Getting Around

Getting Around

Although this is one of the few areas of France with no high-speed rail service—perhaps because it's so close to Paris, or because it's not on a lucrative route to a neighboring country—Normandy's regional rail network is surprisingly good, meaning that most towns can be reached by train.

Rouen is the hub for Upper Normandy, Caen for Lower Normandy. Unless you're driving, you'll need a bus to reach the coastal resorts like Étretat, Honfleur, and Houlgate.

For Mont-St-Michel, a combination of train and bus is required.

To visit the D-Day beaches, a guided minibus tour, leaving from Caen or Bayeux, is your best bet.

The A13 expressway is the gateway from Paris, running northwest to Rouen and then to Caen. From there the A84 takes you almost all the way to Mont-St-Michel, and the N13 brings you to Bayeux.

If you're arriving from England or northern Europe, the A16/A28 from Calais to Rouen is a scenic (and near-empty) delight.