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From the Norman invasion of England in 1066 to the D-Day landings of 1944, Normandy has long played an outsized role in European history. This rich and often brutal past is brought vividly to life by the spectacular and iconic island monastery of Mont St-Michel; the incomparable Bayeux Tapestry, world-famous for its cartoon scenes of 11th-century life; and the transfixing cemeteries and memorials along the D-Day beaches, places of solemn pilgrimage.

Best Things to Do

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Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Abbaye du Mont St-Michel

Mont St-Michel

Mont St-Michel's one main street, the Grande Rue, leads up the slope – past souvenir shops, eateries and a forest of elbows – to the star attraction of a…

Le Mémorial – Un Musée pour la Paix

For a very insightful and vivid account of the entire war, with special focus on the Battle of Normandy, Le Mémorial is unparalleled – it's one of Europe…

Bayeux Tapestry

The world’s most celebrated embroidery depicts the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066 from an unashamedly Norman perspective…

Maison et Jardins de Claude Monet

Monet’s home for the last 43 years of his life is now a delightful house-museum. His pastel-pink house and Water Lily studio stand on the periphery of the…

Falaise d’Aval

It's impossible to miss this cliff, as the shingle beach bends around off to the southwest, with its natural arch and solitary needle. You will spy…

Les Maisons Satie

This unusual and intriguing complex captures the whimsical spirit of the eccentric avant-garde composer Erik Satie (1866–1925), who lived and worked in…

Château Gaillard

Under Richard the Lionheart's command, Château Gaillard was built with unbelievable dispatch between 1196 and 1198, securing the western border of English…

Musée Malraux

Near the waterfront, this luminous and tranquil space houses a fabulous collection of vivid impressionist works – the finest in France outside Paris – by…

Top picks from our travel experts

14 of the best things to do in normandy.

Normandy American Cemetery & Memorial

D-Day Beaches

White marble crosses and Stars of David stretch off in seemingly endless rows at the Normandy American Cemetery, situated on a now-serene bluff…

Abbaye-aux-Dames

Highlights at the Women’s Abbey complex in the east of the town centre, once run by the Benedictines, include Église de la Trinité – look for Matilda’s…

Abbaye-aux-Hommes

Caen’s most important medieval site is the Men’s Abbey – now city hall – and, right next door, the magnificent, multi-turreted Église St-Étienne (St…

Château de Caen

Looming above the centre of the city, Caen’s magnificent castle walls – massive battlements overlooking a now dry moat – were established by William the…

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Nov 13, 2023 • 4 min read

Harvest is the perfect time to sample Normandy's specialities, from Camembert to cider, apples and scallops.

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Normandy   Travel Guide

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Why Go To Normandy

Skirting the English Channel and occupying a hefty portion of northern France, Normandy is known for its Camembert cheese, its apple orchards (thus, cider and brandy too) and its cow-peppered landscape, complete with quaint cities and towns like Rouen, Bayeux and  Giverny . But it's also revered for its momentous place in history. The site of the 1944 D-Day invasion, Normandy's beaches , saw a death toll in the thousands but also a changing tide in World War II. Its military cemeteries, memorial museums and the D-Day landing sites bring a huge number of visitors to the region.

Another highlight of Normandy is one of France's most famous tourist sights, the stunning Mont Saint-Michel , but almost at every turn, you'll find historic castles, churches and charming small towns. You should visit Normandy for the history, the food and slow pace of life, but you should also come for a taste of France at its friendliest. This is not glitzy  Nice  or  Cannes  – neither is it cosmopolitan  Paris  – this is where France's salt-of-the-earth citizens congregate. 

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• # 6 in Best Beaches in France
• # 9 in Best Places to Visit in France

Best of Normandy

Best hotels in normandy.

• # 1 in Hotel Villa Lara & Villa Augustine
• # 2 in Hotel de Bourgtheroulde, Autograph Collection
• # 3 in Hotel Barrière Le Normandy Deauville

Best Things to Do in Normandy

• # 1 in D-Day Beaches
• # 2 in Mont Saint-Michel Abbey (Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel)
• # 3 in Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Rouen

Popular Tours

D-Day Beaches Shore Excursion with Packed Lunch from Le Havre

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Normandy American D-Day Beaches Full Day Tour from Bayeux

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American D-Day Beaches Private Tour Full Day Tour from Bayeux

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Normandy Travel Tips

Best months to visit.

The best time to visit Normandy is June to August. Though this is the height of the peak tourist season – which can last from May to mid-October – this period also promises the most pleasant weather. Fall and spring can be optimal shoulder seasons if you're hoping for fewer crowds and better accommodation rates, but a visit during this time will likely require coats (highs hover around the 50s). Winter will usher in the best hotel rates, but some of the businesses in the region's small towns and cities will likely close up shop for the season. Plus, some of the region's top museums close for the month of January.

Weather in Normandy

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center

What You Need to Know

• Consider winter closures If you're hoping to plan a winter trip to save money, check to see if the key attractions you want to visit are open. Some of the region's museums close in January or operate on shortened hours during the winter season.
• Consider a tour guide Though it's easy to tour some of the region's most famous D-Day sites without a guide, past visitors say a tour guide provides necessary historical context (along with transportation between sites).
• Consider a museum visit Normandy is considered the birthplace of impressionism, so you'll want to visit an art museum or two to take in some of the region's most famous pieces. Popular stops include the Musée d'art moderne André Malraux and the Musee des Beaux Arts de Rouen, among many others.

How to Save Money in Normandy

• Head to the market Do as the French do and pick up fresh foods at the market. A picnic of cheese, bread and other local items, even wine, will make for a tasty meal that doesn't break the bank.
• Take the train If you aren't in a hurry, traveling by train can be less expensive than renting a car and you get to take in the sights instead of navigating in a new place.
• Travel during shoulder season If you can avoid a trip in the summer – especially August – you can score a hotel deal.

Culture & Customs

Normandy as a whole is quite friendly to travelers, and areas around the D-Day Beaches are used to American tourists. A great way to bridge the cultural divide is to learn a little bit of French. While many locals know English (especially in tourist areas and hotels), a little effort from your end can go a long way.

Pleasantries are highly regarded in French culture. Saying a  bonjour  ("hello" or "good day") or  bonsoir  ("good evening") will not only show that you're making an effort, which the French appreciate, but enhance your own cultural experience.  Merci  is "thank you" and  s'il vous plait is "please." If you're at a loss for words, politely ask the waiter or shop attendant  Pouvez-vous m'aider?  ("Can you help me?") or  "Parlez-vous anglais?"  ("Do you speak English?"). Another helpful phrase:  Excusez-moi ("Pardon" or "excuse me"). 

France uses the euro, and major credit cards are accepted at most establishments in Normandy. Since the euro to U.S. dollar exchange rate fluctuates, be sure to  check what the current exchange rate is  before you go. Keep in mind the exchange rate when you tip and make purchases. Some smaller shops, bakeries or bistros may only take cash, though, so keep some euros on hand just in case. Most restaurants and cafes will include a 10 to 15% service charge ( service compris ) on the bill. You can leave some additional change for exceptional service, if you wish.

What to Eat

Restaurants around Normandy love to celebrate their dairy products and their fruits, which they are rightly proud of. The region's rich pastures and bucolic farmlands produce a rich bounty of these staples. Don't miss any opportunity to sample Normandy's four distinct cheeses: Camembert, Livarot, Pont l'Evêque and the heart-shaped Neufchâtel. There is even a Route des Fromages that highlights the four cheeses through stops at museums, farms, towns and restaurants. These cheeses are often served as dessert and pair well with the ever-present apple-based beverages from the region, such as cider, perry, Calvados and Pommeau, made from local apples and pears. Le Volet qui Penche in Bayeux is a popular wine bar known for its charcuterie and local cider.

Considering Normandy boasts hundreds of miles of coastline, seafood is another favorite, with lobsters, scallops and shrimp on many menus. Michelin starred-restaurants are also easy to come by in Normandy. If you're willing to splurge, restaurants like Jean-Luc Tartarin , Gill and Le Pily come highly recommended.

Getting Around Normandy

The best way to get around Normandy is by car. Many travelers fly into Paris , then drive or take the train to Normandy. However, Normandy does have two regional airports, Aéroport de Caen-Carpiquet (CFR), which welcomes regular flights from Air France and regional airliners, and Aéroport de Deauville-Normandie (DOL). Rental cars are readily available at any of the airports. Other options from Paris include traveling by train, bus or with an organized tour, of which there are any number of companies offering daytrips.

SNCF trains depart from Paris' Gare Saint-Lazare and Paris-Montparnasse several times a day to a variety of towns in Normandy, including Rouen, Giverny, Caen and Le Havre, among others.

Entry & Exit Requirements

A United States passport is required for U.S. residents traveling to France; children of all ages must have them, too. Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond your date of departure. U.S. citizens do not need a visa unless they plan on staying longer than 90 days. Visit the U.S. State Department's  website  for the latest information on exit and entry requirements.

Normandy is full of charming fishing villages.

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23 Top-Rated Attractions & Places to Visit in Normandy

Written by Lisa Alexander Updated Apr 25, 2022 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

With its beautiful, varied scenery and rich history, Normandy has much to offer visitors. This distinctive region in northern France boasts a gorgeous countryside, coastline, and woodlands, as well as impressive castles, splendid churches, and picturesque ancient towns such as Rouen.

One of France's most emblematic tourist sights , Mont Saint-Michel, and the summertime seaside resorts of Honfleur and Deauville, are among the top attractions of the region.

Along the Channel coast, dramatic limestone cliffs drop off into the ocean, while Lower Normandy is characterized by verdant, peaceful valleys. An idyllic pastoral area known as the "Suisse Normande" ("Norman Switzerland") attracts nature lovers and outdoor sports enthusiasts.

For WWII history buffs, visiting Normandy is essential. During the Second World War, Normandy was heavily affected by the German Occupation and was the site of Allied landings in 1944. Tourists can visit the military cemeteries; memorial museums; and the D-Day landing beaches , including Omaha Beach and Arromanches Beach.

From beach resorts and fishing villages to medieval towns and Gothic castles, this region offers countless things to do and appeals to all types of travelers. Plan your vacation with our list of the best attractions and places to visit in Normandy.

1. Mont Saint-Michel

3. honfleur, 4. caen memorial museum, 5. bayeux and the bayeux tapestry, 6. omaha d-day landing beach and museum, 7. deauville, 8. giverny: monet's house & gardens, 10. étretat, 11. suisse normande (norman switzerland), 12. château de fontaine-henry, 13. château de caen, 14. memorial museum of the battle of normandy in bayeux, 15. arromanches d-day museum, 18. trouville, 19. le havre, 20. le bec-hellouin, 21. jumièges, 22. barfleur, 23. côte fleurie, map of attractions & places to visit in normandy.

An important medieval pilgrimage destination, Mont Saint-Michel is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Both the Abbey of Saint-Michel and the Bay of Saint-Michel are protected under this designation.

Soaring more than 100 meters above the sea, the Abbey of Saint-Michel has a mythical quality. The awe-inspiring Gothic spires seem to reach towards heaven as the site beckons pilgrims to cross the foreboding Bay of Saint-Michel.

During low tide, it's possible to complete a " traditional crossing " (a pilgrimage by foot) to reach Mont Saint-Michel. Accredited licensed guides are available to accompany pilgrims across the bay. During high tide, Mont Saint-Michel becomes an island only accessible by one road.

One of the highlights of a visit to Mont Saint-Michel is the Abbey Church , reached by climbing a 200-meter pedestrian path and then 350 steps to the highest point of Mont Saint-Michel. Built in the 13th century, the Abbey Church has a serene Romanesque sanctuary and a glorious Gothic choir.

The " Escalier de Dentelle " (staircase) leads from the Abbey Church up to a terrace, which affords breathtaking panoramic views of the sea.

Mont Saint-Michel is one of the most-visited tourist attractions in France and ranks among the top day trips from Paris . For travelers based in Paris, the easiest way to see Mont Saint-Michel is by taking an organized tour , but there are other options. Some of the best ways to get to Mont Saint-Michel include driving and taking the bus or the train.

Wandering around the old town of Rouen, visitors will enjoy the historical ambience found in the winding cobblestone lanes, which are lined with maisons à colombages (half-timbered houses). Gothic churches are found at every turn, and many are gems of medieval architectural achievement.

The town's impressive Cathédrale Notre-Dame was depicted by Claude Monet in a series of paintings that show the intricate details of the cathedral's facade at different times of day. Another iconic monument in Rouen is the Gros-Horloge clock tower in the center of town.

Among the top attractions of Rouen is the Musée des Beaux-Arts , which ranks among France's most outstanding museums of fine arts. The collection includes masterpieces of European painting, with an especially noteworthy assortment of Impressionist works.

Rouen is also well known as the location where Joan of Arc was brought to trial. Tourists can see the tower where this courageous young woman stood before her judges and the spot where she was burned at the stake. She later became a saint, and now there is a contemporary church (the Eglise Jeanne d'Arc ) dedicated to her invincible spirit, on the site where she was martyred.

With its picturesque old harbor on the Seine estuary, Honfleur is one of the most charming towns in Europe . About 25 kilometers away from Le Havre, the town has atmospheric cobblestone streets, old stone buildings, and half-timbered houses.

This historic seafaring port was where travelers embarked on voyages to Canada in the 16th century. On the north side of the harbor is the 16th-century Lieutenancy Building , the old governor's house, built on the remains of the town's ancient walls.

One of Honfleur's most noteworthy attractions, the Musée de la Marine (Maritime Museum), is housed in the former Eglise Saint-Etienne, which dates back to the 14th century. The Maritime Museum tells the history of seafaring, fishing, and shipbuilding in Honfleur.

The Musée Eugène Boudin (Rue de l'Homme de Bois) is a must-see attraction for lovers of Impressionist art. Boudin's paintings and drawings represent nearly half of the collection; the rest includes pieces by other Impressionist artists such as Gustave Courbet, Eugène Isabey, and Paul Huet who painted scenes of the Normandy coastline.

The Musée Eugène Boudin also has an annex devoted to religious art, located in the freestanding belfry of the Eglise Sainte-Catherine . An interesting tourist attraction in itself, this Late Gothic church was built by local shipwrights after the Hundred Years' War.

In Lower Normandy near the English Channel, Caen played a critical role during the Nazi Occupation of World War Two. Caen is an excellent starting point for a tour of the Normandy D-Day Beaches and Memorials .

Three-quarters of the town was destroyed during the Allied landings in June and July of 1944 (although its historic churches survived almost entirely unscathed).

Created as a tribute to Caen's suffering during the war, the Mémorial de Caen (Caen Memorial museum) tells the story of the Second World War, the D-Day Landings, and the Battle of Normandy.

Beneath the Caen Memorial museum is the site of General Richter's Headquarters , which was a command post during the German Occupation.

The Mémorial de Caen is also the Centre for History and Peace in Normandy , which aims to educate the public and promote the concept of reconciliation. The center hosts events such as temporary art exhibits and a Human Rights Competition.

Address: Esplanade Général Eisenhower, Caen

Official site: http://normandy.memorial-caen.com

The town of Bayeux is best known for the Bayeux Tapestry, on display at the Bayeux Museum (13 bis Rue de Nesmond). An 11th-century masterpiece of medieval art, the Bayeux Tapestry is actually a work of embroidery, woven from wool yarn in 10 different shades.

The 70-meter-long Bayeux Tapestry depicts the story of the conquest of England in 1066 by the Duke of Normandy (known as "William the Conqueror"), through the Battle of Hastings . The Bayeux Tapestry is also called the Toile de la Conquête ( Cloth of Conquest ) and the Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde ( Queen Matilda's Tapestry, in reference to William's wife).

Because of its cultural value as an artifact of historical documentation, the Bayeux Tapestry has been inscribed with a UNESCO "Mémoire du Monde" designation . Rendered in exquisite detail, the Bayeux Tapestry depicts 58 different scenes (in a format similar to a comic strip) in incredible detail, including 623 figures, 759 animals, and 37 buildings and ships, along with a running commentary in Latin.

Visitors should also take time to discover the old town of Bayeux, an enchanting medieval world of half-timbered houses, elegant mansions, and stately townhouses.

At the center of the old town is the well-preserved Cathédrale Notre-Dame , one of the finest examples of a Norman Gothic church. The cathedral was built over several centuries (from the 11th century to the 15th century), and as a result, blends Romanesque with Gothic architectural elements, including Early Gothic and Flamboyant Gothic styles.

Omaha Beach extends for more than 10 kilometers between Port-en-Bessin past Vierville-sur-Mer and Colleville-sur-Mer to the mouth of the Vire River, a dramatic coastline along the English Channel made difficult to access by the sheer cliffs that rise 30 meters above the sea.

The largest and most famous of the five Normandy D-Day Landing Beaches , Omaha Beach is where the American 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions landed, along with other U.S., British, French, and Canadian troops on June 6th, 1944, which marked the beginning of Operation Overlord (also known as the "Battle of Normandy").

Visiting this site provides a chilling impression of the deadly battle, one of the bloodiest scenes of fighting during the D-Day Invasion, that took place here. Remnants of German bunkers and military piers can still be seen along the cliff-fringed coastline.

The American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer overlooks Omaha Beach. The cemetery contains more than 9,000 perfectly aligned gravestones, which makes it the biggest American cemetery in Normandy.

Near Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery is the Overlord Museum , which chronicles the history of the Allied landings and the liberation of Paris. The museum's collection includes war vehicles, tanks, and guns, as well as soldiers' personal items.

Address: Overlord Museum, Rond-point d'accès du Cimetière Américain, Lotissement Omaha Center, Colleville-sur-Mer

Official site: www.overlordmuseum.com

Since the 19th century, Deauville has been a premier seaside resort in Normandy. This glamorous vacation spot is still considered one of the top beach destinations in France .

The seafront features two kilometers of sandy shoreline and a promenade (boardwalk) for seaside strolls. Lifeguards are on duty daily during the high season (July and August).

Fitting of a glamorous beach destination, amenities abound, including places to rent parasols, lounge chairs, and old-fashioned striped cabanas.

Holiday-goers can take a break from sunbathing at the beach to browse the stylish boutiques, get a spa treatment, or dine at one of the many gourmet restaurants. Other things to do include sailing, golfing, and attending equestrian competitions.

Deauville lives up to its reputation as an internationally renowned resort with its array of prestigious events, including the International Polo Championship, held at Deauville's modern nine-hectare equestrian complex, and the Deauville American Film Festival .

For lovers of Impressionist art, Monet's House & Gardens is an exciting place to visit, because the lush flowering property inspired so many of the artist's paintings. Claude Monet and his family settled at this charming location in Giverny (one hours' drive from Rouen) in 1883, and the artist spent the rest of his life here.

In front of the house is Le Clos Normand garden, which was created by Claude Monet. From springtime through autumn, this garden blooms with a profusion of colorful blossoms, including daffodils, pansies, tulips, irises, peonies, daisies, roses, poppies, hollyhocks, and dahlias, planted in a natural way so that they look like wildflowers.

On the other side of the property is Le J ardin d'Eau (Water Garden) featuring a Japanese bridge and waterlily pond fringed with weeping willow trees. The water garden was depicted in Monet's Water Lilies series of paintings. Monet devoted many years to painting different aspects of this garden, capturing its beauty in his delicate brushstrokes.

In the town of Giverny, the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny (99 Rue Claude Monet) presents over 200 Impressionist paintings, as well as temporary exhibitions. The Impression Museum is surrounded by a meadow and also has a lovely garden with landscaping reminiscent of Monet's Garden.

Nearby in the town of Vernon (about a 10-minute drive), the Musée de Vernon showcases several masterpieces painted by Monet, along with works by other Impressionist artists (who belonged to the Giverny colony of painters).

Address: Monet's House & Gardens, Rue Claude Monet, Giverny

Official site: http://giverny.org/gardens/fcm/visitgb.htm

A favorite beach vacation destination on the Côte d'Albâtre, Fécamp is one of the best places to visit in Normandy for a relaxing holiday break. Established in 1832, Fécamp was one of France's first seaside resorts, known for attracting a high-society crowd. Today, sunbathers and socialites alike enjoy the refreshing ocean scenery .

Apart from the fishing harbor , the main tourist attraction here is the old abbey church of Sainte-Trinité , originally built in the 12th and 13th centuries. The interior is remarkably spacious with an exquisite choir and Renaissance altar.

The medieval pilgrimage chapel, Notre-Dame-du-Salut, stands on a steep chalk cliff to the north of town.

The writer Guy de Maupassant was born in Normandy and spent his early years in Fécamp, and some of his stories are set in the town.

About 11 kilometers away is the village of Valmont with an ancient castle and the ruins of a 12th-century abbey.

The seaside resort of Étretat is nestled at the foot of white limestone cliffs on Normandy's Côte d'Albâtre coastline. The cliffs reach 90 meters in height. From the viewpoint on top of the cliffs, the panoramic vistas are sensational.

The scenery of Étretat appealed to Claude Monet who spent a winter here in 1868. During his stay, Monet captured the dramatic landscapes and glistening waterfront in his paintings.

The beaches of Étretat delight sunbathers during the summer, and the ocean is a source of livelihood for fishermen who catch fresh seafood that is widely used in the local cuisine.

Étretat also has many attractive Belle Epoque villas , the most well-known is the Villa Orphée. The Villa La Guillette was built for the author Guy de Maupassant.

The name of Suisse Normande (Norman Switzerland) is given to the stretch of countryside in the Orne Valley of Lower Normandy, extending between Thury-Harcourt (south of Caen) in the north, Flers-de-l'Orne in the south, and Falaise in the east.

An idyllic piece of rural landscape, the Suisse Normande is characterized by its gently rolling hills, densely wooded forests, wide open space, steep gorges, and pristine lakes. The winding river, rocky bluffs along its banks, and the intricate patchwork of hedges give the scenery a particular charm.

The most striking features are the Rocher d'Oëtre , in the hilliest part of the area, and the superb view from above the gorges of the Rouvre River. Other scenic areas include the Vère and Noireau valleys and the stretch of the Orne Valley between Thury-Harcourt and Pont-d'Ouilly.

This area includes two regional parks: the Parc Naturel Régional Normandie-Maine and the Parc Naturel Régional du Perche ; both have well-maintained trails for nature walks and hikes. The Naturel Régional Normandie-Maine also offers opportunities to go canoeing or kayaking.

The most spectacular château in Normandy, the Château de Fontaine-Henry enjoys a peaceful setting in the lush Mue Valley of Lower Normandy (about 14 kilometers from Caen). The château was built in the beginning of the 13th century and is classified as a Historical Monument .

The Château de Fontaine-Henry has been privately owned for generations, by an aristocratic family that traces their ancestry to the year 1200. The current owner, the Marquis d'Oilliamson, on occasion leads guided tours of the château.

This remarkable château is a notable example of Gothic and Renaissance architecture with an imposing stone facade. The lavish interior is filled with gorgeous furniture and exceptional paintings , including works by Titian, Correggio, Rubens, Mignard, and Rigaud. There is also a separate 13th-century chapel, which was renovated in the 16th century.

Surrounded by forests, the château has an expansive parkland with walking paths and traditional games for visitors to enjoy. Within the park are three distinct gardens: the Jardin Notre-Dame, a medieval garden planted with vegetables and medicinal herbs; the Hortus Conclusus, an enclosed garden designed for religious meditation and spiritual reflection; and the Gerbe du Parnasse, a garden with a theme of Greek mythology.

Tourists may visit the Château de Fontaine-Henry on guided tours, available mid-April through mid-September. Tours are available in French and English, and printed content about the tour is available in English, Dutch, German, Spanish, and Russian.

Address: Place du Château, Fontaine-Henry

Guillaume le Conquérant (William the Conqueror) built this castle in 1060 when he was the King of England. The Château de Caen is one of the largest medieval monuments in Europe and a quintessential symbol of Caen's heritage.

During the Middle Ages, the château was a royal fortress, and it later served as an English stronghold during the Hundred Years' War and as army barracks for an infantry regiment during the Second World War.

The ramparts of the Château de Caen are among the largest castle fortifications in Europe. The northern rampart of the castle has been restored; from this viewpoint , visitors can admire panoramas of the Caen cityscape.

Rooms within the ramparts house the Musée de Normandie , a museum focused on the Normandy region's culture and history, including the history of the castle.

The château also displays the collection of the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen , which has an outstanding assortment of 16th- and 17th-century European paintings. The museum's treasures include masterpieces by Poussin, Rubens, Veronese, and Brueghel, as well as Impressionist paintings by Monet, Boudin, Corot, and Courbet.

The Château de Caen has a café, picnic area, and outdoor games on the grounds.

Address: Château de Caen, 14000 Caen

Bayeux has a British World War II cemetery as well as the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy. This museum explains Normandy's involvement during the Second World War by outlining an overview of the wartime events.

With 2,300-square-meters of exhibition space, the museum does an outstanding job of recounting the Normandy Campaign , from the advancement of the Allied troops to D-Day on June 6th, 1944 and the liberation of Paris on August 25th, 1944.

The museum has an auditorium that shows the film Normandy '44, Decisive Victory in the West , based on archival documents. Created by a World War II historian, the film explains the major operations involved in the Battle of Normandy.

The museum also displays military equipment used during fighting on the Landing beaches, such as bulldozers, jeeps, and guns. The main aim of the museum is to share World War II history with the public and to serve as a place of remembrance , while honoring the memory of fallen civilians and soldiers.

Address: Boulevard Fabian Ware, Bayeux

Near Omaha Beach, the D-Day landing beach (Gold Beach) of Arromanches was successfully captured by the British 50th Northumberland Division on June 6th, 1944 in a surprise offensive.

Because Arromanches does not have a natural harbor, the Allied forces had installed artificial harbors, known as the Mulberry Harbors . The Arromanches D-Day Museum overlooks the beach, close to the spot where one of the harbors was constructed. Remnants of the artificial harbor can still be seen on the sandy shore and in the waters near Arromanches.

The Musée du Débarquement (Arromanches D-Day Museum) illustrates the remarkable logistics and technical aspects of " Operation Mulberry ," which involved the building of the Mulberry Harbors. Exhibits describe the logistics required to create and use the Mulberry Harbors, while working models demonstrate how the artificial ports operated.

Visitors can also watch a documentary film featuring World War II archival footage. Near the museum are many cafés and shops on the bustling Place du 6 Juin square.

Address: Place du 6 Juin, Arromanches

Historically a seafaring port, Dieppe became France's most stylish seaside resort in 1924 when the Duchesse de Berry came here to enjoy the ocean's fresh air and health benefits. The Duchess transformed the town (by having a ballroom and theater built) and made it a glamorous beach destination.

Today, visitors still come to enjoy Dieppe's beautiful broad seafront, an expansive space that includes a pebbly beach , promenade, children's playground , miniature golf course, and facilities for fishing and sailing. Unique to Dieppe, the seafront includes well-manicured lawns, where the International Kite Festival takes place every two years in September.

Above the beach, in a craggy cliff town, is the Château de Dieppe . This 14th-century castle contains the Musée de Dieppe , a multidisciplinary museum with an excellent assortment of European paintings from the 15th-century to the present day. Highlights include French Impressionist paintings, such as works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, and Eugène Boudin.

Northwest of the castle, the Boulevard de la Mer offers stunning sea views. In the center of the town is the pleasant Place du Puits-Salé and nearby are many cafés and pastry shops.

Dieppe has two important churches: the Baroque Eglise Saint-Rémy , built in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Eglise Saint-Jacques , a striking Gothic church with ornately sculpted doorways and a richly decorated interior.

With today's recreational ambience, it's hard to imagine that Dieppe was the site of a tragic WWII event. On August 19th, 1942, the Allied forces (mainly Canadian) attempted a Raid on Dieppe , but the offensive was met by the German army with unexpectedly strong reinforcements. Over 900 Canadian soldiers were killed. Memorials in Dieppe honor the Canadian troops who perished during the Raid on Dieppe in 1942.

About a one-hour drive south of Rouen, the town of Evreux is worth a detour. The main tourist attraction is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame built in the 10th century. The cathedral's monumental nave still has Romanesque-era arches, although it was rebuilt in the 13th century in Gothic style. Illuminating the sanctuary are 70 splendid stained-glass windows, created between the 13th and 16th centuries and considered masterpieces.

Evreux also has a noteworthy 15th-century Palais Episcopal , which now houses the Musée d'Art, Histoire et Archéologie displaying a diverse collection of ancient artifacts; historical objects; and European paintings from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

Other noteworthy sites in Evreux include the Tour de l'Horloge (Clock Tower), which dates from 1490, and the former Abbaye de Saint-Taurin (abbey church), which contains the 13th-century reliquary of Saint Taurin, an exemplary piece of goldsmith's work.

Although less upscale than the neighboring " Parisian Riviera " resort of Deauville (just two kilometers away), Trouville has a similar ambience. Like Deauville, Trouville was a fashionable seaside resort in the 19th century.

Trouville's broad sandy beach was once known as the " Queen of Beaches " and still attracts many visitors. Another tourist draw is the boating harbor for recreational sailing.

One highly recommended excursion from Trouville is a drive along the Corniche Normande , which skirts the coast high above the sea. This scenic drive offers extensive views all the way to Honfleur.

Built around the estuary of the Seine River, Le Havre is France's largest port after Marseilles. The town is surrounded by serene natural scenery: an expansive pebble beach and an attractive marina.

The setting appealed to Claude Monet. In 1872, he captured the landscape of Le Havre in his famous painting Impression, Soleil Levant ( Impression, Sunrise ) which is considered the first piece of Impressionist art.

Le Havre suffered much damage during the Second World War and was almost completely rebuilt with many buildings designed by the architect Auguste Perret. The modern city center offers interesting examples of 20th-century architecture, such as the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville with its functional tower blocks.

One of the prettiest of the villages that dot Normandy's rural landscape, Le Bec-Hellouin is listed as one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages of France). This little country village is tucked away in a peaceful valley and has plenty of open green space with leafy trees.

Brimming with old-world charm, Le Bec-Hellouin has quaint flower-bedecked half-timbered houses clustered around an old church, the Eglise Saint-André . Tourists will also appreciate the village's selection of small inviting hotels and casual restaurants.

The village is renowned for its abbey, the Abbaye Notre-Dame du Bec founded in the 11th century and classified as a Historical Monument. Although the abbey was badly damaged in 1417 during the Hundred Years' War, the 15th-century Saint-Nicolas Tower remains intact. The main buildings exemplify Regency architecture, with unostentatious facades and harmonious classical proportions.

The Abbaye Notre-Dame du Bec is still a working monastery run by a community of Benedictine monks. Besides fulfilling their religious obligations, the monks produce handcrafted ceramics and provide guided sightseeing tours of the abbey.

Guided tours are available every day except Tuesdays. The grounds and the Eglise Abbatiale (Abbey Church) of the Abbaye Notre-Dame du Bec are open to the public, free of charge, every day except Tuesdays.

Another historic abbey is found 35 kilometers from Le Bec-Hellouin in Jumièges. Built in the 11th century, the Abbaye de Jumièges became an unsurpassed center of learning under the rule of William the Conqueror. In the 13th century, the church was enhanced in marvelous Gothic style, reflecting the grandeur of the abbey and its immense wealth.

Unfortunately, the abbey was mostly destroyed during the Hundred Years' War. However, the ruins reveal the prestigious past of a building that was once the most magnificent religious monument in Normandy.

Barfleur is a characteristic Norman fishing village with handsome granite-stone houses lined up along the harbor. The town's picture-perfect quality has earned it a place among the Plus Beaux Villages de France .

During the time of William the Conqueror, Barfleur was a principal seafaring port for the Anglo-Norman kingdom because of its advantageous position on the English Channel. Today, Barfleur still has a busy fishing harbor, with small boats unloading fresh catches daily at the quays. The town's traditional seafood restaurants offer a chance to sample the tempting local cuisine.

With nearby beaches and coastal paths for taking nature walks, Barfleur is a popular destination for seaside getaways.

Normandy is prized for its gorgeous coastline, particularly the stretch known as the Côte Fleurie , which extends from Honfleur for about 45 kilometers to Merville-Franceville.

The name "Coast of Flowers" hints at its natural splendor. This bucolic landscape features meadows and apple orchards, alongside the coastline of dramatic cliffs and fine-sand beaches.

One especially scenic driving route is the portion from the Deauville to Cabourg (20 kilometers).

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The Ultimate 3, 4 or 5 Day Normandy Road Trip Itinerary

Last Updated on February 19, 2024

by Neota Langley

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, we may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, see our privacy policy.

Located along the northwest coast of France, planning the perfect 3, 4 or 5-day Normandy road trip itinerary is an excellent way to experience this diverse region. Boasting picturesque countryside, charming coastal towns, and iconic landmarks, this is an excellent corner of France to explore.

Whether you’re interested in the history of the D-Day landing beaches, the imposing charms of the Mont Saint-Michel tidal island or want to walk in the footsteps of an impressionist painter, you cannot go wrong with a road trip to Normandy.

Table of Contents

How Many Days in Normandy?

Whether you are hoping to go on a cultural tour of this historically significant region in Northern France or enjoy the picturesque towns and dramatic coastal scenery, you may be wondering how many days to spend in Normandy. 

If you only have 3 days for your trip or are passing through as part of a more extended road trip through France, don’t worry. You will still be able to visit the highlights but may have to focus your trip on either the eastern or western side of the region to make the most out of your time.

With 3 days in the Normandy region, you will be able to visit Mont Saint-Michel, Caen and the D-Day landing beaches without feeling rushed.

If you have 4 days in Normandy, you will have time to visit the highlights as well as Honfleur, a charming town on the coast of Normandy that’s known for its picturesque harbour, quaint streets, artistic ambience and the dramatic white cliffs of Étretat.

Ideally, you would spend a full 5 days exploring this varied region. 5 days in Normandy will give you time to visit the highlights as well as a bonus day in Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy, which transports you back in time with its stunning medieval architecture, narrow cobblestone streets, and grand Gothic cathedral.

Those who have more time can continue to explore more of Normandy itself or even head south to explore neighbouring Brittany .

Getting To & Around Normandy

Getting to Normandy is a breeze, with several convenient transportation options available. If you’re travelling from within France, the region is easily accessible by train.

The cities of Caen, Rouen, and Le Havre have well-connected train stations, offering regular services from Paris and other major cities across France. You can view train schedules here.

For those flying in from abroad, the closest international airports are both located on the outskirts of Paris , Paris Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly.

From there, you can rent a car, drive to Normandy, or take a train to one of the region’s main cities. The train journey from Paris to Normandy takes approximately 1-2 hours, depending on your destination.

If you are visiting from the UK and prefer to take the scenic route, consider taking a ferry. Regular ferry services are operating between UK ports (such as Portsmouth or Dover) and ports in Normandy (such as Ouistreham or Le Havre). It’s a fantastic way to enjoy the sea views and arrives directly in Normandy with your vehicle.

The Eurotunnel is also an option if you are coming from the UK which can be cheaper than the ferry, especially during peak times. However, if you do opt for the Eurotunnel, bear in mind you will have to drive from Calais, which takes around 5 hours. 

Taking a road trip in Normandy is the best way to explore this compact region so if you are travelling without your vehicle, you may wish to hire a car. This will allow you time to discover the highlights at your own pace and stumble across the hidden gems along the way. 

If you need to rent a car for your trip, you can browse Rentalcars.com which compares prices for major companies.

Normandy has a local network of buses and trains, and the towns and cities are small enough to explore on foot once you have arrived. There is a direct train between the two main cities, Rouen and Caen, but travelling using public transport to the smaller villages can be more fragmented with several changes giving you less time to explore your destination.

If you don’t have access to a vehicle, you may want to consider staying in Paris and taking guided day tours out to Normandy to explore the D-Day sights or Mont Saint Michel. 

3, 4 or 5-Day Normandy Itinerary

On this Normandy road trip, we are taking you on a journey from west to east along the region, starting with Mont Saint Michel and ending in the picturesque city of Rouen. 

The climate of this region is much the same as the southern corner of the UK, they are close neighbours looking out at one another across the English Channel. During the summer months, you can expect glorious sunshine, long summer evenings and pastel sunsets, but be aware the main attractions can get busy during the peak times. 

Spring is a beautiful time to visit, with flowers exploding into bloom after a long winter. The crowds have yet to arrive and you can often enjoy the highlights all to yourself. 

The autumn and winter months can be wild, windy and wet so if you are hoping to wander through the streets, stand tall on the white cliffs and take the bridge across the Mont Saint Michel, you may want to avoid these seasons – or pack a decent waterproof.

Day 1 – Mont Saint-Michel 

Mont saint-michel village.

You’ll find the captivating rocky mound of Mont Saint-Michel, North of the Normandy coastline, where the Breton coast meets the Couesnon River. With its abbey dating back to the 8th century, this island is one of the Western world’s most ancient Christian pilgrimage sites.

Today, Mont Saint-Michel is a world UNESCO heritage site and is France’s second most visited tourist attraction, pipped to the post by the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Arrive at Mont Saint-Michel early to beat the crowds, parking spaces can be limited so if you are arriving by car, set the alarm early to avoid disappointment.

If you are arriving by train, head to Pontorson, the closest station to the Mont-Saint-Michel, and then take the free shuttle bus. You can walk across to the island in around 50 minutes, but there is a free shuttle bus from the car park. 

Mont Saint Michel is a tidal island and although there is a bridge connecting the island to the mainland, during high tide times eg. spring tides, the bridge can become fully or partially submerged, so check tide times before you set off. 

Start your day in the picturesque village, wandering through its narrow streets and admiring medieval architecture. Then, spend some time exploring the shops and boutiques, where you can find souvenirs, local crafts, and tasty treats such as buttery biscuits and cider.

Grab a coffee and a croissant from an artisan boulangerie in the village centre before heading up to the Abbey. 

Mont Saint-Michel Abbey

Mont Saint-Michel Abbey, perched atop the rocky island, is a magnificent architectural masterpiece. Dating back to the 8th century, it showcases stunning Gothic design and houses intricate chapels, grand halls, and a beautiful cloister.

Make sure to buy your tickets in advance and download them onto your phone on the mainland as internet connectivity is patchy on the island itself. 

Enjoy a delicious lunch at one of the charming restaurants on the island, savouring local specialities like salted lamb or a fresh seafood dish.

Mont Saint Michel is a fortified village, meaning it is surrounded by medieval ramparts. Spend the afternoon walking around these ramparts for a scenic tour of the island with excellent views of the bay. You can also take a walking tour of the area.

This is a spectacular way to enjoy the sunset, especially if you can get up to one of the towers – North Tower, Gabriel Tower or Tour du Roi.

You can either spend the night on the island or head back to a nearby village for more budget-friendly accommodation, such as the historic town of Avranches or the charming coastal town of Cancale, known for its oysters.

Where to Stay in Mont Saint-Michel

Hôtel Vert – Mid-range visitors to Mont Saint-Michel will love this comfortable hotel just outside of the tidal island. They have a range of rooms on offer, breakfast available in the mornings and a great restaurant/bar on site.

Le Relais Saint Michel – Those looking for a high-end option close to Mont Saint-Michel will love this 4-star hotel. Overlooking the bay of Mont Saint-Michel, many rooms have panoramic views of the tidal island and the hotel also offers a shuttle service to and from the attraction.

La Ramade – This hotel in the town of Avranche makes for another great base for exploring Mont Saint-Michel. They have a beautiful location in an old mansion, a number of lovely rooms to choose from, free parking for guests and a fabulous breakfast each morning.

Edd Hostel – Budget and solo travellers will love this highly-rated hostel located within easy reach of Mont Saint-Michel. Offering both dorms and private rooms, they also operate shuttle services to Mont Saint-Michel along with Saint-Malo and Dinan in Brittany.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Mont Saint-Michel hotels!

Day 2 – Caen

Château de caen.

Caen is a vibrant city, a captivating blend of ancient history and modern vitality. The city showcases its medieval past with picturesque cobblestone streets and charming timber-framed houses.

Begin your day in Caen by visiting the magnificent Château de Caen. Built by William the Conqueror, it stands as a testament to medieval architecture and history. Explore its imposing walls, towers, and ramparts, and delve into the castle’s rich past as a symbol of power and conquest.

Abbaye-aux-Hommes

Next, take a short stroll over to Abbaye-aux-Hommes, another architectural marvel founded by William the Conqueror. This abbey showcases Romanesque design and houses the tomb of the legendary king.

Admire its grandeur, explore its serene interior, and immerse yourself in the rich history and spiritual significance of this iconic Norman landmark.

After enjoying some of the city’s awe-inspiring architecture, head over to stroll through the picturesque streets of Caen’s Old Town, known as the Vaugueux Quarter. Admire the charming half-timbered houses, quaint shops, and cosy cafes. 

The old town is the perfect spot to stop for lunch. Enjoy one of Caen’s charming restaurants, indulging in local specialities such as tripe à la mode de Caen (a traditional dish) or delicious seafood. If you have a sweet tooth, opt for a wafer-thin crepe at Crêperie l’Instant.

Memorial Museum

Take the afternoon to explore the exhibits of the Memorial Museum, dedicated to the events of World War II and the Battle of Normandy. Explore the extensive exhibits, including interactive displays and powerful testimonials.

This is the perfect opportunity to delve into the history of the 1944 D-Day landing beaches before taking a tour on day 3. You can book tickets in advance here.

Where to Stay in Caen

Hôtel Mary’s – Located in the centre of Caen, this hotel is a great option for mid-range visitors. Offering a range of clean and comfortable rooms, they have a great continental breakfast available each morning.

Clos Saint Martin – This bed and breakfast is located in a 16th-century mansion in the centre of Caen. Perfect for those looking for a boutique, upmarket stay, there are a range of lovely rooms to choose from along with a hearty breakfast on offer in the mornings.

City’O aparthotel – This aparthotel is a good option for those looking for a great self-catering option in Caen. They have a number of fully-furnished flats available and a great location for exploring all this lovely little city has to offer.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Caen hotels!

Day 3 – D-Day Beaches 

Omaha beach.

A must-visit on any itinerary for Normandy, day 3 brings us to the hallowed grounds of the D-Day beaches. If you only have 3 days in the region, this is a highlight and is the perfect way to round off your trip.

These shores, locations of the historic World War II invasion, bear witness to the bravery and sacrifice of the Allied forces. Immerse yourself in the stories of courage and resilience that unfolded on these beaches, forever shaping history. 

The best way to visit the D-Day beaches is by road trip, with your own vehicle you can take your time, visiting the beaches at your own pace. However, if you don’t have access to a car, several guided group day trips or private D-Day tours are available from Paris or from nearby towns – such as this day tour from Bayeux.

Start your day by heading to Omaha Beach, one of the most significant D-Day landing sites. Visit the Omaha Beach Memorial Museum to learn about the Allied forces’ heroic efforts and the challenges they faced during the invasion.

Pointe du Hoc

Continue to Pointe du Hoc, a strategic location where U.S. Army Rangers scaled cliffs to neutralise German artillery. Explore the well-preserved bunkers and enjoy panoramic views of the coastline.

After taking a short lunch stop to enjoy a packed lunch or a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants, make your way to the American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer. Pay your respects at the solemn gravesites and reflect upon the sacrifices made by the soldiers.

Arromanches-les-Bains

Next, visit the Arromanches-les-Bains and the Mulberry Harbor remains. Discover the innovative engineering behind the artificial port and its vital role during the Normandy invasion.

If time allows, visit the Juno Beach Centre, dedicated to Canada’s contribution to the D-Day landings. Explore the exhibits and gain insight into the experiences of Canadian soldiers.

As the sun goes down, take a moment to reflect on the beaches themselves, where history unfolded. Then, you can either head back to Caen to spend the night or head on to Honfleur, our destination for day 4.

Alternatively, if you have more time, you can also visit the town of Bayeux on the way back. This is currently home to the Bayeux Tapestry which depicts the 1066 Norman Conquest and dates back to the 15th Century.

Day 4 – Honfleur

Honfleur .

Honfleur is a charming old port town known for its picturesque harbour, vibrant art scene, and quaint streets lined with colourful half-timbered houses.

Spend the morning wandering around Vieux Bassin, the heart of the port. Quaint buildings, artisan shops, bakeries and restaurants line the street, looking out on the harbour. You can organise a walking tour if you prefer.

Honfleur is pretty as a picture and has long been an artistic haven. Museums and galleries showcase masterpieces that pay homage to its Impressionist heritage. Notably, the birthplace of Eugène Boudin, mentor to Claude Monet, Honfleur holds pride in its connection to these renowned artists.

You’ll find numerous galleries across the town, but if you don’t feel like meandering through a gallery, you’ll often find artists set up with easels along the Vieux Bassin, painting the waterfront scenes just as the impressionists did 200 years before them.

Honfleur’s most famous landmark is the largest wooden church in France, Église Sainte Catherine. A short walk away from the hustle and bustle of the harbour, the church is free to enter and the interior is a marvel of craftsmanship. 

The church was built by shipbuilders in the 15th century using wood from local forests. Don’t forget to look up at the unique ceiling which looks like two upside-down ships’ hulls.

Grab a picnic from Honfleur, a variety of local delights such as Camembert and Pont-l’Évêque Cheese or a slice of Tarte Tatin (caramelised apple tart) and take a drive out to the dramatic white cliffs of Étretat. You can also take a bus from Honfleur to Étretat with a change in La Havre. 

Nestled along the picturesque cliffs of the Alabaster Coast in Normandy, Étretat is a charming seaside village renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty. Its iconic white chalk cliffs, including the majestic formations of the Falaise d’Amont and Falaise d’Aval, have inspired countless artists and writers throughout history.

Take a leisurely stroll along the promenade, admiring panoramic views of the English Channel and the famous Arch and Needle rock formations. Then, for the best view of the Needle Rock and Elephant Trunk, head up to the cliff paths and take a hike out of the village.

The views from either end are breathtaking, but Falaise Aval offers better views of the needle and the third arch, making it the most popular route.

Spend the evening in the sunshine sitting out on a restaurant terrace in the village. Normandy is known for its apple orchards, so make sure to sample some local cider with your dinner or try some apple brandy, known as calvados.

If you only have 4 days, this is the perfect way to round off your trip.

Where to Stay in Honfleur

B&B Le Fond de la Cour – This cosy bed and breakfast makes for the perfect mid-range base in Honfleur. They have a number of lovely rooms on offer, a delightful garden courtyard and terrace, and a wonderful breakfast in the mornings.

A L’ecole Buissonniere – Another rustic yet comfortable bed and breakfast, this is a great place to base yourself in Honfleur. They have a number of comfortable rooms on offer, a wonderful breakfast available in the morning and a great location.

La Petite Folie – Situated in the historic centre of Honfleur, this modern bed and breakfast is a great choice for those looking for a comfortable base in this area of Normandy. They have a number of great rooms to choose from and plenty of amenities for guests.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click here to browse more Honfleur hotels!

Day 5 – Rouen

Rouen cathedral.

Welcome to Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy, France. This enchanting city, steeped in rich history and architectural splendour, boasts magnificent Gothic cathedrals, charming cobblestone streets, and a vibrant cultural scene.

Start your day in Rouen by visiting the magnificent Rouen Cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture immortalised by Claude Monet’s paintings. Admire the intricate facade and explore the interior, including the stunning stained glass windows.

During the summer months, make sure to return to the cathedral at dusk, as it transforms into a sound and light show. The themes change regularly, ranging from Joan of Arc, the Viking adventure or the impressionist movement. 

Explore the Historic Centre

Next, take a stroll through the charming streets of the historic centre, making your way to the Gros Horloge, an iconic 14th-century astronomical clock. The clock’s mechanism is thought to be one of the oldest in France, the movement having been made in 1389. 

Spend the early afternoon exploring the Rue du Gros-Horloge, a vibrant street lined with shops and cafes. Indulge in retail therapy or relax at a sidewalk café while enjoying the lively atmosphere. You take a walking tour of the area.

This is the perfect place to stop for lunch at one of Rouen’s cosy bistros, savouring local specialities such as duck confit, creamy Normandy cheeses, or a savoury galette.

Musée des beaux-arts de Rouen & Musée Le Secq des Tournelles

After lunch, take your pick from several world-class museums and galleries. Visit the Musée des beaux-arts de Rouen (Fine Arts Museum of Rouen), home to the second-largest collection of Impressionist works in France.

For a more unusual artistic experience, the Musée Le Secq des Tournelles is a must-visit. Home to unusual, ornate pieces of wrought ironwork.

Ordinary objects like hinges, tools, signs, locks, and cutlery undergo a surreal transformation, resembling works of art straight out of the Surrealist movement. They metamorphose into whimsical faces,  intricate swirling patterns, and animal-like forms.

Joan of Arc Square

If art is not your thing, head to the Joan of Arc Square and the Church of Saint Joan of Arc, an open-air museum experience dedicated to retelling the story of Saint Joan of Arc. This is a truly immersive experience with projected images and films on the building’s stone walls.

Seine River Cruise

If you have time, taking a boat trip on the Seine River is a wonderful way to view the city and Normandy countryside from a different perspective to bring your 5 days in Normandy to a close.

Leaving from Rouen, embark on a 1.5-hour sailing around the marina. Learn about the history of the area with a local guide, before returning to the docks. 

Those who have a bit more time or are heading back to Paris from here may love to stop in the town of Giverny, which was once home to impressionist painter Claude Monet.

Normandy is a diverse region, with bags of history and culture to discover alongside the beautiful French countryside. Whether you are lucky enough to have 5 days to explore Normandy or are only passing through, you’re bound to be enchanted by this region. So pack your picnic, and hit the road for a Normandy road trip you’ll never forget. 

Are you planning to visit Normandy? Have any questions about this itinerary? Let us know in the comments!

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About Neota Langley

Neota is a writer for The World Was Here First. Born and bred in Cornwall, she can usually be found with hiking boots on, ready to embark on an adventure. For the last 6 years, she has travelled throughout Europe in her self-built campervan with her trusty canine companion, Ivy. She loves exploring France, the Nordics and spending time in Alpine destinations.

Day 5 – Rouen

Seine River Cruise – we are travelling this coming May and are following your suggestions. Do you know the name of the Co. we could book a tour with? Thank you Jane Canada

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The boardwalk of Deauville is legendary, tempting visitors to tread in the steps of the stars of cinema in between a spot of fabulous shopping in the town’s prestigious stores and a visit to the number one attraction in Normandy – the Mont-Saint-Michel . However, as extraordinary as it is, this icon of monastic art doesn’t totally eclipse other exceptional Norman treasures. When you visit Normandy you’ll discover bucolic countryside where delicious cheeses abound, majestic cliffs steeped in myth, and unspoiled seaside towns immortalised by the painters of the Impressionist movement. There are immense sandy beaches, some of which are memorials to key events of the Second World War.

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Normandy: what to do, what to see...

Normandy is home to one of the wonders of the Western world. A jewel of French heritage set on its own rocky island in an enormous bay: Mont-Saint-Michel. Normandy is a world of picturesque villages with cobbled streets and Gothic churches, all of which were sources of inspiration for Impressionist painter Claude Monet. But Normandy also has its eye on the future in hi-tech cities like Le Havre. Come on, let’s go... 

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• Sporting Activities (5)
• Nature and Outdoor Activities (25)
• Food and Wine (7)
• Cultural Heritage (37)
• Spiritual Tourism (3)

Mont-Saint-Michel , Wonder of the West

Normandy: Visit the Omaha Beach American Cemetery & Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer

Visit Alençon

An active weekend in Suisse Normande

Adventurous Things to do in France

Destination: Etretat

See more destinations

• 2 Cities and towns
• 3 Other destinations
• 4.1 History
• 4.2 When to visit
• 6.2.1 From within France
• 6.2.2 From the United Kingdom
• 6.3 By boat
• 6.4 By plane
• 7.2 By train
• 8.1 Castles
• 8.3 Christianity
• 10.1 Starters and snacks
• 10.2 Trou normand
• 10.3 Main meals
• 10.4 Cheese
• 10.5 Dessert
• 11.1 Liqueurs
• 13.1 Staying in France
• 13.2 Across the sea

Normandy ( French : Normandie , Norman: Normaundie ) is a region of northern France , bordering the English Channel. Once the centre of a powerful medieval empire that controlled a significant area of continental Europe, and most of England and Wales , Normandy has an incredibly rich heritage to draw from. Many visitors come to be enchanted by historical attractions such as the triple peaks of Rouen cathedral, the Bayeux Tapestry's engrossing tale of vengeance and conquest, and the fantastical abbey atop Mont Saint-Michel . Normandy is also famed for the D-Day Allied invasion on 6 June, 1944, and the brutal inland fighting that ensued, but which eventually resulted in the liberation of France from Nazi rule. However, Normandy is more than just a history museum; this is a region of natural beauty too, from the chalky cliffs of the Alabaster Coast , to the rocky hills of the Suisse Normande, and the Cotentin marshlands. And where better to savour the twin pillars of Norman cuisine , milk and apples?

Regions [ edit ]

Cities and towns [ edit ]

• 49.4412 1.0963 1 Rouen — Normandy's smart capital city has abundant medieval heritage, with several notable Gothic monuments and many half-timber houses. Joan of Arc met her gruesome fate here in 1431, when she was burnt at the stake as a heretic.
• 49.2794 -0.7028 2 Bayeux — Pretty cathedral town that serves as a good base for visiting the eastern D-Day beaches ( Gold , Juno and Sword ). The most well-known attraction in Bayeux itself is the eponymous tapestry which chronicles the Norman invasion of England in 1066.
• 49.1831 -0.3694 3 Caen — In contrast to so much of olde worlde Normandy, Caen is a modern city, due to its near complete destruction in 1944, a tragic outcome meticulously recorded by the city's Musée du Mémorial. There are fortunately still some surviving relics of old Caen, including two abbeys and several churches.
• 49.633 -1.6167 4 Cherbourg — A maritime town and ferry port with two museums of national importance - the Musée de la Libération and the Cité de la Mer. Cherbourg also serves as a base for exploring the wider Cotentin peninsula and the western D-Day beaches ( Omaha and Utah ).
• 49.9222 1.0786 5 Dieppe — A lively seaside resort with the closest beach to Paris, popular with weekenders and daytrippers. In 1942, it was the location of a catastrophic raid by Canadian and other Allied troops that resulted in a Nazi win; in 1944, the Canadians returned with a vengeance and liberated the town.
• 49.4194 0.2325 6 Honfleur — A 17th-century harbour town with oodles of charm and character; the old port is lined with higgledy-piggledy buildings of comical width and height. Still an active fishing port, Honfleur is a renowned location for seafood restaurants.

Other destinations [ edit ]

• 49.35 -0.75 1 D-Day beaches — On 6 June 1944, hundreds of thousands of Allied troops disembarked on French sand across five named beaches - Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword - stretching from near Cherbourg in the west to Ouistreham in the east. The ensuing Battle of Normandy and ultimate victory on the western front is commemorated at hundreds of cemeteries, memorials, services and events across the area.
• 49.0833 1.5333 2 Giverny — The country home of the best-known painter of the Impressionist movement, Claude Monet. Visit the gardens which Monet considered his best work, and enjoy the bucolic village surroundings of rural Normandy.
• 48.636 -1.5114 3 Mont Saint-Michel — Perhaps the most recognisable French landmark outside Paris, this real life Minas Tirith is a rocky pinnacle of an island capped with a benedictine monastery and flanked by a steep and winding town.

Understand [ edit ]

History [ edit ].

Normandy is the land of the Normans, whose Norse ancestors arrived in 820 and conducted several raids in their longboats up the River Seine, terrorising and extorting the Franks out of much of their wealth. In 911, the Viking warrior leader Rollo besieged Chartres and forced the Frankish king Charles the Simple to sign a costly treaty; in exchange for ceasing their raids and protecting the coast from their Norse kin, Rollo and his people were granted the lands that became the Duchy of Normandy in perpetuity. On paper, the dukes of Normandy (as Rollo's descendants became) were vassals of the Frankish, and later French, crown. However, the early French kings were weak and controlled very little land beyond Paris, so Normandy had a lot of practical independence and levity to expand its borders, which it did repeatedly.

Normandy's most famous duke - William the Conqueror ( Guillaume le Conquérant ) - sailed an invasion fleet to England in 1066 and there crowned himself King William I. Thus followed a long period of Anglo-Norman domination on both sides of the Channel, and Normandy was for several centuries a part of the Kingdom of England. During this time, many defensive castles and Romanesque and Gothic churches were constructed, and the famous Bayeux tapestry was woven by now-unknown hands.

This state of affairs was only altered by the Hundred Years War (1337 - 1453), as France took back more and more of its territory. During this time, French national heroine Joan of Arc ( Jeanne d'Arc ) was infamously executed by the English at Rouen . Despite this blow, the French won the war and the only part of Normandy left under English - now British - control today is the Channel Islands . Indeed, it is possession of these islands that still grants the British monarch the title Duke of Normandy.

In the Belle-Époque of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Normandy was adopted as a rural bolt hole by the great and the good of the era (Gustave Flaubert, Marcel Proust, Coco Chanel), who left behind many smart seaside towns and mansions. The father of impressionist painting, Claude Monet , fell in love with the region's landscape, which features in countless of his paintings. Monet eventually bought a large house at Giverny , where he lived for over four decades until his death in 1926.

Part of German-occupied France in World War II, Normandy once more became the setting for a cross-Channel invasion, the crucial Operation Overlord conducted by Allied forces. After the beach landings on 6 June 1944, the Battle of Normandy raged until the end of August and resulted in the destruction of whole cities such as Caen and Le Havre . Despite the horrific cost, Normandy was the first part of western Europe to be freed from fascism, and the toehold the Allies gained on the continent was essential for the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany.

Today, Normandy is a peaceful land that is an integral part of France. The Norman people have not forgotten the sacrifices of their liberators, and all over the region you will see French Tricolores, American Stars and Stripes, Canadian Maple Leaves and British Union Flags proudly flying. The countless war cemeteries and memorials , though each owned by their respective countries' war grave commission, are lovingly tended by teams of locals, and are thus kept in immaculate condition. Normandy remains very accessible from Britain and is also a favoured day or weekend trip for people from Paris and the Île-de-France , due to its beautiful coast and fascinating history.

When to visit [ edit ]

The climate in Normandy is very similar to that of southern England, with mild winters and warm, sometimes hot, summers. The weather can be unpredictable and is rainy by French standards, but is also often very nice. Most people visit during the summer, from June when the annual D-Day commemorations take place, through to the end of August. While it is perfectly possible to escape the crowds in much of Normandy even in the high season, the most well-known destinations are usually thronged with international tourists in summer, often bussed in on rushed and exhausting-looking day trips from Paris. Therefore, the best time to visit the big-ticket attractions (including the Bayeux Tapestry , the D-Day beaches and cemeteries , Giverny and Mont Saint-Michel ) is late spring and early autumn, where you should hopefully achieve the right balance of reasonable weather and manageable crowds.

Talk [ edit ]

French is the main language spoken throughout Normandy, and visitors with a knowledge of French should have no problem communicating. The local language spoken by some is Norman , which is very closely related to French, though the two are not always mutually comprehensible. Like the other regional languages of France, Norman has suffered from persecution and a lack of support from central government, and mainly clings on in more rural parts of the region, such as the Cotentin Peninsula and the Pays de Caux (north of Le Havre ). However, travellers hoping to encounter Norman speakers may have better luck visiting the Channel Islands , where the local Norman dialects are officially recognised and promoted.

Visitors with no knowledge of French should be able to get by in most cases just using English, especially when dealing with professionals in the tourist industry. However, it is customary politeness to learn at the very least a few basic phrases, and many French people take a lack of effort (rather than lack of ability) with the language as a sign of bad faith.

Get in [ edit ]

By car [ edit ].

From Paris , take the A13 autoroute (motorway) in the direction of Rouen , which takes about 2 hr. Caen is around 2 hr 45 min from the capital, while Cherbourg is about 4 hr. The A28 links traffic from the south, i.e. Le Mans and Tours , for the A10 from Bordeaux and ultimately Spain . Those coming in from Rennes and the rest of Brittany should find the A84 helpful. If driving from the north ( Hauts-de-France and the Benelux ), the A28 branches off the A16 at Abbeville and heads down into Upper Normandy . Driving times from the Calais ferry port and Channel Tunnel terminal are around 2 hr to Rouen using the A16 and A28 motorways.

By train [ edit ]

Normandy is not connected to any high speed rail (TGV) lines, so services to and around the region are rather slow by French standards.

From within France [ edit ]

SNCF Intercités trains depart from Paris Saint-Lazare to Rouen Rive Droite (1 hr 30 min), Le Havre (2 hr), Caen (2 hr), and Cherbourg (3 hr), among other places. You can catch trains from these cities to other destinations in the region.

For the south of the region, trains leave Paris Montparnasse to towns such as Argentan and Granville . For Mont Saint Michel , the best option is to take a TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Rennes , then a bus.

Rail services from other parts of France are not so great, but still doable. For instance, direct services from Tours to Caen take around 3 hours, while those travelling from Nantes to Caen should expect a 4-hour journey, changing trains in Le Mans . When coming from Lille , which is a hub for high speed trains from the Benelux and Germany , a direct 2 hr 45 min journey to Rouen is possible.

From the United Kingdom [ edit ]

Eurostar links London to Paris Nord in 2 hr 15 mins. From Gare du Nord, it is just one stop on Line E of the RER (express metro) to Haussmann Saint-Lazare, from where you should follow the instructions above.

Alternatively, you may wish to take it slow, by combining the train with a ferry crossing. On the British side, Portsmouth and Newhaven harbours both receive regular trains from London and many other places. Three ferry ports in Normandy ( Cherbourg , Le Havre and Dieppe ) have railway stations served by regional trains.

By boat [ edit ]

If you have a seagoing vessel at your disposal, why not make the journey across the English Channel yourself? It's not that far, only 120 km (65 nautical miles) at its furthest between West Sussex and the D-Day beaches , and Normandy has many attractive harbour towns to moor in when you arrive, with the guarantee of some delicious moules normandes in a local restaurant.

This being said, the majority of visitors who make a sea crossing will do so on board a ferry, and the blue infoboxes on the right (or above if you're on mobile) compile the various routes to Normandy and nearby ports from the British Isles . The length of each crossing varies widely, as do the facilities on board each vessel, ranging from a passenger seating area with just a drinks machine for refreshment, right up to "cruise ship-style" full board with cabins, restaurants and entertainment all provided. If you're bringing your vehicle, remember to drive on the right as soon as you disembark!

By plane [ edit ]

Normandy is not overly blessed with air links, and has only two small international airports:

The international airports near Normandy are:

• Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport ( CDG  IATA ): France's main hub receives hundreds of flights a day from all over the world. Driving times to Rouen are about 2 hr, and to Caen around 3 hr.
• Paris Beauvais Airport ( BVA  IATA ): a hub of Ryanair and other low cost airlines which has direct links from many parts of Europe. Beauvais is probably closer to Rouen than Paris, at about 90 km distant.
• Rennes Saint-Jacques Airport ( RNS  IATA ): flights from a selection of European cities including Amsterdam Schiphol , Barcelona El Prat , Cork , Dublin , Exeter , London ( City and Gatwick ), Madrid Barajas , Manchester Airport , Southampton , Southend. Also a fair few domestic flights from elsewhere in France. Close to Lower Normandy.
• Dinard Airport ( DNR  IATA ), near Saint-Malo : flights from East Midlands , Guernsey , Leeds - Bradford and London Stansted.

Alternatively, Rouen Airport [dead link] ( URO  IATA ) has a regular HOP! (Air France) [dead link] route from Lyon Saint Exupéry ( LYS  IATA ), which is a large international airport.

Get around [ edit ]

Unfortunately the best and quickest way to get around Normandy, particularly the rural areas, is by private car. The road network is well-developed, though Normandy and north-west France in general tends to have fewer motorways ( autoroutes , with A-prefixed route numbers) and more national roads ( routes nationales , with N-prefixed route numbers). This has the advantage of far fewer toll roads than in other parts of the country. The major roads of the region are:

• A13 / N13 (west - east) : Cherbourg , D-Day beaches , N174, Bayeux , Caen (A84, N158), Deauville (A132), A29, Seine Valley, A28, Rouen , A154, Giverny , Île-de-France , towards Paris
• A28 (north - south) : Hauts-de-France , from Abbeville , A29, Rouen, A13, Alençon , Pays de la Loire , towards Le Mans
• A29 : Hauts-de-France, from Amiens , A28, A151, A150, Le Havre , Pont de Normandie, Honfleur , Deauville, A13
• A84 : Caen (A13, N13, N158), N174 / Saint-Lô , Granville , Avranches , Mont Saint-Michel , Brittany , towards Rennes
• A88 / N158 : Caen (A13, N13, A84), Falaise , Argentan , A28
• A150 : Rouen, A151, A29
• A151 / N27 : A150 from Rouen, A29, Dieppe
• A154 / N154 : A13 from Rouen, Évreux , N12 towards Paris
• N31 : Rouen (A28), to Beauvais and Reims
• N174 (marked as E3 on some maps) : N13 / D-Day beaches, Saint-Lô, A84

See also: Rail travel in France

Normandy lacks high-speed rail, and its train network, while not bad, is best described as patchy. Upper Normandy, especially around Rouen and the Seine Valley, is part of the Paris commuter belt so has decent coverage. The more rural Lower Normandy has fewer lines, and fewer trains serving them. Rail travel is nonetheless an economical way to get around Normandy. Most trains are provided by TER Normandie , from whom you can purchase tickets and view a map [dead link] of the region's network.

See [ edit ]

Castles [ edit ]

Both the 'ruined fortress' and 'fancy château' varieties are present in Normandy. A notable example of the former is Richard the Lionheart's Château Gaillard in Les Andelys , a seemingly-impregnable fortress commanding an impressive vantage point, but which lasted only a few years before being captured by the Spanish, albeit after a seven-month siege. An example of a castle that provided comfort as well as defence can be seen in the Dukes' Castle at Alençon . There are also some châteaux in the region with no defensive purpose which were built purely to show off their owners' wealth and prestige. Examples include the slightly worn-around-the-edges renaissance Château de Gaillon in the town of the same name, and the 17th century Château de Balleroy near Bayeux , which is now owned by the hot air balloon-obsessed Forbes family, of American business media fame.

Coast [ edit ]

Normandy has several named coasts, each with a different character. Furthest east is the iconic Alabaster Coast ( Côte d'Albâtre ), known for its white chalk cliffs, mirroring similar formations on the south coast of England. Étretat has the most well-known of the cliffs, while Dieppe is more of a beach town with wartime history to boot. The good-looking resorts of the Flowery Coast ( Côte Fleurie ), including Deauville and Honfleur , are rather posh; this area is popular with second homeowners from Paris, with good reason. Continuing west are the beaches of the lesser-known Mother of Pearl Coast ( Côte de Nacre ) around Ouistreham , then the infamous D-Day landing beaches ( plages du débarquement ), which stretch for many miles right up the Cotentin Peninsula . At the top of Cotentin (near Cherbourg ) are the lively harbours of Barfleur and Saint-Vaast, along with wild and rugged landscapes around La Hague. The west coast of the peninsula offers a long stretch of sandy beaches that lead south past Granville all the way to Mont Saint-Michel and the Breton border.

Christianity [ edit ]

There are literally hundreds of medieval churches, abbeys and cathedrals scattered around Normandy, primarily in the Gothic and Romanesque styles. Romanesque architecture , characterised by rounded arches and lots of pillars, is often known to the British as "Norman", as it was they who introduced the style to many parts of Europe. Significant examples of this style include the Church of Saint-Étienne and its abbeys in Caen , Fécamp 's Benedictine abbey, and Bayeux Cathedral. Gothic architecture developed from Romanesque in neighbouring Picardy , but is more than fairly represented in Normandy too. Gothic churches tend to be more elaborately designed than Romanesque ones, with pointed arches, flying buttresses, complex stained-glass windows and gargoyles. Important examples include Notre Dame de l'Assomption Cathedral and Saint-Ouen church, both in Rouen . The abbey at Mont Saint-Michel is notable for its Gothic style, but with several older elements retaining the Romanesque.

Do [ edit ]

The Avenue Verte cycle path links Paris and London . In Normandy, you can follow the route from Dieppe inland through the countryside of Seine-Maritime to Beauvais over the Picard border. This section is 122 km in total, and is fully signposted with distinctive green signs.

Grandes Randonnées (GRs) are long-distance footpaths. They are usually well-maintained, and waymarked by horizontal red and white bands, which are painted on fence posts, trees and at the bases of pylons. You can choose to go the whole way if you have lots of time on your hands! Otherwise, select day trips or an itinerary for a few days walking along the most interesting parts. Normandy has two coastal GRs of note:

• The GR 21 tracks north-east from Le Havre to Le Tréport on the Norman/Picard border. This 186-km route takes in the entire Alabaster Coast, and its glorious chalk cliffs and snug harbour towns. Like other long-distance paths, the GR21 lends itself to much shorter walks, with highlights around Étretat and Dieppe being especially favoured.
• The GR 223 ( Sentier des Douaniers/Custom Officers' Way ) goes all the way from Honfleur in the east along the coast of Calvados, around Cotentin to Mont Saint Michel , on the Breton border in the west. The entire walk takes a month, but most prefer to pick sections according to their interest. History fans often choose the D-Day beaches , while lovers of spectacular nature (cliffs and coves) prefer the walk around Cap de la Hague, west of Cherbourg , and others still opt to approach Mont Saint-Michel around its eponymous bay.

Eat [ edit ]

Norman cuisine is pretty close to the standard French cuisine , though is based around the three main products of the region: seafood, apples and dairy. Its regional specialities are guaranteed to satisfy the most demanding gastronome.

Starters and snacks [ edit ]

• Foie gras — Though much more associated with the south west of France, production of this goose/duck liver pâté has been introduced to Normandy. The birds are force fed to make them as fat as possible.
• Omelettes — A must-try when in Mont Saint-Michel ; the local omelettes are creamy and light. The most famous omelette restaurant is easily La Mère Poulard, but long wait times and high prices may drive you elsewhere.
• Sausages — Popular local varieties include the andouille de Vire , a chitterling charcuterie that is often served as an apéritif with a glass of calvados , and boudin de Mortagne , black pudding from the far south of Orne, east of Alençon .

Trou normand [ edit ]

The trou normand (literally: "Norman hole") is a glass of calvados (see below ), often accompanied by an apple sorbet, and served between courses during a long and heavy meal as a palate-cleanser, a digestion aid and a fortifier, to make sure the diner is ready to continue eating! It is most often served between the fish course and the main course, or in less elaborate meals as a bridge between the main dish and the dessert.

Main meals [ edit ]

Normandy is renowned for its variety of meats:

• Agneau de pré-salé — Lamb raised on the salt marshes near Mont Saint-Michel . The meat has a very delicate flavour, and can be prepared in any number of ways classic to French butchery and gastronomy.
• Canard au sang or canard à la Rouennaise — Duck or duckling served with a sauce composed of the same duck's blood and bone marrow, extracted by a special press. Every part of the bird is used, so on the menu you might encounter magret (breast), foie (liver), patte (leg), or a little bit of everything. The thought of this may well make your stomach turn, but if you have good reason to trust your chef, give it a try. This speciality of Rouen is considered a delicacy.
• Poulet vallée d'Auge — Chicken from the Auge Valley, in the area around Lisieux . The bird is carved into large chunks and cooked in a sauce of calvados, mushrooms, butter and cream. Often served with a creamy chopped potatoes, bacon and cider mixture.
• Tripes à la mode de Caen — Beef tripe , hooves and bones, stewed in a whole bottle of cider and glass of calvados with carrots, onions, leeks, garlic, cloves, peppercorn and a bouquet garni . The autumn dish of choice for many Normans. Its official recipe, codified into poetry, is preserved by a guild of tripe butchers in Caen. While almost certainly dating from no earlier than the 14th century, local legend states that this was William the Conqueror's favourite meal.

Specialities from the sea include:

• Mussels ( moules ) — Of course you can find the ubiquitous moules marinières (mussels steamed in white wine and shallots) at pretty much any seafood restaurant, but the local version, moules normandes , is also delicious. To the basic marinière sauce is added an unhealthy portion of cream and, if you're really lucky, bacon lardons. Both varieties are usually served with plenty of frites .
• Oysters ( huîtres ) — Normandy produces some 25% of the oysters grown in France, and Normans tend to enjoy them most at Christmas. The industry is concentrated on the Cotentin Peninsula, at two different crus: Côte Ouest around Deauville , and Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, east of Cherbourg .
• Sole à la dieppoise — Sole cooked in the oven, basted with white wine and fish stock, and served with mussels, mushrooms and sometimes prawns. As the name suggests, this is a speciality of Dieppe .

Cheese [ edit ]

Normandy is the home of several world-famous varieties, all soft, all made with cows' milk and all named after their town or village of supposed origin:

• Camembert — A lovely round and creamy cheese. Some prefer it chilled, and therefore fairly solid, while others prefer to eat at room temperature, when it oozes. Local legend attributes the cheese's creation to the French Revolution, when Marie Harel, a farmer's wife resident in the village of Camembert (department of Orne, 25 km north-east of Argentan ), was advised on the recipe for a good brie by a priest, as thanks for sheltering him during the Reign of Terror, when the clergy were heavily persecuted. She gave the cheese her own spin, and thus camembert was born.
• Livarot — Soft and pungent, with a peach-coloured rind. It is also referred to as the "Colonel", due to its stripy packaging resembling a colonel's uniform. Livarot is a village some 20 km south-west of Lisieux .
• Neufchâtel — Soft, slightly crumbly and mould-ripened cheese with the aroma and taste of mushrooms. It is usually molded into the shape of a heart. It is made in the area around Neufchâtel-en-Bray, north-east of Rouen .
• Pont-L'Évêque — Pungent and creamy with a slightly yellowed appearance, made in the eponymous town inland from Deauville since at least as early as the 12th century.

Dessert [ edit ]

Local desserts include:

• Bourdelots — an apple and calvados pastry, eaten hot, cold or flambéd with calvados.
• Omelette vallée d'Auge — a sugary omelette filled with buttery diced apple and crème fraîche, flambéd with calvados.
• Pain perdu à la normande — sweet French toast served with (you guessed it) apple jam and pommeau, which is an apple liqueur.
• Tarte aux pommes — available all over France, but since Normandy is the land of the apple, these tarts aren't hard to find.
• Teurgoule — a tasty local variant of rice pudding, cooked for many hours in a low-heat oven, it is surprisingly light and refreshing. Don't be surprised for it be accompanied by an apple compote, or caramel apple, or just fresh apples...

Drink [ edit ]

Move over, wine! There are no commercial vineyards in Normandy, and although wine from other regions and countries is readily available in shops and restaurants, the most popular local tipples are apple-based.

• Cider ( cidre ) — Like Brittany , Normandy is cider country. Much like wine, cider comes in different varieties that are intended for different purposes, so you should pay attention to the following words on the label. Doux indicates a sweet cider, with a strong apple flavour and low alcohol percentage (3% or below), that is best drunk with dessert or by itself. Demi-sec / brut is sharper and fresher, with an alcohol content of between three and five percent. This kind of cider is more common as an apéritif, or as an accompaniment to local cuisine, especially seafood. Unlike in certain other countries, notably the United States, cider in Normandy is always alcoholic and always sparkling ( pétillant ).
• Perry ( poiré ) — Similar to cider, but made from pears. Production is considerably limited compared to its apple-based counterpart.
• Calvados — A brandy made from distilled cider or perry, subject to an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), restricting production to a specific area with strict quality controls. Calvados is famously used for the trou normand drink between courses of a long meal.

Liqueurs [ edit ]

• Pommeau — A 16-18% proof apéritif made from mixing calvados and non-fermented apples (or pears, in the case of poirineau ).
• Bénédictine — A herbal liqueur with its own creation myth (i.e. that the medieval benedictine monks of Fécamp, and not 19th-century entrepreneur Alexandre Le Grand, invented it), but without a whiff of apple in it. Consumed as a digestif, at 40% proof, bénédictine is also the unofficial match-day drink for England's Burnley FC.

Sleep [ edit ]

Normandy has lots of tourist accommodation. Most large towns and cities have numerous hotels and guest houses ( chambres d'hôte ), and this is especially true on the seaside. In the countryside, there are usually self-catering cottages ( gîtes ) and campsites; many small towns and villages provide overnight parking areas for campervans and caravans, often with electricity hookups and other facilities such as drinking water taps or picnic tables.

Caen can be a useful base to explore Normandy as a whole, being roughly in the middle of the region, having lots of cheap accommodation and great access to several motorways in all directions. Rouen has plenty of overnight options too, and is a more attractive destination city, but its far eastern position in Normandy makes it somewhat impractical for visiting many of the region's main sites.

Go next [ edit ]

Staying in France [ edit ]

• Brittany is Normandy's Celtic neighbour, and shares this region's affinity with cider and seafood. The rugged Breton coastline, quaint fishing ports and historical cities such as the little-visited but surprisingly cosmopolitan Rennes and the walled port city of Saint-Malo tempt many travellers to combine Normandy and Brittany into one trip.
• Centre-Val de Loire was the heartland of the French Renaissance and has the extraordinary castles to prove it. Centred on the Loire Valley , this region combines fine wine and dining with splendid Gothic cathedrals at Chartres and Tours , while Orléans hosted Joan of Arc's greatest victory before her success turned to ashes in Rouen.
• Hauts-de-France is the land where much of the First World War was fought, barely 20 years before the events of the second. As well as a large number of memorials and cemeteries, the region has a picturesque coast, diverse cities such as Lille and Amiens , and many fine Gothic churches and their belfries.
• Île-de-France can be reached by following the Seine inland. The Palace of Versailles and its glorious gardens are readily accessible by train from Rouen, and the glittering lights of Paris are just a bit further. Wealthy and sophisticated Île-de-France is a place where even a mouse can own a château .
• Pays de la Loire covers the most downstream part of the Loire Valley and a section of Atlantic coastline. Close to Normandy is the Le Mans racing circuit, while further south is the Anjou homeland of the Plantagenets, the royal house which succeeded the thrones of Normandy and England.

Across the sea [ edit ]

Normandy has excellent maritime connections with the British Isles ; see above for details. The following countries are not part of the Schengen Area , so you will need a passport and/or other travel documents to visit:

• The Channel Islands are part of Normandy, but very much not part of France. Jersey and Guernsey are in fact two mostly-autonomous dependencies of the British crown, and form an attractive archipelago of small and pretty islands.
• England lies on the other side of la Manche . Newhaven is a gateway to Sussex 's chalk downland and cliffs, and the trendy resort city of Brighton . Portsmouth ' s naval dockyards are just one of many attractions in historical Hampshire . Poole is the watery playground of the wealthy and well-situated for exploring Dorset 's prehistoric coastline.
• Ireland is an overnight ferry crossing, but is well worth the journey. Cork is an urban gateway to the Emerald Isle's mythical south west , while Rosslare has the beaches of County Wexford where Saving Private Ryan was filmed. Travellers daring the 20-hour crossing to Dublin will be rewarded with a hundred thousand welcomes and a stiff pint of Guinness.

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A first-timer’s guide to Normandy

Although the mere mention of a trip to France immediately conjures up afternoons lounging at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, there is, however, much more to see elsewhere in the country than just its capital. Why not a trip to Normandy ?

Normandy borders the English Channel, making it a prime location for travellers looking to explore French culture beyond the City of Light.

Additionally while you’re there, make sure you taste the local specialties! Firstly, local Normandie cheeses like Camembert, Neufchâtel and Pont-l’Évêque. Secondly, anything apple-based, like Calvados and cider .

Mont Saint-Michel

A few meters north of the Normandy coastline, straddling the Breton coast and at the edge of the Couesnon River, stands a fascinating rocky mound: Mont Saint-Michel, of course! Host of an abbey since the 18th century, the island with an impenetrable appearance jealously cultivates the aura of mystery that surrounds it. It is accessible on foot at low tide, but one must be quick, since the unfortunate visitors who linger there will be swept away by the current before they can admire this fortress.

+ FRANCE travel tips

Practical guide: visiting mont saint-michel in normandy, monet in normandy.

Claude Monet lived in the port city of Le Havre for many years; his most popular work, Impression, Sunrise, was produced there and later gave its name to the art movement. Not far away is the village of Giverny, where Monet also painted his iconic Water Lilies series, inspired by the gardens of his home.

+ france travel tips

How to plan a day trip to the monet gardens in giverny, d-day beaches.

Normandy was also the scene of significant events in the 20th century, including those of June 6, 1944. The Normandy landings changed the face of World War II and, more broadly, the world, as Allied soldiers from a variety of nations including Canada set foot on the French shore in the largest sea invasion in history.

Several sites in the region are now dedicated to the commemoration of this vast operation, including museums and guided tours, which provide a better understanding of the era. Likewise, perhaps the most significant to Canadians will be the Juno Beach Centre , a contemporary maple leaf-shaped space that commemorates the contributions of not only Canadians but also other Allied nations that took place on the beach.

If you’re travelling from Bayeux, this day trip to the American beaches might be of big interest to you.

Contemplating history on the D-Day landing beaches

Étretat are home to some of the most stunning cliffs in France. Made famous by its chalky, crisp-white arch and the gorgeous sunsets it welcomes every evening, it’s understandable a number of Impressionist painters were inspired by this absolutely stunning coastline. And no wonder Étretat is the place where Parisians go for a weekend at the beach.

Of course, it’s the English Channel; don’t get your hopes up about the water temperature, but hey, it’s still a beach!

Welcome to one of my favourite villages in France! The charming, colourful port is not just a sight for sore eyes, though; it was actually one of France’s major ports for commerce back in the 16th century. Did you know this is where Samuel de Champlain set sail from before he went on to found Quebec City?

The Vieux Bassin area of Honfleur is rightfully the best place to start. But make sure to also visit Les Maisons Satie, Musée Eugène Boudin and Église Ste-Catherine. And if you want a more personal experience of Honfleur, why not book a guided tour ?

My favourite & most beautiful villages in France

The best day trips from paris to normandy.

• Normandy D-Day beaches and Honfleur
• The fascinating city of Caen
• Normandy coast day trip with cider tasting
• Lisieux Cathedral
• Normandy small-group day trip D-Day battlefields & landing beaches
• Mont Saint-Michel guided day trip
• Rouen and its stunning cathedral
• Versailles Palace & Giverny’s Monet house guided visit
• The glamour beaches of Deauville and its cinema festival

Marie-Eve is a native Montrealer trying to balance a deep love for her hometown and an unquenchable thirst for travel and discovery. She has been to more than 36 countries, lived abroad in both France and the U.K., and is always on the lookout for authentic experiences wherever she travels -- especially if it involves wine.

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France Travel Blog

Normandy Travel Guide

Normandy conjures up a few images. For starters, there’s the D-Day Beaches. Then there’s the Bayeux Tapestry, Joan of Arc and Mont St Michel. And don’t forget the coastal resorts of Deauville, Trouville, Honfleur, and the birth of Impressionism.

Here a Few Tips on What to See, Do, Eat and Drink in Normandy

Getting around.

If you’re traveling independently, a car is essential. Trains run as far as Rouen or Caen, but after that, you’re on your own. Roads are good, but watch out for traffic problems around the main autoroutes, particularly in summer as everybody heads off en vacances.

Where to Stay in Normandy

Bayeux:  Most battlefield tours leave from Bayeux, plus there is the attraction of the Tapestry. It is a quintessentially French town, with cafés aplenty, pastry shops, and a Saturday market selling everything from orthopedic mattresses to live animals.

The Churchill Hotel is a popular place to stay. Decorated with D-Day photographs and memorabilia, you could say that it has embraced the Libération theme.

Rouen:  For eastern Normandy, Rouen is a good base. Monet’s paintings made the Gothic Cathedral famous, and Joan of Arc was burnt to death here. Sticking to the Impressionist theme, Rouen is within easy striking distance of Giverny, Monet’s famous garden.

Things To Do in Normandy (What I Did in Normandy)

Many visitors come to Normandy purely to visit the landing sites and memorials of the D-Day liberation. We took the half-day Sword Beach and British Airborne Sector tour with Olivier, who was ultra-enthusiastic and knowledgeable.

We started our tour where D-Day began: at Pegasus Bridge. Shortly after midnight on June 6th, 1944, gliders from the British 6th Airborne Division landed here (and further along at Horsa Bridge), and the nearby Café Gondree became France’s first liberated building. The signal “Ham and Jam” (Pegasus and Horsa) was sent out to indicate the successful capture.

We moved onto the Merville Battery, a key D-Day target, and now an exceptionally well-preserved museum. We wandered through the bunkers to get a real picture of life as a German soldier. The site also hosts a restored Dakota aircraft (be sure to go onboard).

The saddest part of any tour is a visit to a cemetery. Ranville is a small Commonwealth cemetery. The graves are mainly British and Canadian, but there is also a small German section. The ‘unknown’ graves are particularly moving.

Sword Beach (the port of Ouistreham) was the landing site for 28,000 British and 177 Free French soldiers. These days, it’s a location for sailors, kite fliers, and holidaymakers. Olivier pointed out a few houses where remnants of German gun turrets remain.

The Hillman Bunker Complex near Colleville-Montgomery was our final stop of the afternoon but didn’t disappoint. For a start, it is still all but invisible. One minute we were staring at golden fields of wheat, the next we were down in a bunker, reading about the Suffolk Regiment and why the village of Colleville-sur-Orne was renamed after Field Marshal Montgomery!

Should You Take a Tour in Normandy?

After a fabulous (yet tiring) afternoon, we returned to our hotel and pondered the question: do you need a tour to visit the D-Day sites?

To put it bluntly, yes, you do. The big sites are easy enough to find yourself, BUT the smaller sites can be really hidden away. Plus, a good guide like Olivier provides the details and personal stories that make the sites come alive.

Most tours are for half a day or a whole day. Still, if you have a particular interest or itinerary you’d like to follow, talk to tour companies before you leave to see if you can organize a personalized tour. Olivier told us that he has even based a tour on a veteran’s photograph of a house!

Invasion and All That

Normandy first hit the headlines back in the 11th Century, when William of Normandy invaded England, defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, and crowned himself King at Westminster Abbey. (It’s taken 1000 years, but we’re almost over it now).

The history actually begins slightly before that, when the Viking King Rollo arrived and settled in Rouen. The “Norse Men” spread westwards and gave Normandy its name.

Thanks to Queen Mathilda (William’s wife), we have a more entertaining version of Norman history. She commissioned the Bayeux Tapestry (or “La Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde”) to provide an account of the conquest to a largely illiterate population.

70m long, the tapestry was originally displayed in Bayeux Cathedral and has survived remarkably well. It is now a UNESCO “Memory of the World” and should be on everybody’s itinerary.

Now, you may be worried that a piece of needlework may be boring, or that the children are too young to appreciate it. Fear not. The free audio guide that comes with your ticket gives a scene-by-scene account of the story, and there are plenty of cute details that even little ones can relate to. Spot brave King Harold carrying soldiers over the sands at Mont St Michel or the French soldiers cooking chickens over the fire.

Monet and Friends

In the late 1850s, the French railway system spread its branches across the country. Destinations such as Rouen, Orleans, and the coastal resorts of Honfleur and Deauville were suddenly accessible from Paris. As well as holiday makers, the trains carried painters such as Monet, Gauguin, and Pissaro.

2010 is Impressionism’s official 150th birthday, and Normandy is falling over itself to celebrate. We visited the “A City for Impressionism” exhibition in Rouen, showing a fine collection of paintings. Most notable are Monet’s series of Rouen Cathedral and Pissarro’s series of Rouen bridges.

Eating & Drinking

Normandy restaurants serve a lot of steak and veal, often with cream-based sauces. Seafood is also excellent. For dessert, ice-cream features heavily, occasionally mitigated with fruit.

Normandy’s apples may be drunk alcohol-free (apple juice), fizzy (cider), or strong (Calvados). Cidre is frequently served in a small earthenware bowl (bolée).

For those (i.e., me) with a love of excellent food, Normandy is a dream. For those who are calorie-counting or have an aversion to dairy…well, there’s always salad. (Small confession: one Normandy specialty is homemade tripe (Tripes Maison). I have tried them before. I don’t like them. You may feel differently).

How Long Should You Stay in Normandy?

We spent a long weekend in Normandy and agreed that we could definitely fill 10 days or even a fortnight. The downside is perhaps the amount of driving, but the upside is the sheer variety of sights and activities.

Whatever you like and whatever you’re looking for, there’s a chance that Normandy has it. And this also means that there’s something for everybody, whether it’s the World War II history buff, the fine art student or the gourmet chef.

And really, you can’t say it fair than that!

Peter is the editor of France Travel Blog. He has traveled to France many times and is ready to share the knowledge in this travel guide for France.

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Normandie Lovers

To awaken your senses in Normandy - Claire et Manu’s Blog

That’s how far we’ve travelled in Normandy to visit all the places we talk about on this site.

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The articles LATEST BLOG ENTRIES

5 Normandy Landing Cemeteries (tips + photos)

1-day trip from Paris to the D-Day landing beaches

Museum Overlord (Omaha Beach): visit + photos

Where to stay in Cherbourg: 8 best hotels (2024 reviews)

80 years of D-Day (Normandy): list of events!

8 best excursions in Normandy from Paris

Les Franciscaines (Deauville): visit + photos

Longues-sur-Mer battery (Gold Beach): visit + photos

Blog posts not to be missed….

→ Best-of Normandy

Best things to do in Normandy Most beautiful destinations Most beautiful landscapes Most beautiful villages Most beautiful castles Most beautiful abbeys Most beautiful beaches Most beautiful cities Most beautiful cathedrals and churches Best museums

→ Plan your trip to Normandy easily

How to rent a car in France Where to stay in Normandy Most beautiful hotels Best seaside hotels Tips for road trip in Normandy Christmas in Normandy

Our weekend ideas: best-of , romantic , unusual , seaside , luxury , family

Itineraries: 5 days – 1 week

→ Gastronomy

Best restaurants in Normandy (coming soon) Norman cheeses Culinary specialities

→ Mont Saint-Michel

Visit the Mont-Saint-Michel: all our advice How to get to Mont Saint-Michel Best things to do in Mont Saint-Michel Where to stay near Mont-Saint-Michel Hotel on the Mont-Saint-Michel intramuros Luxury hotels nearby Where to eat at Mont-Saint-Michel Visit the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel

→ The landing sites in Normandy

Best landing sites The 5 landing beaches Best hotels near beaches Best D-Day museums Bayeux: Things to do at Omaha Beach Things to do at Sword Beach Things to do at Utah Beach Things to do at Gold Beach What to do in Juno Beach

Best things to do in Bayeux Best hotels in Bayeux Best restaurants Excursions from Bayeux Rent a car

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Visit the Alabaster Coast Etretat: things to do – best hotels – best restaurants Le Havre: What to do – best hotels – weekends Best things to do in Fécamp What to do in Dieppe

Best things to do in Rouen Best hotels in Rouen Best restaurants in Rouen Best museums in Rouen Itineraries: 1 day – 2 days Rent a car in Rouen

Best things to do in Caen Best hotels in Caen Best restaurants in Caen Best museums in Caen Itineraries: 1 day – 2 days Rent a car in Caen

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Most beautiful corners of the Pays d’Auge Honfleur: things to do – best hotels – best restaurants Deauville: things to do – best hotels

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A trip to Normandy – the beautiful northern coast of France

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If you are in the mood for spectacular coastlines, delicious gooey cheeses and browsing local markets then plan a trip to Normandy in the north of France .

This French region is perfect for wandering pretty towns, soaking up the coastal breezes and walking barefoot on wide sandy beaches.

Northern France is easily accessible from the south of England and London as well as Paris and Belgium. Within a few hours you are soaking up the gallic vibes and getting your French fix in the fresh sea air.

Here is how we spent our days exploring Normandy’s coastal countryside.

What's in this article

4 day northern France itinerary – Rouen & Normandy’s classic coast

Day 1 – rouen: medieval city with half timbered houses, day 2 – picturesque harbour town honfleur, day 3 – trouville by the sea, day 4 – étretat – the spectacular normandy coastline, tips for visiting normandy with kids, more highlights of normandy for your onward journey, resources for planning your trip to normandy.

Northern France is beautiful and historic. I have been a little in love with France my whole life and this is one of my favourite regions.

In Normandy you will find rolling green hills, cows munching on green pastures, some of the prettiest towns and villages in Europe and of course delicious food. Not to mention spectacular coastal scenery.

We used our trusted Lonely Planet guide to help plan our four day trip to northern France starting in Rouen. We made our base in Honfleur and explored that town and nearby Trouville before our finale in Etretat.

Our first stop was the medieval city of Rouen. A thriving city in the Middle Ages, it most famous for its gothic cathedral and association with French legend Joan of Arc.  She met her untimely end, burned at the stake, in the city’s Place du Vieux Marché.

For such a pretty place, the city has been the scene of great tragedy over the centuries. Rouen suffered serious damage during both world wars – 45% of the city was destroyed in World War II.

But not to worry,  restoration has ensured that visitors can enjoy the charm of its gorgeous half-timbered houses and position on the banks of the Seine.

We wandered the cobbled streets and found a local restaurant – Restaurant La Petite Auberge – that satisfied our need for French food.

Like most regions in France, Normandy has some famous gastronomic specialties. We were keen to try the famous Normandy cider and cheese varieties but we were also tempted by the restaurant’s specialty – les escargots – snails!

Make time to stop at popular   Fromagerie François Olivier to pick up some local cheeses when you are in Rouen. You will not be disappointed.

Pro tip – try the local Pont L’Évêque variety – it is soft and pungent just like a French cheese should be

Tip – if you are driving there is a handy underground car park near the Abbatial Saint-Ouen/Monastery of Saint-Ouen

Rouen is a city I would like to return to and explore further. Here are some of the things to do in Rouen that we missed:

• the interior of Rouen Cathedral is breathtaking
• at the Historial Jeanne D’Arc museum you can learn more about this French heroine via a multimedia reenactment of her trial
• the Musée des Beaux-Arts  has an impressive collection (plus free admission)

You could easily spend several days in Rouen but those coastal breezes were calling.

We drove along the Seine through the National Park – Parc natural regional des Boucles de la Seine – passing through the countless pretty villages of Normandy along the way.

You can’t help but fall in love with the half-timbered and thatched roofed buildings of Normandy. They are the perfect escape from a busy city life.

Our base for this trip was picturesque Honfleur, a harbour town overlooking the English Channel.

Honfleur is the ideal spot for a few days of relaxing and exploring northern Normandy.

Pretty Honfleur was immortalised by the Impressionist artists including Monet. Since then it has been a hub for artists and there are many galleries in the town.

Honfleur’s old harbour – le Vieux Bassin – is surrounded by colourful buildings and cobbled streets. It is easy to see why the Impressionists were so inspired by this pocket of Normandy. It’s literally pretty as a picture!

Where to stay in Honfleur

Honfleur has some beautiful hotels and B&Bs in the heart of the old town and near the harbour.

La Cour Sainte Catherine – >click here to check prices

• historic B&B in former convent just steps from the harbour
• lovely sun drenched garden where continental breakfast is served
• sitting area in every room
• 2 bedroom apartment suitable for families

Hôtel L’Ecrin – >click here for more information

• friendly hotel close to the old town and harbour
• large swimming pool and pretty garden
• free parking on site
• family rooms

On this occasion we stayed in the old town in a wonderful attic apartment with views of the church and clock tower. I found it using my tried and true method of finding the best short term apartment rentals – you can read about that here .

Our apartment was the perfect vantage point to see the market traders set up their wares on Saturday morning and hear the bells tolling and choir singing from the church below.

> Check accommodation options and latest prices in Honfleur

Things to do in Honfleur

We spent our days in Honfleur wandering around the produce market, choosing pastries, tasting (more) cheese and fruit before heading to the Vieux Bassin (Old Harbour) to admire the sailing boats.

The harbour is lined with colourful cafes and restaurants and has a magnificent 1920s carousel at its mouth. You can easily spend an afternoon simply enjoying the goings on at the harbour.

Don’t forget to visit the Church of Sainte Catherine (pictured above) and its clock tower. Built in the 15th and 16th centuries by local boat builders, these unique structures provide an additional focal point for the city.

Honfleur’s general household and souvenir market is held at the harbour on Saturdays. All the locals turn out and the atmosphere is festive.

If that is not enough market for you, Honfleur hosts a brocante (antique and bric a brac) market on the first Sunday of each month.

Soaking up the atmosphere, taking a walk along the promenade and browsing the shops and galleries built up our appetites. Luckily there are many wonderful eateries in Honfleur.

Where to eat in Honfleur

Of course there is an abundance of seafood to be found at all the cafes and restaurants in Honfleur. But our favourite was La Ciderie  specialising in cider and crepes.

I tried the local galichot (pancake), described as a combination between a galette and a blini. I am not sure about that, but it was fluffy and delicious.

In the early afternoon sun we drove the short journey to Trouville to enjoy some beach time. The beach at Trouville is wide, flat and sandy and stretches for over a kilometre.

In other words, great for kids young and old to run amok.

Trouville hosts several seaside attractions including a sandy beach park and fairground rides. These were the highlight for our kids but I enjoyed laying on the sand gazing at the nineteenth century mansions looking down over the beach.

We visited in June and while the weather and sea were a little bit cold for our Australian bodies, there were plenty of people were swimming.

We drove back to Calais via the spectacular white chalk cliffs near the town of Étretat. Here you can walk along the beach boardwalk and admire the cliffs and rock formations.

If you are feeling energetic, climb the cliffs for views of the surrounding coastline. If not, there is a tourist car train – perfect when you are managing tired or little legs.

The town itself has the typical half-timbered buildings of Normandy and you will find many restaurants, cafes and tea rooms catering for hungry visitors.

Normandy is a wonderful destination for families. Apart from the wide sandy beaches we found playgrounds with equipment for all ages in all the locations we visited.

Pedestrianised streets ensure that supervising the little ones is relatively easy and they can explore unhindered.

Kids will quickly discover the fairground ride attractions.  Who can resist treating children to a few turns on a carousel when you see the smiles on their faces.

It certainly makes for a happy holiday. And I don’t mind admitting that I enjoyed the carousel rides too!

Our children also loved the sights and sounds of the bustling markets.

They were keen to choose their own market produce including seasonal cherries, apricots and raspberries. And of course they gobbled up the delicious french pastries and crepes.

How to get to Normandy

Getting to Normandy is easy from Paris or the UK.

How to get to Normandy from the UK

If you are driving from the UK, take the Eurotunnel  or ferry from Folkestone to Calais.

I prefer the Eurotunnel to the ferry services because it is a lot quicker but obviously that means you pay a bit more.

You could also catch the Eurostar from London St Pancras and pick up a hire car in Calais.

Pro tip – book your Eurotunnel and Eurostar tickets well in advance for the best deals on ticket prices

From Calais it is a 2½ hour drive to Rouen and the A16 and A28. It is another hour from Rouen to Honfleur on the A13.

Flights to Caen in Normandy leave from Southend starting in Spring. You can also fly to Paris and connect to train services from there.

We use Skyscanner to find the best flight deals and plan our trips.

How to get to Normandy from Paris

Paris is understandably a starting point for many trips in France. Once you have wandered the streets , and eaten your way around Paris , head to Normandy for some fresh country air.

Train travel in France is fun and easy. Trains to Rouen from Paris take 1½ hours – even faster on the express – and leave from Gare St Lazare. If you plan well ahead you can pick up fares as low as €10 for this trip.

Alternatively, if you don’t have much time in France, you could join a guided tour of Normandy from Paris. It’s a long day and you would need to choose from:

• Visit a traditional Normandy village
• Explore beautiful Mont St Michel and its spectacular abbey
• Explore Omaha Beach and the visitor center
• Visit the Colleville-sur-Mer cemetery dedicated to fallen American servicemen
• Enjoy a traditional lunch

Normandy is a large region that we had explored several times before. Our goal with this trip was to relax so we did not see some of the region’s main attractions:

Mont St Michel

If the pictures don’t make you want to go, I am not sure what will. Mont St Michel is a magical place and should be on your bucket list. The town and abbey built on a small rocky island has been attracting visitors for centuries.

It is a 2 hour drive from Honfleur to Mont St Michel.

The historic town of Bayeux is just over an hour from Honfleur.

The famous Bayeux tapestry that commemorates the Norman conquest of England in 1066 is found here.

D-Day beaches

Of course many people visit Normandy to pay their respects to American, British, Australian and other Allied soldiers who fought in World War II. Normandy was the scene of the Allied assault into Nazi occupied France and was as a major turning point in the war.

You can take a tour of the Normandy beaches from Caen (just under an hour from Honfleur by car) – > click for ticket info and prices

Giverny – Monet’s Garden

Closer to Paris, you can visit Impressionist master Claude Monet’s beautiful garden at Giverny. You feel like you’ve stepped right into one of his paintings as you wander the grounds. Don’t miss the Japanese bridge and waterlily pond lined with weeping willows. 

For more information about visiting Giverny, read our guide to the gardens. If you can’t squeeze Giverny into your Normandy itinerary you can do a combined day trip to Giverny and Versailles from Paris . 

I found these useful sites while researching our trip:

• Those keen to discover the local cider can follow the 40km  cider route   mapped out by the Normandy Tourist Board
• Normandy Then and Now  is a fascinating resource full of suggestions, stories and an all round passion for Normandy
• Trouville has an English language website  full of interesting information on activities and attractions
• More information about beautiful Rouen

Untold Morsels assists our readers with carefully chosen product and services recommendations that help make travel easier and more fun. If you click through and make a purchase on many of these items we may earn a commission. All opinions are our own – please read our  disclosure  page for more information.

The creator, writer and photographer behind Untold Morsels , Katy has been travelling and tasting the world since she was a teenager.

Now the proud mum of twins, she hopes they grow up to share her passions of great food, wine and travel. Favourite destination: Italy

The Ultimate One Week Road Trip Itinerary For Normandy

Exploring Normandy? Here’s my guide to a one week road trip in this beautiful and storied region of northern France.

This guide covers all the top attractions and must visit towns in Normandy to see in 7 days. I also give you options for extending your trip in Normandy.

Normandy is a region steeped in history. In Normandy, legendary figures like William the Conquerer and Joan of Arc changed the course of history.

Normandy’s landscapes inspired the Impressionist painters. D-Day beaches commemorate the horror of WWII. In Bayeux, a 1,000 year old tapestry tells the story of medieval warfare and sieges.

Handsome Normandy is crammed with appealingly diverse landscapes. From its picturesque pastures to its ancient fishing harbors, Normandy is a bucolic melange of medieval towns, sun-drenched seaside resorts, and towering Gothic cathedrals.

Colorful half timbered architecture, windows bursting with flower boxes, is everywhere. Weathered slate-steepled churches decorate apple orchards, which produce the region’s famed cider. Seaside pleasures, set against chalky cliffs, cater to the senses.

Normandy is the birthplace of the Impressionism movement. No place is more linked to a particular art movement than Normandy is linked to Impressionism.

Impressionists didn’t just share a unique style of painting, focused on light and color. The artists found a common muse in Normandy.

Here’s an overview of my recommended one week itinerary for visiting Normandy:

• Day 1 : Drive to Rouen, stop in Giverny or at Chateau Gaillard
• Day 2 : Explore Rouen
• Day 3 : Drive to Honfleur
• Day 4 : Day Trip To Etretat and/or Fecamp
• Day 5 : Day trip to Le Havre or Deauville
• Day 6 : Drive To Bayeux
• Day 7 : Day Trip to D Day Beaches
• More time: Mont Saint-Michel and Brittany

This 1 week itinerary assumes you’re departing for Normandy from Paris. If you want to spend time in Paris, I have a 3 day itinerary for Paris and a 5 day itinerary for Paris you may find useful.

For this Normandy itinerary, you’ll have three bases: (1) Rouen (2 nights); Honfleur (3 nights); and Bayeux (2 nights). If you don’t want to move bases, you can just pick one. The destinations in this Normandy itinerary aren’t far apart.

I would recommend Bayeux, a beautiful town right out of the middle ages. Bauyeux is near the inland towns, but still only 4 miles from the coast of Normandy.

There are 16 direct trains from Paris from Bayeux, if you’d prefer not to drive from Paris. Honfleur also makes a good base, central to all the Normandy destinations I’ve listed.

This detailed 7 day road trip itinerary for Normandy has a mix of historic sites, leisurely villages, and nature. It’s perfectly adjustable, giving you some destination inspiration for Normandy.

You can make the road trip shorter or longer, depending on your available vacation time or personal fast/slow travel pace. If you just have a long weekend, skip Giverny and Rouen and head right to Honfleur or Bayeux.

One Week In Normandy Itinerary

Here’s how to spend 7 blissful days in beautiful Normandy.

Day 1: Paris To Rouen, Stop at Giverny or Chateau Gaillard En Route

On day 1, you’ll depart from Paris and head west on the A13 to the medieval town of Rouen.

En route, depending on your interest, stop in either Giverny (home of Claude Monet) or at Chateau Gaillard (medieval ruins of Richard Lionheart’s fortress).

1. Option 1: Monet’s House and Gardens in Giverny

En route, follow signs for Vernon and stop in Giverny. Giverny is about a one hour drive from Paris. Rouen is approximately 45 minutes further on from Giverny.

Giverny is the perfect place to start your Normandy adventure. Giverny is home to the house and gardens of Impressionist painter Claude Monet. It’s a one-of-a-kind pastoral paradise, born from the great artist’s obsession.

READ : The Monet Guide To Paris

Monet lived half his life in Giverny. You won’t find any original Monet paintings. Instead, you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into one of his utopian paintings.

In Giverny, Monet, a devoted horticulturist, created an ethereal and exquisitely staged garden in the French-Norman countryside. With the scent of roses wafting in the air, Monet’s garden is one of the world’s most beautiful and popular gardens.

To wander through Monet’s Garden is akin to living in one of his paintings. A world of flowers of every color fills your field of view, nodding slightly in the breeze. It looks like a paint factory explosion, or a few flicks of Monet’s paintbrush.

There are two parts to Monet’s labor-of-love gardens — the Clos Normand flower garden and the Water Garden. The Clos Norman is a boldly colored display and expressly Western. The Water garden is organic, Asian, and more exotic.

The two gardens are connected by a tunnel passing under the road. The gardens are immensely popular — a pilgrimage and mecca for Monet fans, Francophiles, and avid gardeners.

Here’s my complete guide to visiting Giverny . Click here to book a 1.5 hour guided tour of Monet’s house and gardens. Click here to book a skip the line ticket + 2 hour guided tour.

2. Option 2: Chateau Gaillard

If you’re a ruin luster who’d like to avoid tourists, stop in Les Andelys on the Seine River to visit Chateau Gaillard . It’s a designated historic monument in France. Its name means “strong castle.”

Richard the Lionheart built Chateau Gaillard between 1196-98. Perched on the Seine, the fortress secured the western border of France and was a symbol of power. The fortress changed hands and endured various sieges until Henry IV ordered its destruction in 1603.

You can explore the chateau grounds year round. With a ticket, from March to November, you can head inside and visit the inner bailey, and upper courts, and dungeon.

For the time, Chateau Gaillard had an innovative design.

The fortress was one of the earliest known examples in which machicolations were used – openings in the floor of battlements through which objects and hot liquids were thrown on would be attackers.

The chateau’s successive rings of moats and fortifications made the inner keep almost impregnable. It features a “stepped” or “scalloped” wall at the top of the defences. This allowed soldiers to shoot between sections of wall.

Chateau Gaillard is 55 minutes from your destination of Rouen. If you have extra time en route to Rouen, you can also stop in the pretty village of Lyon-la-Foret, 30 minutes from the chateau.

Designated one of France’s Les Plus Beaux Villages, Lyons-la-Foret is a classic French village with half-timbered houses. It dates from the 17th and 18th century.

The town has cozy cafes, quaint antique shops, and a covered marketplace. If you want to grab some lunch, try Le Bistro du Grand Cerf, Le Petit Lyons, or La Licorne.

From Lyons-la-Foret, it’s about 45 minutes to Rouen, which will be your first base.

Where to stay in Rouen : Hotel de Bourgtheroulde , Hotel Cardinal , Le Vieux Carre

Where to eat in Rouen : Restaurant Gill (Michelin), Restaurant Origine, l’Odas (Michelin), La Pecherie, Au Bouillon Normand

Day 2: Explore Rouen

Medieval Rouen is 2000 years old. It’s one of Normandy’s most engaging and historically rich destinations, with half timbered homes and winding medieval lanes.

With its lantern tower piercing the clouds, Cathdrale Notre-Dame de Rouen is Rouen’s crown jewel.

Rouen’s central square is where Joan of Arc, the teen who rallied France to drive out the English, was tried for heresy and burned at the stake in 1431. During WWII, Allied bombing raids laid waste to the city. A lot to endure, no?

But Rouen is still lovely and its cobbled old town is a joy to wander. You may want to book a guided walking tour .

Stroll the length of the Rue du Gros Horloge, the pedestrianized main drag, to Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Along the way, take in all the colorful half timbers, the Place du Vieux Marche, the massively ornate Great Clock, and the modern Joan of Arc Church. If you have time, climb the clock tower’s 100 steps for panoramic views.

Rouen’s Notre Dame Cathedral is a landmark of art history, one of Europe’s best cathedrals. Constructed between the 12th and 14th centuries, the cathedral was built on the foundations of a 4th century basilica.

The cathedral rises 151 meters tall, making it one of the tallest in France. The Dukes of Normandy were traditionally crowned and buried there. Richard the Lionhearted insisted his heart be kept there. You can still see what Impressionist artist Claude Monet painted more than a century ago.

Rouen also has a wonderful museum, the Musée des Beaux-Arts. It has masterpieces from the 15th century to the 21st century, including works from Velazquez, Van Dyke, Delacroix, Gericault, Delaroche, and the Impressionists.

>>> Click here to book a walking tour of Rouen

READ : Guide To the Impressionism Trail in Normandy

Day 3: Drive To Honfleur

On day 3, head to Honfleur, your next base for 3 nights. Honfleur is a 50+ minute drive from Rouen. So, if you start early, you can spend most of the day there. To get oriented, you may want to book a 1.5 hour guided walking tour .

Honfleur is a classic Norman town, dubbed “the jewel of Normandy.” In Honfleur, the Seine flows into the English Channel, reflections mirrored in Le Vieux Bassin or old harbor.

The novelist Baudelaire once declared, “Honfleur has always been the dearest of my dreams.” Victor Hugo called Honfleur “a ravishing port full of masts and sails, crowned with green hills and surrounded by narrow houses.

READ : Guide To the Victor Hugo Museum in Paris

Honfleur is lined with gorgeous 16th to 18th century row houses with slate roofs and facades. Honfleur also has some beautiful churches and is laced with a maze of tiny cobbled streets.

The medieval Church of Saint Catherine is the largest wooden church in France, and Honfleur’s spiritual heart. It was built in the 15th century by sailors.

All this beauty besotted the Impressionists and fellow artists and writers. Art historians claimed that Honfleur was the “birthplace of Impressionism. There, local artist Eugene Boudin urged Monet to paint outside in “plein air,” changing the course of art history.

Honfleur is a cultural treasure. Not surprisingly for a town that begs to be painted, the town boasts 95 art galleries, with works by contemporary painters keeping Boudin’s spirit alive.

Housed in a 19th century chapel, the Musee Eugene Boudin is a pleasing small museum with airy rooms. You’ll find myriad samples of dreamy coastal scenes by the Normandy-loving Impressionists, especially the Honfleur School.

There are plenty of meteorological coastal scenes by its namesake painter Boudin. There are also paintings by the likes of Courbet, Monet, Vuillard, Sisley, and Pissarro. You can see how Boudin inspired later masters, who took Boudin’s techniques to the next level.

Where to stay : Hotel de la Cheval Blanc , Horel de l’Ecrin , Hotel du Dauphin , La Maison de Lucie

Where to eat : La Bouilland Normand, Cote Resto, Restaurante la Lieutenance, Au P’tit Mreyeur, Fereme Saint Simeon, Sa.Qua.Na (Michelin), Entre Terre et Mer

Day 4: Explore Honfleur + Half Day Trip To Etretat or Full Day Trip to Etretat and Fecamp

1. option 1: morning in honfleur, afternoon in etretat.

Spend the morning exploring or going to the museum, if you didn’t get a chance on your first day in Honfleur. After lunch, drive to the famous white cliffs of Etretat.

It’s an approximately 1.5 hour drive. En route, you’ll drive over the Pond de Normandie, the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world.

Sleepy Etretat is a classic old world French town with absolutely mesmerizing scenery. Etretat is set on the sea. Waves crash against the shores of a jagged chalky coastline, with a pretty beach promenade.

A monumental arch, Porte d’Aval, plunges into the sea. It’s France’s version of England’s White Cliffs of Dover.

The town’s indescribable natural beauty inspired artists like Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Eugene Boudin, and Gustave Courbet. The cliffs, known as the Elephant and the Needle, were one of the artists’ favorite spots to paint. They’re huge and beautiful; softly undulating and momentous.

The best way to admire the seascape is to walk along the cliffs. It’s not intimidating at all. On your walk, you’ll come across the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde. The original was destroyed in WWII, but it was rebuilt in the 1950s.

When you’re done admiring the caves and tunnels carved into the cliffs, head down the staircase to the sparkling turquoise waters of Etretat Beach. The water is cold, but the pebbles are soft and smooth, not hard on the feet.

Etretat’s town center is quaint and shouldn’t be ignored. It’s bursting with shops, eateries, and art galleries.

Cider is a local specialty and there are plenty of crepes. There’s also quite a number of small bed and breakfasts — a testament to Etretat’s appeal to (mostly) French tourists.

2. Option 2: Full Day Trip to Both Etretat and Fecamp

Fecamp is about 25 minutes east of Etretat. Like Etretat, Fecamp is a pretty coastal resort town with dramatic white cliffs, just a 5 minute walk from the town center. You can stroll along the beaches and admire the lighthouse.

Cap Fagnet is Fecamp’s famous viewpoint, just across the port. On one side, you can admire the cliffs. On the other, you can see Fecamp’s harbor and block houses.

While in Fecamp, you should visit the Abbatiale de la Ste-Trinite, or the Benedictine Palace Museum. Built by Richard the Lionheart in the 12th and 13th centuries, it was the most important pilgrimage sites in Normandy until Mont Saint-Michel was built. Now, it has both Neo-Gothic and Renaissance architectural elements.

The abbey is famous for its Benedictine liqueur, which is still produced onsite. You’ll get a sip at the end of your visit. If you’re staying in Fecamp for dinner, you’ll find some good seafood restaurants. Try Chez Nounoute or La Maree

Day 5: Day Trip To Deauville or Le Havre

On day 5, head to either Deauville or Le Havre. Your choice will depend on where you interests lie.

Deauville is an utterly charming resort town on the Parisian Riviera, about 25 minutes from Honfleur. In Deauville, you can hit the beach, relax, and enjoy the social whirl.

By contrast, Le Havre is for art lovers. Le Havre is also only 25 minutes afield as well. The town has one of France’s best museums, with a stunning collection of Impressionism.

1. Option 1: Deauville

Glamorous Deauville is a favorite spot of wealthy Parisians. Deauville is like the Hamptons of Paris, a convenient and luxe beach resort just far enough to escape the bustle and heat of city life. The town is part of the “Parisian Riviera.”

The Parisian Riviera stretches for 25 miles between Caen and Honfleur and is known as the Cote Fleurie, or Flower Coast. In The Great Gatsby , Fitzgerald has his protagonists spend part of the year in Deauville.

Deauville is a beautiful town. It’s stuffed with aristocratic Anglo-Norman mansions from the Victorian era.

They’re elegant old world half timbered homes with Queen Anne style accents and witches’ hat turrets The houses are even more distinctive and ornamental than those in Alsace.

Aside from architecture, Deauville is renowned for its stately seaside strand (Promenade des Planches), horse racing, luxury shopping, delicious cuisine, and film festivals. Enjoy a stroll down the promenade and stop for lunch at Augusto Chez Laurent or La Peniche.

In addition to attracting Parisians, Deauville also enamored the Impressionist painters. Those included Monet, Berthe Morisot, Boudin, and Gustave Caillebotte. Lured by the setting, they set up their easels outside on the beach and painted Deauville’s beautiful coastal landscapes.

If you don’t want to indulge in beach time, instead take a coastal drive along the Cote Fleurie and see its other villages — Trouville-sur-Mer, Cabourg, Houlgate, and Cricqueboeuf. Trouville’s beach is known as the “Queen of the Beaches.”

2. Option 2: Le Havre

As a result of Allied bombing, Le Havre was largely obliterated during WWII.

The town was rebuilt by the Belgian architect Auguste Perret, a mentor to Le Corbusier. His post-war modernist vision still marks the town, earning the first UNESCO designation for an urban center in 2005.

Le Havre was a favorite haunt of the Impressionist artists. Its location at the mouth of the Seine estuary gave the town exceptional light.

The water runs in a current, giving off glimmer and glints as the light catches it. Le Havre’s port, dockyards, beaches, and regattas inspired all the major players in Impressionism.

Claude Monet grew up in le Havre. In 1872, when he was 32, he painted the groundbreaking harbor scene Impression: Sunrise . It’s in a small secret museum in Paris , the Musee Marmottan Monet. The Post-Impressionist Raoul Dufy was also born in Le Havre.

The once gritty town has become a dynamic art center. The Andre Malraux Museum of Modern Art (known as MUMA), in and of itself, is an excellent reason to visit Le Havre.

Housed in a light-filled building overlooking the Seine, MUMA boasts one of the largest collections of French Impressionism in the world. It’s a mini Musee d’Orsay without the Paris crowds. There are works by Boudin, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Sisley, Pissarro, Courbet, and Dufy.

For lunch, have some crepes at the Creperie Soizic in the old quarter. For a cocktail, try L’Abri-Cotier on the promenade.

Day 6: Drive To Bayeux

On day 6, drive west from Honfleur to Bayeux. It’s about a one hour drive.

You’ll have the entire day to poke around and explore this delightful medieval town. You may want to book a 2 hour walking tour .

If you didn’t breakfast in Honfleur, head to the patisserie La Reine Mathilde.

Beautiful Bayeux is a town that played an outsized role in French history. It’s the perfect base for historic Normandy — the site of the Norman invasion of France in 1066 and WWII’s D-Day landings of 1944.

Most people go to Bayeux to see the thousand year old, and exceedingly long (230 feet), Bayeux Tapestry.

Housed in the Bayeux Tapestry Museum , the tapestry chronicles the events leading up to William the Conqueror’s invasion of France. In 50 scenes, it depicts the battle of Hastings and the showdown between William and King Harold II.

It’s unclear when the the Bayeux Tapestry (actually an embroidery) was created. But historians speculate that it was not long after the events it depicts.

The tapestry is remarkably well-preserved given its age, though it has been restored several times. The tapestry was most likely created by William’s queen, Matilda, and her court.

The Nazis seized the tapestry during WWII. It would up at the Louvre , which the Nazis had commandeered and were using as a clearinghouse for art theft. After the war, the tapestry was returned to Bayeux, its rightful owner.

READ : Underrated Masterpieces of the Louvre

But Bayeux isn’t just a piece of cloth, however impressive. Full of medieval architecture, the town itself is delightful and fairytale-like. Honey colored stone buildings are topped with black slate roofs. Flowing flower boxes spill into the narrow lanes.

While you’re strolling, pop into Bayeux’s Notre-Dame Cathedral. This extremely large Norman-Romanesque church was consecrated in 1077 and has survived countless wars and conflicts.

The cathedral is thought to be the original home of the Bayeux Tapestry. Fierce gargoyles on the exterior scowl down at you. In the summer, there’s a fantastic nighttime light show.

Where to stay in Bayeux : Villa Lara , Chateau de Bellefontaine , Grand Hotel du Luxembourg , or Novotel Bayeux

Where to eat in Bayeux : La Rapiere, L’Angle Saint Laurent, Le Pommier, La Reine Mathilde (breakfast), Le Volet Qui Penche, P’tit Bistro

Day 7: Day Trip to the D-Day Beaches

On the last day of your one week Normand itinerary, you’ll visit the historic D-Day beaches. Bayeux makes the perfect base for visiting the D-Day beaches. Unchanged and undeveloped, the beaches are like a time capsule.

You may want to book a guided day trip tour. To do it all, you could go on a 9 hour guided tour of the beaches from Bayeux. Or you could take a half day trip lasting 5 hours .

There, the US successfully carried out the largest military operation in history on June 6, 1944. On this day, US troops gained a foothold in France, a pivotal moment in history which led to the crumbling of Nazi Germany.

You can immerse yourself in the history of Operation Overlord, and the daily lives of the German and Allied troops. For background, visit the America Gold Beach Museum , the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy , and the Bayeux War Cemetery.

The D-Day beaches consist of a 54 mile stretch of coast from Sword beach in the east to Utah beach in the west.

This area is dotted with WWII museums, cemeteries, monuments, and battle remains. For a comprehensive guide to the D-Day beaches, click here .

You won’t be able to see everything in a day, even with a tour guide. Plan your day around a theme, whether you want to visit the American, Canadian, or British sites and memorials. Five miles west of Omaha Beach is the area’s best scenic lookout, Pointe du Hoc.

If you rented a car, from Bayeux, it’s a three hour drive back to Paris. Or, if you picked up your car in Rouen, drop it in Bayeux and take the train back to Paris.

Extra Time in Normandy? Visit Mont Saint-Michel

There are plenty more beautiful cities to visit in Normandy . But an absolute must visit l andmark in France is Mont Saint-Michel.

In fact, you could reverse this itinerary and start in Mont Saint-Michel, then travel east through Normandy. But, with no direct connections, Mont Saint can be a pain to get to from Paris.

In any event, from Bayeux to Mont Saint-Michel, it’s 1:35 drive by car. But the Mont is worth the effort, especially if you start early.

Click here to pre-book a ticket. You can also book a full day guided day trip tour from Bayeux .

Mont Saint-Michel is the crown jewel of Normandy. It’s one of France’s most recognizable silhouettes, a veritable castle in the clouds.

The famous landmark is a pretty-as-a mirage island sanctuary. Its steeply built architecture seems almost impossible. A surreal medieval stage set, the Mont’s sky-high spires, stout ramparts, and rocky outcrops rise dramatically from the sea.

The immense stone pile stands guard over gleaming sands laid bare by a receding (and unpredictable) tide. At high tide, Mont Saint-Michel seems to float in the sea.

The hulking abbey is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Christendom. In medieval times, devotees flocked to venerate the Archangel Michael. The Mont’s star attraction is the ancient abbey crowning its top.

You can overnight at the Mont, on the mainland (pamper yourself at the luxury Chateau de Chantore ), or in nearby Saint-Malo (L’Ascott) in Brittany.

A trip to Mont Saint-Michel takes some time and planning. Click here for my complete guide to visiting Mont Saint-Michel, with tips for visiting.

If you have an extended vacation planned, Brittany is a fantastic place to continue your road trip. Click here for my guide to the 20 most beautiful villages in Brittany .

Tips for Visiting Normandy

The best time to visit Normandy is in late spring and summer. Then, the weather is pleasant, the days are longer, and the flowers are in full bloom. After summer, some villages go into hibernation mode and there’s not as much to see and do in Normandy.

Ideally, you should rent a car to explore Normandy. Normandy’s villages are best explored by car because public transportation is scarce.

Trains from Paris serve Rouen, Caen, Bayeux, and Mont St-Michel. But service interconnecting these Normandy destinations is frustrating or non-existent.

In Normandy, cars drive on the right hand side, so that will be familiar. You don’t even need an International Driver’s License in France. Most of the motorways have tolls, so have cash on hand.

In terms of cuisine, Normandy is known for the “four C’s” — camembert, cider, calvados (apple brandy), and cream. Creperies and galette cafes are omnipresent. There’s no local wine in Normandy. You’ll have to make do with cider or the white Muscadet wines made in neighboring Loire region.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my 1 week itinerary for Normandy. You may enjoy these other France travel guides:

• 3 Day Itinerary for Paris
• 3 Day Art Weekend in Paris
• Hidden Gems in Paris
• 10 Day Itinerary for Southern France
• Secret Towns in France
• Hidden Gems in Provence
• Beautiful Towns in Northern France
• Hilltop Villages of the Luberon Valley
• Historic Landmarks in Southern France
• Beautiful Villages in Occitanie

If you’d like to road trip for one week in Normandy, pin it for later.

8 thoughts on “The Ultimate One Week Road Trip Itinerary For Normandy”

Wooow Amazing travel itinerary! We are planning our visit for this summer and your tips helped a looot! Thank you so much!!!

Have a great time!

Thank you for this incredibly detailed and informative itinerary. Your explanations, recommendations, and options are very helpful for tailoring to our family since we don’t have unlimited time. Your photos are wonderful. I also want to thank you for your travel tips about getting around, information about foods to eat while there, etc. Thank you!

You’re welcome! Enjoy your vacation in Normandy!

Thank you so much for a lovely itinerary! I’m headed there later this summer and I’m now sold that a whole week in Normandy will be well worth it!

Yes! It deserves more than just a couple days. There’s so much to see.

This looks wonderful! Thank you for such a detailed itinerary. We are going next year and will definitely want to do the full week.

Thank you and enjoy the trip!

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Last Updated on August 26, 2023 by Leslie Livingston

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Four days in Normandy road trip: The perfect Normandy itinerary

April 13, 2018 by Karen Turner 25 Comments

Considering visiting Normandy from Paris? You definitely should! Depending on how much you want to do, you can visit Normandy as a day trip from Paris if you only visit Rouen or spend three to four days road tripping in Normandy to enjoy the tranquility of the countryside in Normandy.

If you’re thinking that Normandy will be anything like Paris, get that thought out of your mind. Expect incredibly friendly people, reasonable accommodation options, mind-blowingly good food at the same price as an average meal in Paris, stunning cities filled with history and fantastic drinks.

This Northern region of France has a rich history stemming from the invasion of the Viking tribes.  For those who want to experience the serene beauty of France on an easy weekend trip from Paris will fall in love with the slow pace of Normandy, a sneak preview of how France  outside of Paris is.

If you have fewer than four days in Normandy, you might be able to combine two of these day trips into one day as I’ve purposely kept this Normandy itinerary slow to give you time to savor this region.  Our Normandy road trip left me wanting for far more than our long weekend in Normandy, however there’s always next trip for Mont St. Michel!

• 0.1 Day 1: Drive along the coast in Normandy
• 0.2 Veules-les-Roses
• 1 Petites-Dalles
• 2.2 Étretat
• 2.3 Where to stay in Normandy
• 2.4 Day 2: Honfleur
• 2.5 Day 3: Rouen
• 2.6 Day 4: D-Day Memorial & The Calvados/Cider Route in Normandy
• 2.7 Map of your Normandy road trip
• 3 Have you been to Normandy?

Day 1: Drive along the coast in Normandy

Rent a car in Paris and drive to Normandy’s coast.  Be aware that avoiding toll roads in France is tricky and you should expect to pay up to 20 euros to get up to Normandy.   If you don’t have four days in Normandy, this part of the trip can easily be done as a weekend trip from Paris.

If you’re trying to do your Normandy trip on a budget (or hate toll roads), it  is possible to avoid the tolls with the help of your GPS, but expect to double your time while driving through fields and one way roads. (I honestly enjoyed the scenic drive!)  

Veules-les-Roses

This beautiful town in Normandy is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France and Normandy.  Its stunning timbered houses and scenic canals have long been an inspiration for writers and painters.   

If you’re looking for a fairytale during your time in Normandy, you must come to Veules-les-Roses, which is a two hour drive from Paris.  Be sure to admire the smallest river in France, which runs through the city center.

Petites-Dalles

We ended up driving through Petites-Dalles. I just loved the Victorian houses in the hills. It’s just a beautiful town along the coast. The roads make it a bit tricky to end up near the water, but you’ll find some parking if you want to admire the cliffs.  (More epic views coming!)

Sassetot-le-Mauconduit

Another beautiful town in Normandy that we passed through after seeing a sign for a chateau. Be sure to stop off to admire  Château de Sissi , an affordable chateau hotel with beautiful gardens.

Fécamp is a historic coastal town in Normandy with some of the most epic cliffs that you’ll find.  It’s famous for the Bénédictine liqueur distillery, which is still done at the nearby abbey.  Save your appetite until you get here as you’ll find a large assortment of seafood at an affordable price. 

We ended up having lunch at  La Cave du Salut , an affordable seafood place with delicious mussels with calvados (a local liquor).  After, we headed to the beach to admire the cliffs.

The highlight of our day along the coast was Étretat.  When I was younger, I had seen a photo of these epic cliffs in Normandy, but I never imagined that I’d have the opportunity to visit them. Most people head there from town prior to heading back the same way, however it’s better to park outside of town, close to the golf course (20 Route du Havre). 

It’s a longer walk along the outskirts of the golf course, but you’ll be able to walk the full length of the cliffs with fewer people compared to the cliff close to town.  Continue walking towards town.  I found Étretat quite touristy compared to the other towns, however it’s worth visiting.

Where to stay in Normandy

I recommend staying in the area at one hotel as your base in Normandy for multiple nights and I particularly loved staying in the  Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine.  This park is a protected area meant to preserve both natural environments, historic buildings, and the cultural heritage of this region. 

Driving along the windy roads in the fog spotting chateaux as they popped up was dreamy.  We did this road trip in October, so the leaves turning just added another dimension to it.  I think this area is the perfect base for exploring Normandy by car and our chateau was less expensive than staying at a cozy B&B in Honfleur .

We stayed in this cozy  chateau in Normandy that I found on Airbnb  for $81.  Our host, the owner of  Chateau du Verbosc , and his assistant made us a cozy breakfast while the two adorable cats battled over pets (and food).   It was only a forty minute drive from our chateau to the the coast. We ended up having an incredible locally made dinner at  Auberge du Val au Cesne , a nearby half-timbered guesthouse from the 17th century surrounded by scenic countryside.

For a more luxurious experience, consider staying at  Chateau Du Landin , an epic chateau overlooking the Seine river with a large estate where the staff will cook a candlelit meal for you at your request.  It wasn’t available during our dates and it really disappointed me and I had my heart set on it.

Day 2: Honfleur

Honfleur is one of the most beautiful cities in France and it’s worth the trip to this stunning seaside town, even just for the food and the architecture.  Located in the Calvados region of Normandy, Honfleur is one of the best places to try calvados, a spirit made with apples. 

Its stunning wooden port made me fall in love with the city, however the stunning half-timbered houses on the side streets were my preferred place to wander.  Don’t miss the Saint Catherine’s Church, a UNESCO-recognized church that is France’s largest timber-built church.  If you prefer to stay in Honfleur, you’ll find beautiful old B&Bs in historic half-timbered buildings .

Day 3: Rouen

Rouen is a beautiful city to visit if you’re interested in medieval history. This gorgeous French city with a clocktower dating back to the 14th century and half-timbered houses straight out of a fairy tale has a stunning historic cathedral (Rouen Cathedral) where Richard the Lionheart is buried. 

Rouen also is where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.  You can view her memorial in the city center.  I just loved getting lost in the cobblestoned alleyways here.  Don’t miss  Les Berthom for craft beer.

Day 4: D-Day Memorial & The Calvados/Cider Route in Normandy

For anyone visiting Normandy, Omaha Beach is a must-see.  You might want to switch hotels as you have a 1.5 hour drive to the area around Honfleur, Rouen, and  Parc Naturel Régional des Boucles de la Seine.

I’d recommend staying at one of the many chateaux closer to the Cider Trail to minimize driving back.    This historic manor is right along the cider trail and a nice halfway point between Upper and Lower Normandy.   Alternatively, this refurbished chateaux is right near the D-Day landings.

Pay your respects at the five beaches where the troops landed in World War II and the various cemeteries for the fallen soldiers. Click for more information about visiting Omaha Beach .   I recommend taking a tour if possible to learn more about  history .

Following this somber visit, head towards Normandy’s Cider Route for some cider tastings.  Although many foreigners aren’t aware of this, some of the best apple cider in the world comes from Normandy.  For a couple of euros, you can try calvados and cider directly at the source along the 40km cider route. 

I recommend stopping off in  Bonnebosq in particular as it’s particularly well known for cider and on your way back to Paris.    Note: Please ensure that the driver doesn’t drink and drive. You can buy a bottle to enjoy at home! Click for a map of the cider trail.

Even if you don’t have time during your four days in Normandy to get out to the cider towns, you’re likely to pass a farm with a sign that says VENDRE with an apple on it if you’re driving on non-highway roads close to Calvados.  It usually means that you’ll be able to buy fresh Normandy cider!

Map of your Normandy road trip

Have you been to Normandy?

Please let me know what you thought of this Normandy itinerary and share this post!

About Karen Turner

New Yorker–born and raised. Currently living in the Hague, the Netherlands after stints in Paris and Amsterdam. Lover of travel, adventure, nature, city, dresses, and cats.

Reader Interactions

April 28, 2018 at 11:52 pm

This sounds like a dream! Beaches, history, craft cider, beautiful buildings, and delicious food?! Yes please!

June 25, 2018 at 8:15 am

Thank you. I am going with my family this summer. This is so helpful

July 11, 2018 at 4:33 am

Very helpful guide for variety of activities – thank you so much!

August 14, 2018 at 1:12 am

Hi, so thankful for your blog. We booked our flights gets to Paris, but with a lot of family emergencies, we’ve had no time to figure out where to go. We just booked the chateau you recommended that you didn’t get to stay at. It looks amazing. We want to stay in Paris, but are not sure on which bank to get a hotel. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks Karen

August 14, 2018 at 8:45 am

Hope the family emergency is improving. I generally recommend the right bank, especially the 3rd/4th arrondissement (Le Marais). It’s a good central location with a good selection of hotels for all budgets and typical Parisian buildings, so you can walk a lot of places easily.

Hope your vacation is restorative and you love the chateau! 🙂

Best, Karen

August 17, 2018 at 10:11 pm

Great tips! We visited Normandy last summer and only allowed one night which wasn’t enough! We stayed in Bayeux and absolutely loved it. We’re heading back next summer and will be staying 1 night in Bayeux, 1 night in Mont St. Michel and 1 night in Honfleur. Can’t wait!

September 5, 2018 at 5:18 pm

This is great and timely info. My wife and I are planning a trip for next Sept ish that includes visiting Normandy. Conceptually, we will travel from Amsterdam (by car or train or ?) to Normandy and then from Normandy to Paris and Paris to Dillingen (Saar), Germany. Originally, I was considering a rental and then driving the entire route, but my initial research is indicating that there are sizeable fees for renting/returning vehicles in different countries. Do you know if this is the case? Any suggestions on the leg of the trip from Amsterdam to Normandy? We’d prefer a way that keeps us close to the countryside – we want to experience the country – not just get from Amsterdam to Normandy. Mahalo!

September 5, 2018 at 8:35 pm

Hi Bryon, I’d recommend traveling by train to Normandy prior to renting a car in Paris. It’s probably cheaper to just rent it for the Normandy part of the trip. Alternatively, you could take the train through Belgium to Normandy prior to renting a car in Normandy itself–and then just taking the train to Paris. Belgium is full of charming towns and stunning countryside. You can check my blog for some recommendations in Belgium.

Most agencies fine you if you try to return the car somewhere different than where you started. It’s good to check to ensure that the same agencies are where you’re going and the policy of your rental.

January 4, 2019 at 2:17 am

Dear Karen, This is a beautifulj road trip. My husband and I plan to have 4 days in end of May this year.. After read your itineray, it very helpful to us. All places are very amazing. We may copy your plan, thank you very much for share such a beautiful trip. Chalee

May 3, 2019 at 9:57 pm

Used your website as inspiration and ended up having our base in Honfleur. Such a beautiful place. Cannot wait to return to Normandy again.

May 7, 2019 at 8:19 pm

Karen, If I wanted to start from Honfleur and work senicly up to Calais to get to london. Whats your recommendation 🙂 my best, Nicole

November 22, 2019 at 5:58 am

Thanks Karen, this info is very helpful. We, as a family, are planning a trip to the region in March and had no idea where to base ourselves!

January 29, 2020 at 3:41 pm

Hello, this is great! We are traveling to Paris for a few days and then thinking of renting a villa in normandy for a week. Any ideas where a good “base” would be to do day trips to?

February 10, 2020 at 2:24 am

It depends on what you want to see in Normandy. We stuck along the eastern coast, but both sides of the coast are lovely. I found a location closer to Honfleur to be helpful and there are many villas in the Parc Regionale mentioned in my article.

February 22, 2020 at 4:58 am

Thank you for sharing. I literally can not wait to plan this trip.

September 2, 2020 at 5:49 am

We are thinking of visiting Paris and then doing your tour of Normandy. Is there a particular villa in the Parc Regionale that you recommend? Also, if we are coming from Paris, do you recommend we rent a car in Paris and drive to Normandy, or do you recommend we train toward Normandy and rent a car outside of Paris? If so, what town?

September 15, 2020 at 1:32 am

Unfortunately, the one that I stayed at does not host anymore, but I link to a few other options within the post. A car is best for exploring Normandy!

September 8, 2020 at 4:06 pm

Hi Karen! My husband and I are hoping to plan a trip to the Normandy area France in the next year or two. I would love to get your help in planning this trip, we will be celebrating 50 years of marriage. Your post is amazing and it’s been so helpful already…I know this is what we want to do. Thank you, Linda Wyatt

April 11, 2021 at 1:46 am

Friend and i are planning to fly into paris stay 2 nts rent a car and head to normandy. We will take our car and ferry to guernsey for 5 nts then back to normandy area and head to paris to fly home to usa. Want to find a cool village between nrmandy and paris for a couple nts. We just plan to overnite in paris close to airport before we return home. Any suggestions on a quaint village for a noght or two on the way back to paris?

May 10, 2021 at 2:37 pm

Perhaps Rouen or Lyons-la-Forêt ?

June 19, 2021 at 3:28 am

Hello I am planning a trip to France for two weeks next summer 2022. We would like to see Normandy Paris and wine country. Can this be done in two weeks

July 27, 2021 at 12:14 pm

It’s a lot, but I think so if you plan well!

October 29, 2021 at 5:34 pm

Love you post, very informative. Do you have any suggestion for a private tour guide in this region?

February 9, 2022 at 10:28 pm

Your thoughts on city/where to stay when visiting Normandy area. Plan to drive from CDG. Want to see D-Day Beaches, Mont Saint-Michel, other sights of interest. Thinking of staying in Caen or Bayeux. B&B suggestion?

October 10, 2022 at 2:54 am

Greetings from the sunny Panhandle of Florida! Thank you so much for all of the information you have shared, as we have only ever visited Paris and Avignon. My husband has his heart set on WW2 history, while I have my heart set on horseback riding, breathtaking castles, and amazing food!!!! I look forward to any input you can offer; nothing like putting a trip together last minute. Be well, Chance S,

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Normandy Tourism, France

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Things to see and do in Normandy

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Updated on 6 July 2021

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Amazing countryside walks, invigorating coastal hikes, scenic cycle routes, lively historical cities, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, picturesque fishing ports, chic seaside resorts or quaint country villages, there are endless places to discover and things to do in Normandy, whether you’re visiting for a weekend or for a holiday, you’ll want to come back again and explore more!

If you’re after family fun, there are loads of family-friendly attractions and activities. If you’re after adrenaline-filled things to do, you can find the best places for water sports, horse-riding, skydiving, cliff-climbing, bungee jumping and more. If your idea of bliss centers around peace and quiet, hit one of our glorious beaches, ramble in miles of unspoilt countryside, visit historic buildings and awe-inspiring gardens, browse museums and art galleries. 

The best things to see and do

Normandy is full of diverse and beautiful landscapes, famous for inspiring painters and home to a key battle that led to the Liberation of Western Europe.

Sports Activities

See the best of Normandy’s natural beauty from dizzying heights, from deep down in the ground or from its dramatic shores. The great diversity of landscapes throughout Normandy offers the perfect backdrop for adventure activities like climbing, hiking, sailing, cycling, skydiving and more. Ideal for adding a touch of action and thrills to your holiday! 

Leisure activities

Normandy is well known for its simple pleasures and relaxed way of life. Whether you’re here for the weekend or on a longer break, there’s a wealth of leisure activities to enjoy – both fast-paced and laid-back – for all ages, all year round.

Coastline and Beaches

Normandy’s coastline comprises stretches of golden sand, dramatic cliffs, pebble coves, sand dunes and sheltered bays interspersed with harbour towns, fishing villages and modern coastal resorts.

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Best Things to Do in Normandy, France

Article written by Elisa - Travel Writer & Local in France This article may contain compensated links. Please read disclaimer for more info.

Normandy (Normandie in French) is a French Region located in Northern France , bordered by La Manche (the English Channel) and facing the United Kingdom. Normandy offers visitors a stunning coastline, picturesque harbors, and elegant seaside resorts.  

Normandy’s countryside is also lovely to visit, dotted with châteaux, manors, picturesque villages, and the delightful reliefs of Norman Switzerland.

Normandy is also the land of Impressionism, a movement inspired by Monet’s ‘impression’ of the sunrise at Le Havre.

History lovers will be fascinated by Normandy’s history, exploring the D-Day Landing Sites, the medieval streets and cathedral of Rouen, and Mont Saint-Michel, the wonder of the western world. Normandy is also the land of King Richard the Lionheart, William the Conqueror, or Jeanne d’Arc.

Normandy is divided into five departments:  Calvados (14), Eure  (27), Manche  (50), Orne  (61), and Seine-Maritime  (76). The main cities in Normandy are  Le Havre, Caen,  and  Rouen. There are so many things to do in Normandy that you cannot miss this wonderful region when visiting France! 

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Normandy Travel

BY FERRY: Normandy is well connected with the UK and Ireland through the ports of Cherbourg, Le Havre, Caen, and Dieppe.

Book your ferry to Normandy

BY TRAIN: Traveling in France by train is straightforward. Four national train lines serve Normandy. Three lines connect Normandy to Paris, and there’s a fourth one that connects Caen to Tours:

• Paris – Rouen – Le Havre;
• Paris –  Caen – Cherbourg;
• Paris  –  Argentan –  Granville;
• Caen –  Alençon –  Le Mans – Tours.

You can explore many other places in Normandy by regional trains (TER Normandy).

Book your train tickets to Normandy

Normandy by Car

For extended trips in the region of Normandy, the best way to get around is by car. This region is a great place for memorable French road trips . With a car, some good tunes, and the best company, you are set for one of the best adventures in your life. Driving in France is very easy, and with the car, you can go off the beaten path to visit the best of Normandy.

Recommended road trips in Normandy:

• Road trip Normandy D-Day Sites
• Road trip to Normandy from Paris

If you don’t have your car, we recommend booking in advance through platforms like RentalCar . This site takes all of the major rental companies, such as Hertz, Avis, etc., and compares prices for you. Check out our best tips for renting a car in France .

Browse Car Rental Companies Available in Normandy

Best Places to Visit in Normandy

Where to go in Normandy? Let’s have a look at the best places to visit in Normandy. The list of best things to do in Normandy, France, includes sightseeing, sea towns, lots of architecture, history, and gastronomy.

1. Mont Saint-Michel

Be moved by the Mont Saint-Michel , Wonder of the Western World. This amazing Benedictine Abbey is one of the main attractions in Normandy. If you can spend only one day in Normandy, then choose to visit Mont Saint-Michel – Click here to buy your tickets .

Mont Saint-Michel is located on a rocky island at the Couesnon River’s mouth, where Normandy and the Brittany region meet. The area is known for its high tides, making the Abbey inaccessible for some hours.

The first structures of this religious site were built in the 10th century. Since then, magnificent monastic buildings were added through medieval times. The spectacular Gothic architecture that we can see today is from Norman times thanks to the ducal patronage.

The Abbey dedicated to Saint-Michel became in Medieval times a renowned center of pilgrimage and learning, attracting some of the greatest minds and manuscript illuminators in Europe. Mont Saint-Michel also had great strategic value and was almost impregnable, never succumbing to British attacks in the Hundred Years’ War.

DID YOU KNOW? Mont Saint-Michel is one of the most popular day trips out of Paris . Visit the Abbey at your own pace or with an audio guide with this top-rated tour to Mont Saint-Michel from Paris , with transportation included.

For a memorable experience, however, spend one night on-site in one of the hotels in Mont Saint-Michel . Wander around the medieval streets when the crowds are gone and watch the waters rise to inundate the entrance to the island.

2. Côte d’Albâtre (The Alabaster Coast)

From Dieppe to Étretat , the Alabaster Coast is a land of majestic cliffs, extraordinary  valleuses  (natural depressions in the cliffs), beaches, and picturesque fishing villages.

Enjoy amazing landscapes bathed by the changing light; this is the land of Impressionists! Painters like Monet, Turner, Courbet, Pissarro, and Renoir put their easel outdoors in this land to capture its beauty.  

Stimulated by the beauty of this Norman setting, Monet painted more than 100 pictures along this coast between Dieppe and Varengeville. Then, he fell in love with the cliffs at Etretat , which he captured in some of his masterworks. With its extraordinary rock formations, this picturesque seaside town also captured Eugène Boudin and Gustave Courbet’s attention, who painted more than fifty views of its coastline and sea.

TIP: If you are looking for a romantic getaway in Normandy, book your stay in one of these wonderful hotels in Étretat .

3. Jumièges Abbey

Jumièges Abbey is one of the best things to see in Normandy for history lovers. The abbey was founded in the 7th century, and it was one of the most important Benedictine monasteries in Normandy and France.

The first building was destroyed during the Viking invasions in the 9th century. As these Norsemen settled in Normandy and turned to Christianity, one of their early leaders, William Longsword, reinstituted a monastery from the mid 10th century.

In 1040, construction began on the vast Abbey – often described as the first major Romanesque building in northern France -, and it was consecrated in 1067 with the assistance of William the Conqueror. In the 13th century, when Jumièges was at the height of its power, the abbey church was given a Gothic choir.

Jumièges established itself as a great center of medieval learning. Although the Abbey was a wealthy institution, it was renowned for its care for the poor.

From the 16th century and due to the French Wars of Religion, Jumièges went into rapid decline. The monks ran from fanatical Protestants who looted the place, wreaking devastation. After a small-scale revival, the Abbey was badly damaged during the Revolution, and it became a stone quarry for a time before it became state property. The ruins that remain to this day recall the greatness of the Abbey.

THE ABBEY ROUTE. Jumièges Abbey is part of a string of Norman religious buildings along the Seine, between Rouen and Le Havre. You can find more information on the Seine Abbey Route here.

4. Honfleur

Honfleur is one of the most beautiful coastal towns in France and one of the best places in Normandy. Located in the department of Calvados, on the Seine’s estuary, this old Norman port-city of more than 1,000 years is today a place full of charm and the perfect base camp to explore the Pays d’Auge and the Côte Fleurie in Normandy.

Honfleur was essentially built for commerce. During the Ancien Régime, Honfleur’s shipowners made fortunes from trade, notably with North America. Samuel de Champlain, one of the most famous explorers associated with Honfleur, sailed from this port to found Quebec (Canada).

Honfleur offers visitors a rich historical and artistic past. Beyond the picture-perfect Old Bassin , with its old and charming facades, there are also alleys with old, picturesque houses, the splendid wooden church of Sainte-Catherine, two salt granaries from the 17th century, and much more.

Click here to book your stay in Honfleur

5. The D-Day Landing Sites

People visiting Normandy can still see many of the historical WW2 sites related to the D-day in Normandy on a day trip or, even better, on a Normandy road trip. The trip to visit the WW2 sites in Normandy can be emotionally exhausting, but it is essential to keep this chapter of our history alive in our memories, so it will never be repeated.

The Normandy Landing operation was the largest seaborne invasion in history. The invasion took place on Normandy’s beaches on Tuesday, 6 June 1944, by the Allies. The operation, known as D-Day, was the beginning of the liberation of German-occupied France (and later Europe) from Nazi control and laid the Allied victory foundations on the Western Front.

The road trip to explore the D-day Landing sites is one of our favorite road trips in France . You can also visit some of these sites on a (long) day trip from Paris. The best D-Day Landing Sites road trip itinerary includes the D-Day Landing Beaches ( Omaha, Utah, Sword Gold , and Juno Beach ), picturesque towns, and some war cemeteries and memorials.

TIP: Everybody loves this Normandy Tour of D-Day Landing Beaches starting from Paris!

6. Château Gaillard and Les Andelys

Les Andelys is a picturesque town located in one of the most beautiful sites in the Seine Valley, nestled between the river and a high cliff. The town has different religious buildings from the 13th century and beautiful family houses from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Les Andelys is a great stop on your way to Rouen or Giverny. It is surveyed by the splendid ruins of  Château-Gaillard , a medieval fortress built in the 12th century by King Richard the Lionheart (who was also Duke of Normandy) to protect his lands against the French King Philippe Auguste.

Early in 1314, Château Gaillard became the prison of Queen Margaret of France. The French Queen was allegedly caught in the act of adultery in the Tour de Nesle Affair , and she was imprisoned for the last two years of her life, along with her sister-in-law Blanche of Burgundy in this château where she died.

Today, the castle is in ruins, but despite this, there’s a lot to see, including most of the keep and inner bailey and large parts of the outer walls. The view from the castle, over Les Andelys and the Seine’s meanders, is terrific.

7. Medieval City of Rouen

Rouen is one of the two capitals of the Region of Normandy. Because of its numerous churches, abbeys, and other religious buildings, Rouen is nicknamed the ‘city of a hundred bell towers.’ Rouen was the capital of the Duchy of Normandy from 911 to 1204.

Since the 13th century, this city bisected by the Seine River has undergone remarkable economic expansion thanks, in particular, to maritime and river trade.

Disputed by the French and the English throughout the Hundred Years War , it was here that the English imprisoned Joan of Arc and burned her alive on 30 May 1431.

Apart from its rich past, Rouen has an incredible and well-kept medieval heritage. Its cathedral, world-famous thanks to Monet, is one of the highest in the world. The city also has many well-known museums, such as the Museum of Fine Arts , the museum Secq des Tournelles, and the National Museum of Education.

The city can easily be reached by direct train from Paris, and it is a popular day-trip destination for people who want to see other than the French capital. However, we recommend spending at least one night on-site to get the most out of this interesting city.

Click here to book your stay in Rouen

8. The Cider Route

In addition to the numerous sites and things to see in Normandy, the region proposes many interesting circuits, often related to Normandy’s gourmet treasures.

In Normandy, apples abound, and the region produces some famous French drinks based on apples, like cider , Pommeau, or the apple liquor called Calvados .

If you are wondering what to do in Normandy to know more about these drinks, the Cider Trail is worth considering. The Cider Trail is a well-marked 40km tourist circuit through the region of Pays d’Auge in Lower Normandy. The Pays d’Auge is popular for its typical Normandy villages , stud farms, and apple orchards. Some of the orchards are more than 200 years old! Today, Calvados, Cider, and Pommeau are the main products of these orchards.

Get ready to unfold the journey of apples from farms to the table. Some twenty cider producers and distillers of ‘Cambremer Vintage’ Calvados open their cellars and pressing sheds to visitors and encourage them to taste their products along this circuit.

Caen is one of the best cities in Normandy. It is a city with a vibrant history and an attractive place to visit, with plenty of museums, shops, restaurants, gardens, plus the liveliness of a university town. Its strategic position, well connected with Paris and Portsmouth in the UK, makes Caen a great place to start your Normandy wanderings.

During the 11th century, Caen grew into a great city beside the Orne river thanks to William the Conqueror and his wife Matilda of Flanders.

King William built Caen’s Citadel and the impressive Abbaye aux Hommes in Norman Romanesque style. Today the remains of the citadel ramparts are the perfect place for locals to relax when the weather is good, while the Abbaye aux Hommes hosts the tomb of this Duke of Normandy, who later became William I King of France.

One of the latest additions in the city is the Caen Memorial and Museum . This is an excellent museum about WW2, the French occupation, the holocaust, and the post-war era. The museum has a room dedicated to the D-Day Landing Beaches in Normandy, located not far from Caen.

Book your stay in Caen

10. Monet’s Garden & House in Giverny

Monet’s Garden in Giverny is another of the top places on our list of what to see in Normandy. Due to its proximity to the French capital, Giverny is also one of Paris’s most popular day trips.

After his success in Paris, Monet had enough money to buy an old construction in the tiny town of Giverny, where he believed he could work better on the light and color. For 40 years and until his death, Monet arranged, rearranged, and enlarged this house and the surrounding gardens, where he died in 1926.

Monet’s gardens are famous for the water lily pond, where Monet painted his world-famous water-lilies series. The house and the attached workshop are also worth the visit, and it is a great opportunity to get a glimpse of Monet’s life and work in Giverny.

Monet’s estate opens its doors with the spring, from 1 April to 1 November 2021. This is one of our favorite places to visit in France in spring , to see the first blossoms, but it is also great to visit under the fall colors. However, June is when the famous water-lilies start to wake up to reach their full blossom in July.

In Giverny, there’s also a small museum dedicated to Impressionism, which is well worth visiting if you have an extra hour in the village.

TIP: This half-day trip to Giverny from Paris is a best seller!

11. Castles of Normandy

Normandy boasts so many beautiful castles that you could easily justify making a trip to nearly all of them.

During the Hundred Years’ War, many castles were built and fortified in Normandy, ensuring they could serve as strongholds during battles. But there are also beautiful castles built for their owners’ glory that could rival famous castles in France like Versailles or Chantilly .

Our list of best castles in Normandy includes the already mentioned Castle of Caen and Château Gaillard , plus Château of Gisors and Château d’Harcourt (on the picture).

Château d’Harcourt is considered to be one of the best-preserved castles in Normandy. Over the years, enhancements and additions were added, including a curtain wall and nine round towers in the 13th century. Château d’Harcourt is also famous for its arboretum, the oldest arboretum in all of France.

TIP: if you ever dreamed of sleeping in an authentic French château, you will love this list of best château-hotels in Normandy ! The fairy-tale Château de Canisy , in the Manche department, and many others make the perfect shelter for a romantic getaway.

Food & Drinks in Normandy

Normandy’s cuisine is determined by its excellent geographical position between fertile lands and the sea. Also, the Norman cows are well known for their milk quality, hence the variety and good quality of the cheese and other milky products.

Normans eat a lot of meat, and if you are around Mont Saint-Michel, you should taste the famous agneau des prés salés . These sheep graze around the Abbey when the tides are low, and the salty taste of this grass gives a unique taste to this tender meat.

Normandy is also the leading producer of oysters, mussels, and scallops in France, so you are in the right place if you like this kind of food!

Apples also play an essential role in Norman cuisine, both in desserts and cider making. The trou normand (Norman hole) is a small glass of calvados, swallowed at once in the middle of the meal, to stimulate the appetite… you should definitely try that!

We cannot finish this chapter on food in Normandy without mentioning the cheese. The list of great Norman cheeses includes famous names like Camembert, Pont-l’évêque, Neufchâtel, or Livarot (all A.O.C), but we invite you to taste and discover other names.

We hope that you enjoyed this list of best things to do in Normandy. If you want to learn about other regions, head to this article about the Regions of France , where we have summarized each region’s highlights.

Click here to explore other French regions

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More From Forbes

D-day 80th anniversary: your guide to commemorative events in normandy.

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80 years ago—a Landing Craft approaching Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, 6th June 1944.

There are many reasons to head to France in 2024—the Olympic Games in Paris, the Euro 2024 football competition or an Impressionist festival—but many will be heading to Normandy to commemorate the 160,000 Allied troops who landed on its beaches in World War II in the biggest military seaborne invasion in history.

The festival for the 80th anniversary of D-Day will take place from Pegasus Bridge to Sainte-Mère-Eglise—it's a stretch of almost 100 km of coastline (about 60 miles) that takes in the towns of Ouistreham and Arromanches-les-Bains (the latter was where Allied forces built Winston Harbor, to bring in supplies).

From 1-16 June 2024, there will be commemoration ceremonies as well as festivities (parades, picnics, reenactments and fireworks) along the same stretch of coastline, including across all five landing areas for the Allied troops in 1944—Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach.

The program has something for everyone (book fairs, jives), but there are several must-see events including a 30-minute light and sound show across all five landing beaches simultaneously on 31st May, an International Peace March (Utah Beach to Carentan) on 1 June and the parachuting in of hundreds of international soldiers above Sainte-Mère-Eglise.

The official state commemoration takes place on 6 June 2024 at Omaha Beach, in the town of Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer (Calvados) where 2,500 American soldiers died. It will be attended by President Emmanuel Macron and other global heads of state, as well as veterans, but it isn't a public event. There will be a giant public picnic afterwards though, on Omaha Beach, followed by a concert with fireworks.

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The U.S. will hold its own ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer that commemorates the 9,386 American soldiers who were killed in total. It will be open to 5,000 people but tickets must be secured in advance here (the site is currently closed due to high demand, but promises to reopen soon). It is expected to begin around midday.

Secretary Charles Djou of the American Battle Monuments Commission said of the American event, "we have a solemn duty to honor the courageous service of those who gave their all on June 6, 1944, and to reflect on the profound impact their sacrifices had on turning the tide of World War II. The anticipated gathering of over 10,000 visitors from around the globe underscores the indelible mark that D-Day has left on our shared history."

6th June 1944: Reinforcements disembarking from a landing barge at Normandy during the Allied ... [+] Invasion of France on D-Day. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The British Normandy Memorial in France at Ver-sur-Mer commemorates the 22,442 people who died under British command on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy. It too will hold a memorial service on 6 June 2024 (time to be confirmed) that will be broadcast live on U.K. television. Likewise, Canada will be holding its own commemoration ceremonies, as will other countries at memorials across the region.

Incidentally, two of France's biggest tourist draws of the summer collide on the morning of Thursday 30 May 2024 as the Olympic Flame passes across Omaha Beach.

For anyone planning a trip to the area to visit the D-Day landings, the official French tourist board has a 48-hour program of unmissable spots here and the D-Day commemoration program can be found in both French and English here .

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History, culture, haute couture and haute cuisine aren’t all that France is famous for this year. The country’s iconic capital, Paris, may be warming up for the world’s largest sporting event this summer, but beyond the bustling boulevards, there are plenty of hidden gems for travelers to explore. With the enchanting regions of Champagne, Normandy, the Loire Valley and Burgundy, within easy reach, travelers can escape the crowds, enjoy the countryside and sample a different side of French life.  

POP THE CORKS 

Approximately an hour and 45 minutes by car, travelers can escape the busy city life and gently roll into the Champagne region to immerse themselves in the art of champagne-making. Reims, the capital of the region famous for the world’s favorite fizz, is home to the city’s cathedral Notre-Dame, a UNESCO World Heritage site where French Kings were crowned.  

Zip off on e-bike and take to the lush, rolling hills and explore one of the many Champagne vineyards on offer. From the historic cellars of the renowned champagne houses to the smaller family-owned producers, most offer tours and tastings, washed down with the region’s famous pink cookie that complements the delicious bubbles.  

LIVING HISTORY 

Home to the famous Bayeux Tapestry, 70 meters of intricate stitching that depicts the 1066 Norman conquest of Britain, Normandy holds special significance this year. June 6 marks the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that changed the course of the Second World War. Visitors can pay their respects at the hallowed beaches of Omaha and Utah, where Allied forces made their historic landings, or at the moving American Cemetery.   

Virginie Durr, Enterprise Sales Manager at Delta, was born and raised in Normandy and visits every year for the D-Day commemorations. 

“Normandy offers the perfect blend of scenery, history, culture and gastronomy,” said Durr. “What makes Normandy so special is the legacy of William the Conqueror, the historic scars left by WWII, the settings immortalized by the Impressionist artists, its distinctive local cuisine and its world-famous sites such as the Mont-Saint-Michel, Monet’s gardens in Giverny, the D-Day Landing Beaches or the dramatic cliffs of Etretat.” 

For those wanting to visit Mont-Saint-Michel, which is the second most-visited monument in France after the Eiffel Tower, Durr has valuable tips for getting the most out of your experience: “Visit on weekdays rather than weekends, outside of holiday periods and long weekends, in autumn or winter.” 

Travelers looking to further their exploration of Normandy should visit Honfleur, which is known for attracting artists over many centuries and features colorful half-timbered houses that line the picturesque harbor, providing the perfect backdrop for leisurely strolls along the waterfront.  

Sylvie Poidevin, a Delta Red Coat stationed at CDG, says her favorite place in the city is "Les Maisons de Léa,” a charming hotel in the heart of Honfleur with a majestic view of Église Sainte Catherine – one of the oldest and largest wooden churches in France. 

“If visiting, I would also recommend doing a boat tour led by a captain and having a coffee and croissant in front of the Vieux Bassin – one of the most frequently painted harbors in the world,” said Poidevin. 

Deauville is around two hours and 45 minutes from central Paris.  

CHATEAU LIFE 

Around two and a half hours’ drive from Paris lies the Loire Valley. This UNESCO area of great cultural beauty is peppered with hundreds of castles – or chateaux – and produces some of France’s most delicious white wines, including Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé and Crémant – the region’s sparkling wine.  

The area is perfect to explore by bike, especially as it’s mostly flat, and the 900km Loire à Vélo route is enjoyable for cycle pros and novices alike. In the summer months, pop up restaurants known as guignettes offer local specialties, while nights can be comfortably spent in four-poster beds in the many chateaux that offer accommodation along the route.  

Famous Loire Valley towns not to miss include Samur, where an imposing castle towers over the flowing river and hundreds of underground caves, including an underground cathedral, lie under your feet. Tours, which was once a bustling Roman town, still boasts the ruins of an amphitheater.  

MEDIEVAL MASTERPIECE 

With its half-timbered buildings, gothic cathedrals and cobbled streets, the medieval city of Dijon casts visitors back in time. This laid-back university city offers a mix of history and delicious cuisine and is too often overlooked by American visitors.  

Small in size, Dijon is packed with sites of interest that visitors can easily discover on a self-guided walking tour following the Parcours de la Chouette, or Owl Trail. Marked by little owls, the tour includes every historical monument with explanations at every stop.  

Foodies will be in food heaven in Dijon. Aside from the eponymous mustard (Dijon had exclusive mustard-making rights in France during the 17th century), the region is known for Burgundy wines and Boeuf Bourguignon, a rich beef casserole. It is also home to several Michelin-starred restaurants, for travelers wanting to splash out.  

Dijon is located between Paris and Lyon (another city famous for cuisine), around four hours from the French capital.  

GETTING THERE WITH DELTA 

Delta is the No. 1 U.S. airline serving France, leading with more than 20% of capacity between the two countries during peak-summer.  

This provides customers with ample choices to travel to CDG through Delta’s extensive network, offering 16 daily flights from various U.S. cities including Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS), Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG), Detroit (DTW), New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Minneapolis St. Paul (MSP), Seattle (SEA), and Salt Lake City (SLC). 

Customers looking to venture beyond Paris can also enjoy flights to Nice from Atlanta and New York-JFK.    

Additionally, Delta’s partners Air France and KLM offer nearly 650 peak-day departures to over 150 cities across Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. 

As part of Delta’s $12 billion airport terminal investments, Delta will be opening its first-ever Delta One Lounge at New York’s JFK airport in late June. The expansive 38,000-square-foot Lounge will feature both a full-service brasserie and a casual, chef-assisted market with open kitchens, dedicated wellness areas and more. Connecting customers will also benefit from the upgrades at Delta’s JFK Terminal 4, enabling easier transfer to over 60 onward connections. 

Customers will have a choice of four product experiences including Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin. Delta One customers can stretch out in a lie-flat seat and enjoy premium amenities like plush bedding made from recycled plastic bottles, more beverage options and a regularly refreshed and seasonally inspired onboard menu. Customers flying in Delta Premium Select will have more space to relax and stretch out, with a wider seat, deeper recline, an adjustable footrest and leg rest.  

And before you touch down in the romantic landscapes of France, you can immerse yourself in the language and artistry of French culture. With more than 161,000 seatback screens across more than 850 aircraft—the most seatback screens of any U.S.-based carrier—Delta’s in-house curation team takes pride in hand-picking the best content to bring onboard each month, including a curated selection of French titles and audio collections. So bid bon voyage with Delta, where your journey is just as important as your destination. 

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Beyond the Paris Olympics: Other intriguing events set throughout France this year

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A sensational summer light and sound show happens at Rouen Cathedral in Rouen, France. (Dreamstime/TNS)

France is hot, and we’re not just talking about the catwalks in Paris or the yacht clubs on the Riviera. There is no denying that 2024 will be a huge year for travel in The Hexagon, with so much going on across the country. Plenty has been said and written about the Paris Summer Olympics (and will be in the coming months), but here I will set that massive event to the side and focus instead on other reasons to visit France this year.

Some of the events could be perfect bookends to a trip to see the Games or serve as inspiration for a completely different adventure.

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MAKING AN IMPRESSION

After the Olympic Games, the second most talked about celebration in France will be the events surrounding the 150th anniversary of Impressionism, with Normandy being the best place outside of Paris to celebrate. The fifth edition of the Normandy Impressionist Festival (March 22- Sept. 22) will take place across the region, and some parts will have an unexpected American influence. In Rouen, look for an exhibit showcasing the works of renowned American artist Whistler, as well as the 12th edition of the sensational summer light and sound show at Rouen Cathedral.

In Paris, the Normandy region will sponsor a spectacular exhibit titled “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment” at the Musée d’Orsay (March 16 – July 14). The event will feature over 100 masterpieces, including paintings, sculptures, photographs and much more.

SALUTING THE HEROES OF SUMMER ‘44

The 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings and the ensuing Battle of Normandy will take place on June 6, and the military operation that forever changed history will be honored with pomp and circumstance all over the region. In addition to official observations that will require invitations, there will be fireworks displays over the five landing beaches on June 1, art installations and dozens more events (think parades, parachuting, historical re-enactments and concerts) during the D-Day Festival Normandy (June 1-16).

There will also be events surrounding the 80th anniversary of Operation Dragoon, which was a significant French-American landing that took place in Southern France on Aug. 15, 1944. Expect commemorative events to take place in the region.

THE TOUR CYCLES SOUTH

No discussion of sports in France would be complete without a mention of the Tour De France (June 29 – July 21), the most iconic bicycle race on the planet. This year, the race will traverse a 2,000-mile-plus loop through some of the most breathtaking landscapes in France. The route changes for each edition of the race, but the mountain stages in the Pyrenees and Alps are a constant, and these regions make for exciting fan experiences. The 2024 race will start in Florence, Italy, before finishing somewhere other than Paris for the first time in a century. Due to the Olympics, the Tour will finish up in the jewel of the Riviera: Nice.

SETTING SAIL

The Vendée Globe, which is another one of the biggest French sporting events this year, will actually start in New York City. On May 24, sailors will gather at the Statue of Liberty for a host of pre-race celebrations before embarking on a grueling 3,200-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean to France. Then, on Nov. 10, the 10th edition of the Vendée Globe will set sail from the coastal town of Sables d’Olonne in the Vendée region of France. Known as the Everest of Seas, this nonstop solo race will see about 40 skippers navigating the globe, and while you’re not allowed to tag along with them, it will be the perfect excuse to discover the beautiful coastal region of Vendée, which is home to long sweeps of beach and a breathtaking bay.

FLOWER POWER

Also in the Vendée region, the Les Floralies de Nantes — one of Europe’s most prestigious international horticultural shows — will take place at the impressive Domaine de La Chabotterie (May 17-26). This 18th century estate sits within 100 acres of meadows and forest, and the festival will showcase the imaginative creations of 200 participants hailing from France and beyond. As a nod to the Summer Olympics, the 2024 edition has been dubbed “Flower Games” and will feature five themed areas: water, childhood, intellectual, physical and garden.

Summer festivals galore

Bordeaux has been bubbling up on travel lists for a while now, and the 2024 edition of the famed Bordeaux Fête le Vin (June 27-30), the premier wine tourism festival in the city, will be the perfect excuse to get to know it better. Set against the backdrop of the Garonne River, the event will offer a delightful experience for wine lovers and curious travelers alike. The party will start early, as from June 20, a host of events will take place in the lead-up to the festival at the city’s renowned wine cellars, restaurants and cultural venues.

You’ll be surrounded by tunes all over the country on June 21 as the Fête de la Musique will see musicians of all levels (both amateur and professional) take to the streets across France to show off their skills. You’ll be able to experience a wide range of musical genres (and talent) as everything from rock groups to choirs and orchestras strut their stuff.

Every other year, the coastal town of Dieppe hosts one of the most colorful kite festivals in the world, and in 2024, the Dieppe International Kite Festival is back and better than ever. More than just a gathering of kite lovers, this festival celebrates global unity, highlighting the rich diversity of people and cultures on the planet. Expect the sky above the beach in Dieppe to be splashed with a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes and for you to leave feeling a little better about the state of the world.

ENDING THE YEAR IN STYLE

Notre Dame Cathedral is scheduled to officially reopen on December 8, over four and a half years after the devastating fire. This will be a special time to be in Paris, no doubt.

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