Rouen or Reims

We thoroughly enjoyed Rouen with a 2 night stay. We tried to stop in Reims for a few hours, (on our way to Lille) and realize now that it was the annual farmer's market (or similar) and we couldn't get into the city, but folks on this forum have suggested Reims is worth a visit as well.

see my trip report from Rouen last year at this time; if you look earlier in October '24 you'll see discussion of this same choice option

erica_m,
Just fyi, Reims is northeast of Paris and can be done in a long-ish day trip from Paris. It isn't on the way from Paris to Rouen.

Rouen is northwest of Paris, along the Seine, about a 2 hour drive. I would spend 2-3 nights there to have 1-2 full days. If you only stay 2 nights, you could have a half day after arrival and all day next day. You could see quite a bit in that time. The medieval section and cathedral are in a compact area. If you do have anotherfull day,you could see more of Rouen, or take a drive to the Route des Abbayes along the Seine for a visit to the fantastic ruins of the Abbaye de Jumieges. The drive is bucolic and lovely along D982.
In my experience, Rouen offers more of what you are looking for than does Reims. Reims has a cathedral at which nearly every French king was crowned, plus champagne tasting and the museum where the Germans signed the WWII surrender, but the town, although nice, isn't as lovely or romantic as Rouen. Rouen is very walkable, is known for the great food of Normandy, and a cathedral so lovely, that Monet painted it numerous times. And the Joan of Arc connection is just one of the historical interests there.

Amusez-vous bien!

During which month are you planning on traveling? Since you mentioned Roman and art, you may also wish to consider places as “far” as Aix-en-Provence. It ticks both those boxes and is less than three hours by train from Paris. It’s a good option for those shoulder months when you need a healthy dose of southern sun.

I'd go with Rouen, because I like it more. Reims was pretty much flattened in WWI, and WWII wasn't much better. The cathedral, etc. are all totally rebuilt. Rouen has the better art museum, better antique hunting, and better seafood. Plus the usual Norman touch of apples in most everything. Reims is champagne and cheese, and the WWI battlefields. I spend a couple days a year in and around both, but if I had to choose it would be Rouen above any of the other cites you mention (and I've been to all of them.)

I wouldn’t recommend Reims. It’s not a particularly pleasant town to just wander about, mainly because of how it was rebuilt after World War I. The cathedral and the champagne cellars are nice, but the front portal of the cathedral is currently under restoration.

I think that Reims would struggle to sustain your interest for 3 nights.
Rouen is bigger and more varied, and there are good day trip or half day trip options (Etretat, the Seine abbeys - esp. Jumièges, Honfleur, Lyons-la-Foret...).

Rouen et Jeanne d'Arc for the win. There are so many world-class museums and sites to see and the city itself is just beautiful.