Normandy coast by car one day. Getting around Normandy by public transport - really
Finally I got around to summarizing the information on Normandy - not the lyrical part, but the more practical one. I hope it will be useful if you, like us, plan to travel to these wonderful places by car. Let me make a reservation right away that all of the following is personal experience, he does not claim either absolute completeness of information or the optimality of the route (although the route ultimately suited us very well).
Where is it?
Normandy is a region in northwestern France. It is divided into upper Normandy, centered in Rouen, and lower Normandy, centered in Caen. Adjacent to lower Normandy from the southwest is Breton, which we also captured a little on our trip.
Why go there?
If you have already visited Paris, Venice, Barcelona, etc., and you want to discover new places in Europe, pay attention to Normandy. You are guaranteed rich visual impressions (landscapes, parks, architecture, rugged northern beaches), taste pleasures (cheese, cider, seafood, etc.), historical excursions (as in ancient history Normans, and during the military operations of the Second World War - the famous beaches of "D-Day"), and surprisingly pleasant local residents. They speak decent English and are very tourist friendly without being intrusive - the perfect combination!
When to go?
The best season is approximately from April-May to the end of October. Since November, many attractions and farms are closed to the public (out of season), and the weather becomes nasty. Normandy is already the rainiest region of France (and they never tire of making various jokes about this), and in winter the rain is also cold, and daylight hours are short. We went at the beginning of October - it was, to put it mildly, not hot :))) but this is no longer the peak season of summer, when there are no crowds of tourists - it’s easy to find places to spend the night, there are no crowds anywhere.
Idea and general route planning
Without claiming absolute truth, I will only tell you about our thought process. We initially wanted Jersey and Guernsey, the idea of Normandy was born as a logical addition to them. Then we started looking for information about what is interesting in Normandy, noting cities and places that are definitely worth visiting (for us it turned out to be Rouen, Giverny, Allied landing beaches (D-Day Beaches), Mont Saint Michel, cheese and cider road ) and those that would be nice to visit, if possible.
Based on these estimates, and not wanting to move from place to place every day, we decided that we would book hotels in three strongholds for several days - Rouen, Quen (or rather, a town near Quen on one of the landing beaches), San Malo - and will travel to other points from there. As a result, the tactics fully justified themselves, although on the spot it turned out that there were no housing options, incl. inexpensive, - a great variety (including farms and cute guesthouses that are not on international booking sites). So you can just drive and look for an overnight stay as you go, especially not during the “hot season”. But we are paranoid in this sense, we plan in advance :)
We flew to Paris in the afternoon (Charles de Gaulle airport), took the metro to Saint-Lazare station and went by train to Rouen.
- Train schedules and booking tickets in French railways. It makes sense to order key tickets in advance, because... It is possible to buy them in advance at cheaper prices. The reservation is printed out and exchanged for a ticket at the station at the SNCF office (or at other points - everything is written on the reservation). Important: do not plan train trips close to important connections - in France, a strike is the norm, and the likelihood of the train being late is high!
- Don’t forget to submit an international “booklet” for your license to the traffic police before your trip! There is a problem with Russian licenses - although all the data seems to be duplicated in Latin, the category descriptions are made only in Russian, which gives the rental company the right to refuse you (they may not refuse, but why take the risk???). It is also recommended to get an international license for an Israeli license (in MEMSI this is done in 5 minutes and 15 shekels) - Israel somehow crookedly signed some conventions, so it’s better to play it safe
- And be sure (!) to take a GPS navigator with updated maps! If you don’t have one, don’t spare the extra money (7-10 euros per day) and rent it along with the car. Without a navigator, even with the most the best card, you will fray all your nerves in this region and spend a lot of time wandering! Yes, you will spend more on gasoline for these wanderings than on renting a navigator!!!
Currency
Euro, of course. Cards are accepted everywhere. The only difficulty in terms of currency that we encountered was that it was very difficult to change cash dollars (and we had part of the amount in them). For example, in Rouen they don’t even do this in banks, only in tourist office downtown.
Language
French. But unlike Parisians, locals speak English fluently and don’t frown when you speak broken French. Still, the proximity to England and the historical past have an effect.
Food
France in general and Normandy in particular is a culinary paradise. The food here is truly delicious, and food here is not just a life-sustaining necessity, but a separate experience and pleasure. Of course, try local cheeses, pears (oh, what juicy pears are here!), cider, pommeau - a mixture of Calvados and cider (but Calvados itself is a stool :))), pastries, seafood (including oysters - for those who like it).
We did this - in the morning we had breakfast at the hotel or in a nearby coffee shop, had lunch at a restaurant, finding a profitable and tasty formule - such as a set lunch, for dinner we bought cheeses, cider, baguette, apples, pears, sausages or ham, and had a picnic. It could be more economical, but we decided that pleasure was our priority. Personal recommendation- restaurant L"Orbecquoise in the small town of Orbec near Lisieux.
Automotive cases
Toll roads- There are a lot of them in France! Usually these are highways and major roads, connecting the regions of the country, as well as bridges (the most famous is the Normandy Bridge). The cost is from 2 to 6 euros, each road has its own. Payment is made at checkpoints (sometimes at the entrance, sometimes at the exit, sometimes both here and there - save your receipts to leave!), there are signs on the road warning that the highway is toll. It is best to carry small change with you for payment, although bills and cards are also accepted (cards are not all, you need some kind of specific chip). A toll road always or almost always has a free alternative (you can set your GPS to bypass them) - this usually takes longer, but is much more scenic.
Speed limits- city 50 km/h, countryside 90, highway - 110, autobahn - 130. Cameras everywhere!!!
Petrol- quite expensive and prices are not regulated, i.e. different at different gas stations (even at gas stations of the same company prices may differ!). Therefore, it’s worth taking a closer look at where it’s cheaper.
Parking- V small towns usually free, in the center and major cities There may be paid zones with a payment machine (color-coded) or paid parking. In general, there were no problems with parking, with the exception of the center of Rouen.
Tactical planning
We initially had a rough plan of what we were going to do on what day, but, naturally, it was adjusted along the way. For planning, we used the Rough Guide to Normandy and Brittany. We also actively used local tourist centers- they are in every village in Normandy!!! - you shouldn’t ignore them, they will tell you about current events, give you all sorts of useful waste paper and maps, and recommend a place to eat or stay for the night. Check out festival dates and farmers' market schedules in different cities—both are worth visiting.
- Pay attention to the opening hours of museums, farms and other attractions so as not to stumble upon a closed door. The schedule can be quite exotic - the cheese farm may close for a “lunch break” from 12 to 14, and the museum may not be open on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Hotel Stars Rouen is a basic hotel in a "marine style". A decent place to stay overnight, very reasonable price, free parking and easy access to the A13 - the main road from Rouen. Convenient only if Rouen is not the main purpose of the trip, and you have a car, because... not in the city center.
Hotel Le Canada, Hermanville-sur-mer - hotel in a small seaside town near Quesne and Bayeux, in a classic Norman half-timbered building, delicious breakfast, beautiful rooms. Disadvantage - in the middle of nowhere, the nearest cafe, for example, is a couple of kilometers away :))
Éthic étapes Patrick Varangot, Saint-Malo - a large hostel with a lot of different features and opportunities (common room, bike rental, various events for guests). Disadvantage - very spartan rooms (although new and clean), they don’t even provide soap :))
Visa
Regular Schengen. To be honest, it was boring for us to show all our movements at the embassy (especially since they were still in the planning stage at that time), so I booked
Brittany, Normandy.
Day fourteen. 2 October. Unfortunately, I only booked one night at the Hotel des Roches. Eh, I would like to stay here for at least 3 days. Take my time to walk along the seashore, take a pleasure boat to the “Seven Islands”, but alas...
Pleasure boats going to the “Seven Islands”.
The “Customs Officers’ Trail” awaits us. I studied Perrot-Guirec's plan for a long time, and finally decided that we should drive to the parking lot in the middle of the trail.
“Customs Officers’ Path” on the plan of Perrot-Guirec.However, the balalaika became stubborn and refused to recognize the desired street. I had to give her the address of the far end of the trail. As a result, she led us to the most prestigious part of Perros-Guirec to the Trestraou beach, where the Grand Hotel, Casino and other delights of resort life are located.
We left the car in a large and completely empty parking lot lined with palm trees and went out onto the promenade.
Judging by the map, the “Customs Officers’ Trail” began at west bank bays. We made our way quite briskly past the beach, past private property, and actually onto the trail.
It meandered along the edge of a cliff; there were no beautiful rocks, and only a rocky cape was visible in the distance. When I figured that we would have to walk for at least an hour to get there, and then return the same amount of time, I decided not to waste precious time, but to return to Plumana’k and get out onto the path on the other side.
This entailed obvious dissatisfaction with the wife. Before a trip, she never reads guidebooks and reports, leaving everything to me, so she often simply does not know what we will see. I knew that I wanted to see it and show it to my wife; she was simply pleased to walk along the seashore. Fortunately, the matter did not come to a divorce. We were reconciled... by a pink granite chapel in the name of Notre-Dame de la Clarte. This temple, not as luxurious as the churches in the parish areas, turned out to be very worthy.
We returned safely to Plumana'k, parked in the square and walked out onto the same beach that we had seen the night before. But there was no beach as such anymore. The water rose almost level with the granite wall.
The chapel standing on the beach has turned into an island.
The path turned into the pine forest again and soon we found ourselves on the Pink Granite Coast. Trying to describe it in words is impossible. You just have to see it!
Huge granite blocks, sometimes frozen in a very unstable position, coastal rocks on which the surf crashed, the bright sun and strong wind– here are our impressions of the Pink Granite Coast.
A lighthouse, a chapel, someone's private property and a tourist information center (which was closed) were built from the same material.
The time it takes nature to decompose waste. Very clear.“Seven islands” were visible in the distance in the sea.
We went down to the rescue base, where real rescuers were dressing some monsieur in overalls, and his friends were taking pictures.
From the hangar where the rescue boat is located, rails lead into the sea. I understand that this is a slip to quickly launch the boat into the water, and then pull it ashore with a winch.
We reached the rocks called “the devil’s castle.” From here the far part of the path where we were in the morning was clearly visible.
We returned to the car through the city and arrived in literally 15 minutes. If we had returned along the shore, we would have been stuck for at least another hour. Tanya really wants to stay here and come back here... someday. We head further east to Saint-Malo, but along the way we decide to stop at Cap Frehel. This is perhaps the only monument that we can afford today. There simply isn't enough time for the rest. The road to Cape Freel is very picturesque, going along the seashore. In the village of Pleherel-Plage we stop at the observation deck.
The road goes high above the seashore, with wonderful panoramas opening up on the left along the way. Here and there people have set up unofficial parking lots - spots along the road for several cars. There is an entry fee to Cap Freyel - 2 euros. We pay, drive another 800 meters and stop in the parking lot. There are cars here with license plates from almost all European countries. There are a lot of English cars - they are very close here. We even got a Skoda from the Czech Republic, but our numbers are the most exotic :) There is a lighthouse on Cape Freel (belongs to the Navy).
We move away from the cliff and go to the turret standing at the tip of the cape. Once upon a time there were clearly buildings here, maybe barracks or artillery batteries. Now everything is open and accessible. Underfoot are the same slabs of pink granite as hundreds of kilometers to the west.
On the way back, I drive down to the beach, Tanya goes to the sea, and I just stand and look at the water.
Just a beach in Pleuerel-Plage. View of Cape Freel from the beach.On the way to Saint-Malo we stopped at the Boulangri-Patissri general store in the village of Freel. There is fresh bread, some groceries and a whole rack of wine :)
We are going to Saint-Malo via Dinard.
We are stuck in a traffic jam for a short time at the tidal power dam. The road is narrowed and repairs are underway.
In front of us is a sluggish tail of cars, people driving home from work. The power plant dam offers a wonderful view of Saint-Malo.
The picture of the curve was taken on the move from the car. But it’s better than none at all.We have booked the Ibis Budget Center in the city. In fact, it was not close to the center. For some reason I decided to park the car in a paid garage - 8 euros per night, although the hotel had its own (packed small) parking lot.
We drove to the center, wandered along the parking lots under the city walls and finally stood quite close to the main gate.
All parking around “Intra Muros” - the city inside the fortress walls - is paid with an inhumane tariff of 20 centimes for 15 minutes. It’s good that after 19.00 it’s free. They insisted on 1 euro 20 centimes.
Parking near the walls of Saint Malo. The photo was taken the next morning.At first, Saint-Malo was disappointing. I read that the city was seriously destroyed in 1944 and restored using old drawings and drawings. It seems that the restoration was carried out in the same way as ours. On the narrow medieval streets there are huge six-story houses made of gray granite.
In some places there really are old buildings,
A couple of really old houses near the main gate.but overall the city gives the impression of an ensemble of Stalinist architecture, adjusted for local customs and building materials.
The houses are quite the same type, sometimes you can see a sort of “proletarian classic”. Even the cathedral does not make much of an impression.
Lonely chapel from the early 17th century. In Bon or Vann, I wouldn’t even pay attention to her. Street in Intra Muros.On the central streets there are many boutiques, seafood restaurants (prices are much more reasonable than in Plumana’k), and pancake shops.
Confectionery shop.Quite quickly they walked through the city from end to end and came up against the walls. In Saint-Malo you need to walk along the walls.
Monuments to naval commanders and seafarers were erected on them,
Including Jacques Cartier, who discovered Canada and founded Quebec.
There is also a monument to the local poet Rene de Chateaubriand in the city.
The walls offer wonderful views of the bay,
Fort Nacional, where you can go on a tour at low tide in the summer
And a seaport.
It was low tide and on the beach someone depicted a huge tree with their footprints and signed the footsteps below: “Plant a tree - save the planet!”
Walking along the walls reconciled me with this city. Finally, we went down to the beach not far from the Great Gate and looked at an absolutely fantastic sunset.
Day fifteen. October 3. The next morning we went to Intra Muros again. We found free parking a little further from the city gates.
Antique sailing ships moored nearby at the embankment; maybe they were not ancient, but stylized, but they looked great!
We waited until the travel agency opened to take a map of the city and look at the literature. The plan in Saint-Malo is paid! Only 20 centimes, but still unpleasant. Everywhere the city plan was given for nothing. We walked around the city again. In some places, houses have through passages under arches. The streets are very narrow and the enfilades of arches are reminiscent of St. Petersburg’s “well courtyards.”
Suddenly we came to an old 3-story house. It houses the hotel “Les chiens du guet”, literally “The Night Watchdogs”. When I was preparing my trip, I saw this hotel on Booking.com.
Coat of arms of Saint-Malo watchdogs On the sides There is an interesting story connected with watchdogs. In the old days they were released at night on sandy beaches around Saint-Malo, so that they would protect the city and ships in the port from strangers - foreign warriors, pirates and corsairs. Enemies could attack the city at any moment or plunder port warehouses and ships with expensive cargo. Guet means “night watch” in old French. The dogs were released after the signal to extinguish the fires. They could not harm the inhabitants because the city gates were locked at night. Residents knew that after the sound of the cathedral bell they were obliged to return home. In the morning it was allowed to leave the house only after the sound of the trumpet. The hotel is located on the square of the same name, named after ferocious dogs. The square, in turn, is located not far from the Dutch Bastion, where these dogs were kept in the old days.
From the embankment two small islands are visible: Grand Be and Petit Be. During low tide you can walk to them, but you have to be careful.
We leave Saint-Malo, but the drawbridge at the Vauban basin is blocked. It is prohibited to stand and wait in front of the barrier and we have to go back and look for another bridge. He is also divorced, but at least he can stand here.
We take a roundabout route past the piers and warehouses to the familiar “Ibis”.
Before leaving Saint-Malo, we stop at Carefour to buy olive oil, cheese, and grape juice for home. To our horror, it turns out to be a hypermarket. Gritting our teeth, we look for the products we need, waiting for a long time until the young family in front of us pays for the crowded cart, and even receives some bonuses. They didn’t give us any bonuses 🙂, although we earned more than 100 euros there. Initially we wanted to go to Livaro, but we lost too much time in the hyper. We had to move the balalaika to Honfleur, especially since we had already bought Livarot cheese. Balalaika again leads in the wrong direction - she doesn’t know that the road through the tidal power plant dam is being repaired. After wandering through the quiet outlying streets of Saint-Malo, we take the 176th road towards Caen.
From the road we notice in the haze the silhouette of Mont Saint-Michel, where we were 2 years ago. It’s quite a long drive for us, so halfway we stop at a rest area to warm up. It looks like this is the same site that Sergei Tikhomirov visited 7 years ago. At least I found a spotting scope pointed at the redwood tree. It looks like it's actually growing there, but I didn't have enough optics to get a decent photo.
Mysterious picture: “Where is the sequoia?”This day was cloudy for the first time since Burgundy, but when we got to Honfleur the sun came out. We were already in Honfleur 2 years ago, but that time there was nasty autumn rain. Therefore, I decided to try my luck again at the mouth of the Seine.
The attempt was a success - the weather in the city was amazingly sunny, despite the fact that souvenir shops offered T-shirts, napkins and magnets, on which it always rains in Normandy :).
In Honfleur I found an inexpensive hotel on the outskirts.
The receptionist looked at the printout of the reservation for a long time, went through his notes, and climbed into the computer. Looks like they fucking lost our reservation. As a result, we got a room in the attic with strange pieces of iron on the floor, which turned out to be a fire escape :)
Despite the 4th floor and sloping roof, there were 2 comfortable beds, a bath and a table with two chairs. The place turned out to be cool.
We drove to the city center by car, had difficulty finding a space and paid for a couple of hours at the parking meter. As it turned out, that evening there was no need to bother paying for parking. The 21st Shrimp Festival was taking place in the city and the police turned a blind eye to the violators. In any case, there was no hint of parking tickets in the neighboring cars. We enjoyed hanging out in the crowd, looked at the cheese and sausage counters, and walked around the Vieux Bassin (Old Pool) - the most famous place cities. We went to the Salt Attics, where there was an exhibition of ship models,
Statue...shrimp in the Salt Attics.drank kir and beer in a cafe on the embankment,
We walked along familiar streets past St. Catherine's Church, art galleries, and a monument to oyster pickers
And finally, we miraculously found a place in the restaurant: all the tables except one were reserved. Tanya took a plate of “seafood” with oysters No. 3, lobster, shrimp and shells,
I asked for meat and for dessert we took a cheese plate.
For drinks we chose kir and a large glass of Leffe, otherwise I was already tired of the wine. The ladies at the next table, also drinking beer, looked approvingly at my half-liter glass.
The bill turned out to be quite reasonable - a little more than 50 euros.
Returning to our Auberge de la Claire, we found that all the parking spaces were taken. I had to lean against the window of a restaurant on the first floor.
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Practical information
For whom: for all
Duration: 7 days
Price per person: 1530 € (64200 rub.) or 950 € (27300 rub.)
The cost of the Normandy-Brittany-Loire Valley route includes:
- transportation costs - car rental for 7 days - on average 490 € (20,580 rub.) + gasoline for the entire route about 320 € (13,440 rub.), total 810 € (34,000 rub.) or public transport - about 228 € (9,600 rub. .)
- hotel accommodation - from 350 € (14,700 rubles)
- food expenses - 210 € (8820 rub.)
- fee for visiting attractions (mentioned in the route) - approximately 160 € (6,700 rubles)
Description of the route through Normandy-Brittany-Loire Valley
The route will be especially interesting for incorrigible romantics, because traveling around France is exciting and exciting, like a new feeling. Colorful port towns, magnificent ancient castles, royal gardens and parks, rugged by the sea, the most picturesque rocks and amazing islands, mystical megaliths and views of the ocean - all this can be seen using the proposed route.
It is more convenient to travel through the north-west of France, part of which passes along the coast, by rented car. Experienced independent travelers can use public transport to travel.
The first day. Paris
The capital of France is the starting and ending point of our route. You can enjoy the beauty of Paris and immerse yourself in its unique atmosphere, where you can choose the most interesting places for visiting.
Paris-Rouen train ticket price: 22.8 €
Travel time: 1-1.5 hours
The first day. Rouen
Rouen is a wonderful medieval city. Its main attraction is the Rouen Cathedral, where you should start your walk around the city. Pay attention to the astronomical clock and the beautiful Gothic church of Saint-Maclou. History buffs should go to the Old Market Square, where Joan of Arc was burned, and look at the church and tower in her honor. The city has interesting museums: the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Ceramics, the Museum of Blacksmithing, the museums of Gustave Flaubert and Pierre Corneille. After exploring Rouen, we recommend heading to the village of Alouville, where there is an unusual chapel built inside an ancient oak tree.
Ticket price for the Rouen-Bréaute train: 11.5 €
Bus ticket price Breaute-Etretat (No. 17): 2 €
Train ticket price Rouen-Le Havre: 15.2 €
Bus ticket price Le Havre-Etretat (No. 24): 2 €
Travel time: 1-1.3 hours
Second day. Etretat
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Visiting time: three hours |
Small resort town on the coast, famous for its picturesque cliffs. The cliffs of Etretat inspired many writers and artists: Delacroix, Monet, Manet, Offenbach, Dumas, Hugo and Maupassant. Below there is a nice pebble beach where you can have breakfast after studying the tide schedule.
Bus ticket price Etretat-Le Havre (No. 24): 2 €
Bus ticket price Le Havre-Honfleur (No. 20,39,50): 4.5 €
Travel time: 1.5 hours
Second day. Honfleur
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Visiting time: three hours |
Honfleur is one of the most beautiful ports in France. Here you can see an unusual rectangular bay, along the banks of which there are colorful narrow houses. It is worth visiting the Church of St. Catherine - the largest wooden church in France, the Church of St. Stephen, which houses the city museum and the chapel de Grasse. Check out some of the art galleries and antique shops that the city is famous for.
Bus ticket price Honfleur-Dauville (No. 20): 2.3 €
Travel time: 30-35 min
Second day. Deauville
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Visiting time: three hours |
Deauville is a famous resort town on the English Channel coast, built in the 19th century. especially for the Parisian nobility. The town is very interesting, it’s just nice to stroll through it or go shopping. Fashionistas will be interested to know that the first Coco Chanel boutique was opened here. The sandy beaches here are famous all over the world, and a comfortable wooden boardwalk has been built for walks along the water, so you can end the second day with a wonderful dinner on the beach.
Ticket price for the Deauville-Pontorson train (with transfer): 36.2 €
Bus ticket price Pontorson-Mont-Saint-Michel (No. 6): 3 €
Travel time: 4.5-5 hours
Day three. Mont Saint Michel
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Time to visit: one day |
The small rocky island of Mont Saint-Michel, connected to the mainland by a causeway, is the most famous landmark in France. At its top there is a monastery and the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael. Around the abbey is a small ancient town surrounded by a fortress wall. It’s worth not only spending the whole day here, but also spending the night in one of the hotels.
Bus ticket price Mont-Saint-Michel-Pontorson (No. 6): 3 €
Bus ticket price Pontorson-Saint-Malo (No. 17): 4 €
Travel time: 1.5-2.5 hours
Day four. Saint Malo
Saint-Malo is a wonderful ancient city on the island and coast at the mouth of the Rance River. The main attraction is the majestic Saint-Vincent Cathedral. It is also worth visiting Liu Bo Castle, strolling through its park and visiting the Solidor Tower, located almost on the very shore. Inside it is a museum of circumnavigators, a memorial dedicated to the Second World War, as well as the Ville Juan Aquarium.
Train ticket price Saint-Malo-Quemper: from 45 €
Travel time: 3.5-4 hours
Day four. Camper
Kemper - oldest city Brittany. It's worth a look here gothic cathedral Saint-Corentin, visit the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Faience, and simply stroll along the cobbled streets and admire the medieval houses and ancient bridges.
Quimper-Åre train ticket price: from 15 €
Bus ticket price Åre-Karnac (No. 1): 3 €
Travel time: 1.5 hours
Day five. Karnak
Versailles is the largest and most luxurious royal residence in Europe. It consists of several parts: the palace where the French monarchs and their entourage lived (Grand Trianon), a place for royal entertainment(Petit Trianon) - a cozy place built for the favorites of the French kings, as well as gardens and a park (entrance to which is free). In the territory palace complex there is also a chapel, Empress village, Empress theater, Belvedere, Temple of Love, grotto, French pavilion and farm. Tickets for Versailles can be purchased in advance online. In the city itself, it is worth visiting the Lambine Museum, the Royal Vegetable Garden and the Crew Museum.
Train ticket price Versailles-Paris: 3.35 €
Travel time: 30-40 min
Day seven. Paris
Let's end the journey at the starting point, especially since Paris is especially beautiful in the evening. Take advantage of the Paris itinerary for a truly memorable day, and remember that the best sparkling wine is served at the Eiffel Tower in the evenings.
Good afternoon
My husband and I are going to France in June, we have already bought air tickets (St. Petersburg-Paris-St. Petersburg), but the route is not working out yet... There are too many things I want to see :-)) As it turned out, most of the places that we had planned for ourselves were are in Normandy. In this regard, the question arose:
Please tell me, is it possible to see Giverny, Rouen, Etretat, Honfleur, Mont Saint Michel while traveling by public transport? How many days should you plan for these places? And where is the best place to book a hotel to easily get to all cities?
Last year I went to Rouen by train from Paris - I left at around 9 am and returned around 8 pm. I was very impressed charming city, the stunning main cathedral and exceptional smaller churches and cathedrals. But one day was enough for me to explore the old part of the city and even stop by the local museum of forged goods.
I was passing through Giverny in the summer, but by car - according to my impression - getting there by public transport (train + bus) is obviously possible, but with difficulty, mostly people came there tourist buses and cars.
I haven’t been to other places, so I can’t recommend it.
Galinka2009, thank you!
It’s not difficult to get to Giverny, I found out. The question is: should we return back to Paris that day or go to Rouen? Then where should we put our things while we walk around Giverny?
And if you live in Rouen, is it really possible to get to the attractions that I listed in the first message on your own? Maybe some of them can be combined into one day?
How many days do you have for the trip in general? How much time do you want to spend in Paris? With all my love for provincial France, you first need to understand how much you need for Paris, and then you can try to squeeze everything else into the rest of the time...
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Absolutely real - a couple of years ago I did this route personally.
We took hotels in Rouen (3n), MSM (2n) and San Malo (our journey continued further). During the trip, I regretted that I didn’t take it to Etretat for a day - I only had to lick my lips during the day.
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Nothing like this!
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Then I immediately went to Rouen - watched and all that, and from there I went to Giverny for a full day, and Etretat in the second - both were very convenient. That's why I took 3n in Rouen. And you shouldn’t regret that you are passing Giverny from Paris to Rouen - but you will get your things in a straight line without any hassles, and returning to Giverny from Rouen is very convenient.
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And under no circumstances should you squeeze anything in! - you'll just ruin the whole impression. You need to travel around the province fully and slowly, and if you haven’t seen Paris yet, you need to explore Paris first, or another time. I don’t recommend mixing everything into one bottle.
Hm....
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I really like it, but I’m impatient, and for more than a day in one city (that is, sometimes a day and a night in a hotel) - having made a couple of circles around all the sights in three or four hours, I usually figure out which nearby town I can rush to in impressions:).... and when after this it will be possible to return to Paris.
Galinka2009,
we will have 10 days, although the 10th can’t be counted (we are leaving early), but the 1st is almost full - we arrive at 10 am.
By the way, I’m also impatient :-)) I always want to embrace the immensity - it’s unknown whether I’ll return to this country again... I’ve never seen so much...
Probably, lovers of Paris will not understand me, but I plan to spend 3 days in this city, no more. For some reason, it doesn’t attract me at all (maybe I’ll change my mind later :-)), because of this, I never considered France at all as a travel destination. Until I came across several reports on the provinces and photographs of Mont Saint Michel on the Vinsky forum. Well, I didn’t dare to visit France and not see Paris - I didn’t dare to do that :-)) But still, it’s not a priority...
Mademoiselleka,
How did you get from Rouen to Etretat and Honfleur? How long does it take (I looked on the map - it seems close...) And how much time do you need to spend exploring these towns?
9 days is great! Of course, it would be logical for you to loop the route, but here a slight difficulty arises. As I understand it, one usually gets to Mont Saint-Michel through Rennes, Pontorson and Caen. But if you try to make a transfer from Rennes to Rouen or vice versa, the railway website voyages-sncf.com does not provide a direct connection between them - everything turns out through Paris...
Inspired by the task, I thought of the following as one of the options:
Paris - Mont Saint Michel - Paris - Rouen - Paris
It turns out that from Rouen you can visit Giverny, Etretat and Honfleur, that is, it’s worth spending three nights there...
But with Mont Saint Michel, look at the reviews, there are options both to turn around in one day and to spend one night in Rennes. In principle, if Paris is not a priority, there is just a chance to get a little impressions from Ren too :))) Or, as an option, you can look by dates and buy a one-day organized excursion from Paris to Mont Saint Michel...
Then (if you stay overnight in Rennes) the following may happen - although there are a lot of options:
1 day - Paris
Day 2 - transfer to Rennes + Mont Saint-Michel, overnight in Rennes
Day 3 - return to Paris and probably, as an option, straight away to Rouen
(you just have to move between stations)
There, depending on your desire, you can spend 3 days with trips around Normandy, and then return to Paris (let’s say on day 6)
If Paris is not a priority, you can even look at another city, for example Reims.
The only thing is that there is a lot of moving around with things, it’s tiring!
Galinka2009, thank you very much for your responsiveness!
Now I’m all in thought - my husband really wants to add Alsace, at least 2 days (to Strasbourg and Colmar), how to squeeze them in??? I'll have to give up something...
By the way, I just discovered that on March 1, the Infrance forum posted a plan for Alliance Voyage excursions for the whole year. And it turns out that on our penultimate day (the day before our flight home) they have a full-day excursion to Mont Saint Michel for 57 euros per person. So, we'll probably turn to them...
Then maybe this route:
Day 1 - arrival, walk around Paris
Day 2 - Paris
Day 3 - Paris
Day 4 - transfer to Strasbourg, overnight at a hotel in Strasbourg
Day 5 - Colmar, return to Strasbourg,
Day 6 - transfer to Paris, walk around Paris (or go to Giverny)
Day 7 - one of the Loire castles
Day 8 - Giverny (if you didn’t go on day 6) or something else
Day 9 - MSM
Day 10 - flight home.
Somehow I don’t really like it yet :-(((
Yes, I also found a schedule there, but during my trip they obviously also decided to take a vacation :)) 57 euros per person is just a super price, take it! I figured that for May 6-7, if I suddenly decide to reserve tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, it will be about 80-90 euros, and since I usually buy a ticket the day before, it will be very more expensive.... Again, it’s easier by bus .
About Alsace - listen to your husband :)) Strasbourg is a fairy tale, with a slight touch of Germany, it is very worth a visit, about 3.5 - 4 hours from Paris by expressway. Colmar is nice, but the old part, where “little Venice” is, is very small.
Why throw away Rouen? It is close to Paris, an hour and a half by train. Maybe on day 5 you will return to Paris late in the evening, and on day 6 you will go to Rouen and/or Giverny?
It’s a pity that Alliance doesn’t have anything for your dates... And look at this company - http://www.francetourisme.fr/uk/mont-sa … rsion.html They are, however, more expensive, but have more options excursions and it is possible to book in advance. I found information about them on some forum, the reviews were also good.
I also really want to go to Alsace, to Colmar even more than to Strasbourg, the photo reminded me of Rothenburg in Bavaria, where we really liked it...
Probably then we’ll go to Giverny either on the 3rd or 6th day, and on the 8th day to Rouen. What do you think?
Oh, thanks for the link!!!
As for Giverny, I still can’t say how to get there by public transport. Sncf, if you ask for Paris-Giverny, gives the Vernon station, which means you need to take a bus from there. That is, in terms of time it will also take almost the whole day. The main thing is that the weather is good and everything blooms!
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"Khobotov, don't be fussy!" :)))
There is no need for such throwing around - best time spend time on the train and you will really regret it! :)
So let's go point by point...
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A reasonable program, but Ruan crashes out completely. + All the time you wander through Paris, of course all the roads go through it, but this way you get a tour of “all the stations of Paris” :) and not a trip.
What are you flying with? Take AirFrance, the price is often the same as Aeroflot, but you can quite well end up at the right point for the same money.
Try this day by day:
...
(sorry, the message was lost)
Try this day by day:
1) Flight Moscow-Paris-Strasbourg (or transfer to Strasbourg directly from SDG - 2.5-3 hours 60-90s, if air tickets are already on hand).
2) Colmar (30min 11th)
3) Here the question is - where did the Loire come from in your plan? ;) Have you decided to compress ALL of France into 10 days? - I really don’t recommend it! From Strasbourg you can successfully cross to the Loire, but it takes a long time (more than 3 hours by train) and it is very difficult to get out to the north. So here’s some advice: It’s optimal for you to travel from east to west through Paris. Leave the Loire alone for your next visit, you and the MSM have enough castles for now - don’t try to drag yourself in three different directions from Paris.
Then day 3: Strasbourg-Paris.
4) Paris
5) Paris-Rouen (10-21st 1-1.5 hours)
6) Etretat
7) Giverny
8) Rouen - MSM (transfer via Caen 40-50e 4h)
9) MSM-Paris (55-75e 3-4h)
10) Departure
It is possible (perhaps even more optimal) to twist this entire program exactly in the other direction with the same order. Then you need to go to MSM from SDG directly through Ren and Pontorson.
I’ll write separately about Etretat and Giverny now. :)
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Take a ride for a day - it’s not worth it: it’s a long drive, with transfers. It's worth an overnight trip, especially with teenage children: this is a corsair fort! ;)
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Thank you very much, but I’m not ready for full-fledged ones due to unspeakable laziness. :-P I’m spreading all my thoughts here on the forum. :)
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Normandy is well known to the average tourist. Excellent infrastructure, many hotels of different levels and excellent cuisine have long attracted the attention of potential travelers to these places in the north-east of France.
You can find many reports about Normandy on LiveJournal, but close attention you can see some of their monotony. Professional top bloggers come here for annual tastings of cider and Calvados, but mere mortals usually visit only a few of the most popular places in this region. But you just need to delve a little into maps and guidebooks to understand how much interesting things there are left aside from these standard routes.
Perhaps this is why, during the next promotion of low-cost airlines from Vilnius, I unexpectedly bought two tickets for myself to the French Beauvais airport. From here, most visitors head straight to Paris, which is only about a hundred kilometers away, but getting to the beaches of Normandy from Beauvais is also not at all difficult.
I made a small strategic mistake while planning this trip. The fact is that our journey was supposed to take five days. At first I thought that it was very close to Beauvais most interesting city Amiens, and from there it is not so far to the famous port of Calais. These cities already belong to other French regions of Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, but visiting them was quite included in my itinerary. I decided to devote the rest of my time exclusively to Normandy.
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I usually plan to cover a route of 200-300 kilometers per day. I know from experience that such a distance can be covered easily and without stress, and the constant change of impressions guarantees an unforgettable experience. Everything would have been fine if at some point in preparing the route I had not started reading about another French province neighboring Normandy - Brittany. This region seemed so interesting and original to me that I suddenly decided to change my principles and look here for a day.
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Unfortunately, I underestimated the scale of this region. Brittany for a day is just funny! During that day we drove almost 600 kilometers and saw very little, but we were very tired. Don’t repeat my mistakes, if you decide to go to Brittany, devote at least five days to this region. The rest of our trip went like clockwork.
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In Amiens we looked for traces of the great writer Jules Verne, and in Calais we visited abandoned giant bunkers from the Second World War. There will be separate reports about this.
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From Calais we began to descend south along the coastline. Gradually, the swampy lowlands gave way to the cliffs of the Alabaster Coast. These places have long been considered resort places by the French.
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It was a great pleasure to visit small coastal towns surrounded by white rocky cliffs. There are a lot of them here and not all of them are known to a wide range of tourists. Fécamp, Dieppe, Le Tréport, Ault - you can write a separate story about each of these towns.
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We also visited more popular places, but I don’t feel much pleasure from walking by the sea with crowds of vacationers and spending a long time searching for a parking space on streets clogged with cars, so we tried to pass places like Etretat or Honfleur as quickly as possible.
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Of course, one of the main goals of my trip to Normandy was to visit the Allied landing sites during World War II. The legendary D-Day happened exactly 70 years ago, so now this topic is being raised very actively throughout almost the entire region.
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There are many memorials, museums, and monuments open along the entire coast. Many hotels and restaurants deliberately hang American and British flags on their facades, either as a sign of remembrance or to lure potential customers.
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Of the huge number of places that are open to the public this year, I have chosen only a few. To be honest, I could devote my entire trip to this topic, but we shouldn’t forget about my other half. Of course, the end of July is a great time to beach holiday in Normandy.
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Some of the longest sea tides have created unique giant beaches here. Combined with the summer sun, this ideal places for relaxation and sunbathing!
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Swimming in the sea is not so simple here. By the way, the locals don’t like it at all water treatments. They say the sea here is cold! We didn’t have them in the Baltic!
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I wouldn't get out of the water on the Normandy beaches, but here we ran into another problem. Here you can try to log in for a long time sea water, but even at a decent distance from the shore in many places the depth will still be maximum knee-deep.
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Finding an acceptable beach with the opportunity to swim here was not so easy. We did this by accident only on the third day of the trip. But this place seemed ideal to us. Fine sand next to a picturesque rock with a lighthouse on top, almost complete absence of people and proximity to parking - here we felt almost like in paradise. I won’t just give out the coordinates of this beach.
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Despite all my dislike for popular attractions, sometimes I still can’t avoid them.
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At the risk of being banal, I still stopped by the famous island city of Mont Saint-Michel. Apparently, after Paris, this is the most visited place by tourists in France. Trying not to subject our psyche to additional tests, we visited it in the evening, at sunset. My impressions from that walk were a little chaotic, and I will share them with you later.
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Despite the difficulties described above, we still saw quite a bit in Brittany. The ancient pirate port of Saint-Malo, the medieval town of Dinan and the mysterious complex of megaliths in Carnac became our goals on the penultimate day of our journey through France. There is something to remember and something to tell.
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Our last day in France was a return to Beauvais. On the way, we stopped by the capital of Normandy, the city of Rouen, and also took a ferry ride along the famous Seine.
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We saw this river, familiar to most of us from Paris, in an unusual frame of high chalk cliffs. These places, despite the high degree of population, have retained their pristine beauty and wildness.
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This is where our somewhat unusual journey through Normandy ended. We never drank a drop of local cider, nor did we try the vaunted Calvados.
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But sobriety and purity of mind allowed us to see this region in all its beauty and diversity. In addition, our pocket did not suffer much financially either.
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It is worth saying a few words about the weather. In many souvenir shops here I saw magnets with images of drops of pouring rain and the inscription Normandy. The weather was kind to us and it was gloomy only on the first day. Then we fully enjoyed the bright sun and summer heat. So we did not buy those magnets because they were erroneous in our particular case.
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For those who love financial details, I will describe our expenses. Air tickets for two cost us 110 Euros. A rented car for five days costs 200 euros, and for gasoline an additional 150 euros.
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We lived exclusively in small family hotels, where a separate room with all amenities for two with a homemade breakfast cost us 50-60 Euros.
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Don't forget that this is peak season here. In total, all the overnight stays cost us 270 Euros. I will write separately about these very unusual hotels for us. They are here - a separate attraction of Normandy!
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The rest of the expenses, with the exception of a few trips to local restaurants, were not high and amounted to only about 200 Euros.
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In total, the amount of 900 Euros for a five-day holiday for two in France cannot be called large. This means you can and should go here. Knowledgeable people can compare these costs with the price level in Paris.
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Something tells me that traveling around Normandy can not only be a worthy alternative to the famous capital of France, but also save a lot of money. The potential of the entire region as a whole is very great.
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I'll stop there for now. For those who are interested in Normandy and its surrounding regions, expect more detailed reports in the near future.
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