Driving through Rouen

[Chesnutsroastingnow]

We have to drive from Bayeux to Beauvais airport this week. Route takes us directly through Rouen. There does not seem to be a ring road. Anyone driven there know how likely we are to get stuck? Notwithstanding that it does look like a nice place to stop for lunch. So any feedback welcome from anyone who has need to drive through? Have to be at Beauvais to catch flight so worried about delays.

You need the critical air sticker to drive through Rouen, I believe

and if it’s a Friday then definitely get stuck

thete isn’t a ring road

mirorway both sides but you have to go through the city to get over the other side - though not directly through the center

What do you mean by get stuck?

Rouen is a lovely place to stop. We stopped there one year on our way home from Normandie; visited the cathedral, Joan of Arc and had lunch, The market is awesome. Some parts of the old town are a dead ringer for Hogwarts.

We found it easy enough to drive in, get parked and drive out again.

As other poster said, check the Crit Air status, as I think you’ll need the sticker.

Thanks. Will check the car now for sticker. It’s a rental hybrid so hopefully.
id love some time to look around, by stuck I guess I was wondering if it’s a place likely to be clogged up with traffic that might delay us.

If you don't want to stop and walk around the city centre there is a route around to the east of the city but I always found it harder to navigate going south rather than north for some reason.

Rental company should provide any Crit’Air. Since rental cars are normally quite new, it would be compatible but I’m sure it’s something they should be doing.
If you were taking your own car, you have to provide V5C info which wont be available for a rental.

Hopefully it's not tomorrow as you're likely to get stuck in a lot of Le Mans-related traffic! Rouen can be a nightmare but it sounds like you're avoiding the rush hour so you should be OK.

It depends what time of day. If very early in the morning, before 7.30 or in the evening, after 8, you will sail through. Otherwise, build in 60 to 90 minutes. Much like other bigger towns, roadworks, temporary traffic lights, etc, are frequent.

You can avoid Rouen by staying on the A13 until Heudebouville.

Never had any problems driving through Rouen. It is indeed a lovely city and merits a stop if you have time.

It’s tomorrow 😟

In that case, leave extra extra early and don't stop for lunch! Likely to be alot of traffic heading back to Caen, Le Havre, Dieppe and Calais...

Coming back to say we had
no problems driving through. Nice stop for lunch and visit to the cathedral too !

I agree with everyone saying Rouen is great place to visit: it's architecturally and historically superb. No idea about driving through/round it, tho.

BUT, if you're going to Beauvais Airport, do stop off in Beauvais and visit the (remaining bits) of the Gothic cathedral. It is completely, wonderfully, spectacularly atmospheric and amazing.

"highest Gothic choir in the world… From 1569 to 1573 the cathedral of Beauvais was, with its tower of 153 m (502 ft), the highest human construction of the world... Victim of two collapses, one in the 13th century, the other in the 16th century, it remains unfinished today"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauvais_Cathedral

Great stuff! Glad you had a good trip, OP.