Route nationale 12
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The Route nationale 12, or RN12, is a trunk road ( nationale) in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
connecting
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
with
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
. The road forms part of
European route The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads ...
E50. It is approximately long.


History

Until the 1950s, the RN 12 followed a different itinerary between
Mayenne Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Ille-et ...
and
Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
. At
Mayenne Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Ille-et ...
, the RN 12 was going south to
Laval Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxem ...
(now RN 162) then going west to Vitré and
Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
(now RD 57 and 857, former RN 157). The itinerary from nowadays was named RN 155 until
Fougères Fougères (; br, Felger; Gallo: ''Foujerr'') is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine department in the region of Brittany in northwestern France. As of 2017, Fougères had 20,418 inhabitants. The Fougères area comprises appr ...
and RN 177 from Fougères to Rennes. The RN12 has been superseded into a freeway in a big part of its itinary; the old road has been re-numbered as the RD912, RD812 and RD712.


Route

Paris-
Dreux Dreux () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. Geography Dreux lies on the small river Blaise, a tributary of the Eure, about 35 km north of Chartres. Dreux station has rail connections to Argentan, Paris and Granvi ...
-
Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
-
Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...


Trappes to Dreux (0 km - 62 km)

The road starts southwest of Paris as a branch of the
Route nationale 10 Route nationale 10, or RN 10, is a trunk (route nationale) in France between Paris and the border with Spain via Bordeaux. Reclassification Unlike many other ''routes nationales'', the road retains its status along the majority of its route. How ...
, the old road at
Trappes Trappes () is a commune in the Yvelines department, region of ÃŽle-de-France, north-central France. It is a banlieue located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris, in the new town of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Transport T ...
starting as the Rue de Dreux and heading west. The new road is autoroute standard and starts as an extension of the RN286 at its junction with the
A12 autoroute Autoroute A12, formerly known as the ''Autoroute de Bretagne'' ( en, Motorway of Brittany), is a French autoroute located in Yvelines, near Paris. It branches off from A13 (also known as the Motorway of Normandy) at an exchange known as the ''Tri ...
. Both routes pass round the ''Étang de Saint-Quentin'' before merging at
Plaisir Plaisir () is a commune located in the heart of the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris. It borders among others on Élancourt (south), Trapp ...
; the old road course is often numbered RD912. The road heads west, crossing the ''Forêt des Quatre Piliers'' (184 m). The road now bypasses the small town of
Houdan Houdan () is a commune of the Yvelines department west of Paris in the north of France. History The name has evolved from the Saxon "Hoding," meaning "settlement on the hill". Houdan is thought to have been inhabited since the 5th century. B ...
and crosses the river
Eure Eure () is a department in Normandy in Northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2019, Eure had a population of 599,507.Dreux Dreux () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. Geography Dreux lies on the small river Blaise, a tributary of the Eure, about 35 km north of Chartres. Dreux station has rail connections to Argentan, Paris and Granvi ...
, one of many that circle
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
.


Dreux to Rennes (62 km to 324 km)

The road leaves
Dreux Dreux () is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. Geography Dreux lies on the small river Blaise, a tributary of the Eure, about 35 km north of Chartres. Dreux station has rail connections to Argentan, Paris and Granvi ...
and heads broadly southwest through rolling countryside of southern
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
. It passes the town of Saint-Lubin-des-Joncherets, now in the upper valley of the river
Avre Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE), also known as Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers is the title given to a series of armoured military engineering vehicles operated by the Royal Engineers (RE) for the purpose of protecting engineers during ...
. It next comes to
Verneuil-sur-Avre Verneuil-sur-Avre (, literally ''Verneuil on Avre'') is a former commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton. History Following the revolt of ...
, where the RN26 heads northeast to
Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Mortagne-au-Perche Mortagne-au-Perche () is a commune in the Orne department in Normandy, north-western France. Heraldry Population People *Geoffrey II, Count of Perche and Mortagne, grandfather of Queen Margaret of L'Aigle. * Marie of Armagnac, duchess of Al ...
the road becomes autoroute standard again and the old course of the road taken by the D912. The area is classified a ''Parc naturel régional du Perche'', featuring forests and hills up to 256 m. After
Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe (, literally ''Le Mêle on Sarthe'') is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. Twin towns – sister cities Le Mêle-sur-Sarthe is twinned with: * Faringdon, United Kingdom ''(since 1990)'' * Königstein ...
the road enters the ''
Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine Normandie-Maine Regional Natural Park ( Fr.: ''Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine'') is a protected area of forest and bocage located in the French regions of Normandy and Pays de la Loire. Geography Spanning the departments of Orne, Manc ...
''. The road then crosses the
A28 autoroute Autoroute 28 is a French mainland motorway linking Abbeville in the Somme to Tours in Indre-et-Loire. The motorway starts at Abbeville, splitting from the A16 and, after merging with the A13 near Rouen, ends at Tours, merging with the A10. ...
and RD138 at the town of
Alençon Alençon (, , ; nrf, Alençoun) is a commune in Normandy, France, capital of the Orne department. It is situated west of Paris. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alençon (with 52,000 people). History The name of Alençon is firs ...
. The road continues west through increasingly undulating countryside. In the ''Forêt de Multonne'' ''Mont Souprat'' rises to 385 m. At Pré-en-Pail the RD176 heads northwest to the coast and
Avranches Avranches (; nrf, Avraunches) is a commune in the Manche department, and the region of Normandy, northwestern France. It is a subprefecture of the department. The inhabitants are called ''Avranchinais''. History By the end of the Roman period, t ...
. The road heads southwest below hills such as ''Mont du Saule'' and ''Bois de Buleu'' both 327 m high. The road next enters
Mayenne Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and Ille-et ...
. The RN162 heads south from here to
Laval Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxem ...
. The road next reaches
Ernée Ernée () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. It is named after the river Ernée, which runs through the town and is situated about halfway between the towns of Laval and Fougères. Ernée is home to a purpose-built m ...
crossing the ''Forêt de Mayenne'' (215 m). The road crosses open country to
Fougères Fougères (; br, Felger; Gallo: ''Foujerr'') is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine department in the region of Brittany in northwestern France. As of 2017, Fougères had 20,418 inhabitants. The Fougères area comprises appr ...
, which the RN12 passes to the southwest. The RN12 then joins the A84 autoroute; the old road is now the RD812. It passes the village of
Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier (; ) is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. Geography Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier is located at northeast of Rennes and south of Mont Saint-Michel. The bordering communes are Mézià ...
then the ''Forêt de Liffré'' and then ''Forêt de Rennes''. The road then enters the city of
Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
.


Rennes to Brest (324 km to 570 km)

At Rennes there are junctions with the RN137, RN136 (E50) and RN24 to
Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town (''Communes of France, commune'') and Port, seaport in the Morbihan Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginn ...
. The RN12 now heads northwest into
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
also classed the European route E50. The road passes up the Garun valley south of the ''Forêt de Montauban''. The countryside is now a mix of rolling hills and tight river valleys. Due to an old royal act of parliament, roads cannot be tolled within Brittany, and so the RN12 was upgraded to autoroute standard but not numbered as such. The RN12's old course is numbered RD712. The road has a junction with the RN176 (E401) to
Dinan Dinan (; ) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan. Geography Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead of n ...
. The road passes Lamballe before reaching the coast and a bay at
Yffiniac Yffiniac (; ; Gallo: ''Finyac'') is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Yffiniac are called ''yffiniacais''. Personalities * Bernard Hinault, the cyclist, was born in Yffinia ...
. The road then enters the town and port of
Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. History Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who Christianised the region in the 6th c ...
on the southwest corner of the ''Baie de Saint Brieuc'' on the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
. The RN12 heads west with the old road the RD712. It passes through the ''Bois de Malaunay'' before reaching the town of
Guingamp Guingamp (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. With a population of 6,895 as of 2017, Guingamp is one of the smallest towns in Europe to have a top-tier professional football team: En Avant Guinga ...
. The road continues west past the ''Menez-Bré'' (302 m). The countryside becomes more and more undulating with steeper river valleys the ''Monts d'Arrée'' lie to the south (394 m). The road comes to
Morlaix Morlaix (; br, Montroulez) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Leisure and tourism The old quarter of the town has winding streets of cobbled stones and overhan ...
at the head of the river Jarlot. The road continues southwest to
Landivisiau Landivisiau (; br, Landivizio) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The journalist Luc Le Vaillant, winner of the 1998 Albert Londres Prize was born in Landivisiau. Landivisiau is twinned with Bideford i ...
where the old road follows the scenic river
Élorn The Élorn (; br, Elorn) is a long river in Brittany, France. Its source is in the monts d'Arrée, north-northeast of Le Tuchenn Kador, and it then runs through several small towns such as Sizun and Landivisiau before flowing out into the roa ...
past the ''Moulin de Brézal''. The new road takes a more direct route to the north. At
Landerneau Landerneau (; br, Landerne, ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. It lies at the mouth of the Elorn River which divides the Breton provinces of Cornouaille and Léon, east of Brest. The name is from ...
the RD712 heads northwest leaving the estuary of the Élorn. The roads both enter the large
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
coast port of
Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...
from the east. Becoming the Rue de Paris on to the city centre. The RN165 heads south from the town to
Quimper Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department. Geography The ...
. The city lies on the north side of the ''Rade de Brest'' protected from the Atlantic by a headland with access through the natural channel of the ''Goulet de Brest''.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:012 Routes nationales in France