Understand
Rennes is not often mentioned on tourist guides but this medium size town is well worth a visit. It has more than 200,000 inhabitants, of whom about 60,000 are students. This gives the town a vibrant nightlife. Some streets, such as the Rue Saint Michel, have only bars on both sides. The locals actually call "Rue Saint Michel" "la rue de la soif", which means "Street of Thirst". A stroll down Rue Saint Michel on a Friday or Saturday evening is a very interesting experience indeed. However, if you're really in the mood to "faire la fête", celebrate or just have fun in other words, the most exciting night on "Rue de la Soif" would be the "Jeudi Soir", Thursday nights, during the school year. Jeudi Soir is the night when bars are most often packed to the brim with students. The sights on Thursday nights out on the town are very memorable and interesting.
Rennes is particularly nice in early July, during the "Festival des Tombées de la Nuit". Its streets are then full of people enjoying the free street entertainment and eating or drinking at the terraces of the restaurants and cafés.
Rennes used to be virtually empty after the 15th of July, as most of its inhabitants were migrating to the coast until the 15th August. In recent years, this trend seems to have stopped and Rennes's terraces and cafes are now bustling throughout the year.
