How to get to Normandy, France?

Arrive to the breathtaking region of Normandy to see some of the most captured sights. You can make it to this travel destination by bus starting at $11.25 or train from $17 if you're already in France or if you're coming from across the English Channel with your car by ferry from $100 or through the Channel Tunnel from $56.25.

Normandy Key Information

Rich in history, culture and landscapes, the region of Normandy surely is an attractive region for tourists who wish to visit France. From the D-Day beaches to the Mont Saint-Michel, with its rich cuisine and its Viking heritage, it is not a region to miss.

The tricky part

Bear in mind that even though there are airports in Normandy, they are small and not so convenient. They are connected only to a handful of other airports, with sparsely available flights and most journeys require transfers. For Alençon and Mont Saint Michel (with a connection), the Montparnasse train station is the correct departure point from Paris.

Getting to Normandy

The best way to reach, via Paris or just about anywhere in France, is to take the train to Normandy (also called RER in France / "Nomad" in Normandy). You will be able to easily reach any of the major cities this way.

You can also travel by bus, cheap tickets are available online.

If you decide to arrive by car, the region is also very well connected with roads. Please note that the highways (translation "Autoroute", coded with A#), have tolls. These tolls may vary in fees. You may consider crossing the Channel Tunnel or taking the ferry along with your car if coming from the UK.

If you decide to rent a car, many car rental offices operate in Normandy.

If you are departing from the UK, you may also consider taking the Ferry (along with your car).

Arriving by plane is not recommended. Airports near Normandy are quite small and are connected only to a handful of other airports, with sparsely available flights and most journeys require transfers.

The Frugal Option

From Paris, the cheapest and quickest option will be taking the bus, tickets cost about 10€ and there are several connections a day. Ouibus and FlixBus are the most common companies offering bus services in France.

Taking the train is another cheap way of arriving in Normandy, although it is a bit more expensive than the bus. Train to Normandy depart from the Saint-Lazare train stations, tickets cost between 15-30€ and the journey time is about 1h, you can buy a ticket on the SNCF's website directly.

Journey times from the train station are as follows: Cherbourg 3:30 hours, Caen 2:30 hours, Le Havre 2:30 hours, Rouen 1:30 hours.

To reach the station From Charles de Gaulle airport, you can take the RER B then switch at Gare du Nord and hop on the RER E.

Private Transfer Options

From Paris to Rouen, a professional driver from our local partners My Transfers and KiwiTaxi booked through Mozio a private ride costs 425€ in a sedan, 625€ in a private van, 875€ in a private bus (14 passengers) & 1,100€ (28 passengers).

From London to Rouen, the cost of a sedan will be 630€ and 960€ for a private van.

From Bruxelles to Rouen, a chauffeured service in a private sedan costs 685€, 780€ in a private van.

From Charles de Gaulle airport to the Saint-Lazare train station, the cost of a sedan is 60€, 80€ for a private van, 350€ for a bus (50 passengers) and 40€ for an Uber.

The Mozio Recommendation

Taking the train is the most effective transportation method cost/comfort/time-wise. Trains in France are fast, comfortable, safe, and not so expensive.

Moving AROUND Normandy

Going around in Normandy is easy. To move within the city you can choose to either ride the bus, taxi or Uber. If you wish to travel to other cities and places, you can book a seat in a coach bus or opt for public transportation and take the train.

The Frugal Option

To move around the city you can use public bus services quickly and freely within cities. Most buses operate early in the morning until the evening, tickets in each city cost about 1.50€, up to 2.00€.

To move from one city to another, the absolute cheapest would be taking the bus, with prices as low as 5€. Service is provided by SNCF's OuiBus service.

Fares are approximately 6€ between Le Havre and Rouen, 7€ between Rouen and Caen, and 5€ between Le Havre and Caen approximately.

To move within the city, the middle-ground options here would be taking a taxi / Uber. Uber is available in all of the major cities in Normandy, including Rouen, Caen and Le Havre.

When moving between cities, taking by train is a bit more expensive than taking the bus, but it should definitely be considered:

• Le Havre - Rouen costs around 15€. About 18 trains make the connection every day, the first departure is around 5am, the last departure is at around 6pm.
• Le Havre - Caen costs around 40€. About 8 trains make the connection every day, the first departure is around 7am, the last departure is at around 6pm.
• Rouen - Caen costs around 30€. About 12 trains make the connection every day, the first departure is around 6am, the last departure is at around 7pm.

Are Rideshare & TaxiApps Readily Available In This Resort?

Car Rental Options

Car rental companies have at least a few offices in each major city and in some smaller ones. These include but are not limited to Hertz, Sixt, ADA, and EuropeCar.

Day Trips Around Normandy

Mont Saint-Michel

A visit to the iconic Mont Saint-Michel must be included in your travel plan to the area. Reaching by train can be done from the closest train station which is is Pontorson, about 10km away. A free shuttle bus, called "Le Passeur" will take you from Pontorson to Mont Saint-Michel. It is located next to the Tourist Information Centre, next to the parking lot.

Etretat Cliffs

The main way of reaching the Etretat Cliffs is to take the train for Bréauté Beuzeville and take the bus from there (about 30m away). Line 17 operates between Bréauté and Etreat. Flixbus and Ouibus operate between the 2 locations and you can buy tickets from there. You will find more detailed information on [Etretat's official tourism website] (http://etretat.net/office-de-tourisme-etretat/modules/content/content.php?page=bus\&lang=en)