you work in technology, research, engineering or digital.

4. Rennes is a cultural city… and a gastronomic one!

The food in Rennes is good!

The city is full of restaurants, bars and crêperies where you can discover Breton specialities: crêpes, galettes, cider, far breton, kouign-amann… Plenty to enjoy!

But Rennes is also a very cultural city. All year round you can visit museums, go to concerts, discover shows or take part in festivals.

Among the cultural places worth discovering are the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Écomusée de la Bintinais. Rennes also has several libraries, such as the Champs-Libres library, where you can borrow books, films and CDs for free! Les Champs-Libres is also a whole cultural complex housing the Musée de Bretagne and the Planetarium. There are free exhibitions all year round too. And in fact, my French classes are right next door to Les Champs-Libres.

As for festivals, Rennes is not short of them either: Mythos, Rock’n Solex, Les Tombées de la Nuit and many other events give rhythm to cultural life in the city.

So there is always something to discover!

5. Rennes is very well connected

Another big advantage of Rennes: its location and its connections with the rest of France and Europe.

Thanks to the TGV, Paris is about 1h30 away from Rennes. So you can easily spend a weekend in the capital without needing to live there!

Rennes also has an airport with direct flights to several French and European cities, including London, Amsterdam, Dublin, Marrakech, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse, depending on the season.

And if you want even more choice, Nantes airport is about an hour away by car and offers many international destinations.

For an expat who likes to travel, that is rather practical!

6. Rennes has a real international community

Rennes attracts many students, researchers, employees and families from all over the world, thanks in particular to its universities, its grandes écoles and its economic energy.

The result: there is a genuine international community in the city.

You will find that atmosphere in certain pubs and bars popular with English speakers, such as O’Connell’s, Fox and Friends, Penny Lane and Kilkenny’s Pub.

There are also several events and groups for meeting people from around the world and practising different languages at language evenings: the Café des langues, the Blabla exchange and the intercambio franco-español.

And in fact, my French classes are designed specifically for expats living in Rennes. The small groups let you practise French in a supportive environment while meeting other people going through the same experience as you!

We also regularly organise events and outings outside class. The aim? To practise French in real situations, discover Rennes differently and, above all, build real friendships and a real community of expats in Rennes.

Because settling into a new city is not only about learning a language: it is also about building a new life.

7. People in Rennes are friendly

One thing my learners tell me regularly: people in Rennes are really nice!

Of course, everyone is different and it would be hard to generalise about the inhabitants of a city. But Rennes offers plenty of chances to meet locals: in bars, in associations, at cultural events, through sport, or simply in everyday life.

And for learning French, that is obviously an enormous advantage.

Bretons also have a reputation for being welcoming. So if you make the effort to speak French, you will generally find people who are very curious and happy to chat with you and help you improve.

And who knows? A simple conversation can sometimes be the start of a real friendship!

8. The Breton climate is pleasant

Right, I will be honest: I love the Breton climate.

Here it is generally neither too hot nor too cold. Winters are relatively mild and summers are often pleasant, with temperatures that let you enjoy the city without feeling like you are melting the moment you step outside.

Obviously, there is one thing to accept: it rains in Brittany.

But contrary to a common belief, Brittany is not the rainiest region in France. Some mountainous areas and parts of the south-west get more rain.

And besides, you need a few rainy days to appreciate the magnificent sunny ones even more! 😉

9. The sea and nature are right there

This is probably one of the biggest advantages of living in Rennes: you can easily escape the city for a weekend, or even just for a day.

About 45 minutes away by train or car, you can reach Saint-Malo, with its ramparts, its beaches and its famous historic centre.

You can also go and explore the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, easily reachable from Rennes.

And if you prefer the forest to the sea, the legendary forest of Brocéliande is around 30 to 45 minutes away by car.

So in a matter of tens of minutes you can go from your favourite café in the centre of Rennes to a walk by the sea or in the middle of the forest.

Not bad, is it?

10. Rennes is a young, lively city

Finally, Rennes is a particularly young and lively city.

That is largely down to its many universities and grandes écoles, but also to its economy and its various sectors.

With a large student population, the city has a particularly busy social life: bars, concerts, festivals, parties, cultural events…

Rennes has plenty of bars and places to go out, which makes it easy to meet people and enjoy life here.

And around here, we like an excuse to get together and celebrate!

So, ready to live in Rennes?

You will have gathered: Rennes has a lot going for it if you are an expat.

A city on a human scale, an international community, a lively cultural scene, professional opportunities, the sea and nature close by… and of course, the crêpes and the galettes!

But settling into a new city also means learning to understand its people, its habits and its language.

If you have just moved to Rennes and you want to improve your French while meeting other expats, Westfrench Academy (and its teacher: me, Marion) offers French classes in small groups designed specifically for international people living in Rennes.

Welcome to Rennes! 🇫🇷💙