Honfleur from Rouen

Everything starts at the Vieux Bassin, the busiest spot in Honfleur. In the morning, the sun lights up the façades of the quai Sainte-Catherine. In the evening, the lights of the houses are reflected in the water.

At the entrance to the harbour, the Lieutenance is the last piece of the port's ramparts, which stood until the end of the seventeenth century. It houses a centre on the town's maritime history, and its terraces give a 360° view over the harbour.

A little higher up, the Sainte-Catherine church is built of wood, with a bell tower standing apart to limit the risk of fire if lightning strikes. If you've got good legs, a 2.5 km walking loop starts at the Vieux Bassin and climbs up to the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce chapel, with views over the estuary and the pont de Normandie.

The Vieux Bassin

The historic harbour lined with tall, narrow houses, best seen in the morning or at dusk. Free access.

The Lieutenance

The oldest building in town, with an interpretation centre on the history of the harbour and panoramic terraces. €7 (reduced €6, free for under-16s).

Sainte-Catherine church

A wooden church from the second half of the fifteenth century, listed as a historic monument, with its separate bell tower.

Eugène-Boudin Museum

Paintings by the artists who passed through Honfleur, including Boudin, Courbet, Monet, Jongkind and Dufy, with 92 works by Boudin. €9 (reduced €7, free for under-16s).

Maisons Satie

A sound trail with headphones through the world of the composer Erik Satie, born in Honfleur.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce chapel

The sailors' chapel on the côte de Grâce, filled with ex-votos, at the end of a 2.5 km walking loop from the Vieux Bassin. Free access.

Honfleur on the map

Tap a point to see its name. Base map © OpenStreetMap, Protomaps.

Getting there from Rouen

By train

Direct Nomad train from Rouen to Le Havre: 45 min on the fastest service, 23 trains a day, first departure around 6:07 and last around 23:05.

Then by coach

Nomad express coach line 122 (Le Havre - Caen) from the Le Havre Gare Routière stop to Honfleur Gare Routière: about 30 min. The line runs all year round, 7 days out of 7, bank holidays included, except 1 May, with 4 or 5 return trips a day (5 to 6 from May to October).

Coach times

On the current timetable, the first coach leaves Le Havre at 7:10 Monday to Friday and at 9:30 on Sundays. The last return leaves Honfleur at 19:24 Monday to Saturday and at 19:59 on Sundays and bank holidays.

Coach fare

Le Havre - Honfleur costs €3 per journey with a Nomad single ticket (2 zones), sold on board, on the Atoumod app or via Fairtiq. The line 122 coach ticket sold with the train on SNCF Connect is a more expensive flat fare.

Top tip

The Pass Normandie Découverte covers 2 people for unlimited travel over 2 days by Nomad train or coach in Normandy: €20 at the weekend, €35 for 2 consecutive weekdays.

Prices and opening hours

Prices

The town is free to explore. Lieutenance: €7 (reduced €6). Eugène-Boudin Museum: €9 (reduced €7). Free entry to these museums for under-16s. Pass Duo €12 for 2 sites of your choice, Multi-Pass €18 for all the town's museums.

Opening hours

Town open to all, all year round. Sainte-Catherine church: every day 9:00 to 19:00. Notre-Dame-de-Grâce chapel: every day 9:30 to 17:30. Eugène-Boudin Museum: 10:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:30 from October to March, until 18:00 from April to September, closed on Tuesdays and from the end of the Christmas holidays to 31 January. Lieutenance: from November to March, Friday afternoons and weekends; from April to early November, Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00.

Prices and times can change: check the official website before you go.

Top tips

• Wear flat shoes: the tourist office warns that the cobbled streets of the old town don't go well with heels.
• If you want to see at least two museums, get the Pass Duo (€12) or the Multi-Pass (€18) rather than separate tickets.
• Honfleur's museums close every year from the end of the Christmas holidays to 31 January. The Eugène-Boudin Museum and the Maisons Satie are also closed on Tuesdays, the Vieux Honfleur museums on Mondays.
• Check the time of the last coach before you set off: there's no train station in Honfleur, so the only way back to Le Havre is by coach.

Flying into Beauvais airport?

The Busmandy shuttle, official partner of Beauvais airport, takes you to Rouen by direct coach, in 1 h 40, from €23.90. You arrive at the Busmandy stop, halte de Champlain (see on Google Maps), about 10 min walk from the centre: base yourself in Rouen and visit Honfleur as a day trip.

Frequently asked questions