Vannes (France)

Vannes is an Atlantic port and city in France's Lower Brittany region (Morbihan department) with population around 50,000. Smaller ships and riverboats access Vannes via an inland waterway/channel running south-north) with length ~1,5 km (1 mi) leading from Port de Vannes (Pont de Kerino/bridge) to downtown's Porte Saint Vincent (Marina).

Port Vannes (locode FRVNE) is the city's commercial and passenger port, serving smaller-sized cargo carriers, passenger ships (ferries and cruisers) as well as yachts and boats (at the Marina) as Port Vannes spreads over a distance of ~1,2 km along the channel.

Vannes Marina attracts both domestic and foreign boaters thanks to its downtown location - right in the city's heart. In 2007-2009, the Marina was expanded and upgraded with new facilities, including Ferry Terminal (on the channel's right bank), Underground Parking, Harbor Master's Office, Tourism Office, Green Park, Esplanade (on the right bank).

In 2016 was completed the EUR 76 million development project for building the Kerino Tunnel (250-m/820-ft long undersea road with cycle lanes and pedestrian sidewalks in both directions). Kerino Tunnel crosses Marle River (at the mouth of the channel/near the movable Kerino Bridge) and connects Vannes Marina to the Morbihan Gulf. By this project were also conducted dredging/deepening of the Port, major landscaping works (on both banks), and a slipway and two car parks were created.

As cruise port, Vannes is included in the schedule of one of Europe's largest river cruise companies - CroisiEurope.

Next table shows a 5-night/6-day itinerary "Beautiful Brittany And Royal Opulence In The Loire" operated by CroisiEurope's ship Loire Princesse (2014-built paddlewheel riverboat).

The cruisetour's prices in 2023 started from ~EUR 2330 (~USD 2570) per person with double occupancy.

CroisiEurope's itinerary "The Loire and Brittany's Ancient Heritage" is on the reverse route (from Nantes to Vannes) and visits Saint-Nazaire, Nantes, Ancenis, Chalonnes, Ancenis, Nantes, Vannes, Carnac (Morbihan Gulf/Quiberon), Auray, Lorient, and ending in Vannes.

Vannes is on Morbihan Gulf's northern coast (Armorique/Armorica Peninsula's south-central part) and located on the Marle River's estuary, approx 15  km (10 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean. The city is served by RN165 (National Road 165) linking Nantes with Brest. RN165 also interlinks the towns/cities Orvault, Sautron, Saint-Etienne-de-Montluc, Savenay, Pontchateau, Vannes, Auray, Lorient, Quimperle, Quimper, Chateaulin.

Vannes is also served by two airports with regularly scheduled domestic and international flights - Nantes Atlantique Airport and Lorient Bretagne Sud Airport (aka Lorient-Lann-Bihoue Airport). By road, Vannes is approx 460 km (285 mi) west of Paris City (~ 5 hours drive distance), approx 60 km (37 mi) to the east of Lorient, approx 110 km (70 mi) to the southwest of Rennes, and approx 120 km (75 mi) to the southeast of Quimper (Finistere department's capital).

SNCF trains serve Vannes via the Savenay-Landerneau railway line (along Brittany's southern coast). The railroad's section Quimper-Redon (via Lorient, Auray, Vannes) allows SNCF TGV Atlantique (high-speed trains) linking Paris with Quimper (via Rennes). The railroad's Quimper-Savenay section (via Lorient, Auray, Vannes) allows SNCF Intercites (non-high-speed trains) to link Quimper with Hendaye and Lyon.

Like most Morbihan towns and cities, Vannes' economy is largely based on tourism.