Finally, my hands got around to summarize the information on Normandy - not a lyrical part, but a more practical one. Hope it comes in handy if you intend to travel around these wonderful places by car. I will make a reservation right away that all of the following is personal experience, it does not pretend either to the absolute completeness of the information, or to the optimal route (although the route suited us very well in the end).
Where is it?
Normandy is a region in the northwest of France. It is divided into upper Normandy with a center in Rouen (Rouen) and lower - with a center in Caen. From the southwest, Bretonne adjoins lower Normandy, which we also captured a little on our journey.
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 a rich visual experience (landscapes, parks, architecture, rugged northern beaches), gustatory pleasures (cheese, cider, seafood, etc.), historical excursions (as in ancient history Normans, and in the military operations of the Second World War - the famous beaches of "D-Day"), and surprisingly pleasant locals... They speak decent English and are very tourist friendly but not intrusive - perfect combination!
When to go?
The best season is from about April-May to the end of October. Since November, many attractions and farms are closed for visiting (out of season), and the weather becomes nasty. Normandy is already the rainiest region in France (and they never get tired of joking around on this subject), and in winter the rain is cold and the daylight hours are short. We went in early October - it was, to put it mildly, not hot :))) but this is no longer the peak summer season, when tourists are not crowded - it is easy to find places to spend the night, there are no crowds anywhere.
Idea and general planning of the route
Without pretending to be absolute truth, I will only talk about our thought process. We originally wanted Jersey and Guernsey, the Normandy idea was born as a logical addition to them. Then we began to look for information about what is interesting in Normandy, marking the cities and places where it is definitely worth visiting (we turned out to be Rouen, Giverny, the beaches of the allied landing (D-Day Beaches), Mont Saint Michel, the road of cheese and cider ) 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 strong points for several days - Rouen, Ken (or rather, a town near Ken on one of the landing beaches), San Malo - and will travel from there to other points. As a result, the tactics fully justified themselves, although on the spot it turned out that housing options, incl. inexpensive, - a great variety (including farms and cute boarders, which are not available on international booking sites). So you can just go and look for an overnight stay along the way, especially not in 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 took the train to Rouen.
- Train timetables and booking tickets for French railways... It makes sense to book key tickets in advance, because it is possible to buy them in advance at cheaper prices. The reservation is printed and exchanged for a ticket at the train station at the SNCF office (or at other points - everything is written on the reservation). Important: do not plan train trips "end-to-end" to important connections - in France, a strike is a norm of life, the likelihood of a train being late is great!
- Do not forget to make an international "booklet" to your rights before the trip to the traffic police! There is a problem with the Russian license - although all the data seems to be duplicated in Latin, but the descriptions of the categories are made only in Russian, which gives the rental company the right to refuse you (they may not refuse, but why risk it ???). It is also recommended to get international rights to Israeli rights (in MEMSI it is done in 5 minutes and 15 shekels) - Israel somehow signed some conventions there, so it's better to play it safe
- And be sure (!) Take with you a GPS navigator with updated maps! If you don’t have it, don’t spare the extra money (7-10 euros per day), rent it along with the car. Without a navigator, even from the very 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 a part of the amount in them). For example, in Rouen this is not done even in banks, only in the tourist office in the city center.
Language
French. But unlike Parisians, locals are fluent in English and don't frown when you speak broken French. Still, the proximity to England and the historical past are evident.
Food
France in general and Normandy in particular is a culinary paradise. The food here is really delicious, and the food here is not just a life-supporting necessity, but a separate experience and pleasure. Of course, try local cheeses, pears (oh, what juicy pears are here!), Cider, pommo - a mixture of Calvados and cider (but Calvados itself is a stool :))), pastries, seafood (including oysters - for lovers).
We did this - in the morning we had breakfast in a hotel or in a nearby coffee shop, dined in a restaurant, finding a profitable and tasty formule - like a set lunch, for dinner we bought cheeses, cider, baguette, apples-pears, sausages or hams, and had a picnic. It could be more economical, but we decided that our priority is pleasure. Personal recommendation - restaurant L "Orbecquoise in the small town of Orbec near Lisieux.
Automotive affairs
Toll roads- there are a lot of them in France! Usually these are autobahns and major roads connecting the regions of the country, as well as bridges (the most famous is the Normandy Bridge). Cost - from 2 to 6 euros, each road has its own. Payment at checkpoints (sometimes at the entrance, sometimes at the exit, sometimes both there and there - keep your receipts to leave!), There are signs on the road warning that the track is toll. It is best to carry small change 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 the GPS to go around them) - this is usually longer, but much more scenic.
Speed limits- city 50 km / h, out of town 90, highway - 110, autobahn - 130. There are cameras everywhere !!!
Petrol- quite expensive and prices are not regulated by it, i.e. different at different gas stations (even at gas stations of the same company prices may differ!). Therefore, it is worth looking closely where it is cheaper.
Parking- usually free in small towns, in the center and large cities there can be paid zones with a payment machine (highlighted in color) 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, of course, it was corrected along the way. We used the Rough Guide to Normandy and Bretonne for planning. We also actively used local tourist centers- they are in Normandy in every village !!! - you should not ignore them, they will tell you about current events, give you all kinds of useful waste paper and maps, recommend a place to eat or stay overnight. Find out festival dates and schedules for farmers' markets in different cities - both worth a visit.
- 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 can be closed for "lunchtime" from 12:00 to 14:00, and the museum is closed on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Hotel Stars Rouen is a basic nautical-style hotel. Normal place to spend the night, 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 there is a car, because not in the city center.
Hotel Le Canada, Hermanville-sur-mer - a hotel in a small seaside town near Ques and Bayeux, in a classic Norman half-timbered building, delicious breakfast, beautiful rooms. The disadvantage is in the middle of nowhere, the nearest cafe, for example, is a couple of kilometers away :))
Éthic étapes Patrick Varangot, Saint-Malo is a large hostel with a ton of different features and options (shared room, bike rental, different activities for guests). Disadvantage - very spartan rooms (although new and clean), they won't even put soap :))
Visa
Regular Schengen. To be honest, it was dreary for us to show all our movements at the embassy (all the more, they were still in the planning stage by that time), so I booked for
Public transport in Normandy is well developed, therefore it is convenient for tourist movements. Almost every city has its own bus network, and there is also a tram line in Caen, Le Havre and Rouen.
Buses in Normandy
Caen has 20 city bus lines that allow you to quickly and conveniently get anywhere in the city. The waiting time for the bus depends on the route, but on average is about 15-30 minutes. Bus service hours vary, so it is best to check it out.
Also, the NOCTIBUS bus runs around the city at night. It runs every half hour on Thursday from 00:30 to 05:00 and every hour on Friday from 1:00 to 05:00. The last departure of the night bus on Saturday is 06:00.
Trams in Normandy
Caen's tram lines are divided into two branches A and B, they cover almost all large objects. Between Copernicus and Poincaré stations, lines A and B have the same route. Runs every 8 minutes on lines A and B, and every 4 minutes on a common line between Poincaré and Copernicus stations. The tram operates from 05:30 to 00:30 Monday to Saturday and from 08:30 to 00:30 on Sundays. The routes can be viewed.
One of the most popular types public transport in Rouen is the tram. Now in Rouen, trains run on two route lines: Ligne Technopôle and Ligne Georges Braque. The first train starts at 04:30 in the morning, and the last one at 23:00. Intervals between trains on weekdays are about 4 minutes, reaching 10 minutes on weekends.
Tickets for the "metro" are valid the same as for the other public transport cities. A single-trip ticket allows you to travel for one hour on all types of public transport, including 6 changes.
Tickets
A single trip ticket is 1.35 € in the city of Caen, 1.50 € in Rouen, in other cities the fare will cost about 1.20 €, valid for one hour from the first pass. A ticket for an unlimited number of trips, valid for 24 hours from the moment of the first pass, will cost 3.75 € in the city of Caen, 4.40 € in Rouen, other cities will cost about 3.40 €. The ticket can be purchased at tram and bus stops.
- Time
- Route length: 230 km, a little over 4 hours of clean road.
- Movement: it is more convenient by car, since you do not have to wait for buses, but public transport is quite convenient: both by train and by buses.
- Bonus: Drive partly through "", so get ready to sample some of the finest local wines.
Alsace Route:
Route Burgundy - Rhone-Alpes - Center - Paris
This route will take you through the main attractions of central France, discovering the traditional, including the famous, and the famous.
- Time: 6 - 10 days, depending on the pace.
- Route length: 1338 km, 14 hours on the way.
- Movement: it is more convenient by car, since you do not have to wait for buses, but public transport is quite convenient: as by train, trains run everywhere (except for the Loire castles).
Route description:
Route through eastern France
Eastern France boasts characteristic half-timbered architecture and fine wines. There are 3 most important countries -, and, whose white and sparkling wines have become legendary.
- Time: 6 - 9 days, depending on the pace.
- Route length: 1268 km, 13.5 hours on the way.
- Movement: by public transport - convenient. By car, parking is more difficult.
Route description:
Northern France in 1 week
Day 4. Claude Monet's house and garden, in the afternoon - the capital -,
With children you can see Paris (), spend 1 day in, two days in and 2 more days on.
Day 1:- visit in the morning, get up
,
Day 6 -,
Day 7 -
Day 8 - Mont Saint Michel
Day 9 -
We flew to Paris, rented a car at the airport. We drove north and stopped in the small town of Les Andelys, where we saw the Château-Gaillard castle.
In the morning we went to Deauville and Trouville, walked for 4 hours.
After lunch we returned to Honfleur, had lunch and rested. Towards evening we went to Etretat, on the way we crossed the Normandy bridge. Immediately behind it is a payment point, where you can stop and climb observation deck.
We walked in Etretat until sunset
Overnight in Otfleur.
Day 3 - ,
In the morning we left in the direction of Saint-Malo, several stops were planned along the way. First, we took a walk on Omaha Beach and visited the American cemetery.
And then we stopped at one little known place- a promontory overlooking Mont Saint Michel.
We spent two nights in Saint-Malo.
In the morning we went to Dinan
On the way back drove into the city park
During the day we walked around the city, relaxed on the beach and filmed tide time lapses.
Towards evening we went to Mont Saint Michel, where we walked outside the abbey.
Day 5 - ,
In the morning we watched the sunrise from the pier in Saint Malo.
We went in the direction of Saint Guirec, on the way we stopped at Fort la Latte and Cape Freel.
We arrived at Saint Guirec beach, where we had a hotel booked for one night. Walked a little around the hotel.
Day 6 - ,
It was foggy in the morning. We saw the main attraction of the region - red boulders on Plumanac beach.
Then we drove in the direction of Nantes. Nantes is in the Pays de Loire region, but we wanted to visit one of major cities in northern France and chose it. As it turned out, they were right. On the way we stopped at Vannes.
They settled in Nantes and walked around the city.
We spent two nights in Nantes.
Day 7 -
In the morning we watched the sunrise on the embankment near the hotel.
And then we walked around the city all day.
Day 8-, Mont Saint Michel
In the morning we saw a mechanical elephant and rode a carousel.
In Mont Saint Michel, we had a hotel booked on the grounds of the abbey. So we settled in and went for a walk around the walls until the tide started.
And in the evening we looked at our main goal in northern France - the high tide in Mont Saint Michel.
When it got dark we went to the observation deck on the dam.
Day 9 -
Normandy is one of the most beautiful and interesting regions in France. Here and amazing nature, and medieval towns, and beautiful villages, casinos and luxury, cider and calvados, and what only you will not find in Normandy. The problem of the region is that if you want to see all this, public transport is not suitable - spend a lot of money and see 2-3 cities. Therefore, here either order an excursion (see, by the way, offers from Paris on), or rent a car and go yourself. Let's talk about the second method. This way you will see more and better.
Car rental in France
Car rental in France is a standard business. There are no special wisdom. We wrote about the process in detail in a separate article, as well. We will now only recommend this site, where you can easily reserve a car for yourself.
In this article, we offer you a leisurely journey through Normandy for about one week. If you wish, you can keep within 3-4 days. The table shows the entire route, with routes, kilometers, gas mileage and cost of toll roads. And now we will describe the stop points and you yourself will be able to choose what is more interesting for you.
The first day
We assume that you start your journey in Paris. A car can be rented directly at Charles de Gaulle or Orly airports, or in the city itself.
We suggest you spend the first day in the capital of Normandy - Rouen. The city is famous for its gigantic cathedral, the one that Claude Monet painted 30 times under different lighting conditions, and also for the fact that Jeanne d'Arc was burned in Rouen (the site of the fire is still preserved). The city is rich in medieval architecture and opens the way to Normandy - camamber, crepes, cider and mussels. All this you can find in Rouen.
The Museum of Fine Arts is also worth a visit, especially if you are a connoisseur of the Impressionists. Many of them lived in Normandy and her dear and wrote. The depicted places later became popular, and we'll talk about them below. In general, the museum is informative not only from the artistic, but also from geographic point vision.
The distance from Paris to Rouen is approximately 140 km. On the way, you can stop by the house-museum, or rather even the garden-museum of Claude Monn e - Giverny. Here he painted his famous water lilies, and now Giverny has become a place of pilgrimage for fans of his work. You can also visit the village of the great artist during a separate excursion, where you will be provided with headphones with an audio guide in Russian. The trip is organized straight from Paris, find out more information and book it.
We suggest you spend the night in Rouen on the first day. In the evening in the city, you can go to a restaurant or bar, enjoy the night performance at the Cathedral or stroll along the Seine River. There are many hotels that offer parking for their visitors. Best deals for hotels in the center of Rouen, see this link.
Second day
Let's go further. The small town of Dieppe ( Dieppe ) - next. This is the first city on our journey on the English Channel. Ships used to sail from here to explore New France, that is, Canada. A port city, many fish restaurants, a long beach and a medieval castle on top of a cliff. There is something to see! Dieppe is 82 km from Rouen.
Further, after lunch, we go to the city of Etretat ( Etretat ). A small town famous for its nature. Steep cliffs, green meadows, amazingly colored sea. The beach in Etretat is very pleasant, but there are a lot of tourists. Many artists tried to convey the amazing shape of the rocks in their works.
From Dieppe to Etretat - 84 km. On the way, you can visit one of the most beautiful villages France -Veules les Roses. It is located on the banks of the smallest river in the country. There are many half-timbered houses and factories here, and do not forget to taste a dozen fresh oysters in the central square.
Keep in mind that in summer, especially on weekends, all Parisians go to Normandy. This is their country cottage. Therefore, in warm weather, there is no parking space in the city center (parking, by the way, is often free). Sometimes the car has to be left 1-2 kilometers from the city center.
The same and with hotels. It is better to book them in advance. On the second day, we suggest you spend the night in the city of Etretat, there are not many hotels here, but some of them are very cozy.
Day three
Only 47 kilometers, during which you will cross one of the most famous bridges in the world - the Normandy Bridge (cable-stayed bridge depicted on the 500 euro bill), and you will find yourself in the small port town of Honfleur. Who just didn’t draw it!
This is perhaps the most Norman place on your journey. A small port, yachts, architecture and delicious cuisine are the keys to the city's success. Honfleur was even honored to get into Dmitry Medvedev's instagram when he was president, it's not for you to eat mussels and fries!
We continue our journey. We drive just another 20 kilometers to the south and find ourselves at once in two cities - Deauville and Trouville, they are located on opposite sides of the river. Trouville is a village by the sea. The name itself is translated from French as a city-hole, but this is far from being true. You still need to look for a more flourishing town in France. And Deauville is famous for its casino, beach and horse racing. They both claim the title the best beach... Now wealthy Parisians come here to spend a weekend or vacation.
This is where our next overnight stay will be. If you want to feel yourself in the center of luxury - here are hotels in Deauville, if you prefer a more modest life - then hotels in Trouville.
Day four
In the morning, go to Deauville Beach if the weather permits (it usually does not spoil this region), and then head to Caen. Don't be Russian journalists, don't be confused with Cannes. It is two absolutely different cities. And, unfortunately, Caen is far from the Cote d'Azur. But on the other hand, a great city with a huge, almost the largest in Western Europe, a medieval castle. It was built by the same William the Conqueror, the Norman who conquered England. After him, no one else could. Before the French Revolution, he was buried here.
Caen is 42 km from Deauville. On the way, stop by Cabourg, famous for its festival, beach, casino, racetrack and Grand Hotel.In Cana the next night. Choose a hotel or room.
Day five
Day six
On the sixth day, we will leave Normandy and go to Brittany - another authentic region of the country. From Mont Saint-Michel 48 km and we are in Saint-Malo. In this small but proud fortress town Boris Akunin writes his books. Do you want romance? Better place than Saint-Malo is not to be found. And, since we are in Brittany, it's time to try crepes or pancakes, wheat or buckwheat and with different fillings!
Relax, enjoy the sea, Brittany, France. And the next morning back in Paris!
To the capital from Saint-Malo - 368 km and about 5 and a half hours on the way. In total, you will drive about 1000 km along our route, spend about 100 liters of gasoline and get a little more pleasure than a mountain the size of Mont Saint Michel.
Explore our table, leave comments about your trips and bon voyage!
