D Day area visit with campsites
- Thread starter T6nige
- Start date
Watching this too.....
have used this Aire local to Gold Beach a couple of times. Gets busy so arrive early.
Parking area for campers near the Arromanches 360 Museum.
Parking area for campers near the Arromanches 360 Museum.
Arrived home this morning from our France/Italian trip.
We stopped on a site in Bayeux. (Camping Municipal des Bords de lāAure) for 3 nights.
Ideally located for the D Day sights plus Bayeux is a beautiful town - check out the tapestry. We visited the day before they shut down for restoration I believe.
Toilets and showers were decent enough but the pitches were very small.
Weād booked a hard standing which wouldnāt take a peg for the awning. Solution was to practically drive the van into the pitch hedge to give enough room to pitch the awning on the limited grass available! So glad we took the small awning.
We stopped on a site in Bayeux. (Camping Municipal des Bords de lāAure) for 3 nights.
Ideally located for the D Day sights plus Bayeux is a beautiful town - check out the tapestry. We visited the day before they shut down for restoration I believe.
Toilets and showers were decent enough but the pitches were very small.
Weād booked a hard standing which wouldnāt take a peg for the awning. Solution was to practically drive the van into the pitch hedge to give enough room to pitch the awning on the limited grass available! So glad we took the small awning.
You are quite correct. Dutch guy pitched next us had same issues with his caravan.
TBF our pitch was quite a decent size but not really practical for an awning.
Being a WW2 ānerdā I found the Normandy leg of our trip fascinating and very moving at the same time. Those brave lads who paid the ultimate sacrifice over 80 years ago certainly gives us much to be grateful for.
We did the beaches, the British war memorial by Gold beach. Also did American cemetery and British cemetery. Beautifully pristine sites but very moving to see the thousands of perfectly aligned head stones.
We did the beaches, the British war memorial by Gold beach. Also did American cemetery and British cemetery. Beautifully pristine sites but very moving to see the thousands of perfectly aligned head stones.
I always build some CWG sites into.our France trips. It's rewarding to research the actions that took place nearby.
Camping Omaha beach at Vierville sur mer. Itās changed ownership since we last stayed there, so canāt comment on the facilities, but itās in the heart of DDay country.
Further north, Camping Blanche Nef at Barfleur is a gem.
Further north, Camping Blanche Nef at Barfleur is a gem.
Things not to miss.
Arromanche and the 360deg cinema, absolutely stunning.
The German cemetery at La Cambe, a sobering reminder of the futility of war after the triumphalist American cemetery at Colleville.
The Oysters at St Vaast
Bayeux Cathedral
The harbour at Barfleur and the Moules Frites at Cafe Du Port.
The gun emplacements at Longues sur mer (better than Pointe du Hoc)
Arromanche and the 360deg cinema, absolutely stunning.
The German cemetery at La Cambe, a sobering reminder of the futility of war after the triumphalist American cemetery at Colleville.
The Oysters at St Vaast
Bayeux Cathedral
The harbour at Barfleur and the Moules Frites at Cafe Du Port.
The gun emplacements at Longues sur mer (better than Pointe du Hoc)
Did someone mention Bayeux Cathedral?
Isnāt the tapestry coming to the uk?
It's coming home......
Perilously close to getting political now... 
Edit... We did go and look at the tapestry and using the audio thing it really brought the depicted tale to life and it honestly sounded like the sort of fiasco we normally manage what with an invasion armada setting sail only to land back in France further up the coast and being captured and held to ransom.
I want to despise France and the French historically but find it pretty difficult because they're like we want to be in so many ways and in general they still have civic pride.
Edit... We did go and look at the tapestry and using the audio thing it really brought the depicted tale to life and it honestly sounded like the sort of fiasco we normally manage what with an invasion armada setting sail only to land back in France further up the coast and being captured and held to ransom.
I want to despise France and the French historically but find it pretty difficult because they're like we want to be in so many ways and in general they still have civic pride.
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Really? Why?
Oh just the usual world pecking order, history, Bordeaux beating Northampton in the European rugby championship, take your pick and hate was probably a poor choice... despise?
We have French friends and when weāve had a few to many Normandy farmhouse cidres and the conversation gets ābanteryā they always bring up the single time that the Brits were defeated by the French. I gleefully point out the William was a Viking who hated the French and that the whole Norman Conquest thing was a family feud between the heads of the English monarchy. They obviously disagree, and then I ask them why they live in āNormandyā, the Land of the Norse Men, and then the centime drops.
The Poole /Cherbourg timetable is a bit random, the last time I looked it was only on the third Saturday after the second full moon after Septuagesima, except when thereās an R in the month.Thank you everyone for the info , very informative for me, now getting back on track,, we will be travelling from Cornwall, any thoughts on which crossing to use? Obviously Plymouth -Roscoff is our nearest but thinking Poole -Cherbourg may be a better option?
If you go to Roscoff, youād have further to drive on the French side to get to the DDay beaches, than you would driving to Portsmouth. Portsmouth-Caen is the obvious choice, but itās Brittany ferries and they are not cheap or friendly. Ryanair service with BA prices.
