Rouen Armada

This month is the perfect time to take a trip across to Normandy and visit the magnificent medieval city of Rouen. From the 7th - 18th June Normandy’s largest city plays host to one of the world’s biggest maritime festivals.

The Rouen Armada is a 10-day festival held every five years, where over 8000 sailors and dozens of ships gather for one of the largest events of its kind anywhere in the world. It was conceived out of an idea to regenerate the quays in Rouen. A transatlantic race between Rouen and New York was suggested in 1986 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, which left from Rouen on its journey across the Atlantic. Celebratory events at the quays proved so popular that the first Armada was held in 1989 to coincide with the bicentenary of the French Revolution. Millions of visitors come to Rouen for the Armada, and since its inception it has become one of France’s most beloved events.

Ships from around the world sail up the Seine to Rouen, with ten days of celebrations and a packed calendar of concerts, firework displays, demonstrations and activities. Parades, regattas and competitions on both land and water feature both sailors and members of the public, who have free access to the docks, ships and all of the concerts for the entirety of the festival, and musicians, artists, arts and crafts and food stalls line the waterfront. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the sailors and crew, either on board the ships or as they take part in the festivities. The French sailors can be easily recognised by their traditional caps with a red pom-pom – touching it is said to bring good luck!

Nearly one hundred ships are docked along the Seine for the duration of the Armada, and visitors can join boat excursions to view of some of the world’s finest ships from the river, from dinghies and yachts to magnificent tall ships and galleons that tower above the water. As more and more ships take part each year, the festival has allowed aircraft carriers, barges, and even submarines to take part. This year some of the ships taking part in the Armada include the Canopee, a brand new, futuristic cargo ship, the Nao Victoria, an exact replica of the Spanish galleon captained by Magellan on the first circumnavigation of the world, and the Tenacious, a British three-master that has been designed to be crewed by people with disabilities, including deaf people, the visually impaired and wheelchair users.

On the last day of the festival is the Grand Parade, where the ships gather along the Seine and sail from Rouen back to the mouth of the river near the pretty harbour town of Honfleur, sailing under the Pont de Normandie and out into the Channel. As you can imagine, Rouen fills up for the Grand Parade, so if you want to avoid the crowds in the city there are celebrations and parties along the Seine from Rouen to Honfleur, or you can find a vantage point on the hills of the Seine valley to get a first-class view of the ships in all their glory.

DFDS offers up to three sailings per day on its Newhaven to Dieppe route, with crossings taking four hours. Fares start from £80 each way for a car and two people.

Facilities onboard the ship include a bar, restaurant, and a duty-free shop with a range of perfumes, cosmetics and electronics at up to 50 per cent off UK high-street prices. A quiet lounge with reclining seats is available to book and for extra privacy customers can book a cabin from £24 each way.

Book at www.dfds.com.

Michelle Ulyatt / Adam Toombs / Karen Bayfield

Roch PR Ltd

T: +44 1304 272509

E: dfdsteam@rochpr.com

DFDS provides ferry and transport services in and around Europe, generating annual revenues of EUR 2.3 bn.

To over 10,000 freight customers we deliver high performance and superior reliability through ferry & port terminal services, and transport and logistics solutions. DFDS delivers high reliability to more than 10,000 freight customers through ferry and port terminal services and transport and logistics solutions.

For more than five million passengers, it provides safe overnight and short sea ferry services.

Our 8,000 employees are located on ships and in in offices across 20 countries. DFDS was founded in 1866, is headquartered in Copenhagen, and listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen.

In the UK, DFDS operates passenger ferry services on routes from Dover to Calais, Dover to Dunkirk, Newcastle to Amsterdam and Newhaven to Dieppe.

DFDS has been named ‘Europe’s Leading Ferry Operator’ for 11 years running (2012-2022), as well as the ‘World’s Leading Ferry Operator’ for the last 12 years (2011-22).

DFDS currently operates up to 54 sailings a day between Dover and Calais and Dunkirk. DFDS also offers two daily sailings between Newcastle and Amsterdam. In addition, the UK network includes a passenger and freight service between Newhaven and Dieppe, which has four daily sailings and is owned by Transmanche Ferries.

For further information about DFDS, or to find out about the latest sailing times, fares and offers across all routes from the UK, visit www.dfds.com.