Le Havre - looking for a small French town nearby like Le Bouquet

[downundermatt]

Will be in Le Havre in May and plan on hiring a car for the day.

 

I understand its a five hour return drive from Le Havre to Le Touquet - a tad far, so was hoping to find a similar small town, to visit for the day - ideally within one hours drive of Le Havre.

 

Ive been too Le Touquet once, and found it romantic and elegant, so I'm looking for a similar place to share with my partner- with lots of history (not so easy to find at home in Australia)

 

Really appreciate any suggestions.

[Lutèce]

You could head inland to Rouen, it's about a 2 hour drive if you take the scenic route up the Seine Valley. Not sure how small you mean by small?

For any route planning use http://www.viamichelin.com and switch to English if it loads in French. It will give you routes between places, time to get there and the option to go by the fastest or scenic route. Hope this helps:)

[John Bull]

I can think of quite a few places more interesting and historic than Le Touquet & within an hour of Le Havre.

 

West, along the coast

Honfleur. less than half an hour from Le Havre, by taking the Pont de Normandie over the Seine estuary. Fishing harbour, very attractive but quite busy with tourists, especially cruisers. Continuing west along the coast road for a half-hour to the twin towns of Trouville (fishing port, with some great fish restaurants along the quayside) & across the harbour the up-market resort of Deauville.

 

Inland

50 minutes via the cheese town of Pont-Leveque to Liseaux, a fairly uninspiring town, heavily damaged in 1844 but with a cathedral & magnificent basilica.

Then perhaps east for half an hour to the quaint & typically Normandy market town of Bernay before returning to Le Havre in about an hour & a quarter via Pont Audemer and the Pont de Tankerville back over the Seine.

Or from Liseaux south-west for 40 minutes to Falaise, centred on the castle of William the Conqueror. 90 minutes back to Le Havre - cross-country is more attractive & less fraught than the main roads & the Caen by-pass.

 

Rouen

Is big and busy - I wouldn't rate it as romantic, though it is historic. The autoroutes are fast, but boring & busy - this is the route to Paris. Better to take Lutece's advice & use the valley road, which is much slower (about 90 minutes) but much more pleasant & attractive, and follows the Seine in parts.

 

I don't know the coast to the north-east (toward Le Touquet).

But Etretat, with its cliffs & rock formations and the port of Fecamp are within an hour.

 

Check those places out on googleimages, & google for more info.

 

JB :)

[LondonTowner]

Bayeux is also a very nice town and the tapestry is a 'must see' IMHO.

[prish]

Bayeux is also a very nice town and the tapestry is a 'must see' IMHO.

 

Yes, my sister and I saw the Bayeux tapestry last August, absolutely gorgeous and a must -see indeed, as also the cathedral.

 

Honfleur again is a lovely seaside town. DH & I used to go there quite often when we lived in Paris in the 80s, it used to be a sleepy little place then. Went back again last year after almost 3 decades, the place was buzzing with tourists. Though of course that was to be expected in August:D

[John Bull]

Bayeux is also a very nice town and the tapestry is a 'must see' IMHO.

 

Agreed.

Although it's 90 minutes or more from Le Havre.

 

But having already suggested Falaise (same time & distance) I'm in no position to criticise the suggestion of Bayeux :D

 

JB :)