Rouen

Understand

Rouen was for a long time France's second city, after Paris, which explains the richness of the town's artistic heritage. It has hosted many famous French writers, including Victor Hugo, Guy Maupassant, and Gustave Flaubert, among others. Today, it deserves a visit for its monuments, Gothic art being particularly well represented, but also for the charm of its alleyways and the many half-timbered houses there are. The town is on the right bank of the River Seine, but today, includes the left bank (the Saint-Sever area in particular, on the south of the river), and the Île Lacroix.

Tourist information Rouen Tourism website

Getting there

By car From Paris, Rouen is approximately an hour and a half's drive (135 km) north-west from the centre of the French capital, the fastest route including the A13 motorway (note: this a toll road). An alternative route would include the N14 slightly further to the north. From the Channel port city of Dieppe, Rouen is approximately an hour's drive (66 km) south along the N27. From the French end of the Eurotunnel, Rouen is approximately a 2-hour drive (208 km) using the E402. From other major centres in Normandy, Rouen is respectively 90 km (1 hr 10 min) from Le Havre, 128 km (1 hr 25 min) from Caen, 156 km (1 hr 45 min) from Bayeux and 249 km (2 hr 45 min) from Cherbourg.

By train 1 Gare de Rouen Rive Droite, Place Bernard Tissot. Several trains depart from the St Lazare Station in Paris for Rouen on a daily basis. Tickets cost around €21 and can be purchased at the station immediately beforehand. Travel time is about 1 hr 15 min. For schedules, visit SNCF travel. (updated Aug 2017) The train posting in Paris St-Lazare can be confusing to the first-time traveller. The train platform number (la voie) is not posted until 15–20 minutes before the departure, so do not panic if you arrive earlier than that. Look for the train heading to Le Havre or Dieppe which will be leaving from the platforms to the right as you enter the concourse. Do not forget to punch (composter) your ticket in one of the yellow machines before boarding. This will validate your ticket.

By bus Flixbus and BlablaCar Bus serve the city. From Paris, connections can be made with buses throughout France and Europe.

By boat Ferries from the UK go to the French ports of Dieppe and Le Havre, from where trains can be caught to Rouen. For foot-passengers, the train and ferry journey from London via Newhaven and Dieppe is one of the most pleasant and restful ways of getting to Rouen.

By plane 2 Rouen Airport (Aéroport de Rouen - Vallée de Seine (URO IATA)), ☏ +33 2 35 79 41 00, contact@rouen

Getting around

The city center is compact and all sights can easily be seen by foot, however, there is public transport throughout the town. The Métro du Rouen is a tramway operating in Rouen, running north to south from Boulingrin in the north to Saint-Sever, where it branches off into two lines - one to Technopôle and one to Georges Braque. There is also a "bus rapid transit" system, which is very similar to a normal bus system, in Rouen, called the Transport est-ouest rouennais (TEOR). This system has three lines in the town, T1, T2 and T3, all of which run on the north of the river. A normal bus system also exists with 29 lines operating throughout the town. Tickets for public transport can be bought from many places, including the Gare-Rue Verte tram station on Place Bernard-Tissot, the Théâtre des Arts tram station on rue Jeanne d'Arc, from conductors on buses (not on TEOR) and from automatic ticket machines at metro and TEOR stations. Tickets can also be bought by text, costing €1.60 and are valid for one hour. Public transport in Rouen can be used free of charge on Saturdays. From September 2025, public transport will be free for people under 18 (even if they do not live in Rouen).

Velo-R north of the Seine on Avenue Jeanne D' Arc (near the metro station) rents bikes for €1-2 per day. The city also has an official bicycle rental scheme where you can rent a bike at one location and drop it off at another. A scooter shop on Avenue De Bretagne no. 18 rents scooters but they need to be reserved ahead of time. There is also an Avis in town.

By taxi Taxi Rouen Farnes, +33 6 89 07 78 61 3 Taxi Rouen T.A Transport, 3 rue de la pie, ☏ +33 6 67 43 64 69. 09:00 - 20:00. (updated Apr 2024)

See

1 Rouen Cathedral (la cathédrale de Rouen), ☏ +33 2 35 71 51 23, [email protected]. A stunning building that dates back to the 4th century and is a wonderful mixture of various architectural styles since then. A new spire built in the 19th century meant that it briefly qualified as the tallest building in the world. The façade of the cathedral was famously painted by Claude Monet at various times during the day - like his Haystacks series of paintings - capturing the subject in a variety of lights. In the summer after dark the city puts on a light show projecting some of Monet's cathedral paintings onto the façade of the cathedral itself, each showing lasts approximately 10 minutes and runs until about midnight. €2 for a guided tour. La Vieille Ville. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the center of la vieille ville. A simple field of wildflowers marks the spot of her martyrdom. Next to it is the modern Eglise de Jeanne d'Arc. 2 La Gros-Horloge (The Great Clock) (in the middle of the rue du Gros Horloge). The mechanism of the clock is one of the oldest in France. Climb to the top for a beautiful view of the city. 3 Birthplace of writer Gustave Flaubert, 51, rue de Lecat (off Boulevard des Belges and not far from place Cauchoise). Best known for his scandalous novel Madame Bovary, has been converted into a museum of his life and of 19th-century medicine (his father and brother were doctors) (updated Aug 2023) 4 Birthplace of playwright Pierre Corneille, 4, rue de la Pie (a moment's walk from Vieux Marche), ☏ +33 2 76 08 80 88, [email protected]. Sa 09:00-12:00, 13:30-17:30; Su 14:00-18:00. The birthplace of the French playwright, who is best known for his tragicomedy Le Cid from the mid-17th century. 5 Abbatiale St-Ouen (next to the Hotel de Ville at the end of Rue de la Republique). The magnificent Gothic architecture is not to be missed in this abbey built in 1318. 6 Historial Jeanne d'Arc, 7, Rue Saint romain, ☏ +33 2 35 52 48 00, reservation@h

Do

Rouen has many biking trails and forests nearby. There is a trail on the north side of the Seine to the Foret Roumare. La Véloroute du Val de Seine is a cycling route following the Seine starting at Elbeuf just south of Rouen, and ending at Le Havre. Get a boat trip along the Seine, some companies offering cruises include Escapade en Seine and Normandie Croisières. 1 Centre Sportif Guy Boissière, Allée du Docteur Duchêne, ☏ +33 2 35 07 94 70. Swimming pools, swimming lessons - including an Olympic sized swimming pool. There's also two ice rinks here. For the reduced price, bring along ID proving you're entitled to a reduction in price, or proof you've liv