A Driving Tour in Normandy

If you haven’t done a French road trip before, Normandy is the perfect place to start. Everywhere is within easy driving distance of Calais, and you can see so much in just a few days. 

Before you go

Why go to Normandy?

Whether you are drawn to experience the D-Day landing beaches, see the landscape which inspired the Impressionists, explore the coves and cliffs of the dramatic coastline or appreciate the beauty of the Bayeux tapestry, Normandy provides a breathtaking location for a road trip. 

Driving in France

If you’ve never driven in France before, make sure you read our guide, giving all the essential information you need, such as the documents to take, the equipment you must have in your vehicle and the basic rules of the road. Did you know, for example, that by law you must have a warning triangle and hi-vis jacket (for everyone travelling) in the car? 

How to get to Normandy from the UK

Obviously it depends on where you live in the UK, but a Normandy road trip is closer than you think. Driving from central London, for example, it takes under 3 ½ hours to get to Calais, including the check-in and 35-minute crossing time on LeShuttle. The first leg of your journey takes you onto the A2 coastbound, where you’ll continue onto the M2 and M20 before reaching our Folkestone terminal just 2 hours later. 

Exploring the Opal Coast, Normandy

Driving to Normandy from Calais

The direct route: via the A16 and A28

If you don’t want to hang around, the fastest way to get to Normandy from our terminal in Calais is to use the A16 and A28. You should be able to drive to Rouen from Calais in about 2 hours 15 minutes (with tolls). 

The scenic route: the D940

May we suggest the road less travelled? Keep to the coast as you leave Calais and you will find yourself on the D940, the Opal Coast road, a meandering and relatively quiet route via Boulogne-sur-Mer, taking you through unspoilt fishing villages and near clifftops where you can stop and admire the views. It takes much longer to reach Rouen, around 4 ½ hours, but as well as the scenery has the advantage of being toll-free. 

Places to stop

Place du Vieux Marché, Rouen

Rouen – the medieval heart of Normandy

The capital of Normandy, Rouen is a stunning city, with half-timbered houses, cobbled streets and Gothic spires, and history around every corner. It is the place that England and France fought over repeatedly during the Hundred Years War, where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake, and where medieval prestige has endowed the city with a legacy of beautiful architecture. Some of Rouen’s attractions include the Gros-Horloge, the astronomical clock from the 14th century, the Joan of Arc exhibition in the Archbishop’s Palace, and the cathedral that so inspired Claude Monet he painted it 30 times.

The Place du Vieux Marché is where Joan met her end, but today it is the square to grab a coffee, some lunch or a refreshing beer at any one of its numerous bars, restaurants and cafés.

Étretat – dramatic coastal terrain

Étretat is the jewel of the Alabaster Coast, its chalk white cliffs, magnificent sunsets and extraordinary rock formations having inspired numerous artists and writers. It is here that Claude Monet painted, and Guy de Maupassant set one of his stories. The town of Étretat itself can get very crowded during the peak summer months, so visiting outside July and August is a good idea. 

The D940 road goes right through the town, so if you are taking the scenic route make sure you plan a stop here. Take a walk up to the top of the cliffs, buy fresh seafood from local fishermen or wander round Jardins d’Etretat, the Asian-influenced cliff top ornamental gardens, which has won awards since being re-opened to the public in 2017. 

Honfleur – the charming harbour town

The Vieux-Bassin, Honfleur

The delightful harbour town of Honfleur overlooks the Seine estuary, and is a popular day-trip destination for Parisians. It’s not hard to see why, as the colourful boats, reflective harbour waters and seafood smells are enough to captivate even the most world-weary. The Vieux-Bassin (old port) is the bustling heart of Honfleur, lined with tall, narrow buildings, once houses of the elite and now shops, bars, cafés and restaurants. Honfleur was another artists’ retreat and here you will find the Eugène Boudin Museum, which includes works by not only the eponymous landscape painter but also other Impressionists and Realists. The composer and pianist Erik Satie was also born here, and Les Maisons Satie is an arresting, original museum dedicated to his haunting, lilting music. 

The D-Day Beaches – where history was made

On 6 June 1944, events in Normandy were to decisively change the course of World War II. Operation Overlord, when more than 160,000 Allied soldiers stormed five heavily defended beaches – codenamed Sword, Omaha, Gold, Utah and Juno – has left its mark in the form of memorials, war cemeteries and museums. They tell the story of that momentous day, one of extreme bravery, but also terrible losses, carnage and confusion. A visit to the D-Day beaches is a poignant and moving experience for all who do it, whether you have a family connection to the landings or not. 

Bayeux – home of the iconic tapestry

Viewing the full 70-metre length of the Bayeux Tapestry is an incredible experience

Bayeux was one of the first towns liberated after D-Day, being close to both Omaha and Sword beach, and was almost miraculously left untouched by the devastation of the war. For a time it was even the capital of Free France. Of course the town is world-famous for being the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, the 70-metre long embroidered account of the Norman invasion of England in 1066. It is dramatically exhibited in a museum in the town, and it is astonishing to see the work in its entirety. Please note: the Bayeux Tapestry museum will be closed from September 2025 to October 2027 for major refurbishment. 

Elsewhere in Bayeux you will want to visit its glorious medieval cathedral, and take the self-guided walking tour around the town. 

Mont Saint-Michel – the majestic island abbey

Mont Saint-Michel, the ‘Wonder of the West’

This could be the last stop on your tour of Normandy, located as it is in the far west on the border with Brittany. But don’t miss it out! Mont Saint-Michel has inspired the look of countless fairytale islands, and even gave its name to a similar tidal island off the coast of Cornwall. Connected to the mainland by a wide footbridge, sometimes the island is completely cut off, but usually only for an hour or so at high tide. Some people like to walk across the bay at low tide, but this should always be done with a guide.

Once across, spend some time exploring the atmospheric lanes at the bottom of the island, have one of the famous omelettes at La Mère Poulard restaurant, before wending your way up to the abbey, which has stood here for 1,000 years.