Portsmouth-St Malo/Caen - holiday suggestions

[intergalacticplanetary]

Planning a trip next year and currently looking at Portsmouth-St Malo/Caen. Thinking about doing one route outbound and the other inbound.

Probably looking at around a week or so, split across 2 different places and currently overwhelmed with choices!

Will have 2 young primary kids in tow. Definitely want to see a couple of beaches but we like exploring so castles, museums etc need to feature too.

Any tips based of must-see towns/beaches/attractions around those destinations and in between gratefully received! 😊

Deauville and Etretat are worth a visit, perhaps depending on how young, the Bayeux Tapestry.

We've done outbound St Malo and inbound Caen a few times. I'd get a cabin north directions too. We tend to stop off in the walled town for breakfast and then drive down further into the Loire or across to the other side of Brittany.

The ww2 museum by the landing beaches was really good, ours were primary school age when we did that. Bateaux tapestry also very good for that age

If you go to St Malo and arrive first thing in the morning, head to Mont St Michel as soon as you get off the ferry. It gets busy later but you can enjoy it in the morning, get yourself installed somewhere for lunch and then leave after lunch as it gets really busy.

I would also recommend spending the night before going back on the ferry in St Malo itself and going round the walled old town. Saves the stress of getting to the ferry on the last day of your holiday and the old town is beautiful.

We did
portsmouth-Caen, stayed in Caen, William I tomb, Bayeux Tapestry , DDay beaches, then Granville2 nights then Mont St Michel for 1 night (expensive but fun), St Malo one night, St malo to Jersey. Jersey for a week, then Jersey-Portsmouth. Mine were older, upper primary & secondary, DD1 had History interest.

Mont St Michel is great. Young children love the portcullis and massive 'hamster wheel' and track to drag food up to it. And the galettes and medieval weaponry shops.

Pointe du Hoc has loads of army hideouts on the beach to explore and play in.

St Malo is pretty - great cycling around there if you hire bikes.

Thanks for the replies 😊 some great suggestions to add to my list x