How to come to Rouen?

You made the decision. 

Yes, you have decided to come to Rouen for a few days.

You are already very excited by the fact of coming to discover the capital of Normandy. 

Now you are trying to find out how to come to Rouen simply and easily to choose the best option.

There are three ways to come to Rouen from Paris:

1. By train, leaving from Gare Saint Lazare in Paris 
2. By bus, leaving from Porte Maillot
3. By car, taking the A13.

How to get around Rouen by train?

I start with the simplest solution, the train.

If you come from Paris, the train is the most pleasant and financially inexpensive solution.

Plus, you’ll arrive in the heart of the city and you should be just steps from your hotel or Airbnb reservation.

Here is the link to the SNCF website where you can now book your ticket.

A little advice is to take a direct ticket Paris – Rouen to save 20 to 30 minutes during your trip.

How to get around Rouen by bus?

You have limited finances and you are looking to reduce the cost of your trip as much as possible.

For that, you can take the bus from Porte Maillot which will bring you to Rouen. The advantage is that you can find tickets for 5 euros.

To get to Porte Maillot, the easiest way is to take line 1 towards La Défense and stop at Porte Maillot station. You can book a ticket now here or here.

How to get around in Rouen by car?

If you are by car then you can come to Rouen without any problem with the A13 motorway which will allow you to reach the capital of Normandy.

Know that from Paris, you can count 1h30 of journey. Avoid Friday at 6.30 p.m. to avoid traffic jams. If you can leave a little earlier in the afternoon, you will avoid spending 2 hours or more in the car.

Finally, when you arrive in Rouen if you don’t know where to park your car. I invite you to consult our mini guide where we list the best car parks in Rouen.

Last information, once in Rouen, you will not need your car.

The metro and walking are your best allies for exploring the city in peace.

You are looking for a private Tour in Rouen ? Discover our Tour of Rouen.

How to get around in Rouen by ferry?

Ferry to Normandy
Ferries from the UK run to three Normandy ports all close to Rouen: Caen, Caen and Le Havre

From Le Havre

Either a taxi transfer to Rouen or a « navette » or taxi to Le Havre train station and then train to Rouen.

The costs are are : transfer by between the port and station is free by the « navette » and approximately 10€ – 15€ by taxi.

A single second class ticket is around 20 € but can be cheaper when booked online in advance.

From Calais

Either by taxi transfer or by regular train via Paris (Calais to Paris is around 40-60€) unless you travel through London and take the Eurostar direct to Paris and then follow instructions as from Paris.

From Dieppe

Either by taxi or by train to Rouen

A single second class starts at 12.20 €.

A taxi between Dieppe and Rouen is about 160 € depending on the time of day or night.

At Rouen station

We ask our families to meet students arriving by train at the station.

So, when you arrive in Rouen you should take the escalator upstairs and your family will be waiting there to meet you holding either a French in Normandy red bag or a card with your name on it.

What are the travel restrictions in Rouen?

Is it compulsory to practice social distancing in Rouen?