Day trip to Rouen from Paris by train: what to see in a day

The plan

The day at a glance

Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.

08:20
Leave Paris 1 h 15 by train
from Paris-Saint-Lazare; SNCF ticket
09:50 1
Rouen Cathedral, the one Monet painted
opens at 9:00 Tuesday to Saturday · closed from 12:00 to 14:00
3 min on foot
10:45 2
The Historial Jeanne d'Arc, in the palace where she was tried
€12 · departures every 15 minutes · 1 h 30

+33 2 32 08 36 59

Guide With Rouen Tourisme From €12 adult
Book
12 min on foot
12:30 3
La Couronne
€29 midday menu Monday to Saturday · book

31 place du Vieux-Marché, 76000 Rouen · +33 2 35 71 40 90

Restaurant €€€
Book
1 min on foot
14:15 4
The Place du Vieux-Marché and the site of the pyre
the site of the 1431 pyre
6 min on foot
14:45 5
The Gros-Horloge, the 1389 clock and its belfry
€7.85 · go up on the roof
10 min on foot
16:00 6
The Fine Arts Museum and its Impressionist gallery
free · Impressionist gallery
18:00
Back home 1 h 15 by train
the station is five minutes from the museum

Approximate cost About €45–70 per person

Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.

The route

Rouen Cathedral, the one Monet painted

Rouen is the best way to peek into Normandy in a day from Paris without a car. The plan crosses the centre from east to west and back: the cathedral Monet painted, the hall where Joan of Arc was tried, the square where she was burned, the clock of 1389 and one of France's great Impressionist collections, free. Go Tuesday to Saturday.

The day, hour by hour

8:20 · Train from Saint-Lazare. An hour and a quarter. Walk down rue Jeanne d'Arc.

9:50 · The cathedral. Monet's façade, the 151-metre spire, the heart of Richard the Lionheart.

10:45 · Historial Jeanne d'Arc. An hour and a half of projections in the palace where she was tried.

12:30 · Lunch at La Couronne. The inn of 1345 in the Vieux-Marché, with a lunchtime menu.

14:15 · The Vieux-Marché. The square of the stake and the church of Joan of Arc.

14:45 · The Gros-Horloge. The mechanism, the bells and the roof with the cathedral in front.

16:00 · Fine Arts Museum. Free; the Impressionist gallery and a Monet cathedral.

18:00 · Train back. The station is five minutes away.

Time1 h

Ввласенко · CC BY-SA 3.0

Change the route

With young children, if it rains or if you fancy something else: another stop that fits the same day.

The terrace of red parasols with Rouen Cathedral in the background

To eat without fixed hours, facing the cathedral: Brasserie PaulRouen's oldest brasserie, from 1898, opposite the cathedral: French cooking with Norman produce, continuous service from 9:30 to 23:30 every day.

The courtyard of the Aître Saint-Maclou, with its carved wooden galleries

With teenagers, instead of the museum: The Aître Saint-Maclou, the former charnel houseGuided visit · 45 min · €7 · free for under-12s · carved skulls and a mummified cat

The Renaissance building of the Bureau des Finances, opposite Rouen Cathedral

If there is a session that day: two hours painting the cathedral: Painting workshop in Monet's former studio, opposite the cathedralWorkshop · 2 h · 4 to 10 people · in the Bureau des Finances, where Monet painted the cathedral

Where to eat

Where to eat?

Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.

La Couronne

Restaurant · Rouen · Place du Vieux-Marché · €€€€

What to order: at lunchtime, the La Normandie dans l'Assiette menu for €29, Monday to Saturday

Open every day at lunchtime and in the evening · half-timbered house on the Vieux-Marché

Brasserie Paul

Restaurant · Rouen · Place de la Cathédrale · €€€€

What to order: the Norman-style tartare with apple and calvados or the Offranville free-range chicken in cider

Open every day from 9:30 to 23:30 without a break · terrace facing the cathedral

Map

The stops, in order

With where to park at each one.

What to do Eat 88 €Stay Services

Getting there

By car or without one?

Without a car

Train from Paris-Saint-Lazare, an hour and a quarter; everything on foot.

By car

An hour and a half along the A13; park in the Vieux-Marché car park.

When to go

When to go to Rouen

All year, Tuesday to Saturday: on Monday the Gros-Horloge and the Historial are closed. In summer, stay to see Cathédrale de lumière on the façade.

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Best timeGood timeLow season

Tips

Worth knowing first

1
Neither Monday nor midday
On Monday the clock and the Historial close; the cathedral closes from 12:00 to 14:00 on weekdays.
2
Rouen Pass
It includes the Historial, the Gros-Horloge and transport.

Questions