# Help re Rouen required



## LisaB (Apr 24, 2009)

Help guys - my parents have decided to take the plunge and hire a van (to see if they like it) They are off Mid August for a week and would like to go to Rouen. (This of course could be creating a monster! lol)

a. do you think the drive into Rouen city would be too traumatic for newbies? and
b. is there an aire or municipal in Rouen itself?

Camperstop says there is an aire on the quayside between 2 bridges - any opinions welcomed! :lol: :lol:


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

I never seem to have problems with Rouen but it could maybe be a bit daunting for a first time visit in an unfamiliar van, only they will know the answer to that.

There is an aire de stationement in Rouen between the 2 bridges but there are no facilities, just somewhere to stay the night.

There are a few on the outskirts with facilities, the closest one being at Oissel but only has 2 spaces.

Both are in the database, you could also look at the interactive map which will show the others in the vicinity.

Sorry, don't know about campsites.

Pete


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

They also use that area of Rouen for the fairground !! As I found out last year when we tried to locate that Aire / parking place, ... 
So check first..
There is a campsite just south of Rouen at Pont de la Arche, not used it, but looking at google maps it appears to have a railway very close (1km).. Maybe stay there and bus/train into Rouen..

Campsite link... found it !!


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## BwB (Dec 5, 2009)

You think your parents might be on the road to Rouen?

Har! Sorry couldn't let that old one by without a comment.

Sorry. 

However, some of the outskirts of the town are quite industrial with lots of roundabouts/trafficlights which can be a bit of a drag, but not difficult. Most of the main roads lead to the centre and it's just a case of sticking on them. They shouldn't have a problem. Well signposted too.

Never stayed there though so can't help with campsites.


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## jarcadia (May 1, 2005)

There is a lovely aire at Mailleraye sur Seine, just outside Rouen.


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## bozzer (Jul 22, 2009)

We've sorted our route around Rouen and don't have a problem however we don't go into the city.

BUT we met a lovely couple last year whilst touring in France and when we mentioned Rouen they looked horrified and proceeded to show us a newspaper article of their Motorhome stuck in an underpass on the main road through Rouen. In heavy rain and following Tomtom they got into the wrong lane and went down the underpass - it didn't take off the whole roof just anything such as rooflights, Heki, TV aerial etc. They were stuck and the Pompiers had to extract them.

So please tell your parents to beware of the Rouen underpass and there are a number of these.

Jan


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Isnt there a dodgey low bridge on one of the main roads? I seem to remember seeing it at the last minute.

the Aire by the river is just a big car park. We stopped there for 20 Minutes. Not my cup of tea, very noisy but some might like it.

Apart from the bridge it was easy to navigate through


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

barryd said:


> Isnt there a dodgey low bridge on one of the main roads? I seem to remember seeing it at the last minute.
> 
> the Aire by the river is just a big car park. We stopped there for 20 Minutes. Not my cup of tea, very noisy but some might like it.
> 
> Apart from the bridge it was easy to navigate through


Hi rer the underpass at Rouen (we nearly had a MH cabriolet) here is just one of the topics on it.
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-74410-0.html


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Due to me losing concentration I managed to drive across one of the bridges three times. Problem was a road with six lanes!! Of course I was in the right hand lane and wanted to be in the left hand lane.

So to solve the problem I had to keep going round in circles and let centrifugal force take over until I could exit from the left hand lane.

Certainly wouldn't recommend it to the faint-hearted 8O .

Apart from that and needing multiple sets of eyes Rouen is not as bad as it first appears, as it rises menacing and broodin.... oops! No really its er....umm ok..... :?


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## brianamelia (Mar 17, 2008)

*reply*

if its there first time why not send them on a nice campsite it maybe more enjoyable for them
Bri


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

BwB said:


> You think your parents might be on the road to Rouen?


TERRIBLE. :lol:

Rouen in my experience is just a city with roads, a nice river, and aires/sites nearby. Tee only note of caution I would offer is to be careful with the underpass height restriction. The Tunnel de grand mere is great though.

Dougie.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Send them to Brittany via a first stop at the Normandy landing beaches. Brittany is really easy to get around, millions of lovely free aires and fab beaches and lovely towns and no toll roads to worry about.


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

LisaB said:


> Help guys - my parents have decided to take the plunge and hire a van (to see if they like it) They are off Mid August for a week and would like to go to Rouen. (This of course could be creating a monster! lol)
> 
> a. do you think the drive into Rouen city would be too traumatic for newbies? and
> b. is there an aire or municipal in Rouen itself?
> ...


We have stayed on the aire at Montville about 15 miles NNW of Rouen.
It's in the middle of the town and there is access by train to Rouen.


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## quartet (Jul 9, 2006)

*rouen*

http://www.francecamping.com/camping-fiche.php?id=4550&region=Normandie

deville des rouen

On a bus route not far out of the city


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## cynigy (Mar 19, 2007)

To add my two penn'orth, I would have to say that Rouen is not for the faint-hearted, or the first-timer. It's enough to put you off for life. Don't get me wrong, lovely city etc but if you're just 'trying it out to see if you like it' (motorhoming, that is), the Rouen experience won't encourage you to continue. Try somewhere smaller and quieter for now, then work up to it.

Having said that, it's perfectly do-able if you can keep your head (and roof!), and the aire at Ouissel is fine if you get there early enough to bag one of the two spaces (and if you can find it in the first place - it took us two goes). There are also a few motorhome-size parking spaces a couple of hundred yards away on the riverside road if the aire spaces are taken.

La Mailleraye is lovely, but not close enough to Rouen to be useful as a base. Great as a back-up plan though, if like us you find Rouen just too much of a hassle the first time around.

Good luck.


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## leseduts (Jun 3, 2008)

Has anyone stayed at the municipal site at Devilles les Rouen, and if so what is it like please. As it is open all year it could be a handy stopover on our way home in Winter.


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## jd_boss_hogg (Aug 26, 2009)

Done Exreux and Chartres, but not Rouen. I suppose it depends on where you are coming back from (and heading to) and what times the ferries are etc

Chartres was a nice site - clean, cheap and a towpath ride/walk away from the city centre. Would be a good stopover if your coming from south france and was catching the late afternoon Le Havre crossing.


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## inkey-2008 (May 24, 2008)

There is a Station at Forges-les-Eaux and an Aires that would get you to Rouen. And I think there is a campsite. NE of Rouen of the free moterway junction 12.

Andy


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## quartet (Jul 9, 2006)

*deville*

I stayed at the deville site loads of times in the 1980's
Obviously it could have changed a lot it was a very basic but clean municipal site but it's position is pretty ideal for visiting the city 
Barry


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Rouen*

Very easy, been through the centre many times with 8m motorhome.


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## Murano (Mar 22, 2006)

I stayed at the Municipal site at Deville des Rouen about two years ago, very basic and could do with a lot of modernisation, and was also pretty crowded. OK for a night but not a long stay, and beware the bump to get onto the pitch.
Very handy (about 100yds) for the bus.


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## framptoncottrell (Jan 6, 2006)

The municipal site in Rouen was closed in April for building works, despite the website saying that it was open.
We went to the municipal campsite in Pont d'Arche which is lovely. It's close to shops and restaurants.
They are slowly upgrading the hook-ups - when we were there half were Euro sockets with 10amps or more. The other half were French sockets with 6 amps.
The 'guardien' is not in residence so you drive in, find a pitch and wait for him to appear sometime in the evening. The office is open and manned in the morning.
There is a reasonable bus service from Pont d'Arche to the centre of Rouen. It's just a bit tricky finding the bus stop - the locals know where it is but the street signs that allegedly point to it are wrong.
I concur with everything that people have said about the height clearance of the ring road underpasses.

Dr (musical, not medical) Roy


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

framptoncottrell said:


> The municipal site in Rouen was closed in April for building works, despite the website saying that it was open.
> We went to the municipal campsite in Pont d'Arche which is lovely. It's close to shops and restaurants.
> They are slowly upgrading the hook-ups - when we were there half were Euro sockets with 10amps or more. The other half were French sockets with 6 amps.
> The 'guardien' is not in residence so you drive in, find a pitch and wait for him to appear sometime in the evening. The office is open and manned in the morning.
> ...


Interesting.
(Not being pedantic but I think you probably mean Pont de L'Arche. Please correct me if I'm wrong.)
We cross that bridge regularly and wondered about that campsite.
Thought at one time that motorhomes were overnighting on the riverbank parking a few hundred metres from the bridge.

http://www.pontdelarche.fr/DetailElement.aspx?numStructure=38765&numElement=44359&numRubrique=514884

Open early April to late October makes it very useful to us as many campsites are closed in October including the one in Saint-Remy-sur-Avre near Nonancourt we've used in the past when returning in September.


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## teljoy (Jul 4, 2005)

autostratus said:


> framptoncottrell said:
> 
> 
> > The municipal site in Rouen was closed in April for building works, despite the website saying that it was open.
> ...


We stayed at Pont de L'Arche last month for a couple of days on the way back to Calais. As mentioned it is a lovely site , well maintained with good facilities. We parked up facing the river with a good view and found it to be a very quiet and peaceful site. The Abbey opposite is also worth a look.

Terry


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## framptoncottrell (Jan 6, 2006)

autostratus said:


> Not being pedantic but I think you probably mean Pont de L'Arche.


As one pedant to another, I now discover that it is Pont-de-l'Arche. :roll: :roll: 
The pitches furthest from the entrance are the ones with the Euro connectors and the pitches on the right have the best view of the river. There is also an aire outside the entrance, but I couldn't see any bornes/facilities.

Dr (musical, not medical) Roy


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## leseduts (Jun 3, 2008)

We have stayed at Pont de L'Arche, and it is a lovely spot, but not open all year. We have parked on the car park outside the gates in mid winter, but were a bit disturbed by the kids trying to get their cars to spin on the ice in the car park, also gypsies were parked at the far end.


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