Local Tourism Notes

Share | Print

Local Tourism Notes

The staff at most tourist offices are able to speak competent English. You will find them very helpful with all tourism questions as well as questions on public transport and more. If you're in need of some help, they're always worth asking.

Tourist Offices are also able to provide general information on their area, much of it as appropriate to the resident as to the visitor. If you want to know about fairs, markets, concerts and other events in your area the Tourist Office is bound to have information, brochures and flyers.

• To find listings of all local tourist offices in the south of France see The AngloFILE: Normandy Tourist Offices
• See the website of the French Government Tourism (in English).
• Regional Tourism authorities have comprehensive websites in English: see here

Getting to Normandy

• To find out about airports in Normandy, flight information, access or lost luggage, see this AngloINFO INFOrmation Page:
  Normandy Airport Contacts
• To find out about airlines flying to Normandy see The AngloFILE Airlines, Scheduled Flights & Charter
• To find out about ferries in Normandy see The AngloFILE Normandy Cross Channel Ferries

Where to Stay

From the luxury hotels in Deauville to self-catering holiday accommodation directly on the seafront, or Chambre d'Hôtes in rural villages there are various types of accommodation available in Normandy

• See the INFOrmation Page on Holiday Accommodation Options to find out more about the type of accommodation available
• See The AngloFILE for Hotels & Holiday Accommodation

Days out in Normandy

There is a wealth of variety of places to go, sights to see, gardens to visit and foods to taste. 

• For information see The AngloFILE Days Out: Trips & Tours

Normandy for Children

There are a number of activities for children in Normandy: amusement parks, theme parks, zoos and water parks.
For more information see Children: Days out for Kids

Mont St-Michel

A UNESCO heritage site lying between Brittany and Normandy, this national monument draws over 850,000 visitors a year. Places to visit include the museums, the Abbey of Mont St-Michel and St-Aubert's Chapel.

See website Mont-Saint-Michel and the Mont St-Michel Tourist Office website

Normandy Horse Racing

Normandy is the land of horses and the seacoast is the setting for horse racing. Normandy has two prestigious national stud farms, at Saint-Lô and Le Pin, and they are now classified as an historical monument. 

You can watch horse racing at the Hippodrome de Deauville La Touques, or at the Hippodrome de Deauville Clairefontaine.

• The website of the Hippodrome Deauville Clairefontaine (Horse-racing track).

Apples and Cider

Apple orchards are one of Normandy's features, and apples are a big part of Normandy's gastronomic repertoire. Much of the apple harvest is used to make cider and Calvados, an apple brandy that is aged for two years in oak barrels. Other local Normandy drinks include Poiré made from pears.

The Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story of William the Conqueror and the Norman invasion of England in 1066. The tapestry is displayed in a renovated seminary, Centre Guillaume le Conquérant.

• Centre Guillaume le Conquérant
  At: 13 bis r. de Nesmond, 14400 Bayeux
  Tel: 02 31 51 25 50
  Website 
• Bayeaux Tourist Office website

Regional Tourist Offices

Regional tourism authorities have comprehensive websites in English providing much useful information. 

The main Tourist offices are:

Official local tourism authorities have comprehensive websites in English providing much useful information for a tourist to the region.

The region of Normandy has an official website Normandy Tourism

The main Tourist Offices are:

• Deauville Tourist Office
  At: Place de la Mairie, 14800 Deauville
  Tel: 02 31 14 40 00
  Fax: 02 31 88 78 88
  Website
• Seine Eure Regional Tourist Office
  At: 10, rue Maréchal Foch, 27400 Louviers
  Tel: 02 32 40 04 41
  Fax: 02 32 61 28 85
  Website
• Cherbourg Tourist Office
  At: 2 Quai Alexandre III, 50100 Cherbourg
  Tel: 02 33 93 52 02
  Fax: 02 33 53 66 97
  Website
• Rouen Tourist Office
  At: 25 Place de la Cathédrale, 76000 Rouen
  Tel: 02 32 08 32 40
  Fax: 02 32 08 32 44

Selected tourism websites:

• French Web Portals (in The AngloFILE)
• Normandy Tourist Offices (in The AngloFILE)
• French Ministry of Tourism The facts about tourism in France (in French)
• Maison de la France International guide to tourism in France
• Tourism in France