The exclusive coastal resort of Deauville has been the playground of the rich and famous since it was founded by a cousin of Napoleon III in 1861.
During the summer season expensive sports cars crowd the streets, and the Promenade des Planches, a 500m boardwalk along the sandy beach, is packed with beautiful, wealthy visitors, and perfectly groomed ladies of a certain age accompanied by their pampered dogs. Regularly spaced parasols decorate the immaculate sand; the entire beach is regularly raked clean.
Like a Bond Film set
At times Deauville feels like the set of a James Bond film. The Casino Barrière, right next to the beach, has a dress code, but underdressed gentlemen may borrow a jacket and tie from reception, and the racecourse is decidedly upmarket; the graceful racehorses are often seen being exercised on the beach.
It is fun to simply wander around Deauville and soak it all in as the town’s atmosphere is surprisingly relaxed. Even if your wardrobe budget is limited you may enjoy window shopping in the arcades of exclusive boutiques.
Seawater pampering
If you would like to relax, and make the most of being beside the sea, Deauville has an Olympic-sized seawater swimming pool, and alongside is a luxurious thalassothérapie spa which specialises in treatments based on seawater and seaweed, such as seaweed body wraps and seawater massage jets. The sea itself is warm enough for bathing from the late summer into the early autumn.
American Film Festival attracts Stars
In September Deauville hosts the American Film Festival, which many Hollywood stars attend. Recent visitors include Robin Williams, Lauren Bacall, Tom Hanks, Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, Clint Eastwood and Johnny Depp.
Travel to and around Deauville
Deauville is less than an hour’s drive from the ferry ports of Caen and La Havre, making it an ideal destination for a weekend trip from the UK. It has an SNCF railway station, and the airport “Deauville-Saint-Gatien” is less than ten minutes by car from the town of Deauville.
Just inland from Deauville is the charming Normandy countryside known as the “Pays d’Auge”, renowned for its rich dairy produce such as Pont l’Eveque cheese, and for traditional cider and the apple brandy known as Calvados. The town Pont l’Eveque, which has many typical timber framed buildings, is a short distance from Deauville. Deauville itself has many early 20th century villas, large Normandy style timber framed buildings, which add an old world charm to the town.
There are many places to visit on a trip to the Coast of Lower Normandy. Deauville is a short drive from the charming port town of Honfleur, and the more down-to-earth seaside resort of Trouville is just to the east, across the River Touques. France’s most visited tourist destination, Mont St-Michel, is a two hour drive on the motorway from Deauville.
Deauville may be the playground of the rich and famous, but you can still enjoy your trip to France on a budget.
