Rouen or Strasbourg

Hello, thanks to the wonderful Google Street view I was able to take a walk through the lovely streets of Rouen and I%26#39;m now second guessing my upcoming trip to Strasbourg and thinking Rouen instead.

What is the nightlife there like? How early do things close? Is there any youth culture there? I%26#39;m starting my trip off in Lille, so I won%26#39;t be too far away.

My main reason for visiting the Alsace area was to see the beautiful timber-framed houses, but the city itself seems rather sleepy and residential. I prefer the narrow streets and old cafes you don%26#39;t find in North America. A lot of the grand boulevards in Strasbourg remind me of Paris (of which I%26#39;m not a fan)

So many decisions! Hope you can help me.

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Hmmmm, I%26#39;ve been to Paris, and I%26#39;ve been to Strasbourg, and they don%26#39;t seem alike at all. The historic Petite France section of Strasbourg in particular is especially quaint with the half timbered houses and cafe life.

Rouen is a great choice, too.

However, I%26#39;ll admit that I love Alsace more than any other part of France, the little wine towns are wonderful.

Youth culture? Unfortunately, I%26#39;m too old to be able to answer that question, regardless of your destination.

:-)

Bonne chance!

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Hmm, I guess what I really want to know is how lively is Rouen? Do cafes open late, do things open on Sundays, etc. Strasbourg and Alsace although beautiful, comes across as kind of sleepy. If I%26#39;m off here please let me know. Rouen looks livlier and more atmospheric in pictures.

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Hello urbanfoodie,

It is a few years since we visited Rouen. The old town is beautiful with the cobbled streets, timber houses and is full of cafe/bars, restaurants and shops. Regarding nightlife... it seemed to be based around the bars and restaurants. They were always very busy and did stay open late. We were not looking for clubs/disco and dont remember coming across any by accident. Rouen was also easy on the pocket. Great little city to spend a few days.

Enjoy your trip.

Regards,

Supervanman.

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Hello, thanks so much for your responses so far. After flipping back and forth, I%26#39;m starting to lean heavily toward Rouen.

Mostly because it appears to have a better mix of narrow streets, cool shops, pedestrianized areas and a lack of an overly touristy vibe.

Again, this is just based on my research, I could be way off I admit.

My one way flight to Strasbourg is non refundable, so I%26#39;ll have to consider that as well.

If it helps, my favourite cities so far in Europe are Amsterdam, Ghent and Madrid. My least favourite are London, Paris and Prague.

Thanks again!

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Rouen is the place to go.

As well as Rouen you can visit Giverny, Honfleur, Mont st Michel, Bayeux (town and tapestry), d-day beaches and Caen.

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Thanks again! We%26#39;ve officially ditched our Alsace plans and are heading for Rouen. Maybe when I%26#39;m older and less mobile, I will love spending some quiet time in the villages on the wine route. Right now I can see us getting bored very quickly.

Rouen looks like a beautiful city! What I like even more is it doesn%26#39;t look very touristy. I%26#39;m so sick of places that are almost all souvenir shops (i.e. Prague or Quebec City)