Normandy & the D-Day Beaches

History, cider country & Mont-Saint-Michel — 6 days

Normandy is made for a motorhome — the D-Day beaches, the Bayeux Tapestry, cider-and-Camembert countryside and the unforgettable Mont-Saint-Michel. Sail almost door to door: Portsmouth to Caen (Ouistreham) with Brittany Ferries, under three hours from South Wales, with an overnight option. This trip needs our European Travel cover (£10 a day), which includes the VE103 paperwork.

Day 1: Sail to Caen

Drive to Portsmouth and take the ferry to Ouistreham. An overnight sailing means you arrive rested and ready.

Don't miss: Pegasus Bridge

The first patch of France liberated on D-Day, seized by glider troops just after midnight — the original 1934 bridge now stands beside the Mémorial Pegasus.

Where to stay

Camping Le Riva Bella — Ouistreham, Calvados
Glamping Calvados — Caen, Calvados
Mon Taj Mahal — Guéron, Calvados

Day 2: Bayeux

Your base for the beaches — the thousand-year-old Bayeux Tapestry, the cathedral and the charming old town.

Don't miss: Bayeux

Base for the beaches — a soaring cathedral, a charming old town, and the thousand-year-old Bayeux Tapestry telling the story of the Norman conquest of 1066.

Where to stay

Camping Municipal des Bords de l'Aure — Bayeux, Calvados
Camping Le Picard — Tournières, Calvados
Aire Naturelle d'Agy — Agy, Calvados

Day 3: The D-Day beaches

Arromanches and the Mulberry harbour remains, Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer and Pointe du Hoc — powerful and unforgettable.

Don't miss: Arromanches & the D-Day beaches

The remains of the Mulberry harbour still lie in the bay at Arromanches — with Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery at Colleville and Pointe du Hoc close by.

Where to stay

Camping L'Hypo'Camp — Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes, Calvados
Ze Camping at Le Robinson — Colleville-sur-Mer, Calvados
Camping Onlycamp Sous Les Pommiers — Trévières, Calvados

Day 4: Honfleur & the coast

The impossibly pretty harbour of Honfleur, elegant Deauville, or Pegasus Bridge for more D-Day history.

Don't miss: Honfleur

The impossibly pretty slate-fronted harbour that inspired the Impressionists — plus elegant Deauville, and Pegasus Bridge nearby for more D-Day history.

Where to stay

La Cour de la Grange — Villers-sur-Mer, Calvados
Camping de la Vallée — Lisieux, Calvados
Au Bonheur Nomade — Caumont-sur-Aure, Calvados

Day 5: Mont-Saint-Michel

Down to the Normandy and Brittany border for the island abbey rising from the tidal flats — one of France's iconic sights.

Don't miss: Mont-Saint-Michel

The island abbey rising from the tidal flats on the Normandy–Brittany border — one of France's most unforgettable sights, spectacular as the tide sweeps in.