Fancy a change of sc enery and a trip to the seaside? If you can afford it, take the car or the train and enjoy the waves this summer, less than three hours from the capital. Here are a few beaches where you won't be as cramped as at Paris Plages, when swimming pools are on strike in Paris. In the Somme, Seine-Maritime or Pas de Calais, you can even make the round trip to the sea in a day, for those in a hurry!
Honfleur is the closest seaside town to Paris by road, with its Butin beach, a 15-minute walk from the historic center, where you'll find a museum and France's largest wooden church. By car, you can reach in around 2 hours via the A13 freeway (185 km), and in around 3 hours by train from Saint-Lazare, with a bus connection to Le Havre.
Dieppe's 2km-long beach is framed by the harbor and the chalk cliffs. It's France's very first seaside resort, where you'll find a castle on the cliff, which houses the municipal museum. It takes 2 hours 20 minutes on the A13 freeway (194 km), and exactly the same time by train from Saint-Lazare, with a TER connection at Rouen.
A must-see, Deauville beach is recognizable for its homage to the cinema, with Art Deco cabins and boardwalks that pay tribute to the great names of the 7th art. A little further afield, Trouville is also appreciated for its fishing port and picturesque houses. It takes 2h15 on the A13 freeway (200 km) and 2h10 by train from Gare Saint-Lazare, this time direct.
Close to Le Havre, Etretat's trails are often more sought-after than its pebble beach, to reach the emblematic cliffs. The town is also home to Clos Lupin, the lair of Arsène Lupin and his author Maurice Leblanc. A pleasant spot accessible in 2h30 via the A13 freeway (210 km) and in 3h with the same train as above, and a bus connection in Le Havre.
This seaside resort is home to Le Grand Hôtel and a casino. The 4km-long beach is ideal for families, with numerous children's beach clubs. It takes 2 hours 20 minutes by car on the A13 freeway (218 km) and 2 hours 55 minutes by train with a TER connection at Deauville-Trouville.
The Bay of the Somme is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, with vast stretches of sand home to seals all year round. Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery-sur-Somme are the two main towns for swimming. They can be reached in 2 hours 20 minutes via the A16 freeway (225 km) and in 1 hour 42 minutes by TER train from Gare du Nord to Noyelles-sur-Mer, where you can take a tourist steam train.
The Côte d'Opale is a far cry from the urban beaches of Paris. In Le Touquet, you'll find golf, tennis, sand yachting and horseback riding, as well as a huge 11 km beach of sand and dunes. It takes two and a half hours on the A16 freeway (258 km) and 2h10 by TER.
And for a closer look:
Beaches, swimming and water games in Paris and the Ile-de-France region for this summer 2024, the good tips
Where to splash about in Paris and the Ile-de-France region? Beaches, swimming spots and water games: we've rounded up the best places to cool off this summer. [Read more]
Beaches, swimming and water games in Paris and the Ile-de-France region for this summer 2024, the good tips
