Road Trip in Normandy: a journey between History and Nature

Road-trip in Normandy: between History, Art, gastronomy and nature. Let yourself be seduced by the wealth of France!

Fleuron de l’Histoire française, a gourmet destination with surprising landscapes, Normandy is full of interest. We discover, inspired by a wave of emotions, the historical scenes played on the landing beaches. But it also awakens its palate to cheeses, fresh fish just caught and the apple declined in all its forms. There you can admire paintings of great masters and see landscapes that unfold between steep cliffs, golden beaches, pasture to loss of sight, bocages and houses in doves.

Today, Wanderlix offers you to approach the Norman coasts at the wheel of your vehicle: feelings of freedom and guaranteed immensity. Road trip in Normandy: it’s gone for a one-week route. And if you want more, no worries, we offer you several extensions to last the pleasure.

Day 1: Mont-Saint-Michel – Granville

Mont-Saint-Michel offers an entry in the field of the most grandiose for your road trip in Normandy. As remarkable as it is intriguing, this monument is undoubtedly one of the most valuable of our heritage. To visit Mont Saint-Michel, plan the whole day. You will have the time to explore its breathtaking Abbey, survey its museums and crowd the floor of its parish church.

Even better, you can enjoy paved alleys and doved houses in the old stone. The site, a theatre of Europe’s largest tides, also enjoys an exceptional natural setting. The photographers will play between the water points and the imposing figure of Mont-Saint-Michel. While the toughest will choose a guided walk in tides and moving sands...

At the end of the day, drive towards Granville.

Day 2: Granville – Coutances

Granville is a fortified city, raised on a rocky promontory, where it is good to get lost in the paved alleys. Its disappointing decor is resolutely aesthetic, with its designer boutiques and ultra photogenic doors. Spend the morning: at the market, at the museum, at the Christian Dior garden or at the foot of its lighthouse. Then, direction Coutances.

On the way, stop at Régneville-sur-Mer and Pointe d’Agon. The first is a lovely village where the old stone makes its law and where exceptional biodiversity flourishes. The second is a wild place, overlooked by a lighthouse, where traditional huts resist storms of time and storms.

In the afternoon, make a detour by Gouville-sur-Mer. This postcard site will be one of the most emblematic of your road trip in Normandy. Indeed, there are no less than 69 colourful huts that blend between sea, dunes and horizon.

In the evening you finally arrive at the "city in the countryside" of Coutances. From gardens to religious buildings, the old town enjoys its slowness.

Day 3: Coutances – Cherbourg

Start the day on the dunes of Biville, passing through the Route des Caps Normande. This is the advantage of the road trip formula in Normandy: the discovery of the most beautiful routes, at your own pace. So walk along the coast and collect the beautiful views.

Make a second stop in Vauville. Its church, pedestrian path, dunes and botanical garden are definitely worth a visit.

Then go to the second most visited place in the region: the Cap de la Hague. His fields of green herbs, with sheep, even earned him the nickname “Small Ireland”. The Cap contains Le Nez de Jobourg: a rocky promontory of almost a hundred and thirty meters high. To the cliffs with vertiginous pics are added a preserved nature and a beautiful coastal path.

At the end of the afternoon, take the foot to Cherbourg. There is not only the umbrellas there but also the largest artificial radius in Europe and the City of the Sea. So you can (the same day or the next day) visit the famous submarine "Le Redoutable", the exhibition on the Titanic and of course the Aquarium. For the evening, nothing better than the enchanting port of Cherbourg to drink a drink and taste at nightlife.

Day 4: Cherbourg – Utah Beach

You're already half your road trip to Normandy, don't lose the pace. Wake up early to take the direction of Barfleur. Its small granite port is a wonder. The bearded boat slips painfully on the vase. Silence... Then, let yourself be carried away by the charm of alleys lined with houses where the rainbow flaps slam.

Do you love the iconic hip huts? They are very cute and photogenic! Then direction Ravenoville-sur-Mer where houses – and not huts – with as vivid and varied hues fall directly into the sea.

At the end of the day, put your suitcases near Utah Beach.

Day 5 : Utah Beach – Beuvron-en-Auges

“Clash” day on the road to Memory and a tragic part of the history of the world. Discover the landing beaches. The emotion will be vivid, the throat sometimes tightened, but no doubt that this experience will remain one of your strongest memories of your road trip in Normandy.

You thus open your eyes to Utah Beach: the only landing beach in the Channel. Like the horses in the early morning, crowd this long beach and enjoy the silence imposed by the place. Walk to the Utah Beach Landing Museum to learn more about the famous June 6, 1944.

Continue your memorial path by Pointe du Hoc. She was the scene of one of the most violent battles in D-Day. A managed trail leads you to the remains of the battle, including fortifications and artillery batteries. It’s hard to imagine that such a beautiful place, with its flowery cliffs adorned with hypnotic waves, was one day a horror scene.

Then drive to Omaha Beach. Located in the American area during the war, this beautiful ochre beach was unfortunately nicknamed "Omaha la sanglante". It was the most explosive point of D-Day with more than 34,000 soldiers who landed and, in the end, two thousand wounded and more than a thousand dead. Omaha Beach returns to the famous American cemetery of Colleville-Sur-Mer. It counts almost ten thousand white crosses perfectly aligned: one for each buried body. The aesthetics of the place, the weight of the past, the silence: it stirs!

Go to a lighter stage of your road trip in Normandy: the village of Beuvron-en-Auges, one of the most beautiful in France.

Day 6: Beuvron-en-Auges – Honfleur

After the emotions of the day before, place at a stage of your road trip in Normandy much softer. Put the kilometers on the flowery coast.

First discover Deauville. This chic and elegant city, which holds its world reputation in the 1900s, is a must-see stop. Needless to love luxury and demeasured refinement to appreciate the sweetness of life and the architecture that emanates from Deauville. Go to imposing palaces in prestigious buildings, passing through the famous beach planted with typical planks and colorful huts...

Finally, discover the exquisite village of Honfleur. This "Small Amsterdam" will mark a new time of your road trip in Normandy. It must be said that few cities compete with its charms. We discover Honfleur and we love him in many ways: on his old port or along the half-timbered houses.

Day 7: Honfleur – Falaises d’Etretat

Road trip to Normandy or... Portugal, even Australia? Etretat is not to mention the famous landscapes of the Portuguese coast and the Great Ocean Road.

Your route thus ends with these cliffs and their natural arches that radiate around the world. The three main are those of Aval, Amont and Manneporte. You can admire them from the beach as from above.

To climb, you still have a few minutes of muscular walking. The great birds, such as the guards of the place, accompany you and seem to mock a bit of the crowded visitors... Once perched in such a beautiful place, it is easy to spend hours without even realizing it, to make go-and-comings along the steep paths where nothing is barrier to the void...

And if in your walks you recognize a canvas of great master, it may be that you are faced with a decor immortalized by an Impressionist. Indeed, the Norman coastline has inspired many of them including Monet, Boudin and Courbet.

Our tips for a road trip in Normandy

The fundamentals of a road trip in Normandy

You only have one week for your trip? There's a lot to do and see in Normandy. Don’t worry too much about having the impression of spending more time by car than visiting.

Are you leaving in July/August? Prepare your itinerary in advance and book your accommodation, places can become expensive in this period.

Finally, during your road trip in Normandy, even in the middle of the summer, there are chances that you are confronted with the capricious weather. Be flexible and feel free to develop B plans in case of bad weather.

How do I get to Normandy by car?

Here is the journey time to Caen (central position in the region) from several major French cities:

Rent a car

You don't want to drive your road trip to Normandy while driving your own vehicle? You will have no trouble renting a car near airports, train stations, ferry terminals and even in large Norman cities. No need for a 4×4 in Normandy. On the other hand, roads can be narrow and winding, especially in villages and in the countryside. Prefer a small template.

Aboard his vehicle

During your road trip in Normandy, no big surprise on the road code and driving conditions. However, we don’t go on a self-tour in the same way that we go shopping. On board your car, remember: