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 located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
connecting
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
with
Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
. The road forms part of European route 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 Il ...
and
Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
. 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 Il ...
, the RN 12 was going south to Laval (now RN 162) then going west to Vitré and
Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
(now RD 57 and 857, former RN 157). The itinerary from nowadays was named RN 155 until Fougères 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 The RN12 has been superseded into a freeway in a big part of its itinary; the old road has been re-numbered as the RD912, RD812 and RD712.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-
Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
- Brest


Trappes to Dreux (0 km - 62 km)

The road starts southwest of Paris as a branch of the Route nationale 10, the old road at
Trappes Trappes () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines departments of France, department, ÃŽle-de-France Regions of France, region, Northern France. It is a banlieue located in the western outer suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre zero, c ...
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. Both routes pass round the ''Étang de Saint-Quentin'' before merging at Plaisir; 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 and crosses the river
Eure Eure ( ; ; or ) is a department in the administrative region of Normandy, northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2021, Eure had a population of 598,934.Dreux, one of many that circle
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
.


Dreux to Rennes (62 km to 324 km)

The road leaves Dreux and heads broadly southwest through rolling countryside of southern
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
. It passes the town of Saint-Lubin-des-Joncherets, now in the upper valley of the river Avre. It next comes to
Verneuil-sur-Avre Verneuil-sur-Avre (, literally ''Verneuil on Avre (Eure), Avre'') is a former Communes of France, commune in the Eure Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in northern France. On 1 January 2017, it was me ...
, where the RN26 heads northeast to
Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...
. The countryside is more wooded now as the road crosses the ''Les Bois Francs'' before coming to the ''Forêt du Perche''. At Mortagne-au-Perche 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 the road enters the '' Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine''. The road then crosses the A28 autoroute and RD138 at the town of Alençon. 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. 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 Il ...
. The RN162 heads south from here to Laval. The road next reaches Ernée crossing the ''Forêt de Mayenne'' (215 m). The road crosses open country to Fougères, 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 then the ''Forêt de Liffré'' and then ''Forêt de Rennes''. The road then enters the city of
Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
.


Rennes to Brest (324 km to 570 km)

At Rennes there are junctions with the RN137, RN136 (E50) and RN24 to Lorient. The RN12 now heads northwest into
Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
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. The road passes Lamballe before reaching the coast and a bay at Yffiniac. The road then enters the town and port of
Saint-Brieuc Saint-Brieuc (, Breton language, Breton: ''Sant-Brieg'' , Gallo language, Gallo: ''Saent-Berioec'') is a city in the Côtes-d'Armor Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. History ...
on the southwest corner of the ''Baie de Saint Brieuc'' on the
English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
. The RN12 heads west with the old road the RD712. It passes through the ''Bois de Malaunay'' before reaching the town of Guingamp. 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 (; , ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. History The Battle of Morlaix, part of the Hundred Years' War, was fought near the town on 30 Septembe ...
at the head of the river Jarlot. The road continues southwest to Landivisiau where the old road follows the scenic river Élorn past the ''Moulin de Brézal''. The new road takes a more direct route to the north. At Landerneau the RD712 heads northwest leaving the estuary of the Élorn. The roads both enter the large Atlantic coast port of Brest from the east. Becoming the Rue de Paris on to the city centre. The RN165 heads south from the town to
Quimper Quimper (, ; ; or ) is a Communes of France, commune and Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Finistère Departments of France, department of Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is 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