Days out/things to see in Normandy

[emdanmum]

We're off to Litteau, Normandy at the end of the month for 6 days..............any suggestions for days out/things to see? We have 2 DC-7 and 4.
This is our first abroad holiday-very nervous and excited, but worried I've forgotten to organise something major........anybody suggest a checklist I can follow to see if I've remembered everything?

Aliarse-thanks for tip-off re. onsite pub.....how disappointing
We're prepared for no TV.......will take laptop and DVDs for DC morning "fix".
Will def. check out the forest place you mentioned.
We're doing Poole - Cherbourg, so reckoning on 1 hour tops the other side of the water.
mmmmmm........croissants......

pooter-will do a bit of googling later.....sounds fun

pooter-just seen your link....thanks for that!

the pub itself is nice with a nice outdoor area and the beer is good and they have a big screen!
And Cherbourg is much more sensible!

BorntoFolk - there isn't really a beach nearby no. It is on the edge of a forest and most places are a bit of a drive. I guess that's why they have invested in the pool and they could do with a few more sunloungers!

Had a look on Google Earth for Litteau, and there's isn't much there, is there?

Obviously, the nearest thing to you is the Bayeux tapestry, so this is worth a trip if it interests you.

You are also on the Brittany side, so a day trip to Mont St Michel and/or St Malo would be very interesting.

The Caen area is the focal point for D-day landings, and I think it is pretty important to do something - eg visit the museum at Pegasus Bridge, and have a look at one of the beaches and corresponding cemetary.

The most lively beaches are at Trouville and Deauville, so quite far from where you are, but worth the experience.

If you want to sample rural life, then you can do a lot worse than vising the market at St Pierre sur Dives. It is amazing. Lisieux is a good typically French town too, and its modern basilica is worth a visit.

The Bayeux tapestry was a really great visit for us. It's a good indoor trip if the weather isnt so great. Learnt lots about it.

It's really a strip cartoon of the Norman invasion of Britain. Some of the humour in it is quite earthy which is great for DCs.

Dont forget to tell your car insurers you are going and ask for a green card which extends your existing cover to the continent. Hi-vis jackets need to be kept in the car so that you can put them on without getting out of the car. It is worth getting them for all passengers though the law only requires them for the driver I believe.

Have a lovely time!

All passengers need hi-vis vests now.

Thats correct, they do. And we were told that if you get pulled over, or even just stop to get out of your car on a dual carriageway or motorway hard shoulder then you must put it on before getting out or else the police can fine you. Not sure how true this is though.

wagonweel thanks for the tip we are off in a week so good to know. Makes sense even if not the law.

Thanks for all of the great day out suggestions and advice re. travelling in France.........I've taken a note of all of it :)

As well as the vests you need a first aid kit and a fire extingisher and a warning triangle in your car. And beam benders on the headlights.

And its very true about getting fined if caught without these things. French police frequently pull over English cars to see if they get some money from them.

We've just come back from two weeks self-catering in Normandy near to Litteau.

We took a car kit for France that can be bought at Halfords and contains all you need legally to drive in France.

We had kids with us from age 11 - 18 and did the following trips, all of which were rated brilliant:

Mont-St-Miohel - it's heaving whenever you arrive but worth it

Villedieu-les-Poeles (very near south of St Lo) - lovely little town and we toured the bell foundry.

Coutances - great cathedral and lovely shops for holiday gifts here

Bayeux - the tapestry of course but be there pre-9am (it is worth the early get-up because the queues are appalling otherwise). Also the street markets there

D-Day stuff - we enjoyed the beach at Omaha - Conseuilles-sur-Mer - and visited Pointe du Hoc and the 360 degress cinema at Arromanches, as well as the American, British and German cemeteries (on the coast road, in Bayeux and at La Cambe).

Lisieux - good town with cathedral and also huge modern basilica shrine of St Therese of Liseiux.

Honfleur - superb seaside town, famed for artists and Satie and lots of medieval buildings and a pretty carousel on the front. And lovely gift shops.

We also dropped in on smaller places - Grandcamp-Maisy on the coast is a cute little seaside village with candyfloss; Noron la Poterie en route to Bayeux has lots of pottery shops.

We also visited Champrepus Zoo - not far from St Lo - very good.

Though this was with mostly teens in tow, they loved it all, and we had done exactly the same holiday more or less fifteen years ago when we just had two toddlers - it's good for all ages.

re the hi-vis vests - the AA site says only the driver is required to have one, though they do like it if the principal passenger also has one.

We came back from Normandy just over a week ago and also went there last year. I'd agree that the Mont-St-Michel is worth seeing, but extremely busy and difficult to negociate with a pushchair. We ended up abandoning ours at the bottom of some steps and picking it up later! Festyland is also good - we've been twice now. There seem to be lots of zoo type places in the area; we went to Alligator Bay which is near the mont-St-Michel and I'd recommend that. The chemin de fer miniature was good too is you're into trains.
Hope you enjoy it!