The drive along autoroute A13 is also the most beautiful to enjoy many stops along the way. Park Naturel Regional du Vexin francais is about one hour from Paris on the autoroute A15. The park offers forests, meadows, rivers, charming villages, and more than 497 miles of walking trails. Another stop along the main A13 route to Deauville is Parc naturel regional des Boucles de la Seine Normande that site on the Seine River. This park offers 746 miles of hiking trails, as well as historical castles, forests, swamps, and a 16th century farmhouse that serves as the information center.

Deauville and Trouville-sur-Mer are two of the prettiest towns in Normandy. Inhabited since time immemorial, situated side by side, and featuring plenty of fun and interesting activities for visitors, even if you’re short on time you’re guaranteed to enjoy a simple day trip from Paris to Deauville.

Trouville-sur-Mer and Deauville border one another across the Côte Fleurie, they are two completely separate towns! Trouville-sur-Mer is often shortened to just ‘Trouville’ and is the older of the two. And while both towns offer their fair share of hotels, beaches, and boardwalks, Trouville is known to be laid back and relaxed, while Deauville offers all the charm and luxury of a glittering seaside resort.

The best weather in Deauville is from June through September. These months bring warm and comfortable temperatures. However, the peak tourist season is from June through August, so accommodations will prove to be more expensive. In September tourism slows down and it is also a nice time to catch the American Film Festival, one of the most popular in the country. Also, Deauville-Clairefontaine Racecourse just east of town features about 20 horse races from June through October.

Deauville, a chic and internationally known resort by the sea, is frequently referred to as the Parisian Riviera. There are things to do all year, such as relaxing on the golden sand beaches, visiting the historic hotels, shopping in the posh boutiques, or going to the world-famous casino. The town hosts annual events that are known around the world - a film festival, an antique car show, and two classical music festivals to name a few. Deauville is also a great starting point for traveling to the Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches located west of town.

Cuisine in Normandy celebrates the 3 main products of the region: dairy, seafood and apples, which are produced in the region’s rich pastures and farmlands.

Specialties from the sea include Dieppe sole and Normandy oysters, along with lobsters, scallops and shrimp on many menus of the region. Don’t miss the opportunity to sample Normandy’s world-famous cheeses: Camembert, Livarot, Pont l’Eveque and the heart-shaped Neufchatel. There is even a Route des Fromages that highlights the four cheeses through stops at museums, farms, towns and restaurants. The cheeses are often served as dessert and pair well with the ever-present apple-based beverages from the region, such as cider, perry, Calvados and Pommeau, made from local apples and pears.

Normandy is renowned for its variety of meats, from the delicate flavor of saltmarsh lamb to creamy chicken "à la Vallée d'Auge" and duck "à la Rouennaise".

Local desserts include "bourdelots" or "teurgoule", or such sweets as Isigny toffees or apple sugars from Rouen.

Given the elite audience that Deauville attracts, it’s no wonder that shopping for clothes and decor offers several high-end options. Various French names have shops situated together between the polo club and beach. Inspired by the clothes that she saw on the racecourses, golf courses, beach, and the yachts, Coco Chanel designed a range of casual, wearable clothing and opened her boutique here in 1913. With the outbreak of World War II, she closed the shop.

If you prefer antiques, visit the various shops such as The Bugatty Gallery for vintage decor and 20th-century decorations and Antiquité de la Touques for art, furniture, dolls, and other beautiful pieces. Les Caves De Deauville offers the famed apple products known to Normandy. Here you’ll find a wide variety of Calvados, an apple liqueur, plus sparkling and non-sparkling apple cider.

English may be spoken at your hotel and in the tourist areas, but not everywhere. We suggest you get a good English-French guidebook or app and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.

The currency of France is the Euro. US dollars are not accepted. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand or be prepared to exchange your dollars for euros upon arrival. Currency exchange desks can be found at the airports and train stations. For more detailed information, consult our guide to tipping in France by clicking here.

In an emergency dial 112 is the general emergency services number or 114 for hearing assistance.