Trip to Normandy. Traveling Normandy by car - practical information
Finally, I got around to summarizing the information on Normandy - not the lyrical part, but the more practical one. I hope that it will come in handy if you are planning, like us, to travel along these wonderful places by car. I would like to point out that all of the following is personal experience, he does not claim either the absolute completeness of information or the optimality of the route (although in the end the route suited us very well).
Where is it?
Normandy is a region in northwestern France. It is divided into upper Normandy with its center in Rouen (Rouen) and lower - with its center in Ken (Caen). From the southwest, Breton adjoins lower Normandy, which we also captured a little on the 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, harsh northern beaches), taste pleasures (cheese, cider, seafood, etc.), historical excursions (as in ancient history Normans, and in the military operations of the Second World War - the famous D-Day beaches), and surprisingly pleasant locals. 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 visitors (out of season), and the weather becomes vile. Normandy is already the rainiest region of France (and they do not get tired of joking about this topic), and in winter the rain is also 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 season of summer, when tourists are not overcrowded - it is easy to find places to spend the night, there are no crowds anywhere.
Idea and general route planning
Without claiming to be an absolute truth, I will tell only about our thought process. We initially wanted to go to Jersey and Guernsey, the idea of Normandy was born as a logical addition to them. Then we began to look for information about what is interesting in Normandy, marking cities and places where it is definitely worth visiting (we had Rouen, Giverny, Allied landing beaches (D-Day Beaches), Mont St. 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, Ken (or rather, a town near Ken on one of the landing beaches), San Malo - and we will go to other points from there. 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 guesthouses that are not 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 St. Lazare station and went to Rouen by train.
- 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 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 "back to back" with important connections - in France, a strike is the norm, the probability of a train being late is high!
- Do not forget to make an international "booklet" to the traffic police for your rights before the trip! There is a problem in Russian rights - 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 take the risk ???). It is also recommended to get an international license for Israeli rights (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 bring a GPS-navigator with updated maps! If you don't have it, don't regret the extra money (7-10 euros per day), rent it with a 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 is that it is very difficult to change cash dollars (and we had part of the amount in them). For example, in Rouen, this is not even done in banks, only in the tourist office in the city center.
Language
French. But unlike the Parisians, the locals are fluent in English and don't wince when you speak broken French. Still, the proximity to England and the historical past affects.
Food
France in general and Normandy in particular is a culinary paradise. The food here is really very tasty, and 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 - such as a set lunch, for dinner we bought cheeses, cider, baguettes, apples, pears, sausages or hams, and had a picnic. It can be more economical, but we decided that pleasure is a priority for us. Personal recommendation- restaurant L "Orbecquoise in the little 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). The cost is 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 receipts to leave!), There are signs on the road warning that the track 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). At toll road there is always or almost always a free alternative (you can set the GPS to go around them) - this is usually longer, but 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 is worth looking closely where it is cheaper.
parking- in small towns are usually free, in the center and major cities there may be paid zones with a payment machine (marked with 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 day we were going to do, but, of course, it was adjusted along the way. We used the Normandy and Breton Rough Guide for planning. We also actively used local tourist centers- they are in Normandy in every village! - do not ignore them, they will tell you about current events, give you all sorts of useful waste paper and maps, recommend a place where to eat or stay overnight. Find out festival dates and farmer's market times in different cities- both are 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 "lunch break" from 12 to 14, and the museum is closed on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Hotel Stars Rouen is a basic "nautical-style" hotel. A decent place to stay, very reasonable price, free parking and easy access to the A13 - the main highway 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 - hotel in a small seaside town near Ken and Baye, 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 :))
Éthic étapes Patrick Varangot, Saint-Malo - a large hostel with a lot of different features and features (common room, bike rental, various activities for guests). The disadvantage is very spartan rooms (although new and clean), they won’t even put soap :))
Visa
Regular Schengen. To be honest, it was a chore 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 for
Normandy is well known to the average tourist. Excellent infrastructure, many hotels of different levels and excellent cuisine have long attracted the attention of potential travelers to these places in the north-east of France.
In LiveJournal, you can find a lot of reports about Normandy, but with close attention, you can see some of their uniformity. Professional top bloggers travel here for the annual cider and calvados tastings, while mere mortals usually visit only a few of the region's most hyped places. But it is enough just to delve a little into maps and guides to understand how much interesting things here remain aside from these standard routes.
Perhaps that is why, during the next promotion of low-cost airlines from Vilnius, I unexpectedly bought two tickets for myself to the French Beauvais airport. From here, most visitors go straight to Paris, which is only about a hundred kilometers away, but getting to the beaches of Normandy from Beauvais is also not at all difficult.
In planning this trip, I made a small strategic mistake. The fact is that our journey was supposed to take five days. At first I thought that it was not far from Beauvais interesting city Amiens, and from there it is not so far to the famous port of Calais. These cities already belong to the other French regions of Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, but visiting them was quite invested in my itinerary. The rest of the time I decided to devote exclusively to Normandy.
3.
On the day I usually plan to drive a route of 200-300 kilometers. I know from experience that such a distance is covered easily and without strain, and the constant change of impressions guarantees unforgettable experience. Everything would have been fine if at some point in the preparation of the route I had not started reading about another French province neighboring Normandy - Brittany. This region seemed so interesting and original to me that I suddenly decided to change my principles and look here for a day.
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Unfortunately, I underestimated the scale of this region. Brittany for a day is just ridiculous! During that day we drove almost 600 kilometers and saw very little, but we were very tired. Do not repeat my mistakes, if you decide to go to Brittany, dedicate at least five days to this region. The rest of our trip went like clockwork.
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In Amiens we looked for traces of the great writer Jules Verne, and in Calais we visited the abandoned giant bunkers from the Second World War. There will be separate reports on this.
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From Calais we began to descend south along the coastline. Gradually, the marshy lowlands gave way to the rocks of the Alabaster Coast. These places have long been considered a resort by the French.
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It was a great pleasure to visit small coastal towns surrounded by white rocky cliffs. There are many of them here and not all of them are known to a wide range of tourists. Fécamp, Dieppe, Le Treport, Ault - one can write a separate story about each of these towns.
8.
We also visited more popular places, but I don’t feel much pleasure from walking by the sea with crowds of vacationers and long searches for a parking space on streets clogged with cars, so we tried to slip through places like Etretat or Honfleur as quickly as possible.
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Of course, one of the main goals of my trip to Normandy was to visit the Allied landing sites during the Second World War. The legendary D-Day happened exactly 70 years ago, so this topic is now being raised very actively throughout the region.
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There are many memorials, museums and monuments open along the coast. Many hotels and restaurants hang American and English flags on their facades, either as a sign of memory, or to lure potential customers.
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Of the huge number of places that are open to the public this year, I have chosen only a few. Frankly, I could devote my entire trip to this topic, but do not forget about your other half. Of course, the end of July is a great time for beach holiday in Normandy.
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Some of the longest sea tides have created unique giant beaches here. Coupled with the summer sun, it's ideal places for relaxing and sunbathing!
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With swimming in the sea, everything is not so simple here. By the way, the locals do not like water procedures. The sea is said to be cold here! They were not with us in the Baltic!
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I would not climb out of the water on Normandy beaches, only here we ran into another problem. Here you can try to enter for a long time sea water, but even at a decent distance from the coast in many places the depth will still be knee-deep at most.
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Finding an acceptable beach with the opportunity to swim here was not so easy. We accidentally happened only on the third day of the trip. But this place seemed perfect to us. Fine sand next to picturesque rock with a lighthouse on top, the almost complete absence of people and the proximity of a parking lot - here we felt almost like in paradise. I will not give out the coordinates of this beach just like that.
16.
For all my dislike of popular sights, sometimes I still can’t avoid them.
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At the risk of being banal, I still stopped by the famous island city of Mont Saint-Michel. Apparently, after Paris, this is the most visited place in France by tourists. Trying not to subject our psyche to additional tests, we visited it in the evening, at sunset. My impressions of that walk were a little chaotic and I will share them later.
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Despite the difficulties described above, in Brittany we still saw not so little. Old pirate port Saint Malo medieval city ok Dinan and the mysterious complex of megaliths in Karnak became our goals on the penultimate day of the journey through France. There is something to remember and something to tell.
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The last day in France we were waiting for the return to Beauvais. On the way, we stopped at the capital of Normandy, the city of Rouen, and also swam on the ferry along the famous Seine.
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We saw this river, familiar to most of us from Paris, in an unusual frame of high chalk cliffs. These places, regardless of a high degree settlements, preserved the original beauty and wildness.
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On this, our somewhat non-standard trip to Normandy ended. We never drank a drop of the local cider, nor did we try the vaunted Calvados.
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But sobriety and purity of mind allowed us to see this region in all its beauty and versatility. In addition, our pocket was not materially damaged either.
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It is worth saying a few words about the weather. In many souvenir shops here I saw magnets with the image of heavy rain drops and the inscription Normandy. The weather favored us and it was gloomy only on the first day. Then we fully managed to enjoy the bright sun and summer heat. So we did not buy those magnets in view of their fallacy in our particular case.
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For lovers of financial details, I will describe our expenses. Flights for two cost us 110 Euros. Rented car for five days - 200 euros, and for gasoline an additional 150 euros.
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We lived exclusively in small family hotels, where a separate room with all amenities for two with homemade breakfast cost us 50-60 Euros.
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Do not forget that now is the peak season here. In total, all the overnight stays cost us 270 Euros. I will write about these very unusual hotels for us separately. They are here - a separate attraction of Normandy!
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The rest of the expenses, with the exception of a few trips to local restaurants, were not great and amounted to only about 200 Euros.
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In total, the amount of 900 Euros for five days of vacation for two in France cannot be called large. This means that you can and should travel here. Knowledgeable people can compare this cost with the price level in Paris.
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Something tells me that a trip to Normandy can not only be a worthy alternative to the famous capital of France, but also significantly save money. The potential of the entire region as a whole is very high.
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I'll stop there for now. Those who are interested in Normandy and its surrounding regions, expect more detailed reports in the near future.
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Practical Information
For whom: for all
Duration: 7 days
Price for 1 person: 1530 € (64200 RUB) or 950 € (27300 RUB)
The cost of the Normandy-Brittany-Loire Valley route includes:
- transportation costs - car rental for 7 days - an average of 490 € (20580 rubles) + gasoline for the entire route about 320 € (13440 rubles), only 810 € (34000 rubles) or public transport - about 228 € (9600 rubles)
- hotel accommodation - from 350 € (14700 rubles)
- food expenses - 210 € (8820 rubles)
- fee for visiting attractions (mentioned in the itinerary) - approximately 160 € (6700 rubles)
Route description for Normandy-Brittany-Loire Valley
The route will be of particular interest to incorrigible romantics, because a trip to France captures and excites like a new feeling. Colorful port towns, magnificent old castles, royal gardens and parks indented by the sea, the most picturesque cliffs and amazing islands, mystical megaliths and a view of the ocean - all this can be seen using the proposed route.
Traveling in the north-west of France, part of which runs along the coast, is more convenient to make on a rented car. Experienced independent travelers can use public transport to get around.
The first day. Paris
The capital of France is the starting and ending point of our route. Enjoy the beauty of Paris and plunge into its unique atmosphere will help, where you can choose the most interesting places for visiting.
Ticket price for the Paris-Rouen train: 22.8 €
Travel time: 1-1.5 hours
The first day. Rouen
Rouen is a wonderful medieval city. Its main attraction is Rouen Cathedral, from which you should start walking around the city. Pay attention to the astronomical clock and the beautiful Gothic church of Saint-Maclou. History lovers should go to the Old Market Square, where Joan of Arc was burned and look at the church and the tower in her honor. There are interesting museums in the city: the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Ceramics, the Museum of Blacksmithing, the museums of Gustave Flaubert and Pierre Corneille. After exploring Rouen, we recommend heading to the village of Alouville, where an unusual chapel is located, built inside an ancient oak tree.
Ticket price for the Rouen-Bréote train: €11.5
Bus ticket price Breauté-Étretat (No. 17): 2 €
Ticket price for the Rouen-Havre train: €15.2
Ticket price for the Havre-Étretat bus (No. 24): 2 €
Travel time: 1-1.3 hours
Second day. Etretat
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Time to visit: three hours |
Small resort town on the coast, famous for its picturesque cliffs. The rocks of Etretat inspired many writers and artists: Delacroix, Monet, Manet, Offenbach, Dumas, Hugo and Maupassant. Below is a pretty pebbly beach where you can have breakfast, having previously studied the tide schedule.
Ticket price for the Etretat-Havre bus (No. 24): 2 €
Ticket price for the bus Havre-Honfleur (No. 20,39,50): 4.5 €
Travel time: 1.5 hours
Second day. Honfleur
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Time to visit: three hours |
Honfleur is one of the most beautiful ports in France. Here you can see an unusual rectangular bay, along the banks of which there are multi-colored narrow houses. It is worth visiting the Church of St. Catherine - the largest wooden church in France, the church of St. Stephen, which houses the city museum and the chapel de Grasse. Check out a few art galleries and antique shops for which the city is famous.
Bus ticket price Honfleur-Dauville (No. 20): €2.3
Travel time: 30-35 min
Second day. Deauville
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Time to visit: three hours |
Deauville is a famous resort town on the coast of the English Channel, built in the 19th century. especially for the Parisian nobility. The town is very curious, it's just nice to walk around it or go shopping. Fashionistas will be interested to know that the first Coco Chanel boutique was opened here. Local sandy beaches are known all over the world, and a comfortable wooden deck has been built for walking along the water, so that the second day can be completed with a wonderful dinner on the beach.
Ticket price for the Deauville-Pontorson train (with transfer): 36.2 €
Bus ticket price Pontorçon-Mont-Saint-Michel (No. 6): €3
Travel time: 4.5-5 hours
Day three. mont saint michel
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Time to visit: one day |
The small rocky island of Mont-Saint-Michel, connected to the mainland by a causeway, is the most famous attraction in France. At its top is the monastery and the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael. Around the abbey - small old City ok, surrounded by a fortress wall. It is worth not only spending the whole day here, but also spending the night in one of the hotels.
Bus ticket price Mont-Saint-Michel-Pontorçon (No. 6): €3
Bus ticket price Pontorson-Saint-Malo (No. 17): 4 €
Travel time: 1.5-2.5 hours
Day four. Saint Malo
Saint-Malo is a wonderful old city on the island and coast at the mouth of the Rance River. The main attraction is the majestic Saint-Vincent Cathedral. It is also worth seeing the castle of Liu Bo, taking a walk in its park and visiting the Solidor Tower, located almost on the very shore. Inside it is a museum of circumnavigators, a memorial dedicated to the Second World War, as well as the Ville-Juan Aquarium.
Train ticket price Saint-Malo-Quempert: from 45 €
Travel time: 3.5-4 hours
Day four. Camper
camper - oldest city Brittany. Here it is worth looking at gothic cathedral Saint-Corentin, visit the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Faience Museum, or simply walk along the cobbled streets and admire medieval houses and old bridges.
Ticket price for the Quimper Ore train: from 15 €
Ticket price for the Åre-Karnak bus (No. 1): 3 €
Travel time: 1.5 hours
Day five. Karnak
Versailles is the largest and most luxurious residence of royalty in Europe. It consists of several parts: the palace where the French monarchs and their entourage lived ( Grand Trianon), a place for royal entertainment (Small Trianon) - cubby, built for the favorites of the French kings, as well as gardens and a park (admission to which is free). On the territory of the palace complex there is also a chapel, the village of the Empress, the theater of the Empress, the Belvedere, the Temple of Love, a grotto, a French pavilion and a farm. Tickets for Versailles can be bought in advance online. In the city itself, it is worth visiting the Lambinet Museum, the Royal Garden and the Carriage Museum.
Ticket price for the Versailles-Paris train: €3.35
Travel time: 30-40 min
Day seven. Paris
Let's finish the journey at the starting point, especially since Paris is especially beautiful in the evening. Take the Paris itinerary for a truly memorable day, and remember that the most delicious sparkling wine is served at the Eiffel Tower in the evenings.
- Time
- Route length: 230 km, just 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 bus.
- Bonus: you will drive partly along " ", so get ready to taste some excellent local wines.
Alsace route:
Route Burgundy - Rhone-Alpes - Center - Paris
This itinerary will take you through the main attractions of central France, introducing you to the traditional, including the most famous, and the famous.
- Time: 6 - 10 days, depending on the pace.
- Route length: 1338 km, 14 hours on the road.
- Movement: it is more convenient by car, since you don’t have to wait for buses, but public transport is quite convenient: like by train, trains run everywhere (except for the Loire castles).
Route description:
Eastern France route
Eastern France boasts characteristic half-timbered architecture and fine wines. There are 3 most important countries located here -, 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 road.
- Movement: By public transport — convenient. By car, parking is more difficult.
Route description:
Northern France in 1 week
Day 4. House and garden of Claude Monet in, after lunch - 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
Independent travel driving through Normandy and Brittany allowed me to get to Rennes, see how good the former capital of the Dukes of Brittany is, appreciate the sights of Rennes and find out where you can eat inexpensively in Rennes; to learn more, read the report about Brittany
The outgoing day of traveling by car in Normandy and Brittany turned out to be quite eventful: after looking around Saint-Malo and looking at the beaches of Dinard, we then waved about a hundred kilometers along the highway in order to get to the hotel in Rennes before its reception closes. I already had experience with the Appart 'City network, and I knew that if you showed up after hours, you would then have to call the central control room, negotiate about the code for the key safe, and so on. So I pressed the gas pedal as much as I could and got nervous. Fortunately, we made it just in time, arriving in the hotel lobby a quarter of an hour before the porter left.
Reviews of the Appart "City Rennes Saint -Gregoire" mentioned its unfortunate location in a distant suburb, however, as I found out, there is a bus route and since the stop is almost in front of the hotel, in my opinion, getting to the center of Rennes is not difficult. But what I didn’t like was the neighborhood of immigrants: the building standing next to it is overflowing with families of blacks and Arabs. The fenced parking lot for hotel guests also led to different thoughts ... But since no excesses happened to us during our stay, suspicions remained suspicions ...
A plus, I would call, in addition to free parking and quite tolerable living conditions, the presence of a grocery supermarket nearby. Grocery prices in France vary greatly depending on the chain of stores, and Lidl is often the champion. It's also open late, so I stocked up nicely there right after we unpacked. From now on, we had a hearty dinner and a solid breakfast, and the costs amounted to only a dozen and a half euros ...
The next morning, having had a good night's sleep, having rested and having eaten, we plunged into the car and went to see the sights of Rennes.
The town, in general, is little known in tourist circles, and if it is mentioned by those who wrote travel reports in Brittany, it is usually in connection with a trip to Mont Saint-Michel, because tourists who arrive from Paris by train transfer to a local bus in Rennes. But this corner of France has a wonderfully old and very interesting history. The city was founded around the 1st century BC by the Celts, and the Romans, who knew a lot about organizing affairs, appreciated the convenient location of the settlement. Through the former possessions of the Redon tribe, trade routes stretched from the depths of Gaul to the coast and further to England, thanks to which Redonum began to flourish. When the Roman Empire collapsed, the region found itself between two fires: on the one hand, the Franks pressed, on the other, the Britons showed interest in it. As a result, Nantes, Rennes and Vannes were united under the scepter of the Dukes of Brittany. The city most stubbornly resisted everyone who wanted to conquer it, and continued to fight even when almost the entire duchy went to the French. In 1491, the Bretons lost their independence completely, but they did not forget about the old days.
Appearance Rennes of that time was determined by the presence of dense forests around: Paris and other cities of France gradually lost the opportunity to build wooden houses and switched to more expensive materials, and the capital of Brittany actively used wood until the beginning of the 17th century. The end of this tradition was put by a fire that broke out on December 23, 1720 and destroyed about nine hundred buildings. However, it only suffered Northern part of the city, and in the center many half-timbered buildings have been preserved, giving the area near the Saint-Pierre Cathedral an extraordinary picturesqueness.
The development plan for the ashes was developed by Jean Gabriel, the future court architect of King Louis XV. Through his labors, city blocks formed a more or less ordered grid, the construction of buildings was carried out exclusively from stone. Since that time, Rennes has received that cunning look that tourists admire: one part of the city serves as a reminder of the Middle Ages, the second is equipped in a new way.
How different Rennes looks like, we were convinced when leaving the hospitable hotel we swept through the center former capital independent state from north to south. From the car window, the city looks quite modern, at least if you drive through those neighborhoods where cars are allowed. In the station area, it generally looks like a Parisian Defense on a reduced scale. But if you cross, as we did, through the railway tracks and move a little more to the south, the surrounding buildings will change dramatically; the area reminded me of the suburbs of London with their low houses and front gardens. Only there we found a place where you can park your car for free in Rennes: the central streets were filled with either prohibition signs or parking machines. And here we happened to park quite close to the center, and for nothing ...
First of all, we headed to the Rennes station, hoping to get hold of a map of the area there - the diagram taken at the hotel was a primitive photocopy, and badly done. Unfortunately, there was no tourist office inside the terminal, but with the exception of this shortcoming, everything is arranged there as it should. There are cafes, and shops, and escalators, and clearly visible information boards. On one I spotted a bus that can get from Rennes to Mont Saint-Michel: its departure is timed to coincide with the arrival of the next train from Paris. The badge clearly indicated that it would be necessary to go by bus, and not by the TER train, and that the departure would take place from the bus station of local lines, which is located right there. In general, if you want to know exactly where the buses to Mont Saint-Michel depart from in Rennes, you need to keep in mind the right side of the station square; the hotel "Ibis Styles Rennes" will become a landmark.
Turofis we found much later, when we delved into the historical quarters. It is located on Quai Lamennais. It seems like a square, but in fact it is a shaped embankment, despite the fact that the riverbed is hidden by asphalt. It's nice to walk along this impromptu boulevard, but it's much more interesting to poke your nose into the old quarters of Rennes - that's where the beauty is!
In fact, as soon as we turned off the so-called "embankment", we were met by crooked streets, half-timbered houses, moss-covered walls and other attributes of antiquity. All we did was admire the landscapes and take beautiful shots ... I especially remember the houses on Rue du Champ Jacquet: three of them were twisted so much that the middle of the window on the third floor is vertically in the same place as the edge of the window on the first. I think, if it were not for the close proximity of other buildings, reinforced by a sealant poured into the cracks, this company of imitators leaning tower of pisa could have collapsed...
It was damn nice to walk around the area, but at some point I had to pull myself together in order to systematically explore the main sights of Rennes. The first sign was the Saint-Pierre Cathedral, towering over the district. The huge Gothic temple was built around the 12th century, but since its tower and western facade collapsed in 1490, modern look building acquired much later. First, in the 1540s, part of the cathedral was restored, in the middle of the next century the second stage of reconstruction began, and the towers managed to reach the mark of 48 meters only by the beginning of the eighteenth century. It would seem that one can calm down on this, but it wasn’t there: in 1754, the old structure began to naturally crumble. Then the local authorities decided to demolish most of the cathedral in order to rebuild it. They coped with the demolition successfully, but the implementation of the second part of the plan had to be postponed due to the outbreak of the French Revolution. The work started only in 1816 and was completed in half forty years later. Then the most notable landmark of Rennes was given a neoclassical look, replacing the original Gothic.
There are two notable churches within walking distance of the cathedral. We first go to the northwest, where E glise Saint- E tienne stands. The temple is considered the oldest in Rennes; it was first mentioned in documents from the 12th century. The building was rebuilt four hundred years later, and in the 1740s an impressive bell tower was added to it. This finally formed the appearance of the church, furnishing in size all other religious buildings with the exception of the cathedral.
It is worth walking to another attraction of Rennes: the Saint-Sauveur Basilica is very good. It was built at the end of the 18th century for the Augustinian monastery on the site of a small medieval chapel. When she began to crumble from old age, the monks were very happy about the opportunity to acquire a more spacious church. Their places came true, and from 1700 the city center was decorated with a very pleasant building.
Now we need to move a couple of blocks to the north to appreciate how gorgeous the majestic Saint-Aubin temple looks, whose walls are covered with ivy. It seems that the basilica was built many centuries ago, but this is a pure lie, because the old parish church was demolished at the beginning of the 20th century and the beauty that now pleases the eye was built in its place.
You won’t have to walk long to the next attraction of Rennes either: the Palace of the Parliament of Brittany is located about four hundred meters southeast of the Saint-Aubin Basilica. In fact, it is better to approach this huge ensemble from the south in order to immediately fall under its charm - the building does not stand on its own, it closes the prospect of a spacious square and very impressive houses stand next to it. We jumped out from the side and therefore first appreciated the decor, and only then the dimensions. The palace, whose construction took more than 40 years, opened its doors to deputies in 1655. Its project was developed by the architect Germain Gauthier, who chose the style of French Mannerism. It turned out very impressive and it is not for nothing that any guide to Brittany calls the Palace of Parliament a pearl of local architecture.
But actually, I liked the other building much more, the Saint-Georges Palace, located a hundred meters to the east. The building, built in the 1670s, looks unusually great, especially when contemplated from the south, where a carpet of grass and flowers is spread out in front of the front facade with its nineteen arches. Previously, the buildings of the Benedictine monastery, founded in 1032, were located on the site of the palace. The new version turned out to be much more pleasing to the eye, but the nuns did not manage to enjoy their stay for a long time, because the outbreak of the revolution expelled them from their native monastery. Now the premises of the most interesting sight of Rennes are occupied by the administrative services of the local government.
In addition to the listed objects, the tour of Rennes should include the Church of Saint-Germain. This sample gothic architecture it took an agonizingly long time to build: they started in 1470 and finished only 220 years later. But the temple has retained its historical appearance and, in addition, the stained-glass windows created at that time survived the revolution, wars, bombings and other cataclysms.
An informative walk through the historical center of the former capital of the Breton dukes could be continued, but since the whole previous day my half did not have the opportunity to scour the shops, her urgent request to do shopping in Rennes had to be respected. However, along the way, it quickly became clear that the stores in historical center nothing to please. As a result, the Les 3 Soleils shopping complex, which, among other things, has a C & A section, received our close attention. In my opinion, in order to make bargains in France, this brand fits perfectly, and we were able to buy light breeches for 12 euros, and my joy got hold of two pretty blouses. In a word, I recommend looking into this huge center, which occupies a place on the western side of the Place de Gaulle.
Well, before you say goodbye to the city, you need to finally say about where you can eat inexpensively in Rennes. The most optimal thing here is to search in the old quarters, if you are not satisfied with fast food outlets in shopping malls and near the train station. Personally, I remember those establishments that set up tables in front of the facade of the Saint-Aubin Basilica. There, the surroundings are chic, and the prices are quite low, you can eat properly for 17-20 euros. I also recommend that you look at Place Saint-Michel and take an evaluating look around its surroundings. I am sure: a walk will quickly lead to a restaurant where you can eat in the center of Rennes very satisfyingly and inexpensively.
Summing up the trip by car in Normandy and Brittany, I can say that everything went like clockwork, and all my fears about renting a car turned out to be in vain. We had no problems either with the unusual rhythm of traffic on the roads of France, or with the behavior of drivers, or with equipment. Even the burning question, is it possible to park for free in French cities, received a positive response, and for the entire trip we did not pay a single penny for parking. As for the general expenses, they paid off with interest, because the price of renting a car in France, taking into account the cost of fuel spent, still repeatedly blocked the amount that we would have to spend on trains and buses if we decided to go to Brittany from Paris by public transport.
In general, after that trip, I was finally convinced that traveling around Europe in a rented car is easy and convenient ...