A desire to see the sea, to walk on the sand or to breathe the sea air?
Located less than 200 km from Paris, the Atlantic coast can be reached in just over two hours by car.
In Normandy and Hauts-de-France, we have ranked seaside resorts according to the minimum distance by road, with the alternative route by train.
To discover
Stays in France: weekends, hotels and tailor-made stays from our partners
The mileage and duration of journeys by car are those indicated by Google Maps for departures from Paris on weekends (Friday evening or Saturday morning) under normal traffic conditions.
Obviously, traffic jams, inevitable a fortiori when leaving the capital, are likely to lengthen the journey.
In periods of high departures, it is advisable to consult the traffic forecasts of Bison Futé.
For the train, we indicate the best travel time as indicated on the SNCF Connect site.
Read alsoLeaving for the weekend in Deauville without traffic jams: we tested “La Seine à Vélo”
Honfleur (Calvados, Normandy)
Le Vieux Bassin, in the historic heart of Honfleur.
Honfleur Tourist Office
Located at the mouth of the Seine and connected to Le Havre by the Normandy bridge, Honfleur is the closest seaside resort to Paris by road.
Around the Vieux Bassin are lined up tall, narrow houses typical of the region.
In the middle of the alleys of the historic center is the Eugène Boudin museum, a native painter of the city who contributed to the emergence of Impressionism in the region.
Another point of interest: Sainte-Catherine, the largest church in France built in wood with a separate bell tower.
Butin
beach
, a fifteen-minute walk from the historic center, is served by the coastal road from Honfleur to Trouville (D513).
By car:
between two and three hours via the A13 motorway (185 km).
And by train?
In 3 hours by Nomad train from Paris Saint-Lazare, with a connection by Nomad bus to Le Havre (lines 20 or 39) or Deauville-Trouville (line 20).
Read alsoDeauville, Trouville or Honfleur: what to do with the family in Normandy in summer?
Dieppe (Seine-Maritime, Normandy)
Dieppe beach is the closest to Paris by road.
ARNAUD ROBIN / Le Figaro Magazine
Almost two kilometers long, Dieppe beach is framed by the harbor on one side and the chalk cliffs on the other.
First seaside resort in France, founded in 1824 in full fashion of "sea bathing", Dieppe is also the first French port for scallops.
To enjoy the panorama, climb up to the castle perched on the cliff where the municipal museum is located.
In September, don't miss the international kite festival on the beach.
By car:
between two and three hours via the A13 motorway (194 km).
And by train?
In 2h20 by Nomad train from Paris Saint-Lazare with connection by TER in Rouen.
If you have time:
by bike, the Avenue verte London-Paris allows you to reach Dieppe in about four days from Paris (239 km).
Read alsoOur addresses in Dieppe, the conqueror
Deauville / Trouville (Calvados, Normandy)
In Deauville, the boardwalk and its beach huts.
Arnaud Robin / Le Figaro Magazine
By train or car, Deauville beach (Calvados) can be reached in less than two and a half hours.
Two kilometers long, it is recognizable by its Art Deco cabins and its "Boards" which pay homage to the big names in cinema.
On the other side of the Touques, Trouville owes its charm to its fishing port and its picturesque fishermen's houses.
By car:
between two and three hours via the A13 motorway (200 km).
And by train?
In 2h10 by Nomad train from Saint-Lazare station.
If you have (a lot of) time:
the La Seine à vélo cycle route allows you to reach Deauville in about five days from Paris (418 km) or in three days from Rouen (190 km).
Read alsoTwo days in Deauville/Trouville, hedonistic stroll along the water
Étretat (Seine-Maritime, Normandy)
About thirty kilometers from Le Havre, Étretat attracts more by its landscapes than by its beach.
Trails allow you to venture onto the emblematic cliffs that surround the pebble beach on either side.
Paddleboarding is the best way to approach the Porte d'Aval for which the site is famous.
An arch of white chalk that the writer Guy de Maupassant compares to a “
huge elephant sinking its trunk into the waves
”.
To visit a few minutes from the beach: the Clos Lupin, haunt of Arsène Lupin and his author Maurice Leblanc.
By car:
between 2h20 and 3h20 by the A13 motorway (210 km).
And by train?
In three hours by Nomad train from Saint-Lazare station with a connection by bus (line 24) to Le Havre.
Read alsoTen charming hotels for a breath of fresh air in Normandy
Cabourg (Calvados, Normandy)
The beach in front of the Grand Hôtel de Cabourg.
Hélène Bamberger / Le Figaro Magazine
“
Having learned that there was a hotel in Cabourg, the most comfortable on the whole coast, I went there.
Since I've been here, I've been able to get up and go out every day, which hasn't happened to me for six years
": if the writer Marcel Proust was particularly fond of this seaside resort on the Côte Fleurie, it's always case of travelers a century later.
The Grand Hotel, but also the casino and the blue tent parasols placed on the sand, are among the must-sees in Cabourg.
Four kilometers long, the beach is ideal for families thanks to the many children's beach clubs.
By car:
between 2h10 and three hours by the A13 motorway (218 km).
And by train?
In 2h55 by Nomad train from Saint-Lazare station with connection by TER to Deauville-Trouville.
Read alsoNormandy: the five most beautiful beaches of the Côte Fleurie and the Côte de Nacre
Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery-sur-Somme (Somme, Hauts-de-France)
The Baie de Somme is home to the largest seal colony in France.
PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP
One of the most beautiful bays in the world, two hours from Paris and Lille.
When you get off the TER at Noyelles-sur-Mer station, take the Chemin de fer de la baie de Somme, a tourist steam train that takes you to Le Crotoy and Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, the two main towns of the bay labeled Grand Site de France.
The expanses of sand are ideal terrain for sand yachting, kitesurfing and horseback riding.
And a place particularly appreciated by seals that walkers can see from afar throughout the year.
By car:
between 2h10 and 3h10 by the A16 motorway (225 km).
And by train?
In 1h42 by TER from Paris Nord to Noyelles-sur-Mer, then Chemins de fer de la baie de Somme (25 minutes).
Read alsoFrom the Bay of Somme to the Château de Chantilly, Hauts-de-France in twelve unmissable sites
Berck-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France)
The kite is part of the identity of Berck-sur-Mer, which hosts international kite meetings every year.
PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP
Fine sand and dunes as far as the eye can see.
12 km long, Berck beach is located in the bay of Authie, the little sister of the bay of the Somme, where gray seals and sea calves have taken up residence.
The constant wind makes it a privileged place for sand yachting, kitesurfing and kite flying.
The seaside resort also hosts international kite meetings every year.
By car:
between 2h10 and 3h10 by the A16 motorway (246 km).
And by train?
In 2 hours by TER from Paris Nord to Rang-du-Fliers - Verton - Berck station, then bus 514 (15 minutes).
Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France)
Le Touquet, sometimes nicknamed the "Nice of the North", has nothing to envy to its southern cousin.
Le Touquet - Paris-Plage Tourist Office
Sport, nature, well-being... Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (Pas-de-Calais), on the Côte d'Opale, has everything to offer.
In terms of sport, the seaside resort is a mecca for golf, tennis, sand yachting and horse riding.
Its beach, an 11 km stretch of sand and dune space bordered by a pine forest, is ideal for family outings, on foot or by bike.
To relax, choose to stay at the emblematic Westminster hotel, renovated last September and equipped with a Nuxe spa.
By car:
between 2h30 and 3h20 by car via the A16 motorway (258 km).
And by train?
In 2h10 by TER or in 2h45 by TGV inOui from Paris Nord to Étaples-Le Touquet station, then shuttle (20 minutes).
Read alsoLe Touquet-Paris-Plage, seaside resort in XXL version
Published in May 2021, this article is subject to updates
