Honfleur or Rouen?

Kyle, spend two nights in Rouen. Much more to see and do there as opposed to Honfleur which only has the boat basin, and 1 interesting church. Rouen is somewhat busy and Honfleur is pretty and peaceful. Depends on your desired activity level verses your kick back and relax mood. TC

I also hate one-nighters but in this case it could be a good idea. It depends a lot on what you want to get out of your visit to each place and also depends on when you'll be there. If you're there in summer with late evening daylight, then a stop in Rouen to see the cathedral and the Joan of Arc sites and then moving on to Honfleur for two nights makes sense. I have spent one night in each. I loved walking around the old center of Rouen and seeing the cathedral, etc and if you would be rushed to see everything when you get there by train before getting the car and leaving then it makes sense to stay the night. You wouldn't need to pick up the car until the next day when you leave for Honfleur, saving one day car rental $$ in the process. I love to take scenic photos so I loved having the evening and morning light in Honfleur (my main reason for staying over).

I particularly liked walking around Honfleur in the evening. The tourist area is very compact. The town lit up at night and the colorful lights reflecting on the basin were very pretty. Great for photographs, day or night. We only stayed there one night and did not visit Rouen so I cannot offer advice about comparing the two. If at all possible you should spend a night in Honfleur.

If you do go to Rouen have a look on line at the Hotel Cathedrale. It is just across the way from the cathedral as the name implies and is a short walk to the historic centre.

Since you haven't given any information about your interests, it's hard to recommend one over the other. Why not go to Tripadvisor and click on the attractions for each town? Then you can decide on one or both. It is true, as you perceive, that by the time you subtract out the train ride and the processing for the car rental, there won't be a whole lot left for Rouen unless you stay over.

Spent one night and day in Honfleur. Beautiful sea side town, photo ops plus! Had a fabulous market the day we were there. Ate out at one of their restaurants on the harbor and had one of the most reasonable tasty meals in France! Woiuld have loved two nights/days! We are not always looking for big sites to see, just enjoy the ambiance!

Personally, I love Honfleur and two nights there would suit me fine. I love walking around the town, dining along the boat basin, and visiting the shops. There are some nice museums, including the Eric Satie museum. I didn't know who he was until I'd been there, but now I love his music and the interactive museum is a lot of fun. I also found Honfleur to be a good base for exploring the so called cider and cheese routes.

Having been both places in September, I think I might vote for two nights in or near Rouen. We took a day trip to Honfleur and swooned over its beauty and charm. It's simply adorable. Rouen also has great charm with wonderful half-timbered buildings, plus a few more museums to poke around in. We also enjoyed a side trip to the Route of the Ancient Abbeys which is not far from Rouen (and mentioned in Rick's book). We especially enjoyed the magnificent ruins of the Abbey of Jumièges. (Of course, there are day trips from Honfleur that can also be taken.)

I would aim to arrive early in Rouen and spend a few hours visiting the key sites; they are all quite close together and an easy walk from the station. I would then pick up the car and drive to Honfleur for dinner and spend two nights in Honfleur. One night stays really chew up time on logistics and this is a lovely walkable charming town. On the full day in Honfleur, I would drive to Etretat and walk the cliffs -- bonus is you get to drive over the Pont Normandie which is a very cool bridge. Honfleur is particularly lovely in the evening and a nice spot to spend two nights. We stayed at a nice B&B with a great breakfast. We were there in late October a couple of years ago and so the weather was so so -- still a great place. The B&B we stayed in was
http://www.lefonddelacour.com/new%20home.php
You can see snapshots of our visit to Etretat and Honfleur here: http://janettravels.wordpress.com/category/normandy/
Etretat is one of those singularly wonderful places; the impressionists painted it often; they knew a good thing when they saw it.

Our plan several years ago was to spend 2 nights in Honfleur and then drive on to Rouen for 2 nights. Never made it to Rouen since my husband got sick and was hospitalized. But, I can say we loved Honfleur. It is beautiful. If you like impressionist art, they have a wonderful museum there. We were lucky because they were also having a special impressionist exhibit when we were there.

On our trip last year one night in Rouen was enough for us.

Have not been to Rouen, but LOVED Honfleur. Stayed one night and spent a day savoring its beauty. Went on to Normandy Beaches after that.