Rouen or Honfleur?

I will be going to both, but can%26#39;t decide on with city to stay in over night. Suggestions? I currently have a reservation in Rouen, but am thinking on changing it. We will be driving from Paris, on route through both cities, and then onto Bayeux, and Mont st. Michel.

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If the question really is which of the two deserves more time, I would plump for Rouen. If it is more a question of which one would be more interesting for a stroll after dinner, I think perhaps Honfleur wins.

You can eat very well in either place, but Rouen has perhaps a larger selection of restaurants to choose from.

If you decide on Rouen, you might enjoy a restaurant called Le Beffroi on the rue du Beffroi. Excellent food, great ambience and good value. (I think the restaurant has a web site which you should be able to google.)

have a great time in Normandy!

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Depending on your schedule, i%26#39;d say that according to your plan i%26#39;d do this :

- try to arrive in Rouen ataround 11 am. Park near the Cathedral as everything is at a walking distance from there.

- Visit the Cathedrale, then walk to the Rue du Gros Horloge (in front of it). Stroll around this medieval street, heading towards the Place du Vieux Marche. Various places of interest there, shops, middle age houses, etc. Don%26#39;t forget to buy some apple sugar, one of Rouen%26#39;s speciality.

- have lunch at le Beffroy as IrishRover said, or (my favorite) at La couronne (see their website at www.lacouronne.com.fr/accueil.jsp?lang=en )

- When at the Place du Vieux March��, visit the Drakkar Church, the Joan of Arc memorial, etc.

- Go back to rue Jeanne d%26#39;Arc then walk to the Justice Hall(%26quot;Palais de Justice%26quot;). Visit it!

- Walk to the Musee des Beaux-Arts. An hour of visit is enough, but lots of impressionists work there.

- Walk back to your car, then drive to Honfleur (about 1,5 hours). Try to arrive at around 4. Have a walk on the harbor, visit la Commanderie (castle), then dinner, sleep.

There you are!

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I would say there is more to explore in Rouen, HOnfleur is small (one hour is enough to know the center), but from Honfleur your drive to Bayeux and Mont St Michel will be shorter! Still i would recommend to spend a day exploring Rouen, my best restaurant being A la Toque D%26#39;Or on Place du Vieux Marche (you need a reservation)

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We have just returned from visiting both towns, but we were traveling in the opposite direction. I would agree with the previous comments. If you decide to stay in Rouen, I would highly recommend the Hotel du Vieux Marche, which is right in the very heart of the old pedestrian area, and it has underground parking for your vehicle. I cannot speak for the restaurants, as we had dinner with friends at their home, but Denys has been right on with her dining recommendations, as you will note below.

Honfleur is a quaint small fishing village which will not take long to see (unless there is an antique market being held, like there was when we were there....then plan on being a LOT longer :). We stayed at Hotel Cheval Blanc, which had a nice location, but we were disappointed in both the room quality and the price. However, we ate at a fantastic restuarant which Denys had recommended, Au Vieux Honfleur, right on the harbor. Here is their info:

Au Vieux Honfleur

13, quai Saint-Etienne

Honfleur 14600

Tel: 02 31 89 15 31

Hope this helps! (AND A BIG THANX TO DENYS!!)