RURAL PAR LA ROUTE ET LE RAIL EN NORMANDIE

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17th August 2008

"BY RURAL ROAD & RAIL IN NORMANDY"

Photographs of the buses and trains whilst taken on holiday with my family in Northern France.
I travelled SNCF between Granville and Paris, Montparnasse Vaugirard (on the particular train in the pictures below) but I did not travel by bus.

I think most of the buses I photographed were manufactured by Renault. Rural bus route 116 (operated by MANEO) operates from Granville to Avranches 4-5 times a day; one journey from these daily was extended this Summer to the Mont St. Michel for tourists. The buses on Ligne 116 did not appear to be used much by the public.

I was impressed when using the train service regarding timekeeping and good service from train operating staff. I found station staff helpful and the stations I used were kept tidy. I was taken aback slightly by the intermediate rail stations on route. They were very basic, almost derelict-looking, but somehow I did not find it depressing because I was in a different country with different ways and means. Station name-plates at intervals along the low platforms were dark, tiny, almost unreadable and slightly farcial compared to the white, big and bold "Welcome to ..." customer service style plates here in England.

I have added non-transport pictures to give some flavour of the rural Normandy area around bus route 116.

What a church: Notre Dame des Champs Buy Print	Avranches Bus Park: Rear view Buy Print	Early 20th century building of a small casino on Granville Waterfront. Buy Print	Impressive architecture at Avaranches Buy Print
GRANVILLE CENTRE: Arrival of MANEO bus service 116 from Avranches. Yes, that is a MacDonald's poster on the bus shelter. Buy Print	Rail Station at Granville Buy Print	Granville Centre: Nearside view of the same vehicle. Buy Print	Gare à Granville Buy Print
Train I travelled on from Paris to Granville Buy Print	Avranches Town Hall Buy Print	MONT ST. MICHEL: Taken from my car window. This is a most impressive sight when first seen from the road. Buy Print	Centre of Avaranches surrounded by bars, butchers & bakers Buy Print