Normandy and Brittany - an independent journey. Useful tips. Independent travel through Normandy by car Normandy route through beautiful villages
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Day 6 - ,
Day 7 -
Day 8 - Mont Saint Michel
Day 9 -
We flew to Paris and rented a car at the airport. We went north and stopped in the small town of Les Andelys, where we saw the Chateau 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, crossing the Normandy Bridge along the way. Immediately behind it there is a payment point, where you can stop and go up to the observation deck.
In Etretat we walked until sunset
Overnight in Hautefleur.
Day 3 - ,
In the morning we set off towards Saint-Malo, with several stops planned along the way. First we walked on Omaha Beach and visited the American Cemetery.
And then we stopped at one little-known place - a cape overlooking Mont Saint Michel.
We spent two nights in Saint-Malo.
In the morning we went to Dinan
On the way back we stopped at a city park
During the day we walked around the city, relaxed on the beach and took time-lapses of the tide.
Towards evening we went to Mont Saint Michel, where we walked around outside the abbey.
Day 5 - ,
In the morning we watched the sunrise from the pier in Saint Malo.
We drove in the direction of Saint Guirec, stopping along the way at Fort-la-Latte and Cape Freel.
We arrived at Saint Guirec beach, where we had a hotel booked for one night. We walked around the hotel for a bit.
Day 6 - ,
It was foggy in the morning. We saw the main attraction of the region - the red boulders on Plumanak beach.
Next we drove towards Nantes. Nantes is in the Loire Land region, but we wanted to visit one of major cities in northern France and chose him. As it turned out, they were right. On the way we also stopped at Vannes.
We 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 the carousel.
In Mont Saint Michel we had a hotel booked on the grounds of the abbey. So we checked in and went for a walk around the walls until the tide came in.
And in the evening they looked at our main goal in northern France - high tide at Mont Saint Michel.
When it was still dark we went to the observation deck on the dam.
Day 9 -
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, harsh northern beaches), taste pleasures (cheese, cider, seafood, etc.), historical excursions (as in ancient history Normans, and in military operations of the Second World War - famous beaches"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 book 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 it, don't regret it extra money(7-10 euros per day), 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 - like 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 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). U toll road there is always or almost always a free alternative (you can set the GPS to go around them) - it usually takes longer, but is much more picturesque.
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 - there are them 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". Normal place to spend the night, very reasonable price, free parking and convenient access to the A13 - the main route 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, bicycle 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
So, in October, Max Wernick and I went fishing in Normandy. A journey of discovery. Firstly, this was my first time visiting Normandy. Secondly, for the first time we drank brandy all the way. Brandy is like cognac, only from a neighboring village. Well, thirdly, for the first time in my life I went somewhere to fish.
01. Before fishing, we walked around Paris a little. We didn’t have much time, so we quickly took in the beauty. Glass pyramid of the Louvre. 
02. Sculptures in the Tuileries Garden behind the Cop fence 
03. From the park you can go to the Seine embankment. It is now pedestrian in many places. There used to be a road here. 
04. Max Wernick decided to go to a flea market and buy some goods for the store. But as it turned out, prices in Paris are higher than in Moscow... 
05. Parisian ragpicker 
Now let's get in the car and head north! Where there are fish and a house on the lake.
06. Along the way we pass simple French villages. 
07. Beautiful 
08. French cows 
09. Horses 
10. Rams 
11. In a French village, time stopped. Most houses have not changed for centuries. Only satellite dishes and cars indicate that this is the 21st century. 
12. Everything is very neat and clean. 
13. We arrived in Fécamp, a town in Upper Normandy. It is built around a small bay that serves as a trading and fishing port. This is what the entrance to this bay looks like. It is about 50 meters wide. 
14. That part of the city that is located south of the bay is flat, and Northern part The city was built on a rocky hill. 
15. Fekan is a fishing town. It became famous back in the 10th century due to the fact that delicious salted and smoked herring was prepared here. And in the 16th century, cod fishing began here. Now fishing has been limited - it is allowed only in coastal waters. 
16. But there is also the Vermont River, and if you go upstream, you will reach a series of ponds in which you can also fish. That's where we went. 
17. We rented this house. It stands right on the water and you can fish from the bedroom) Or from the terrace. Great place. 
18. The Normans themselves do not hesitate to call their region a fishing paradise. Here you can be offered sea, freshwater and foot fishing (this is when people walk along the shore and collect crabs and shellfish). For freshwater fishing, which we stopped at, there are a lot of rivers, canals, ponds and swamps in Normandy. 
19. You can catch carp, pike or trout in the ponds. Vernik said that he would eat live fish... But in the end he was dissuaded. 
20. We caught trout for dinner. 
21. While dinner is being prepared, it’s a good idea to have a glass or two. 
22. The rest of the evening was spent with dinner, intimate conversations and brandy. And the next morning it was like this. 
23. Neighbor's house 
24.
25.
26.
27. We met the Norman dawn, took a last look at Fécamp and set off further! 
28. The next stop is another town on the English Channel coast, called Etretat. 
29. It is mainly known for its rocks that form beautiful natural arches. Thanks to them, Etretat became one of the main tourist centers Normandy. Only one and a half thousand people live in the city, but in the summer a large number of travelers come here. If people come to Fécamp to fish, then they go to Etretat to enjoy the Norman nature. 
30. City embankment. If you look north, you will see an arch called the Upper Gate. 
31. At one time, many famous artists lived in Etretat, for example, Claude Monet. He has several paintings in which he captured the views from here. Here is one of them with the same view. 
32. And if you turn south, then in front of you will be the “Lower Gate”. Next to it is a pointed rock called “Needle”. French writer Maurice Leblanc wrote a book about her called “The Hollow Needle.” According to the plot, royal treasures were hidden in it. 
33. Also a painting by Claude Monet with “The Lower Gate”. 
34. In some places the cliffs reach a height of 100 meters. A school of fish is visible in the water! 
35.
36. Antifer Lighthouse. It was built in 1894, but was completely destroyed during World War II. Previously, it was located closer to the cliff, but during restoration they decided to move it further away from the crumbling edge of the cliff. 
37. Old bunker 
38. What amazed me most was that in 70 years since the end of the war, no one had vandalized the bunker and not even left a single inscription on the walls! The concrete is crumbling, the reinforcement is rusty, but the walls are clean! How is this possible? Simply amazing. In our country, such objects are usually covered with numerous inscriptions and marks, who, where and when. 
39. In the end, I can say that there are two reasons to go to Normandy: the first is the beautiful sea coast with cliffs, and the second is amazing conditions for all kinds of fishing. This part of France is perfect for a men's holiday in the company of friends and good French brandy. In general, come and try it yourself. Happy fishing! 
This allowed us to increase the number of days in Brittany and reduce gas costs, compared to the original plan to also start from Paris. Moreover, the difference in ticket price was insignificant.
We were very scared that the transfer time at CDG (Charles de Gaulle) airport was only an hour and twenty. It was comforting that the airline itself considered this transit time sufficient, otherwise it would have given us a later flight to Rennes. The worries were in vain. On the plane, the flight attendant herself came up to us and explained how best to change the terminal. At the airport everything is organized in the following order. First, security control at the exit from the arrival terminal, which takes 30-40 minutes along with exiting the plane. Then - a quick march, not very far, to the shuttle stop. And after the move, at the entrance to the departure terminal, passport control. In our case, the latter took no more than 5 minutes, because... The terminal for local flights is small. In short, we were convinced that if the plane was not late, there was plenty of time for the transfer.
Finally, after all the excitement, we are on a tiny plane to Rennes. Cookies, drinks and wine were a pleasant surprise, although the flight was short. Unloading suitcases and retrieving luggage took no more than 10 minutes, since most passengers are flying light. There are no more checks, quickly pick up rental car, you can go to the hotel.
Lyrical digression. Eating while traveling for us is not only a process of filling the stomach, but also a matter of pleasure. That's why he always gets a lot of attention. On the one hand, it must be tasty and with local flavor, on the other hand, it must not go beyond the travel budget. Therefore, if possible, we booked rooms equipped with a kitchen. There are many hotels with similar rooms in France, they are popular for family vacation, and the prices are reasonable. In this case, you can have breakfast and dinner in your room; food is stored in the refrigerator, there is a stove, a microwave, and sometimes even a dishwasher. At the entrances and exits of all cities there are large supermarkets where we buy cheeses, pates, seafood and everything else your heart desires. In addition, our beloved chanterelle mushrooms are sold everywhere here - it’s very tasty and quick to fry them in sour cream. Eating very tasty in this way 2 times a day, which we advise you to do, we only go out to the restaurant once - for lunch or dinner, depending on how the day turns out. By the way, the province is not Paris - lunch in restaurants is from 12 to 14 noon, dinner is also by the hour, from 19. And you have to take this schedule into account if you don’t want to eat dry food.
In Brittany and Normandy, Calvados and pommeau - apple drinks - are very popular, because... grapes don't grow there. Pommo is a mixture of Calvados and apple juice, a 17% aperitif. For those who rule, there is also cider - 3-5%. The prices are reasonable - pommeau - 10 euros per bottle, cider - 3-4, calvados - depending on the brand and age, but also not so scary.
When ordering hotels online, pay attention to the note about the city tax - 1-2 euros per person per day, collected directly at the hotel.
Rennes is a nice city, there is beautiful buildings in a pompous spirit, and then we first saw the half-timbered houses, which then accompanied us all the way. There is a university in the city, and the center is full of young people. Rennes is famous for its morning Saturday market, and we just arrived on Friday and decided to visit this local miracle. We had a lot of fun. A lot of seafood, an amazing abundance of cheeses, as well as berries and mushrooms are an incredible attraction for us. In addition, of course, vegetables and fruits, meat and sausages, there are also unexpected goods - homemade jams, for example. The season for tasting oysters immediately began - they opened them for us right there on the spot and we feasted on them. After walking around the market, we headed to Dinan - our main base in Brittany. On the way we visited the towns of Fougères and Cobourg. We highly recommend Fougere, there is a beautiful castle there. The distances are short, so you can choose the routes to your liking - there are many small cute towns along the way.
Dinan is a city of the 16th-17th centuries, perfectly preserved. There we stayed for 3 nights at the Résidence hôtelière Club MMV. The room was a picturesque attic with a kitchen in a historical building (see lyrical digression). To the center - 3 minutes by car. Every day we did radial routes around Brittany, and in the evening we walked around Dinan. In addition, this hotel has a small indoor pool - it’s very pleasant to swim after a busy day of tourism.
The journey along the route San Malo - Cancale - Dinard took the whole day, although the distances are not great. When planning your route, we strongly advise you to study the tide schedule on the website and, if possible, choose your travel dates accordingly, otherwise you may not see this famous phenomenon. We left for San Malo early in the morning; the tide was almost at its maximum. We looked at the flooded shore, walked around the city and headed to Cancale. There is a wonderful one in Cancale walking route with views, it goes along the coast and down to the port. If you park your car near the tourist office, you need to go around the cathedral and turn left - there will be signs for this route. The highlight of Cancale is the oyster market at the port. For a more than reasonable price, you can buy oysters and eat them immediately, throwing the shells at your feet, like thousands of tourists. We recommend bringing lemon and booze with disposable cups. True, if you forgot, it’s also not a disaster. In any case, they will sell you lemon on the spot. Bon appetit! In the few hours we spent in Cancale, the sea went away. We returned to San Malo to the same place to look at the low tide. Absolutely amazing experience!
Finally, after enjoying the low tide, you can drive up to Dinard - a very nice party town with a casino. Film festivals are held there and in the very center near the beach there is a monument to Hitchcock. Days in Brittany are long and it really gets warm in the afternoon. We even regretted that we did not take swimming gear - it became surprisingly warm and sunny, and we could immediately swim under Hitchcock.
The trip to Saint-Brieuc - Coast of Pink Granite is also a full day trip. Saint-Brieuc was not particularly impressive, you can skip it. The Pink Granite Coast is very nice, has amazing views, interesting nature– all the plants seem to have been beaten down by the wind. In coastal towns, life proceeds leisurely in a resort style. And although the restaurants here do not close after 14.00, you must allow at least two hours for lunch - the service is very slow. We spent the evening, as usual, in Dinan - we went down to the marina.
Mont Saint Michel, moving to Normandy. In the morning we left for Normandy. It was sunny and warm again, which is rare for this region in September. You should try to arrive early in Mont Saint-Michel, before there are crowds of tourists and you can walk without being jostled. There is a free shuttle from the parking lot, but you can also walk - about 40 minutes. At the entrance, we recommend buying a guidebook in Russian - the price is 6.5 euros. It contains a card, which is still needed, but costs 3.5 euros separately. You don’t need much time to visit - just walk along the streets and visit the abbey. Also, if you get there on a good day, it’s interesting to watch the sea. There was a slight tide, and the fortress was initially surrounded by water, which gradually began to recede. It was decided to have lunch with the remaining food - we still had cheese, shrimp, and jamon after Dinan. On the way out of Saint Michel, we stopped at a nearby farm, bought a bottle of cider and immediately had lunch on a bench with it - just wonderful!
Upon arrival in Bayeaux, we immediately went to the Tapestry Museum - a must see! The tapestry is already a thousand years old, it was created in the 1070s. and tells of the Norman conquest of England. There is a wonderful audio guide in Russian. The town itself is tiny, in the center there is a very beautiful cathedral, a couple of interesting streets. It doesn't take much time to inspect. Then we went to Omaha Beach, the site of the American landing in July 1944. You will laugh for a long time, but they are loved and respected here! You can feel the approach of the 70th anniversary in everything, the flags of the participating countries are everywhere. Along the coast there are monuments, museums, memorial signs, literally in every place where something happened. It was already evening, but it was warm. Therefore, after changing clothes in the car, we swam in the English Channel, which aroused the unhealthy interest of tourists on the shore.
Bayeux was the first city liberated as a result of the Battle of Normandy. In the morning we visited the thematic museum (Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de Normandie) and the English Memorial Cemetery. There are simply no words for how they take care of cemeteries here. Almost all graves have names; sometimes there are wreaths and notes from relatives. But to everyone unknown soldier a separate grave and its own individual monument were laid... Again, not for the first time in France, I felt ashamed of our former homeland. Then, through the landing beaches of the Allies (British, French, Poles, Canadians) and small pretty towns, they moved along the sea to Trouville. Deauville and Trouville - luxury resorts Normandy. Deauville is more party-oriented, Trouville less so. We rented a lower studio apartment with a kitchen in a villa in Trouville, a short walk from the city center, casino, restaurants and fish market. We used the latter circumstance for our own selfish purposes - the continuation of breakfast in the form of fresh oysters every day took place there.
Bridge Normandy - Honfleur - Etretat. In the morning we went to Honfleur, and then, through famous bridge Normandy - to Etretat. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to Fécamp, it was already a little late, and we were going to devote the evening to Deauville. Honfleur is a very nice old town, in an hour we made a circle around the center and continued on our way. Claude Monet painted in Etretat; copies of paintings with the famous holey rocks are exhibited right there on the beach, where you can see these same rocks in their natural form. Those who are healthy enough can climb the rocks, from where a wonderful view of the bay and the city opens. There are ladders laid there. If you want to photograph the Normandy Bridge, then on the Le Havre side in front of the bridge there is a seating area with observation deck. We spent the evening in Deauville. Apparently, its role in France is akin to Jurmala in the Soviet Union - a northern resort, not hot, but with a lot of show-offs. A tiny, polished film festival town, just like a picture. On the beach there are famous cabins with the names of movie stars
Road of cheeses and Calvados: Livaro - Lisieux - Pont-l'Eveque. In Pont-l'Eveque at the northern entrance there is a Calvados factory called Pierre Magloire. A tour with tasting costs only 3.3 euros. Everything is, of course, in French. But you can ask for a booklet in Russian. In addition, the film, which is shown at the beginning, is also accompanied by Russian subtitles at the request of the public. At the end of the excursion, as usual, they pour you whatever you ask for. Don't be shy. There is a cheese factory in Livaro. The entrance is free. The windows offer a direct view of the production process itself. At the end of the inspection, you can visit the store, try all the cheeses and buy what you like. For example, we really liked Neufchatel cheese...The opening of the trip was the Basilica in Lisieux - a place of pilgrimage to St. Therese. We belong to a different faith, so we were only impressed by the scale of the building and the number of pilgrims from different countries peace. I had to get acquainted with the story of Saint Teresa on the Internet upon returning home.
The evening was dedicated to the Trouville casino. The bets are low: Blackjack – 5 euros, roulette – half a euro. There were very few people - it was not the season. Dress code is loose.
Rouen. This is just a super city, the pearl of Normandy. Just walk and enjoy life. Additionally, two recommendations. Restaurant Corona, founded in 1385. It is located opposite the Cathedral of Joan of Arc. The walls are covered with photographs of celebrities who have been here. These are, for example, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot, Serge Ginzburg, Salvador Dali, Jean Paul Sartre - and this is only a small part of whom they were able to identify offhand. from the photo. But it’s not just about the show off. The prices are really not cheap. But for a special occasion, and we had one, it’s not that bad. And the pleasure is great, gentlemen. The crown gives lessons in good manners. When a man comes with a lady, the menu is given to both. But, attention, the female version - without prices!!! The lady should not be distracted by such nonsense as the price, she simply chooses what she likes! In the evening, when it gets dark, there is a light show on the facade of the Rouen Cathedral. We didn’t know anything about it and saw it by chance on the way from the restaurant to the hotel. We advise you to find out about the time and days at the tourist office. It’s very beautiful and unusual!
On the road from Rouen to Paris, take a detour to Giverny – Claude Monet’s house-museum with a garden. The garden amazes with its riot of colors; there are also ponds with water lilies and water lilies immortalized by the artist. Only on the bridge, instead, there are crowds of tourists with cameras. On a good day you can take a long walk and enjoy it.
Finally, Paris is the final destination of our trip. This is not our first time here. We left the hotel in the morning and returned at night, having walked 18 kilometers in a day to our favorite places. With stops, of course. Volumes have been written about this city. The advice only applies to overnight stays. It was very convenient that the Ibis hotel, our lifesaver for many years, was located next to the Eiffel Tower on the Boulevard de Grenelle. If you can order in advance, we highly recommend it; the price is inexpensive for such a place - 79 euros, and parking cost us another 19 euros per day. If anyone is interested, the entrance to the metro station is literally opposite. We went out in search of breakfast, explored the surrounding establishments and returned to the hotel for breakfast. For 9.5 euros, Ibis serves a fairly varied and tasty buffet.
Know-how! We had a plane in the morning. Therefore, we decided to spend the night in Orly in a budget hotel "Premier Class", there are many different ones in one place. This approach has fully justified itself. Calmly, late in the evening, without traffic jams and hassle, we moved from the center to Orly. Parking here is free, the airport is 5 minutes away, no need to get up 5 hours before departure. And you can also eat in one of the two Ibises, they are nearby and for the same price they sell breakfast for everyone, not only for their guests.
By the way, in Bayo we also lived in a hotel of the Premier Class chain. It’s simple, but cheap, always with parking, and there’s usually the Campagnile Hotel nearby, where you can have breakfast. If you only need to spend the night, this is a good solution.
Gasoline cost around 1.5 euros per liter.
We wish everyone a pleasant holiday!
The scene is early May 2017, we are in Paris and we have a week. The northern regions of France have long been attractive, and therefore it was decided to spend this week just there.
Our route looked like this (map):
Day 1: Giverny - Rouen
Jumping into a rented car, we leave the unloved Paris.
On the way to the city of Rouen - the gateway to Normandy, there is at least one place worth visiting - the house-museum of Claude Monet. If you want to see with your own eyes the water lilies that inspired the master’s numerous paintings and made him famous, be sure to stop by Giverny (about 80 km from Paris).
The city of Rouen is notorious for the fact that it was here that poor Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. If we abstract from this sad event, the city is very beautiful and definitely worth a visit.
Hotel: I can recommend the Mercure Rouen Center Cathedrale (it couldn’t be more central, there is underground parking, everything is new).
Food: Don't miss the market on the main square, and especially the fish shop, where the freshest seafood is prepared right in front of you.
Day 2: Etretat - Fecamp
100 km from Rouen is the town of Etretat - a place of attraction for all tourists in Normandy.
It is in this place, on both sides of the town, that there are limestone sheer cliffs, which Monet loved to draw so much! The view from the rocks is truly mesmerizing. The climb up the mountain is quite difficult, but older people and small children can also climb it.
If you are lucky enough to find a decent hotel in Etretat, then you can spend the night right there to admire the white cliffs in the evening illumination. For my dates in local hotels there were no places, so we “had to” spend the night in the town of Fecamp, which is 20 km from Etretat.
Fecamp is a small port town, famous for the fact that it was here that the Benedictine monks invented the famous Benedictine liqueur. They say that the recipe was lost, but in the last century some enterprising person “found” it and made a huge fortune from the production of the drink. Benedictine on ice is wonderful! The town has an entire palace-museum dedicated to this liqueur.
Note: The Normandy coast is notorious for the fighting that took place here during the Second World War. There are many things along the way commemorative plaques, fortifications, forts. There is also a huge cemetery and memorial. Everyone decides for themselves whether to visit places of military glory during a trip to Normandy or whether to limit themselves only to historical and natural cities and attractions.
Rennes - quite Big city, which didn’t particularly impress me. A good stop-over for an overnight stay, nothing more.
Day 7: Tours - Vouvray - Amboise
When planning a route through Normandy and Brittany, I had a couple of “extra” days left, which I decided to spend on the Loire Valley!
The Loire Valley is a famous wine-growing region that stretches almost from the ocean to the middle of France. The vineyards are located on both sides of the river (the river itself, by the way, is not at all expressive or attractive).
Whistling 250 km from Rennes, we made a short stop and stretched our legs in Tours, and from Tours we drove along the Loire River towards the wineries.
I can recommend (1) a tour and tasting at the Marc Bredif winery in the Vouvray region - the guide speaks good English, the tasting is not expensive, as is the wine itself (there is even sparkling wine), (2) the biodynamic winery Domain Vigneau-Chevreau (no excursions, tasting and sales only), as well as (3) the family winery Caves du Pere Auguste - headed by the grandson of the founder, almost only family members work there!
Hotel: In the Loire Valley, I really wanted to stay in an old chateau, preferably with good restaurant. After a long search, the choice fell on Chateau de Pray, founded in 1244! Very beautiful interiors, small but well-kept area.
Food: The chateau has a restaurant of the same name with one Michelin star; reservations are required. In short, the food is delicious, but the service is just terribly slow and long! Our two courses took 3.5 hours!! It is unacceptable, in my opinion, to torture guests like that!
Day 8: Chenonceau - Sancerre
The Loire Valley is famous not only for its wines, but also for its castles, of which there are several dozen. One of the most famous is the Chenonceau castle, built in the 16th century and owned at different times by Catherine de Medici, the wives and mistresses of kings, etc. The interior of the castle is very well preserved, including furniture, carpets, fireplaces, etc. A notable feature of the castle is the gallery bridge built across the Cher River! During the Second World War, the opposite bank was occupied by the Nazis, and they say that almost all the time guns were aimed at the castle, ready to destroy it at any moment, but by some lucky chance this did not happen, and the castle has survived to this day in its original condition sight!
The Sancerre appellation is a very famous wine region in France and the most interchangeable representative of the wines of the Loire Valley region (along with Pouilly-Fumé). The main grape variety here is Sauvignon Blanc.
Map
The town of Sancerre itself is located on a hill, and there are vineyards around - the view is stunning! After buying wine and cheese, we had a picnic right on the fortress wall =)
We didn't have time to book a tour of the winery, so we just went for a tasting at almost the first one we came across - Eric Louis.
After admiring Sancerre and crying over the ridiculous prices of local wines, we loaded back into the car and after some 210 km we were already in Paris.
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