Trip to Normandy

[Cloggy]

Well me and 3 friends of mine got thinking and we all thought it would be great to plan a 4 day trip to Normandy (From North Holland). It will be 1 day ride to get there (with a break and/or a bit of minor road riding), 2days riding around the area and then the trip home (also with a stop off somewhere.)
Well I was wondering if any of you guys have been?
We all like stuff to do with the war, but broken up by a nice ride in between.

With my bike being off the road at the moment I'll just enjoy talking about it
looking forward to any suggestions

 

[ozgurakman]

Re: Planning Trip to Normandy, does anyone have any tips.

I love war places.
I hope you'll post pics here and we'll see that place from your camera.

I wish to meet with you at there but it's impossible at the moment.

Also I wish you'll ride to Sweeden Alps to across the different Alps Passes.

 

[Cloggy]

Re: Planning Trip to Normandy, does anyone have any tips.

Well looks like we'll be staying at the Normandybeach bed & breakfast, it's definately got a "war" theme and it's got good reviews on several bike sites (both Dutch/Belgian and British). It has a seperate bike shed:

It's in Arromanches, where the "gold beach" is.

The trip there (and also back) will take over 7 and a half hours and that's travelling by highway, taking no stops and having no traffic jams/slow moving traffic. We hope to be able to take in some of the coast between Dieppe and La Havre, that's meant to be really beautiful, but this depends on the weather/traffic. We will definatelly be riding along all of the landing beaches and stopping off here and there at war sites/museums. The next day we will either be riding back along the coast to Dieppe and then back to Caen (here's part of the Route ) if we couldn't fit it in the trip to get there, or otherwise we'll be taking a trip to Mont st Michel, riding through the central hillier part of central Normandy.

I love war places.
I hope you'll post pics here and we'll see that place from your camera.
I wish to meet with you at there but it's impossible at the moment.

Also I wish you'll ride to Sweeden Alps to across the different Alps Passes.

I'll definately be taking lots of pics, and posting a few on here too :thumbup:

 

[Cloggy]

Re: Planning Trip to Normandy, does anyone have any tips.

Left early last Friday and rode down to Arromanches (Gold beach). We stopped at Ypres on the way and visited the Menin gate



(memorial to over 50000 commonwealth soldiers from the first world war whose bodies were never found), and the lakenhall, Flanders fields museum.



We travelled mainly motorway but also about 3 hours on normal roads. We stopped in Caen for an evening meal (well a kebab anyway). At arromanches we stayed at the Normany beach B&B, a great place, a courtyard surrounded by traditional Normandy buildings, with covered bike parking.






The courtyard was shut in the evening which kept the bikes safe. They also had a fridge stocked with beers which was free to people staying there :thumbup: We had a full English breakfast every day, with great fresh coffee as well. The hosts Adrian and Karen were great they just couldn't do enough to make sure we had a great stay.

On Saturday we took a trip along the landing beaches and visiting Pointe du Hoc (where the US rangers scaled the cliffs) Sainte-Mère-Église (where the American parachutists landed) and the Pegasus bridge (taken by the british airborne division). .

Bomb crater on Pointe du Hoc:



Overlord museum:



Church at Sainte-Mère-Église



Utah beach memorial:



Pegasus bridge:



On the coastal road:



After this we took a ride inland.

 

[Cloggy]

On Sunday we first rode to Honfleur, a really pretty harbour town, where we had a cup of coffee,



after this we crossed the Normandy bridge (toll bridge but free for bikes). We then followed the coastal road from Le Havre to Diepe. A really pretty area with coastal Cliffs and rolling hills a little inland. We had lunch in Fécamp

Benedictine Palace:



Fécamp beach:





and In Dieppe we had a coffee. We then headed straight back to Caen on the motorway. We then rode to Arromanches to watch the France-Portugal european cup final. unfortunately they lost so that was a shame.

The next day we headed home, firstly taking the scenic route to Caen, then taking the motorway to Rouen, where we got off and took a nice route through the countryside to Arras, a really pretty city where we had a drink.



after this we hit the motorway and headed home.

Here are the Pics