# Route along the Normandy coast



## Barts (Apr 16, 2007)

We are travelling to France in June and this time we thought we would travel from Calais along the Normandy coast . Any suggestions for a route we could take? also any aires or campsites that you can recommend would be really helpful as we haven't visited this part of France before. Thank you for your time Regards Barts


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## colonel (Oct 11, 2008)

Well Barts, this year will be the 65th Anniversary of the D-Day landings so all along the coast on 6th June there will be memorials and celebrations of this event.

If you're not into all that stuff, there is still plenty to see both on the coast and further inland. It's a really popular and interesting part of France. Try visiting Omaha beach and the American National Cemetery. It's a very moving place even if it's not your main interest. Honfleur and Deauville are really nice, one a quaint fishing port the other a brash and lively casino resort.

There is so much to see you can almost just put a pin in a map of the area and find something of interest.

I've no personal knowledge of campsites but there are loads listed. Enjoy.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

You must go to Honfleur - excellent pretty town with loads of interesting buildings & good restaurants & bars in the harbour. Huge MH Aire within 10 minutes walk, will worth an overnight at least.  :idea:


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

I can recommend the aire de camping car at Granville. It is up by the lighthouse and an easy stroll into the town which has lots of life. Thereare gun emplacements from the Atlantic Wall close by.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Barts,

Some ideas here:
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-46405.html#46405

Dave


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

can recommend the aire by the harbour at deauville.not in any of the books but convenient for everythink you would want.
No services so top up and empty before you arrive 
never had a problem getting on
big market over bridge on sunday morning


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## mandyandandy (Oct 1, 2006)

We love Le Croytoy and stop there as often as we can on the way down, also ditto on the Honfleur choice. 

Mandy

Lots of them marked on the Campsite map, save into your brochure and then print off and take with you.


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

Saint Valery sur Somme, excellent aire and this is the place where William set out for the Battle of Hastings.


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

Hi
The D940 from calais goes for miles following the coast. You would think sangatte would be a dreary place given its past but no. 3 or 4 miles out of calais you will be driving along beautiful coast roads looking out to old blighty.
Carry on all the way through bologne (dont bother to stop at the aires at bologne or le portel (bit rough IMHO) but stop at the aires at Le touquet, St Valerie on Somme, St velerie en caux, Le trepot, Vaulettes sur mer, to name a few. You can also stop on the car park overnight at Mon st micheal (there is also an aire but its 1.5 miles away.) Also granville and cancale. all of these are either on the sea or within 10 mins walk.

Deuville aire is ramshackled - well it was last year when i went but you can stay there if you dont need water but its very small and surrounded by trees.
Honfluer is better i have heard but never been to the aire, the town is said to be very lovely.

Have a look at www.airecampingcar.com

Good luck

we off in june - cant wait


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## devonidiot (Mar 10, 2006)

There are two things that are a must on aby Normandy trip.

A visit to the Bayeaux Tapestry, and seeing Mont St Michel in the evening when all lit up.


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## Hovis (Mar 28, 2007)

Don't miss Courseulles-sur-Mer ( Juno Beach). There is a super Municipal Site with an Aire adjacent. An easy walk into the town, with many shops Cafes and Restruants. Also, it is directly on the beach with an excellent Cyle Path. Have fun!
Hovis :wink:


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## jonegood (Nov 5, 2007)

Le cretoy is a good stopover little basic but right next to the port with plent y of room. another one we really like is veules les roses south of dieppe, the aire itself is at the entrance to the municipal campsite and small, but you walk across the road (not busy) and you are on top of of wonderful cliffs, down the steps to a beach that goes on forever. Veules also has a marked out walk which takes you through some lovely back streets and onto the cressbeds.

recommend you have a look at www.campingcar-infos.com

have a great trip
Jon


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## Barts (Apr 16, 2007)

*Normandy Route*

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions lovely of you all to take the time to reply, can now sort of plan a route.

Regards Barts


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## StAubyns (Jun 4, 2006)

Hovis said:


> Don't miss Courseulles-sur-Mer ( Juno Beach). There is a super Municipal Site with an Aire adjacent. An easy walk into the town, with many shops Cafes and Restruants. Also, it is directly on the beach with an excellent Cyle Path. Have fun!
> Hovis :wink:


Very much agree  

its called Le Champ du Course. We intended to stop 1 night but stayed for 3  

Don't miss the German battery at Longues sur Mer, all the guns are still in situ; its very close to Arromanches, which is definately worth a stay 

and from the camp site on the outskirts of Ouistreham -somebody tell me its name - its a pleasant cycle ride along the canal to Pegasus Bridge.


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## WSandME (May 16, 2007)

The last couple of trips, we turned right out of Calais, intending to quickly travel down to the Vendee. We nearly didn't make it.

We are always surprised at how beautiful and interesting the coast from Calais west is. We ended up spending way more time there than originally intended :lol: 

Our recommendation is:

Turn right out of Calais, and always keep as close as possible to the coast. This sometimes means turning down improbably narrow and unpromising roads, but more times than not, it was worth it.

Here's our rough itinerary...

Criel-sur-Mer
Dieppe
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer
Veules-les-Roses
Saint-Valery-en-Caux
Veulettes-sur-Mer
Saint-Pierre-en-Port
Fecamp (Benedictine)
Yport
Etretat
Le Havre
Honfleur
Trouville-sur-Mer / Deauville (Aire on port closed off with large rocks)
Villers-sur-Mer
Barfleur

We then skipped across to:

Avranches
Le Mont-Saint-Michel
St Malo
Dinard
Dinan
Saint-Brieuc
Binic (very nice municipal site overlooking the bay from the north)
Plouha
Paimpol

Then across to Quimper

Concarneau
Vannes
La Roche-Bernard
Guerande (of the salt)
Saint-Nazaire (of the submarine pens)
Noirmoutier
Olonne-sur-Mer / Les Sables-d'Olonne
La Rochelle / Ile de Re
Rochefort
Ile d'Oleron
Marennes
Royan
Arcachon
Dune du Pyla (Europes largest sand dune)
Biscarosse Plage (great municipal camping just off beach under pines, absolutely fantastic beach)
Mimizan Plage
Capbreton
Biarritz
... we then hot-footed it down the Pyrenees towards Carcasonne and onwards to the Camargue, back home up the Rhone.


WSM


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Three things in my list of great places to visit (in order of preference);

1. *Le Memorial *- Cite d'histoire - Musee de la Paix (Mueum of Peace) at Caen, on ring road, superb displays about how WW1 lead to WW2 and what has happened since, we went for 2 hours and stayed for whole day, have been there twice, easy parking outside in large car park, go early it can be popular.

http://www.memorial-caen.fr/portail/index.php

2. *Bayeux tapestry *- superbly displayed exhibit in a great museum with very good electronic guides in English for all. The tapestry is easy to see and very well explained. Our children enjoyed it as much as we did - they were in ages from 7 - 14.

http://france-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/bayeux_france

3. *Honfleur* - a very quaint harbour port with some very good views and eating establishments

http://france-travel.suite101.com/article.cfm/honfleur_france

*Normandy* is an interesting part of France with numerous connections with the Uk, from *pre-1066 *onwards through to *D-Day *and the end of the occupation. The scenery is great, there are numeorus places to visit but it can be crowded in high season on the coast.

*Mont St Michel *is interesting but expensive to go to the top, it is free partway up then they start charrging you. Here are some details;

http://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/lieuxvisite_gb.htm

Enjoy your time there - there is so much to see.

Hope you have fun - we go there regularly - we are twinned with a small village just outside Caen.


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## robrace (Jun 30, 2005)

*Normandy*

last year we were going down to Brittany when the van developed a problem!because we were worried about it we decided to not go any further but to stay at Honfleur for a few days then make our way back up the Normandy coast.Honfleur is a great place!sat is market day with plenty of local produce to buy.Aire is large and on the Harbourside.we came back up the coast stopping at aires at Dieppe,(again on Harbourside)St Valerie en Caux,St Valerie sur Somme,great little town with good restaurants.Take the little train across the bay to Le Crotoy!!Had a great time and van was alright i the end!Have a good time


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## scouter (Dec 14, 2007)

Hi Barts,

The thing is the french coast and the french countryside are so full of surprises and interesting places that you're never short of something to look at or wander round.

Last year we followed the coast west from Calais to the furthest point west, cutting across the Cherbourg peninsula, then headed south until the Vendee before heading inland along the Loire valley, then north into the Champagne area and back to calais.

We carried "all the aires" from Vicarious books and joined French Passion. Apart from meeting some friends, but no fixed time for the meetings nothing else was planned apart from the ferry back. It took us 4 weeks in August. ( Got to have school hols)

Lots of interesting places, some super places to stay and a wonderful time

Just go for it

Even in August we didn't have a problem finding places to stay

alan


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## Barts (Apr 16, 2007)

*France Trip*

Thanks again everyone for your help and suggestions. We are truly gobsmacked by so much excellent responses.

Barts & Pauline


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

Well done to all the people that replied to this post. Even though i gave somem info i am a relative newcomer to france touring. Often we fancy going to an aire but we are never sure in case its no good or the roads acessing are a bit narrow/iffy etc so its great when someone else has been and can give detailed info.

Phill


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Nothing really to add as all have been mentioned. Definitely worth touring along Normandy coast and we will most probably be around in June as well.

Binic tourist office has FREE WiFi, at least it did when we went last time.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

drcotts said:


> Often we fancy going to an aire but we are never sure in case its no good or the roads acessing are a bit narrow/iffy etc so its great when someone else has been and can give detailed info.
> 
> Phill


Absolutely. And better still when recorded in the campsite database for ease of finding these gems out!  Regrettably that doesn't happen as much, though people are reluctant to say why! :-(

Dave


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

I'd like to add my thanks too for all the excellent replies. We are heading that way in late June and whilst I have been to Normandy a couple of times this will be the first time in a motorhome and the details given about Aires etc will come in useful no doubt.

I can endorse the recommendation for the Bayeux Tapestry, we also visited both D Day museums in Arromanches, The Longue Sur Mer Gun Battery and the American Cemetry and site of the US Rangers assault at Pointe du Hoc. Just round the corner as it were is the village of St Mere Eglise where US Paratrooper John Steele was left dangling from the church steeple when his 'chute became snagged. They still celebrate this fact by hanging a dummy and parachute from the steeple. The scene was depicted in the film The Longest Day.

The area around St Mere Eglise is where the US Paras landed on D Day and the TV series and book Band of Brothers gives a good account of the events of the day and subsequent months. 

JohnW


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