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 this summer 2023, the good deals
Beaches with authorized swimming exist in Paris and Ile de France. Sortiraparis can help you find the beach, lake or pool that will satisfy your need to cool off and relax this summer of 2023. When Paris and its region become a seaside resort... [Read more]
Beaches, swimming and water games in Paris and the Ile-de-France region this summer 2023, the good deals
