Linda

We will be in France for 1 day, at the port of LeHavre. We will have the opportunity to take a tour to one of these cities. We have been to Paris several times. Which would be the best choice?

Joe

Rouen! Much history, beautiful Cathedals, great old section to walk. Honfleur and Deauvile are very nice and worth consideration on a later trip, but Rouen is special.

Alec

Deauville is a sedate, rather snobby summer resort, kind of Paris-on-Sea. Not a place to go out of your way to visit, IMO. Honfleur is a very charming, picturesque port across the Seine estuary from Le Havre, connected by Pont de Normandie. Regular buses link the two (30 min). Stroll around the old port watching artists at work, visit a couple of interesting museums and a wooden church. Good seafood restaurants. Rouen is linked by train from Le Havre (1 hour) and certainly merits a day. The old quarter along the Seine retains medieval appearance despite wartime damage, with a magnificent cathedral and several other Flamboyant Gothic churches. Strikingly modern church of St Joan of Arc shaped like an upturned boat near the spot where she died at the stake. Good range of restaurants serving Normandy specialities, esp around St Macrou church. So either Honfleur or Rouen I'd say, you probably need a car if you want to do both in a day (good autoroute link; no direct bus service Rouen - Honfleur).

Richard

We've been to all three and our vote is Rouen.

StCirq

Definitely not Deauville, harder to decide between Honfleur and Rouen. Honfleur is a totally charming port town, with pretty shops and cafés and restaurants lining the quais, the oldest wooden church in France (Ste-Cathérine), a good Saturday market, a small but engaging impressionist museum (Musée Eugène Boudin),and nice little streets to wander about. Rouen is a city, albeit a fairly compact one, with great history (the Place du Vieux-Marché,where she was burned at the stake, a stunning cathedrale and several other great churches, a good Musée des Beaux Arts, a good faïence museum, a famous clock, and a lively pedestrian shopping area in the old town. Your choice really depends on whether you prefer town to city - they're both destinations you will have been glad to have visited.

Kris

My vote's for Honfleur, it's a picturesque fishing village, with lovely shops and restaurants right by the water front. Rouen's charms apparently didn't work on me and the cathedral that Monet painted so often was covered in scaffolding (last Sept.) and apparently had been for some time.

Deena

I've been in all three cities. Gotta go with Honfleur. Loved the charm of this beautiful little town.

s.fowler

Topping for Linda