Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Rouen metro carnet
Right
Jardin des Plantes, Rouen
Normandy on a Budget
Off-season Travel
The price of ferry
tickets and many hotels,
particularly those near
the sea, rises in high
season. To cut costs, try
to avoid visiting Normandy
during the summer.
Markets
Even small towns
and villages in Normandy
have a weekly market.
These are excellent
places to find affordable
food, clothing and bric-à-
brac, as well as being
colourful and fun.
Caen, Dieppe, Vernon
and Cherbourg. You don't
have to be young to stay
in one, but you do need a
Hostelling International
(HI) card, available from
any official youth hostel.
For more information,
contact the Fédération
Unie des Auberges de
Jeunesse (FUAJ). For
inexpensive hotels,
see
p131
. d
FUAJ
•
01 44 89
87 27
•
www.fuaj.org
Free Sights
Many of the best
sights in Normandy are
free. A short list of
suggestions: walk the
ramparts at Mont-St-
Michel
(see p8)
; visit
Rouen Cathedral
(see
p20-21)
and the nearby
Aître St-Maclou
(see
p22)
; explore the narrow
cobbled streets of
Honfleur
(see pp16-17)
;
stroll along the glamorous
boardwalk at Deauville
(see p26)
; go to the
bustling Tuesday market
at L'Aigle
(see p58)
;
ramble in any of the
region's forests or parks.
Rail Passes
Everybody is eligible
for SNCF's value-for-
money France Railpass,
which allows from three
to nine days' travel on
any route across France,
within one month. The
Senior France Railpass
for over 60s is valid for
groups of up to eight
travelling first class.
Under-26s are eligible for
the France Youthpass
(four days' travel over
two months), Youth
Flexipass (15 days' travel
over two months) and
Eurailpass (one to two
months' unlimited travel).
Churches
Not only are they
free to visit, some
churches and cathedrals
also stage free (or very
inexpensive) concerts,
often during one of the
seasonal music festivals
(see pp72, 112)
. Tourist
offices will provide details.
Camping
Camping is very
popular in Normandy, and
there are hundreds of
campsites to choose
from. Most are open
from April to October
only (some just in high
summer). Few sites are
near cities, so reaching
them without a car may
be difficult. Information is
available from tourist
offices, France Camping
EU and Gîtes de France,
which run the Camping à
la Ferme (camping on the
farm) scheme. d
www.
france-camping.eu.com
•
www.gites-de-france.fr
Budget
Accommodation
Fermes auberges
and
chambres d'hôtes
offer
exceptionally good value
(see p125)
; alternatively,
there are youth hostels,
known in France as
auberges de jeunesse
, in
Carnets
If you're planning to
stay for some time in a
city such as Caen, Le
Havre or Rouen, buy a
carnet of five or ten bus
(or, in Rouen, metro)
tickets - cheaper than
buying them individually.
Cheap Eats
For a drink or snack,
standing at the bar is
cheaper than sitting
down. In restaurants, the
prix-fixe
(fixed-price)
menus,
plat du jour
(dish
of the day),
eau robinet
(tap water), and wine or
cider by the
pichet
(jug)
offer best value. If you
are itching to eat in a
gourmet restaurant, go
for lunch, when there is
usually a cheaper menu.
Discounts
Most of Normandy's
museums and attractions
offer cheap admission to
students, under-18s and
over-60s. Always carry a
student card (if you're in
full-time education), proof
of your age or some other
form of ID to take advan-
tage of these discounts.
SNCF rail passes are available at major French railway stations,
or can be booked through a travel agent before you leave home.
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