Would you like to explore Normandy and wonder where to go: Honfleur or Etretat?
We love both destinations. The choice is difficult, but we’re here to help you with our opinions on specific criteria.
Here’s our Honfleur vs Etretat battle with tips and photos.
This guide is completely independent, based on our experiences. We visited the region anonymously, making our own choices and paying our bills in full.
Honfleur or Étretat: comparison summary
Short answer
Étretat is renowned for its stunning white chalk cliffs and pebble beach, making it a prime destination for breathtaking scenery and hiking.
Honfleur, meanwhile, offers a rich cultural heritage with its historic Vieux Bassin and charming streets.
Choose according to your preference for natural beauty or cultural exploration.
Attractions, museums and monuments
Attractions in Honfleur
Honfleur is rich in attractions, with a wide choice of activities:
- Stroll around the old basin with its narrow houses and old buildings
- Stroll through the old town with its half-timbered houses
- Search for beautiful works of art in the many galleries
- Visit museums: art (Eugène Boudin), ethnography, music (Maisons Satie)…
- Admire the wooden church
- Going to Butin beach
- Getting lost in the garden of personalities
- Admire the butterflies at Naturospace
- …
Find out more in our article on Honfleur’s top attractions.
Attractions in Étretat
Étretat is far less rich in museums and attractions; it’s nature and the cliffs that do the show!
- Admire the cliffs from the beach
- Climb the downstream cliff for the best views of the aiguille
- Climb to the top of the cliff for views of the beach, cliffs and town
- Visit the gardens of Étretat to combine art and nature
- Admire the Halles building
- Fun at Clos Lupin
- …
Find out more in our article on Etretat’s top attractions.
Our review
The two experiences are extremely different. We love both.
If you’re looking for more variety, Honfleur is for you. But it really depends on your interests.
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Explore the city
Town of Honfleur
Honfleur is a beautiful town with many narrow streets and half-timbered houses.
We suggest you set off on an adventure to find its architectural gems.
We love the atmosphere with its art workshops, especially in the streets further away from the port.
However, the cobblestones are not ideal for walking. And the town of Honfleur is quite large.
Town of Étretat
Etretat is less rich in architectural heritage. You’ll find some of the half-timbered houses typical of Normandy, as well as many two-tone 20th-century brick houses, also typical of the region.
Etretat is very easy to visit, smaller and with convenient floors.
On the other hand, we find that it feels more like a tourist resort than Honfleur.
Our review
Honfleur is the clear winner.
Hotels: Honfleur vs. Étretat
Hotels in Honfleur
You can stay directly in the old town or in the surrounding countryside. There are hotels in modern buildings, others in historic buildings and many rentals in old houses.
We particularly recommend:
- Luxury: Hotel La Ferme Saint Siméon – see photos and availability
- 3 stars: Hotel Absinthe – see photos and availability
- Charming: Hotel La Maison de Lucie – see photos and availability
For our complete selection, see our article on where to stay in Honfleur.
Hotels in Étretat
Étretat offers plenty of options to choose from, with hotels, B&Bs, self-catering cottages and numerous rentals. We particularly recommend:
- Hôtel Le Donjon Domaine Saint Clair – See prices, photos and availability
- B&B Les Tilleuls Etretat – See prices, photos and availability
- Hotel Les Pins de César, in the surrounding countryside – see prices, photos and availability
For our complete selection, see our article on where to sleep in Etretat.
Our review
Honfleur and the surrounding area offer a wider range of activities.
But we’ve fallen in love with both cities.
Best gastronomic offer
Restaurants in Honfleur
Honfleur has a vast choice of restaurants: crêperies, seafood, bistronomic, gastronomic… There’s something for everyone, but remember to make reservations!
Among our favorites
- Restaurant La Fleur de Sel
- Restaurant l’Huître Brulée
- Restaurant L’Âtre
See our article on where to eat in Honfleur
Beware that most of the restaurants around the port tend to focus on easy, high-yield dishes for tourists.
Restaurants in Étretat
Surprisingly, given the level of tourism, Etretat has a lower gastronomic offer. But you still find something to please yourself. Here too, remember to make a reservation.
Our favorite restaurants so far are:
- The Restaurant of the Domaine Saint-Clair for a gastronomic
- Dormy House Restaurant
- The Bel-Ami for a bistronomic
- Le Restaurant du Golf for the view
For a more complete review, check out our article on where to eat in Etretat.
Our review
Honfleur offers more variety and better quality in general.
Access
Here is a map to help you find your way:
Both towns are easier to reach by car. As Etretat is in a valley, parking is limited. Honfleur has large parking lots close to the center, but they fill up fast at weekends and in summer.
If you choose to travel by public transport, you’ll need to take a bus to Honfleur or Etretat (from Le Havre, Rouen or Paris).
Some time on the road:
- Paris to Honfleur = 2h30
- Rouen to Honfleur = 1h10
- Paris to Etretat = 3h
- Rouen to Etretat = 1h15
And if you want to visit both: Between Honfleur and Etretat, it’s a 1-hour drive.
OUR ADVICE FOR RENTING A CAR IN Normandy
- Compare prices on our preferred platform: DiscoverCars – one of the best rated sites.
- Choose a car that is comfortable enough (distances can be long) but compact (some parking lots and villages are narrow).
- Remember to take outcomprehensive insurance (some roads are winding and narrow).
- There is a lot of demand, book it early.
Area to explore around
If you’re planning to stay in Honfleur or Etretat for a vacation, you should also consider the surrounding area, and all that you might discover.
The region around Honfleur
From Honfleur, you can visit
- Famous seaside resorts like Deauville and Cabourg.
- The Normandy Bridge
- Pretty villages full of half-timbered houses (you’re in the Pays d’Auge).
- You’re closer to the D-Day landing beaches: Omaha is 1h30 away.
- …
The region around Étretat
From Etretat, you can explore the entire Côte d’Albâtre:
- The city of Le Havre, rebuilt by Perret and listed by Unesco
- Fécamp and the Benedictine Palace
- The village of Veules-les-roses with its thatched cottages and France’s smallest river
- Gardens
- …
Our review
We love both regions. Equality.
Alternatives to Honfleur and Etretat
These two towns are among Normandy’s most popular tourist destinations.
And we understand why! These are truly exceptional places. We don’t really have an alternative that offers the same wow effect.
But we do have a few places that have the same outlook:
Instead of Honfleur… sorry, nothing is quite the same. We’re still looking.
Instead of Etretat, consider Saint-Valery-en-Caux
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO Normandy
Inspiration destinations
- Deciding where to go in Normandy – the best destinations
- Our weekend ideas: best-of, romantic, unusual, seaside, luxury, family
- 16 seaside hotels in Normandy
- The most beautiful charming hotels in Normandy
Best of
Practice
- Where to stay in Normandy – best places and hotels
- See our tips for renting a car at CDG airport, Orly airport, Beauvais airport, Caen, Rouen, Bayeux…
