A route through the uncharted north of France - from Lille to Le Mon-Saint-Michel

In fact, my first trip to France was just to Paris - a city undoubtedly beautiful, but which is clearly not enough for a complete acquaintance with the country. Therefore, two years ago, a plan was made to visit a French province, which was Normandy.

Then, because of lack of time, I chose a one-day excursion to this apple region and visited only three memorable cities: Rouen with its incredible cathedral, the fishing town of Honfleur and luxurious Deauville with beaches where Coco Chanel introduced the fashion for bathing. I finally fell in love with the birthplace of Impressionism and was determined to return in the future for a longer period.

The return took place this summer in the context of an extensive trip that included Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and two regions of France, Nord-pas-de-Calais and Normandy. The itinerary included Lille, Le Havre and Mont Saint-Michel, which I will tell you about.

Lille

Lille is the capital of the northernmost region, where I traveled from Amsterdam.

How to get there?

A Megabus ticket cost €1.50 and was bought three months before the departure date - that's how long it takes for Megabus to post new tickets every day for all destinations, but only the first ones are cheap, so you have to time it right. You can get from Paris and from Brussels on buses of the same company. The standard ticket price is €10-15.

Where to stay?

All my trip was organized through kauchsurfing, so I didn't have to pay for accommodation. And as an alternative budget option - you can rent an apartment. Prices start from €21 for a room in an apartment and from €37 for an apartment. The cheapest bed in a hostel will also cost about €21, and a double room in a cheap hotel - €28 per night.

What surprised me?

The first thing that pleases in Lille is the absence of tourists, if there were any, they were most likely French-speaking. All in all, you'll feel like a pioneer! The Belgian influence is also evident, both in the language and the cuisine.

To understand what the French themselves think of their northern compatriots, I highly recommend the movie "Beauvre la vie". It's about their funny accent with a mixture of Dutch, and their love for the peculiarly smelling Maroille cheese.

In Lille even the main square is called Grand Place, like in Brussels, and wine is preferred to beer. A few times I was grabbed by locals on the street and warned about pickpockets, but luckily I never met one.

What to see?

You can start exploring the city from the main square, where the most beautiful building is located - the Old Bourse in the Flemish Renaissance style, not far from it is the Town Hall and the military citadel.

As in all ancient cities, Lille has a palace - the former residence of the Dukes of Burgundy of the XV century called Rioure. Connoisseurs of art can recommend the Palace of Fine Arts, but those interested in history can visit the House Museum of Charles de Gaulle, the first president of the Fifth Republic and leader of the French Resistance in World War II.

My advice to those who come to Lille: just get lost among the narrow streets of the city; pay attention to the colorful shutters and doors like works of art. Ask for directions from the locals - you may not understand the answer (in all the provincial towns, few people have heard of English), but you will enjoy the melody of the language. And treat yourself to a glass of wine on the terrace of one of the establishments where the local crowd usually dines.

Le Havre - Cliffs of Etretat

How to get there?

There is no direct train or bus from Lille to Le Havre, so I opted for an alternative option - Blablacar. This was my first experience of traveling via this service and expectations were met. At 140 km/hour we reached our destination in just 2.5 hours. The cost of the trip was €20.

I want to warn you that the French site Blablacar, unlike the Ukrainian one, uses full prepayment by card, and if you mistakenly paid or the driver canceled the trip, the money will be returned to you only in a month. The scheme of receiving money by the driver is also not simple: when you paid by card, you receive an SMS with a secret code on your phone, which, if the trip was successful, you tell the driver, and he thanks to it already receives payment.

If you are still afraid to go with a stranger by car, there is a TGV train with a change in Rouen, but the trip will take you 4 hours and will cost from €30. There is a direct train from Paris to Le Havre which will take you 2 hours and cost from €20.

Where to stay.

This time, I used couchsurfing again, and it was the best experience I've had in all my travels! And here's why: Tom's landlord is a pilot, and to keep his skills sharp, he takes flights several times a month. The weekend that our visit fell on was a time for him to practice flying over the cliffs of Etretat. So we were on board a private plane and spent half an hour looking at the incredible scenery of the Channel coast from a bird's eye view.

Prices for apartments start from €25, for hotel rooms from €30. As for accommodation in the town of Etretat, the prices are higher due to the proximity of the tourist destination: for example, a room in an apartment costs from €40, a hotel room from €53.

What to see?

The port city of Le Havre was almost completely destroyed in World War II, so the Soviet Constructivist architecture is unlikely to please you much.

There is, however, one notable church, St. Joseph's, which rises above the city like a skyscraper. The new building of the theater "Center Vulcan", which is built in the form of a real volcano, makes the city even more cosmic. And if you're a fan of Impressionism, the second largest collection in the world is housed at the Molyraux Museum in Le Havre.

My advice to you is not to stay long in the city and go to see the cliffs of Etretat, as if they had just come from Monet's paintings. The town of the same name is located 30 kilometers from Le Havre and can be reached by bus #24 departing from the station. Buses run quite infrequently, so it is better to check the schedule on the website of the Etretat tourist office.

Etretat has been a longtime dream of mine ever since I saw a Monet painting. Chalky cliffs contrasting with emerald greenery and washed by the turquoise waters of the English Channel. Three cliffs and bizarre arches, at every turn of the path over the abyss all trying to capture the incredible scenery. And I managed to fly over all this beauty!

I highly recommend going down to the pebble beaches and having a picnic, because Normandy is the land of the three C's: Cidre, Camembert and Calvados. I also recommend trying mussels or oysters, feeding the cheeky seagulls on the waterfront and checking out the cute half-timbered houses.

Mont Saint-Michel

How to get there.

The way to Mont Saint-Michel Abbey from Le Havre is not easy, I took three buses and two trains to get there. From Le Havre by bus #20 to Cannes, from there by train to Pontorson, then by shuttle to the abbey. Back on the same bus to Pontorson, then a train to Rennes. These transfers cost about €56 and took half a day. After spending the night in Rennes, we took the TGV train to Paris. The ticket cost €20 if purchased 3 months in advance, while the usual average price is around €60. The railroad in France is owned by monopolists, so the prices are correspondingly high.

Where to stay?

There are quite a few guesthouses along the way from Pontorson to the abbey itself, with prices starting at €40, but if you want to see Mont Saint-Michel turning into an island at high tide, you can stay in one of the five local hotels with the cheapest room at €104. And to be honest, a few hours is enough time to explore, and it's not at all necessary to look for an overnight stay there.

What to see.

"A pyramid in the ocean" is what Victor Hugo called the Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel. It is the main attraction of the island. During its history, which began in the VIII century, the abbey managed to be a fortress, a monastery, and even a prison.

Now the whole island consists of one street with houses of XV-XVI centuries, turned into hotels and restaurants. The island is insanely touristy, and it is not surprising, because by the number of tourists Mont Saint-Michel is second only to the Eiffel Tower.

You can rest from the crowds of visitors only in the evening, when according to the tide schedule the isthmus of the causeway is covered with water. The exact tide schedule can be seen on the website of the Abbey's tourist center. But I will tell you a secret - completely Mont Saint-Michel becomes an island only for a few days a year, during the fall and spring tides, in summer it is impossible to see it.

From afar, the island looks like a fairy tale castle, and to me, that's its best view, because beyond that, emptiness awaits you, both literally and figuratively. Inside the abbey, there are hardly any historic buildings and artwork preserved, so the commercial chaos tries to make up for it with millions of magnets and postcards.

While contemplating the view from the top of the spire I noticed groups of tourists walking along the sand from the previously flooded shore, I think the view is pretty impressive from there too. In general, I still advise everyone to see this eighth wonder of the world at least once, but remember that the best view of Mont Saint-Michel is from afar. And be careful that Chinese tourists don't throw you off the causeway :)

You can read more about the northern part of France and Natalia's other equally interesting travels on her blog!