Lonely Planet Normandy & D-Day Beaches Road Trips , livre ebook

CONTENTS

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Normandy & D-Day Beaches
Normandy & D-Day Beaches Map
Normandy & D-Day Beaches Highlights
Paris City Guide
Lille City Guide
Need to Know

ROAD TRIPS

1 D-Day’s Beaches 3 Days
2 Monet’s Normandy 4 Days
3 Tour des Fromages 5 Days
4 In Flanders Fields 3 Days
DESTINATIONS

Normandy
Seine-Maritime
Rouen
Dieppe
Côte d’Albâtre
Le Havre
Calvados
Bayeux
D-Day Beaches
Caen
Deauville
Trouville-sur-Mer
Honfleur
Lille, Flanders & the Somme
Lille
Flanders & Artois
Arras
Somme Battlefields Memorials
Amiens

ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS

France Driving Guide
Driving Licence & Documents
Insurance
Hiring a Car
Bringing Your Own Vehicle
Maps
Roads & Conditions
Road Rules
Parking
Fuel
Satellite Navigation Systems
Safety
Radio
France Travel Guide
Getting There & Away
Air
Car & Motorcycle
Sea
Train
Directory A–Z
Accessible Travel
Accommodation
Electricity
Food
Insurance
Internet Access
Legal Matters
LGBT+ Travellers
Money
Opening Hours
Public Holidays
Telephone
Toilets
Tourist Information
Travel with Children
Visas

Language
Behind the Scenes
Index
Our Writers
WELCOME TO NORMANDY & D-DAY BEACHES

Northern France is primed with possibilities – whether that means sampling Norman cheeses, getting close to WWI and WWII history or simply moseying around Rouen’s old town. And with its abundance of coast and countryside, it’s a pleasure to drive, too.
This is a region with a long (and turbulent) history that is plain to see. The scars of war can still be traced on the fields of Flanders and the beaches of Normandy. Elsewhere, be awed by the landscapes and villages that inspired artists such as Claude Monet.

Honfleur Yann Guichaoua-Photos/Getty Images ©

NORMANDY & D-DAY BEACHES HIGHLIGHTS
Vimy Ridge
Walk through one of the only surviving trench systems from WWI. See it on Trip

LUCENTIUS/GETTY IMAGES ©
 
Camembert
Learn about the eponymous soft cheese in this picturesque Norman village. See it on Trip

PICAVET/GETTY IMAGES ©
 
Omaha Beach
Remember the fallen at the site of the most brutal of the D-Day fighting. See it on Trip

SPOOKIEPOWER/GETTY IMAGES ©
CITY GUIDE

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Paris KYOLSHIN/GETTY IMAGES ©
PARIS
If ever a city needed no introduction, it’s Paris – a trendsetter and style icon for centuries, and still at the cutting edge. Whether you want tick off the landmarks or seek out secret corners, Paris fulfils all your expectations and leaves you wanting more.
Getting Around
Driving in Paris is a nightmare. Happily, there’s no need for a car. The metro is fast, frequent and efficient; tickets cost €1.90 and are valid on the city’s buses.
Paris is increasingly bike-friendly, with more cycling lanes and efforts from the city of Paris to reduce the number of cars on the roads.
Most bike rental places will require a deposit (usually €150 for a standard bike, €300 for electric bikes). Take ID and your bank or credit card.
Freescoot ( www.freescoot.fr )
Gepetto et Vélos ( www.gepetto-velos.com )
Paris à Vélo, C’est Sympa ( www.parisvelosympa.fr )
Parking
Parking meters in Paris do not accept coins; they require a European-compatible chip-enabled credit card.
Municipal public car parks, of which there are more than 200 in Paris, charge between €2 and €6 per hour or €20 to €36 per 24 hours (cash and compatible credit cards accepted). Most are open 24 hours.
Where to Eat
Le Marais is one of the best areas for eating out, with its small restaurants and trendy bistros. Don’t miss Paris’ street markets: Marché Bastille, rue Montorgueil and rue Mouffetard are full of atmosphere.
Where to Stay
Base yourself in Montmartre for its Parisian charm, if you don’t mind crowds. Le Marais and Bastille provide style on a budget, while St-Germain is good for a splurge.
Useful Websites
Lonely Planet ( www.lonelyplanet.com/paris ) Destination information, hotel bookings, traveller forum and more.
Paris Info ( www.parisinfo.com ) Comprehensive tourist-authority website.
Sortiraparis ( www.sortiraparis.com ) Up-to-date calendar listing.
Bonjour Paris ( www.bonjourparis.com ) New openings, old favourites and upcoming events.
HiP Paris ( www.hipparis.com ) Not only vacation rentals but articles and reviews, too.
 

Bar, Vieux Lille (Old Lille) MICHEL HINCKER/GETTY IMAGES ©
LILLE
Lille may be France’s most underrated major city. This once-tired industrial metropolis has transformed itself into a stylish, self-confident city. Three art museums, lots of stylish shops and a lovely old town make it well worthy of investigation.
Getting Around
Driving into Lille is incredibly confusing, even with a good map; just suspend your sense of direction and blindly follow the ‘Centre Ville’ signs.
Public transport tickets (€1.60, plus €0.20 for a reusable ticket) are sold on buses but must be purchased before boarding a metro or tram; there are ticket machines at each stop. A Pass’ Journée (24-hour pass) costs €4.80 and needs to be time-stamped each time you board; two- to seven-day passes are also available. A Pass Soirée, good for unlimited travel after 7pm, costs €2.20.
Transpole has a ticket office ( 03 20 40 40 40; www.transpole.fr ; Gare Lille-Flandres; 6.30am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm Sat; Gare Lille-Flandres) adjacent to the Gare Lille-Flandres metro station.
Parking
If you’re driving, the best idea is to leave your vehicle at the park-and-ride at Champ de Mars on bd de la Liberté, 1.2km northwest of the centre. The ticket includes return travel for five people to central Lille on bus 12.
Where to Eat
The city has a flourishing culinary scene. Keep an eye out for estaminets (traditional Flemish eateries, with antique knick-knacks on the walls and plain wooden tables) serving Flemish specialities. Dining hot spots in Vieux Lille include rue de Gand, home to small, moderately priced French and Flemish restaurants, and rue de la Monnaie and its side streets, alleys and courtyards.
Where to Stay
Most hotels are within striking distance of the city centre, but Lille’s business focus means many are short on charm. On the plus side, rates drop at weekends.
Useful Websites
Lille Tourisme ( www.lilletourism.com )
Trip Through Lille:
Destination coverage
NEED TO KNOW

CURRENCY
Euro (€)
LANGUAGE
French
VISAS
Generally not required for stays of up to 90 days (or at all for EU nationals); some nationalities need a Schengen visa.
FUEL
Petrol stations are common around main roads and larger towns. Unleaded costs from around €1.60 per litre; gazole (diesel) is usually at least €0.15 cheaper.
RENTAL CARS
ADA ( www.ada.fr )
Auto Europe ( www.autoeurope.com )
Avis ( www.avis.com )
Europcar ( www.europcar.com )
Hertz ( www.hertz.com )
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
Europe-wide emergency 112
Ambulance (SAMU) 15
Police 17
 

When to Go
Climate

High Season (Jun–Aug)
A Médiévales de Bayeux celebrates the city’s glorious history with medieval re-enactments in July.
A Queues at big sights and on the road, especially August.
A Book accommodation and tables in the best restaurants well in advance.
Shoulder (Apr–Jun & Sep)
A D-Day commemorations are held on the landing beaches. 2019 sees the 75th anniversary of the epic landings.
A The Deauville American Film Festival is the accessible cousin of Cannes.
A Spring brings warm weather, flowers and local produce.
Low Season (Oct–Mar)
A Prices up to 50% lower than high season.
A Sights, attractions and restaurants open fewer days and shorter hours.
Daily Costs
Budget: Less than €130
A Dorm bed: €18–30
A Double room in budget hotel: €90
A Admission to many attractions first Sunday of month: free
A Lunch menus (set meals): less than €20
Midrange: €130–220
A Double room in a midrange hotel: €90–190
A Lunch menus in gourmet restaurants: €20–40
Top end: More than €220
A Double room in a top-end hotel: €190–350
A Top restaurant dinner: menu €65, à la carte €100–150
A Opera tickets: €15–150
Eating
In cities there are a multitude of places to eat. To dine fine and eat local, book ahead, particularly for weekend dining.
Restaurants and bistros Range from unchanged for a century to contemporary minimalist.
Brasseries Open from dawn until late, these casual eateries are great for dining in between standard meal times.
Cafes Ideal for breakfast and light lunch; many morph into bars after dark.
Sleeping
Be it a fairy-tale château, a boutique hideaway or floating pod on a lake, Normandy has accommodation to suit every taste and pocket. If you’re visiting in high season (especially August), reserve ahead.
B&Bs Enchanting properties with maximum five rooms.
Camping Sites range from wild and remote, to brash resorts with pools, slides et al.
Hostels New-wave hostels are design-driven, lifestyle spaces with single/double rooms as well as dorms.
Hotels Hotels embrace every budget and taste.
Arriving in Normandy
Ferry
Car ferries link Dieppe with the English port of Newhaven; Le Havre and Ouistreham (Caen) with Portsmouth; and Cherbourg with Poole and Portsmouth as well as the Irish ports of Dublin and Rosslare.
Train
Normandy is easily accessible by train from Paris – Rouen is just 70 minutes from Paris’ Gare St-Lazare (€24.10, 1¼ hours, 25 daily Monday to Friday, 13 to 18 Saturday and Sunday).
Bus
Bus Verts ( 09 70 83 00 14; www.busverts.fr ) runs buses from Le Havre to Honfleur (€4.90, 30 minutes, four to six daily) and Deauville and Trouville (€4.90, one hour, four to six daily).
Mobile Phones
European and Australian phones work, but American cells with 900 and 1800 MHz networks only are compatible; check with your provider before leaving home. Use a French SIM card to call with a cheaper French number.
Internet Access
Wi-fi is available in most hotels and B&Bs (usually free, but sometimes for a small charge). Many ca