With its lush green pastures and close historical ties, Normandy holds an astonishing familiarity for the British visitor. Normandy is an attractive land of white chalk cliffs, long sandy beaches, fishing ports and harbours, rich green pastures and apple orchards, half timbered and thatched houses and barns, lively market towns, sophisticated sea side resorts such as Deauville and Cabourg and sleepy villages. Famous for its dairy produce, cider and calvados, the cuisine of Normandy is hearty reflecting both its rich pastures and its proximity to the sea. Historical ties provide links from William the Conqeror to 1944. Normandy is a gentle and friendly land, small and pretty where the comforting aroma of apple wood fires lingers in the air and where the salt of the sea is in the breeze.
Local highlights
Cultural highlights include Calvados, cider and camembert, horse-races in Deauville in August, markets every day of the week throughout the region, the Route du Cidre, and the summer art exhibitions. Click here for more travel details.
Climate. Month Average air temperatures in Centigrade: Jan 7.6, Feb 6.4, Mar 8.4, Apr 13.0, May 14.0, Jun 20.0, Jul 21.6, Aug 22.0, Sep 18.2, Oct 14.5, Nov 10.8, Dec 7.9. Source: Direction de la Meteorologique de France.
Travel arrangements
How to get there
Self-drive: Ferry services into Normandy from Portsmouth to Cherbourg (4 hrs 45 mins), Portsmouth to Le Havre (5 hrs 45 mins), Portsmouth to Caen (6 hrs), Newhaven to Dieppe (4 hrs) and Poole to Cherbourg (4 hrs 15 mins). There are overnight crossings on these routes too, although the journey time is longer. Increasingly popular - take the Shuttle Folkestone to Calais and then allow about 3-4 hours.