We plan to visit the Normandy area, battle sites, etc. in late June. We are told that Honfleur is a good vacation stop. We would appreciate hotel recommendations and time estimate to drive from Honfleur to Normandy Beach sites. <BR> <BR>Thanks.

Here's teh list of urls I generated when we were contemplating Honfleur last autumn. I *think* we'd settled on Le Cheval Blanc before our plans changed. Please have a good time for us too! And post your recommendations when you return

Actually posting them would help too! <BR> <BR>http://www.hotel-honfleur.com/ <BR>http://www.honfleur.com/http://www.f...adiligence.htm <BR>http://www.france-hotel-guide.com/h14600dauphin.htm <BR>http://www.normandy-tourism.org/gb/0...harm/left.html <BR>http://www.lerapporteur.fr/gt/franca.../absinthe1.htm <BR>http://www.honfleur.net/ <BR>http://www.normandy-resa.com/ <BR> <BR>

We, too, are going to Honfleur in March and our first choice was Le Cheval Blanc but it was full. So we e-mailed Hostellerie du Chat and le Dauphin, neither of which had the courtesy to reply so we are staying at Hotel de la Tour, which I think is kind of a motel 6 type outfit (though 3-star). Try Le Cheval Blanc--maybe this early they won't be full.

I will be going to Honfleur this fall. We will be staying at La Ferme Saint-Simeon. web site: www.relaischateaux.fr/simeon <BR>I stayed at the Chateau d'Audrieu for two nights last May. Very good location for viewing the Normandy sites. <BR>The other Relais & Chateaux place in Honfleur is La Chaumiere. See www.reliaschateaux.fr/chaumiere <BR>Enjoy Normandy, it has great food, except for the andoille. <BR>For direction and time I used a web site, I think it was something like ite.fr <BR>Sorry hope someone else can answer. <BR>Have fun.

Several years ago stayed at Hotel Lechat with its nice rooms, and flower filled window boxes right on the market/church square. We liked staying right in town rather than outside town, especially as we had parking available. Last year when we drove to Honfleur just for a few hours we thought we'd never find a place to park.

I was also piqued by this posting, though we, like Patrick, prefer to stay in town. (I gather it is very busy in summer) You can do a search above for the rest of the thread. <BR> <BR>Author: Ismael ([email protected]) Date: 1/31/2000, 1:49 pm ET <BR> Message: Deena, you must consider a lovely small hotel at Pennedepie, 5 miles south of Honfleur - Hotel Le Romantica -. It is a logis, a small hotel managed by the family who owns it. It has a good restaurant with regional cuisine, 2 pools (in and outside),etc. We had a good room with a veranda with a beautiful view of the Seine river estuary and the city of Le Havre. We paid only F370 (= US$60). It is affiliated to Logis de France and they have a website: www.logis-de-france.fr Enjoy it, Ismael <BR>

Sorry, I meant my interest was piqued. (I hate it when you click on POST just as you see a mistake!)

Honfleur does'nt offer much, a boat basin, that's about it. A nice stop but not an overnighter, better to continue on to Trouville, a Casino, moules and frites. The D-Day beaches don't start until south of Ouistreham. A good stop is at Arromanches, great museum and you can see Churchill's harbor. Can't help on drive time, we bicycled from St. Mere Eglise to Honfleur. Of course a must see is Pnte du Hoc.

Maybe some of us LIKE boatbasins? *grin*

It was quite a while ago but the Ferme San Simeon was out of this world! It's not directly in the little town. Quiet and restful--several small buildings--we were in a coach house type place. Plan to eat there as well. My husband still talks about the moules.

I spent one night in Honfleur this past October at the Hotel L’Ecrin, 19 rue Eugène Boudin tel 0231144345 fax 0231892441. <BR>http://www.karenbrown.com/franceinns/hotellecrin.html <BR> <BR>The main building is quite something, with kind of "over the top" decor in the public rooms. The garden is lovely. We were quite happy in the annex, and the rate was very reasonable (about 450 FF for a twin.) <BR>

We stayed at the Hotel LeChat last September. It was very charming and was in a great location. Think we used the hotel reservation service on France.com to get the reservation.

Thanks for the advice on hotel in Honfleur. Other recommendations in Normandy will be appreciated as well.

Anthony, <BR>Besides Honfleur, I have two other favorite places in Normandy. One is Rouen, the old capital of Normandy. Nice first night stop. Get a hotel on the Rue Gros Horloge. The other is Le Mont St. Michel, but only if you stay overnight on the Mont. It isn't worth it during the day with all the tour bus crowds. At night, most of the tourists have left,monastery is dramatically lit up, quiet pervades, and the magic of "la merveille" begins. We stayed at La Mere Poulard. (02-33-60-14-01) A beautiful room overlooking the ocean. The other hotel that is recommended is Les Terrasses Poulard. More expensive room have the view and fireplace.(02-33-60-14-09) Book early. Check out the grocery stores for wine, cavaldos, gran manier etc.

To Richard: This probably could be a separate post, but your comment about Honfleur being only a boat basin and only worthy of one night calls for a comment from me. We all have different opinions, but here is mine. I love a town like Honfleur for a base for three nights or so? Why? Not because there's a lot to see or do there, there isn't, but because it is such a nice place to get up in the morning, stroll around as the locals are going to the market, buying pastries, having morning coffee down by the boat basin, etc. Leave during the day when the busses of day trippers come in, then return in the late afternoon. There are scores of bars and restaurants around that very pretty harbor giving a wide range of competively priced dining options--many of them quite good -- they have to be due to the competition. The town is wonderful for a nice stroll as the fishing boats come in and unload or market their catches. Or a wonderful late night stroll under moonlight along the water's edge, a nightcap along the harbour, and a stroll through the quaint cobbled hilly streets of shops, now closed and quiet. Towns like Honfleur are my favorite experiences in France (or elsewhere) as they afford the opportunity to feel a part of the atmosphere of colorful small town living.

Thank you Patrick for taking the time to say what I was thinking And now I *really* want to get there

Stuck at work late waiting for friends who I am meeting here for dinner has given me the chance to dig deep into past posts I have missed... <BR> <BR>Thanks Patrick for your lovely comments, they reflect my reasons for choosing Honfleur exactly... <BR> <BR>We have booked 2 rooms (going with friends) in the Cheval Blanc for May for my husband's 30th bday, 2 nights. And another 2 nights in a small auberge in Yvetot... <BR> <BR>Cant wait!

topping

I'm not sure why this was topped, but it is the second time today I started reading and suddenly thought, &quot;those are my thoughts exactly&quot;, then realized it was my very old post. At least my opinions haven't changed in the year and a half plus since this was written.