Read more about Paris and Rouen.
Rouen is the historic capital of Normandy and one of the oldest cities in France. It is also one of the most popular cities in France for international visitors. Formerly a Roman city, the current design owes its existence to Rollo, the first Duke of Normandy. An attractive place with a lot to see, it is particularly famous for Claude Monet, who painted the cathedral 28 times over two years. In addition to the cathedral, which is one of the great Gothic cathedrals in France, be sure to see the Museum of Ceramics and stroll through the old part of the city.
It was also the city where Joan of Arc was tried in 1431 and then burned at the stake, right in the center of the city. Rouen’s latest attraction is the Jeanne d’Arc History, which takes you through the life of the maid of Orleans. It is a multimedia work of art, with many projections that bring it to life. In the old Archbishop’s Palace, now restored, it is the best place for families.
Rouen was in the news with the 950th anniversary in 2016 of the Battle of Hastings of 1066 and William the Conqueror.
Rouen has some good hotels and restaurants, many in historic buildings. Take a look at La Couronne; It’s the oldest restaurant in France and it looks like it, with wooden floors and paneling and a wonderful collection of photographs of former diners (many of them world famous) on its walls. The restaurant was here when Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.
Read guest reviews, check prices and book a Rouen hotel with TripAdvisor.
Rouen Tourist Office
25 place de la Cathedrale
Tel.: 00 33 (0) 2 32 08 32 40
Website
Train Travel: Paris to Rouen by Train
Trains to Rouen depart from Paris Gare Saint Lazare (13 rue Amsterdam, Paris 8) throughout the day.
Metro lines to and from Gare Saint Lazare
- Line 3: Levallois-Becon gate in Gallieni
- Line 12: Porte de la Chapelle to Mairie d’Issy
- Line 13: Saint-Denis – Universite a Chatillon – Montrouge
- Line 14: Saint Lazare to Bibliotheque Francois Mitterand
TER and Intercite high-speed trains to Rouen train station
Direct trains include
- Paris to Rouen station 1 hour 11 minutes
- Dieppe to Rouen station from 46 minutes
- Le Havre to Rouen station from 53mins
- Rouen to Vernon Station 36 minutes
- Charles de Gaulle Airport to Rouen station in 3 hours 56 minutes with changes at Lille Europe, Paris Nord to Paris St. Lazare for the train to Rouen.
The Rouen Rive Droite train station is located at the north end of rue Jeanne d’Arc.
Book your train ticket
- For the UK book with voyages-sncf (Rail Europe)
- For the US book With Rail Europe
Getting to Rouen by car
Paris to Rouen is 131 kms (81 miles), taking around 1 hour 32 minutes, depending on your speed. There are tolls on the highways.
Getting to Rouen by bus
Eurolines departs from Paris Gallieni Porte Bagnolet three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The trip to Rouen takes 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Car rental
For information on how to rent a car under the return lease scheme, which is the cheapest way to rent a car if you are in France for more than 17 days, try Renault Eurodrive’s buyback lease.
Look at the advice of Driving in France .
Getting from London to Paris
- By train (Eurostar)
Eurostar between London, Paris and Lille - By bus / coach Eurolines offers a cheap service from London, Gillingham, Canterbury, Folkestone and Dover to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Paris Gallieni. Six coaches a day; 2 all night; Travel time is 7 hours. The Eurolines stop is located at the Paris Gallieni bus station, 28 ave du General de Gaulle, right next to the Gallieni metro station, near Porte de Bagnolet (metro line 3, final stop). Eurolines is a cheap and reliable alternative to traveling by train, although the journey takes much longer.
Eurolines website for French travel
- IDBus also operates between London and Lille and London and Paris. IDBus also runs from Lille to Amsterdam and Brussels.
