Nothing inspires like a popular off-season crowded resort. Extinct sandy beaches, inhospitable and cold foam of waves, umbrellas folded and rolled up for the winter, closed beach cabins, deserted embankments, deserted cafes on the shore, lonely seagulls and wind. This is how we saw Deauville in the spring - lonely and thoughtful. But not at all sad and not at all boring.
Deauville is a small town located on the English Channel in Normandy in northwestern France, about two hours from Paris by car. If you get there by train, it will take almost the same time, and the railway station where you need to get off is called Trouville-Dauville. Do not be surprised, these two towns (Deauville and Trouville) are very close. Trouville, located a little higher on the hill, smoothly passes into Deauville at the very edge of the English Channel, which is richer and more bourgeois than its neighbor. This is a trendy resort with a bohemian vibe. It was here that Claude Lelouch filmed his film Man and Woman.
Deauville is the most popular resort for Parisians. It is often referred to as the twenty-first arrondissement of Paris. A rather young city was built in 1859 specifically as a resort for the nobility and aristocracy. In the 30s of the 20th century, she opened her first store here and introduced the fashion for tan and striped blouses for women a la sailor Coco Chanel.
How to get there
As I said, getting to Deauville from Paris is not difficult. You can rent a car or take the train. We chose the second option.
Trains to Deauville depart from Saint-Lazare central station. It is better to buy tickets in advance and be sure to have seats, especially if you are going on a Friday or weekend, as the traffic of Paris-Deauville-Paris during the week-end is quite high. It will cost more than just a couple of euros. If you still decide to save money and buy a ticket without a seat, then the chances of standing all the way in the vestibule, and this, let me remind you, 2 hours, increase. First of all, this applies to evening flights from Deauville to Paris. I suppose that on weekdays such a situation may arise when traveling Deauville-Paris in the morning and Paris-Deauville in the evening, when the proletarians go to and from work, respectively.
Deauville has a casino that operates regardless of the season, that is, all year round. For lovers of gambling Black Jack, roulette and slot machines. And for true connoisseurs, one of the stages of the EPT (European Poker Tour) - the European Poker Series - takes place here every year.
Deauville has great shopping for all tastes, from souvenir shops and shops selling consumer goods to boutiques with luxury brands and shops with monobrands.
What is
Normandy is famous for its delicious soft cheeses - Camembert, Livaro, Pont-Leveque and, of course, Calvados - a strong alcoholic drink at 40 degrees. A traditional dish is mussels with french fries. You can try it in every second restaurant. There is also a lot of fresh seafood: fish and oysters in season. The fish market is open from morning to evening, where you can buy a variety of seafood delicacies.
If you find yourself in Deauville during the low season, as we did, then don't be upset that you won't buy yourself a horse at auction or won't be able to participate in the race in your retro convertible. The off-season has its perks. For example, you do not have to choose from a dozen waterfront restaurants, running from one to another, comparing the prices of oysters and the whiteness of the tablecloths on the tables. Because only one works. The service is very fast and polite when there are only three tables besides yours.
After lunch, you can stroll along the deserted beach and find countless shells in the sand, left on the shore after high tide.
