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Camping in Normandy
93 campsites in France, Normandy for Beach
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La Côte de Nacre is a large, popular commercial site with many facilities of high standards. It is an ideal holiday location for families. Two-thirds are given over to mobile homes (approx 357), and some tour operators are on the site. The 132 touring pitches are reasonable in size and condition, with 10A electricity, water and drainage. There is some hedging, a few trees and pleasant, well-cared-for flowerbeds.
Views of France's most famous river and the wooded hills opposite can be seen from Camping de la Seine, a small riverside campsite tucked away not far from Le Havre. This rural setting has 40 touring pitches, grassy and dotted with fruit trees. The campsite offers spa services, bike hire and a large grassy expanse where youngsters can run around and let off steam. The staff here are keen to ensure a warm welcome and can arrange trips to local attractions and activities. Local farmers occasionally bring fresh local produce to the site.
One hour from Paris, on the banks of the Seine and overlooked by the impressive remains of Château Gaillard (Richard Coeur de Lion), this attractive and spacious ten-hectare site will appeal to couples and young families. The site offers mobile units to rent and touring pitches in separate areas. These are either riverside or in a large central triangle, all very close to the Seine; all pitches are divided by low hedging, and some offer a degree of shade.
Set in the grounds of a château, Castel Camping le Château de Lez Eaux lies in a rural situation just off the main route south, under two hours from Cherbourg. Of the 122 touring pitches, all with electricity (10A, Europlug) and 87 with water and drainage. Most of the pitches are good-sized, partly separated by trees and shrubs on flat or slightly sloping, grassy ground overlooking Normandy farmland and a small fishing lake.
This cliff top site is for the more adventurous – one has to go out of one’s way to find it. Of the 170 pitches, 72 are for touring; 30 have 10A electricity connections, all are level, clearly marked and separated by bushes. The remaining pitches are occupied by permanent, privately-owned accommodation. The English speaking owners, who purchased this ex-municipal site back in 2002, are really bringing it up to date and the new area is well planned. The owner, along with many sea fishing campers and their boats, are often to be found at sea, catching crabs and other delicacies.
A friendly, family site, l’Anse du Brick overlooks a picturesque bay on the northern tip of the Cotentin Peninsula, eight kilometres east of Cherbourg port. This quality site makes a pleasant night halt or an ideal longer stay destination for those not wishing to travel too far. Its pleasing location offers direct access to a small sandy beach and a woodland walk. This is a mature, terraced site with magnificent views from certain pitches. Tarmac roads lead to the 230 touring pitches (all with 10A electricity) which are level, separated and mostly well shaded by many trees, bushes and shrubs. There are also mobile homes for rent.
Camping Sandaya Mont-Saint-Michel is a campsite located in Genêts, Normandy, France. It is a great place to stay if you are looking for a relaxing vacation with plenty of activities to enjoy on-site. The campsite is just a short drive from the world-famous Mont Saint-Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On site, you will find 30 touring pitches with electric hook-up points available, which are delimited by mature hedging giving a sense of privacy to each pitch.
Le Grand Large is a well-established, quality family site with direct access to a long sandy beach within 20 km. drive of Cherbourg. It is a neat site with about 120 touring pitches divided and separated by hedging, giving an orderly, well-laid-out, attractive appearance. Almost all have electricity (10A Europlug), water and drainage. There are 50 mobile homes to rent in three separate areas.
Camping Port’land, now a mature site, lies on the western edge of the delightful little resort of Port-en-Bessin, one of Normandy’s busiest fishing ports. The 197 pitches are large and grassy with 151 for touring units, all with electricity (mainly 16A), water and wastewater, and 46 with hardstandings. There are 103 mobile homes for rent.
Camping La Baie des Veys is a 3-star campsite in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Normandy, France. It is close to several shops and restaurants and easily accessible to some of the area's most popular attractions, such as Sainte-Mère-Eglise, Saint-Côme-du-Mont, and the D-Day beaches. On-site, there are 58 touring itches with electric hook-up points. All pitches are flat and separated by mature hedging, giving privacy.
Le Picard campsite is located in Tournières, in the Calvados region in the heart of Normandy. The site is situated right in the centre of the village behind an old farmhouse. The site is small with only 55 grass pitches, 35 of which, with10 amp hook-up point, are available for touring units. Some with hardstanding and some with shade. Don't be put off that this site is small and basic the amenities here are very good with an outdoor heated swimming pool, children's playground and an on-site restaurant. There is a small lake near the site. The site is small and basic, but the service and quality of the amenities are excellent. You can also find a lake on site where you can fish, but you must return your catch to the water. The restaurant here is cosy with a simple menu but offers local cuisine for you to try. There is no on-site shop here, but fresh bread is delivered daily during the high season.
Camping Les Pommiers is located in Saint-Léonard, Normandy, France. It is a small, family-friendly campsite that is a good base for exploring the Normandy coast. On-site, there are 34 touring pitches, which have electric hook-up points available. Pitches are on flat grass and are delimited by mature hedging, giving each pitch privacy.
In the countryside, close to a pleasant little village, Camping la Reine Mathilde is within easy reach of the historic town of Bayeux, the D-Day beaches and the interesting fishing port of Port-en-Bessin. The site is in the grounds of a large stone farmhouse. The 76 grassy touring pitches are mainly of a good size and equipped with electrical connections (6A). There are some 49 chalets and mobile homes, with 14 available to rent. Walkers and cyclists are well provided for in the area, with dedicated cycle routes into and around Bayeux. Port-en-Bessin has shops, bars and restaurants and the Omaha Beach Golf Course.
Bellevue is located just west of Villers-sur-Mer with its sandy beach and nine and a half kilometres west of fashionable Deauville. It is ideally situated for cross-channel ferry ports and visiting the D-Day landing beaches.
Camping Seasonova Le Riva Bella (formally known as Les Pommiers) is an attractive and well equipped site which is very convenient for the Ouistreham ferry terminal. The site is located on the edge of the small town of Ouistreham alongside the large canal which passes Pegasus Bridge and leads to the city of Caen. There are 312 grassy pitches here, some are well shaded and others with a sunnier aspect. Most have electrical connections (6A) and around 20 pitches have been specially designated for motorhomes with a special nightly rate. A supermarket can be found 800 m. from the site. A few small mobile homes are available to rent.
This is an attractive and very friendly site with a swimming pool complex that has a four-lane slide, a jacuzzi and a paddling pool. L’Etang des Haizes has 160 good sized pitches, of which 100 are for touring units, on reasonably level ground and all with electricity (10A Europlug). They are set in a mixture of conifers, orchard and shrubbery, with some very attractive, slightly smaller pitches overlooking the lake and 60 mobile homes inconspicuously sited. The fenced lake has a small beach (swimming is permitted), with ducks and pedaloes, and offers good coarse fishing for huge carp (we are told!). There are good toilet and shower facilities where children and campers with disabilities are well catered for.
Les Rochers des Parcs is a tranquil, natural site located in the lush valley of the River Orne, at the heart of the Suisse Normande. The landscape is undulating, sheltered and in a well preserved environment, which is carefully managed by the owners. There are 90 marked pitches (80-150 m2), 63 for touring, 55 with electricity (6-10A). They are set in a wooded location with varying degrees of shade, and 20 are directly by the river. This is an ideal site for fishermen, and for rock climbing enthusiasts, as there are rock faces close by with a wide range of difficulty levels.
L’Aiguille Creuse, conveniently close to Le Havre, is named after a rock, alleged to be hollow, near Etretat. The site is set back from the Côte d’Albâtre in the village of Les Loges, between Etretat and the fishing port of Fécamp. There are 135 good-sized grassy pitches, slightly sloping in parts and divided by neat hedges. Of these, 78 are for touring, all with 10A electricity and 14 with water and drainage.
Camping le Point du Jour has a very French flavour and is an ideal location for family holidays as it has direct access to a beautiful sandy beach. It is becoming popular with British visitors who will receive a warm welcome from the owner and staff. There are around 40 pitches bordered by shrubs and hedging, including 30 occupied by mobile homes and chalets (ten for hire). There are some seasonal units, but most are removed for high season. All touring pitches have 10A electricity, including those on the sea-dyke, and 12 also have water and drainage. Fishing is possible from the beach, and small boats may be launched. Kite surfing is popular, and sailing and other watersports are possible further along the beach. Some noise in the evenings has recently been reported.
Castel Camping le Château de Martragny is an attractive site in the parkland of a château. Close to D-Day beaches and Bayeux, it is also convenient for the ports of Caen and Cherbourg, and has the facilities and charm to encourage both long stays and stopovers. The pleasant lawns surrounding and approaching the château take 160 touring units, with electricity connections (10A, some longer leads required). Most pitches are divided by either a small hedge or a few trees. In contrast to the busyness of Bayeux, the de Chassey family ensure you can enjoy the peace and calm of their home when you enjoy a glass of wine in the lovely courtyard, surrounded by the warm ancient stonework.
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Normandy
A striking area whose beauty lies not only in the landscape, Normandy is famed for its seafood and Celtic tradition. Certain areas of Normandy remain untouched and wonderfully old fashioned.
Just across the Channel, Normandy’s history is inextricably linked with our own in the UK, from 1066 and all that to the Normandy Landings of D-Day in June 1944. Yet, from the stylish seaside resorts to the old half-timbered manor houses surrounded by lush pastures and cider orchards, Normandy still seems largely untouched by the rigours of the modern world.
Laying on the upper edge of France, Normandy has a striking and wonderfully old-fashioned feel characterised by a craggy granite coastline, quiet villages and unspoilt countryside. It’s a place with a noticeable artistic streak: Monet’s garden at Giverny is located here, and the fine Gothic architecture of Rouen Cathedral was the subject of a number of the impressionist’s paintings. Towns such as Honfleur typify the picturesque maritime charm of its ports.
The Manche department is the finger that points across the Channel at Britain, and it stretches from the port of Cherbourg on the tip of the Cotentin peninsula to the Mont St Michel – the most visited site in France – right on the border with Brittany. The granite coastline, sandy coves and the inland bocage, a dense array of hedgerows and trees that so obstructed the Allies in 1944, has changed little in centuries.
A journey through Normandy cannot fail to reveal its significant part in western history. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Battle of Hastings and, most famously, its coastline hosts the five beaches onto which the Allied troops landed on D-Day. Caen’s Memorial Museum follows the course of the event and the beaches themselves remain a primary reason for many to visit the region. Even its medieval castle played a part in the Second World War; today, it serves as a museum exhibiting Normandy’s art and history.
Normandy is known as the dairy of France and its dishes often feature cream, butter, and fine cheeses such as Camembert and Pont l’Evêque. The cider route takes in the countryside and pretty villages of the Pays d’Auge, where Calvados, the distinctive apple brandy, and cider are produced.
Normandy Blogs
Seafood of Normandy
Rob Fearn | 20 Feb 2023 | Read time: 4m 38s
Normandy is synonymous with many things: 1066 and all that. The D-Day Landing Beaches. Calvados and orchards. But its seafood is a stand out feature of this slow paced, bucolic region.
Read MoreThe Normandy beaches of D-Day
Ben Tully | 5 Jun 2017 | Read time: 5m 3s
The beaches of Normandy saw the largest seaborne invasion in history - 6th June 1944 or D-Day marked the beginning of the Allied campaign to wrestle occupied Europe from Nazi control
Read MoreCommemorating the 80th Anniversary of D-Day - 2024
Rob Fearn | 26 Jun 2023 | Read time: 3m 45s
The 6th of June 2024 will mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, an opportune time to reflect on the historic events that unfolded along the Normandy coast in the days that followed.
Read MoreA REGION OF CONTRASTS
A region of contrasts
Normandy has a rich landscape full of variety. Its superb coastline includes the Cotentin Peninsula, the cliffs of the Côte d’Albâtre and the fine beaches and fashionable resorts of the Côte Fleurie. Notable spots include Houlgate with its pretty promenade and vast sandy beach, and Cabourg, a popular resort with large sandy beach and a whiff of Edwardian elegance about it – stroll around the marina admiring the yachts or meander through the formal gardens.
The beaches may be wide and sandy, but the rolling countryside of the interior conceals a wealth of quiet, unassuming villages, ancient market towns and unspoilt countryside calling out for leisurely exploration. Rouen is the largest city, the scene of Joan of Arc’s martyrdom and renowned as the ‘town of a thousand spires’ that inspired the Impressionist painter Monet.
CAMPING IN NORMANDY
Camping in Normandy
A hardy perennial camping destination, Normandy is a convenient entry point to much of France. Many people drive straight through Normandy, chasing the sun (not always successfully!) and ignoring the glories of this fabulous region in their haste.
Campsites in Normandy are family-friendly, with generally spacious grassy pitches and well demarcated with attractive shrubs and tidy hedging. It is not uncommon for campsites to have been established in orchards where an apple tree still remains on each pitch.
Most campers either enjoy the beaches and the historical sights of the region, or are keen outdoor activity fans, enjoying walking, canoeing, cycling along quiet country lanes or playing golf on some of France’s best courses with the lushest and greenest of greens.
GETTING TO NORMANDY
Getting to Normandy
It’s a short hop across the Channel to Normandy. And there are always special prices on certain sailings so do shop around. Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth to Cherbourg or Le Havre and Caen, as well as Poole to Cherbourg. Overnight ferry crossings are more expensive, with cabins a popular extra, but you do arrive refreshed. DFDS sails from Newhaven to Dieppe.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Places of interest
Bayeux: Founded by the Romans, sacked by the Vikings, then home to the celebrated 11th century tapestry, 70 metres long and depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066, Bayeux has endured a troubled history. The town centre is picturesque with narrow cobbled lanes, ancient timbered buildings and a magnificent cathedral. The cemetery on the outskirts, with some 4,648 white headstones, is particularly moving.
Suisse Normande: One of Normandy’s most beautiful regions: a delightful wooded landscape with rocky ravines, trout streams and the greenest of valleys. This is a great area for canoeing and rock climbing, and there are wonderful hiking trails to the south. All very different to the vast beaches of the coast and the sleepy, lush meadows of the interior to the north.
Mont St Michel: A view unchanged for centuries and as you drive around the bay, the mount pops up on the horizon at intervals in a picture-postcard scene that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Even General Eisenhower mentioned this view in his memoirs. The ancient Benedictine monastery is connected by a causeway, surrounded by salt marshes with grazing sheep at low tide.
Honfleur: A photographer’s dream, and the subject of countless paintings, this is perhaps one of France’s most quaint and photogenic small ports. A fascinating variety of boats moor up in the ancient dock, just yards from wonderful seafood restaurants which fight for the freshest of fish. The high, narrow houses, painted in faded pastel hues, cast their reflection in the water and are the iconic backdrop to a timeless, picturesque scene.
Caen: Steeped in history, Caen is a bustling university town dominated by the 11th century fortress and Abbaye aux Hommes, an architectural gem built by William the Conqueror. On the outskirts of town the Caen Memorial Museum is a superb reminder of the terrible story of the Battle of Normandy and is a place of solemn pilgrimage for those seeking a better understanding of the events of the D-Day Landings of 1944.
Deauville: With its stylish beach promenade and racy nightlife, not to mention Grand Casino, racecourse and film festival, Deauville has been a magnet for those seeking the high life, sprinkled with a little glamour, since the mid 19th century.
Cherbourg: La Cité de la Mer; Château des Ravalet; Thomas Henry Museum.
Omaha Beach: D-Day beaches; landing site monuments; American cemetery.
Giverny: home of impressionist painter Claude Monet; Monet Museum.
Lisieux: pilgrimage site, shrine of Ste Thérèse.
Rouen: Joan of Arc Museum; Gothic churches, cathedrals, abbey, clock tower.
NORMANDY CUISINE
Normandy cuisine
Known as the dairy of France, Normandy’s markets are abundant with rich cream, butter, and fine cheeses such as Camembert and Pont l’Evêque. Voluptuous sauces are typical of the region as are desserts made with orchard fruits like apples, pears and cherries. Fish, and shellfish such as mussels, scallops and oysters, are sensational.
The Saturday market at Bayeux is one of the finest, with countless stalls vying for attention, all offering delectable treats. The many apple orchards are used in producing cider and the well known Calvados, the region’s apple brandy.
Andouillette de Vire: Small chitterling (tripe) sausage.
Barbue au cidre: Brill cooked in cider and Calvados.
Douillon aux pommes à la Normande: Baked apples in pastry.
Escalope (Vallée d’Auge): Veal sautéed and flamed in Calvados with cream and apples.
Teurgoule: Rice pudding with cinnamon.
Tripes à la mode de Caen: Stewed beef tripe with onions, carrots, leeks, garlic, cider and
Calvados.