by Janis / 0 comments - Orginally published:3rd September 2024

Road trippin' along the Dalmatian coast

There were two main reasons we wanted to return to Normandy in northwest France. Firstly, it was to visit the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer. We watched the 80th D-Day anniversary commemorations, and the temporary art installation “Standing with Giants” looked magnificent, and there was only a limited length of time to see it.

The second reason we wanted to squeeze in a French mini road trip was to give our new Polestar 2 EV a test run in France prior to our 2-week adventure in September, which is going to be incredible.

So, without further ado, here are our inspirations for returning to this stunning region of France.

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Where are Bayeux & Dives-sur-Mer?

How to get there

- By Car
Departing from the UK to France, there are various options. You can either jump on Le Shuttle and arrive in Calais in 35 minutes or enjoy a leisurely cruise on the open waves with DFDS or P&O. Alternatively, you can head down to the south coast of England and catch Brittany Ferry directly to Normandy.

- By Air
If you’re flying into France, search for your flights in one easy place with Booking.com. This reliable travel search engine will scan for your favoured routes and chosen dates. Pre-book your hire car from Rental Cars, and your adventure begins.

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Understanding Normandy’s rich history

The Conqueror and the Conquerors
Normandy's deep, rich history has been intertwined with Britain for centuries, especially through the Norman expansion into England by William the Conqueror. William the Bastard (as he is also known) sailed across the English Channel from Dives-ser-Mer. He defeated Harold II on the 14th of October, 1066, during the Battle of Hastings in East Sussex.
the flower-lined view from the pont saint-jean in bayeux along the river aure with medieval buildings lining the route
View from Pont Saint-Jean
The bunting lined rue saint-martin in bayeux from the historic maison à pans de bois de la rue des cuisiniers
Rue Saint-Martin
Gary and I love history, which is one of the reasons why we chose to stay at Bayeux; it gave us the opportunity to explore the ancient city and visit the famous Bayeux Tapestry. Dives-sur-Mer on the coast of Normandy allowed us to dig a little deeper into its maritime past.
A medieval courtyard of the village d'art guillaume-le-conquérant in dives-sur-mer, normandy france
Village d'Art Guillaume-le-Conquérant, Dives-sur-Mer
The other significant and major slice of history between the British and the French is the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. The D-day Landings of Operation Overlord took place on 6th June 1944, all along the Normandy coastline from Sword Beach in the east heading through Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah in the west are poignant reminders of the sacrifices of so many men and women.
Eight silhouetted figures from the “standing with giants” installation in front of the centrepiece of the British Normandy Memorial above the d-day beaches in normandy, france
The British Normandy Memorial
We’ve visited Normandy on a few occasions, the last in 2017; however, the British Normandy Memorial was only recently commissioned and officially opened on 6th June 2021. The seed of hope for the memorial began in July 2015 with Normandy War Veteran George Batts, who served with the Royal Engineers on D-Day.
A sea of silhouetted figures of the standing with giants installation in front of the british normandy memorial in france
Amongst the meadow fields
As mentioned, we watched the 80th D-Day anniversary commemorations from the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer. We decided to hop across the channel to visit the monument and the “Standing with Giants” art installation.
A close-up of the statue of three charging soldiers heading up from gold beach on the d-day landing at the british normandy memorial in normandy, france
A statue to the courageous

This magnificent installation of 1,475 silhouettes is named ‘For Your Tomorrow’. It reflects the number of servicemen who died on D-Day, 6th of June 1944, serving under British command.

It is incredibly touching, wending your way through the life-size figures which stand overlooking “Gold Beach” and the English Channel.

Where to stay in Location

Hôtel d'Argouges

This charming 18th-century hotel is full of character and just a short stroll to the beating heart of Bayeux. Hôtel d'Argouges has many traditional features and a charming, peaceful garden in which to relax after a long day exploring the city.

Plenty of onsite parking is available and complimentary.

Kyriad Prestige Residence & Spa Cabourg-Dives-sur-Mer

This peaceful hotel is located on the edge of Dives-sur-Mer and just a short stroll to its historic centre and the beach resort of Cabourg. Its rooms are modern and has welcoming, friendly staff.

Onsite secure parking is available and complimentary.

Discovering Normandy’s rich architecture

The medieval charm of Calvados
The region of Normandy has some magnificent examples of their architectural heritage. While we’re in Bayeux we’ll be visiting the stunning Cathedral of Our Lady of Bayeux, which is in the heart of the city. This stunning Cathedral was consecrated on 14th July 1077 in the presence of William the Conqueror.
The historic 13th-century Gothic cathedral of Bayeux on a grey day in July with glitterball daisies in the foreground
 Bayeux Cathedral

One town in Normandy that we will be heading to in the Calvados department is Falaise, the birthplace of William the Conqueror. William undoubtedly left his mark in this part of France.

William was born at an earlier Falaise Castle on the same site around 1028. The Château de Falaise, which stands on a craggy hill today, was built during the 12th and 13th centuries. Ownership of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years’ War. It was abandoned in the 17th century and is now protected by the Monument Historique.

Looking up from street level to the early medieval falaise castle built on a rocky outcrop
Falaise Castle
After doing a little research into the small ancient commune of Dives-sur-Mer in Normandy, we discovered that not only was this the harbour where William the Conqueror departed from before arriving in Pevensey Bay, England, but it also has a historic quarter named 'Village of William the Conqueror'.
the historic enclosed medieval market hall with its steep pitched tiled roof measuring about 50 by 10 metres in the heart of dives-sur-mer in normandy
Halles médiévales de Dives-sur-Mer
Additionally, in Dives-sur-Mer’s quaint town square within the Place de la Republique is a 14th century medieval timber-framed market hall. This looks incredible.
The jardin du casino with a small carousel in front of the grand hotel in cabourg, normandy
Jardin du Casino, Cabourg

Across the River Dives is the attractive seaside town of Cabourg. Cabourg has sweeping sandy beaches, a romantic promenade awash with Belle Epoque villas, a waterfront Grand Hotel and a Casino that will take you back to the golden age of 1900s gambling.

A complete contrast to the cobbled streets of Bayeux but equally fascinating.

We love visiting France and each region so different from one another. I find the DK Eyewitness Guides really helpful in planning a trip and so often find interesting little snippets of info.

Take a peek at this revised Top 10 Pocket Travel Guide and see what you can discover.

DK Normandy Cover

Exploring a little more of Normandy

From the seaside to the countryside

Basing ourselves for two nights in Bayeux meant we could easily spend a day exploring the nearby coastline and towns. As I’ve mentioned, we’ve visited this poignant region of Normandy before and strolled the beaches and many of the touching cemeteries.

However, there were a couple of shoreline towns we wanted to explore, and they were Arromanches-les-Bains and Port-en-Bessin.

Waves lapping around a piece of the mulberry harbour from the d-day landings in normandy that has washed ashore in arromanches-les-bains, france
Mulberry Harbour in Arromanches-les-Bains
Arromaches-les-Bains is where the 5-mile arc of the Mulberry harbour was located. “Port Winston”, named after Winston Churchill, was preconstructed in the South of England and hauled across the English Channel and assembled in situ. It’s an incredible feat of engineering, the remains of which are still in the bay and on Arromanches-les-Bains beach.
The view of the harbourside of port-en-bessin in normandy, france, lined with restaurants and shops, on a bright day in july
Port-en-Bessin
The small harbour town of Port-en-Bessin looked delightful and less busy and touristy than nearby coastal towns. The quaint port, working harbour and shipyard are a must to visit; it was a perfect place for a spot of lunch watching the world go by next to the harbourside.
A fountain in the centre of the pretty little village of clécy, normandy on a bright day in july
Clécy
When we leave Bayeux en-route to Dives-sur-Mer, we will be taking the scenic route and touring through some picturesque towns and villages.
Looking up at the historic abbey of saint vigor in cerisy-la-forêt, normandy, france
Abbey of Saint Vigor, Cerisy-la-Forêt
We love driving through the back roads when we travel around France; you see so much more and gain a true feel of day-to-day life. Particularly in the mornings and early evenings, you see local folk heading to their nearby boulangerie to grab their daily baguette.

Normandy Tourist Information

If you’re tempted to visit Normandy, especially the department of Calvados, take a peek at the official Normandy Tourism website. The local tourist offices provide some extremely useful information and handy pointers for around the region.

Crit'Air vignette required for driving in France

If you’re heading to France from the UK with your own vehicle, you’ll need a Crit’Air ‘clean air’ car sticker.

Just like our low-emission zones in the UK, France now legally requires the display of a Crit’Air vignette. The good news is, these stickers are readily available and affordable online through the official French government website.

The Crit’Air sticker lasts the lifetime of the vehicle, so it’s a one-off purchase. The RAC website offers an in-depth guide to everything you need to know and your requirements.

Touring Normandy with an EV

The French are making it easy
Now, as I said, one of the reasons we wanted to head off to Normandy on a mini road trip was to gain an understanding of the EV charging facilities in France prior to our two-week adventure in September.
Our polestar 2 electric car on charge at a car park in falaise, normandy, france
Our car on charge at Falaise

While planning of our EV trip to Normandy, we noticed how advanced France appeared to be with their destination chargers. To our delight, a tremendous amount of progress was still ongoing, with its destination chargers popping up in the smallest of towns.

Admittedly, the chargers were often lower powered, but hey, if you’re stopping for lunch or just exploring a location for an hour or so, pop it on charge and away you go.

The robin williams beach hut on the promenade de planches in deauville, normandy, france
Promenade de Planches, Deauville
A row of beach hut markers to famous individuals from hollywood on the promenade de planches in deauville, normandy, france
Bathing huts, Deauville

On our last day, when we start heading north back to Calais, we’re going to pop into Deauville, a seaside resort on the Côte Fleurie. Deauville has historically welcomed the French upper class and is often referred to as the Parisian Riviera.

We’ve read about the quirky beach huts along the wooded boardwalk of Promenade de Planches. They overlook the golden sandy beach, and all individually have the name of a famous film star or moviemaker who has visited Deauville.

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