In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From the cliffs at Le Tréport via Étretat, Honfleur and the apple farms of the Pays d’Auge to the landing beaches, then through the Cotentin to the foot of the abbey rock: about 635 kilometres on which tides, parking rules and evening light set the pace.
The spirit of the route
From the sea, Normandy shows itself in two colours: the white of the chalk cliffs above, and below it the grey of the pebbles that the surf rolls back and forth in the bays of Étretat and Fécamp. In between open the valleuses, dry valleys where fishing villages cling to the slopes. Beyond the Seine estuary the landscape softens, half-timbered farmhouses stand among apple trees, and the farm shop smells of fermented fruit and Calvados. Then come the beaches with their 1944 code names – wide, flat, hundreds of metres deep at low tide, with concrete remnants in the sand and cemeteries on the heights above. From your sliding door you will see harbour basins, lighthouses and banks of cloud drifting in from the Channel. At the end, Mont-Saint-Michel stands in the bay, an island at high tide and ringed by sand at low tide. Travelling here means planning by the tide table and by the next aire.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Le Tréport to Fécamp (approx. 100 km)
- The drive
- From Le Tréport take the D925 through the fields and villages of the Petit Caux to Dieppe (just over 30 km), then the narrower D75 along the coast to Pourville and Varengeville-sur-Mer. Continue via Quiberville, Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer and Veules-les-Roses to Saint-Valery-en-Caux, and follow the D925 to Fécamp. The coastal lanes are hedged and, in the valleuses, steep and narrow; the D925 is a good road. About 2 hours without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Le Tréport: take the free funicular (Funiculaire) up the cliff for a view over the harbour, the pebble beach and the Belle Époque villas of Mers-les-Bains.
- Varengeville-sur-Mer: the church of Saint-Valery right on the cliff edge, with the sailors’ cemetery where the painter Georges Braque is buried, plus the Manoir d’Ango and the park of the Bois des Moutiers.
- Veules-les-Roses: watercress beds and watermills on the Veules, one of the shortest rivers in France.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Camping de Renéville on the cliff west of Fécamp, a few minutes’ walk above the beach, with electric hook-ups and sanitary facilities; book in season. If you want to stop earlier: in Dieppe the municipal Aire du Pollet lies by the harbour (about 50 pitches, service point), and in Le Tréport the aire is at the top of the cliff by the Funiculaire.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In France a motorhome counts as a vehicle: where parking is allowed, it may stand, including overnight – as long as nothing is extended or set up outside. Many coastal communes in Seine-Maritime, however, have banned motorhome parking at night in beach and clifftop car parks by arrêté, often combined with 2-metre height barriers. Overnighting is off limits in the valleuses and on Conservatoire du littoral land. The many aires are the normal solution here.
- Insider tip for campers
- On Saturdays Dieppe holds one of the biggest markets in Normandy, in the Grande Rue and around the church of Saint-Jacques – arrive early by motorhome and park on the Aire du Pollet; the old town is a few minutes’ walk away. In Varengeville the approaches to the church and the gardens are narrow and the car parks small; leave large vehicles in the village.
2Stage 2: Fécamp to Étretat (approx. 20 km)
- The drive
- A short stage on the D940, or on the minor road via Yport, which tucks itself into a narrow valleuse. The descent into Yport is steep and tight at the bottom – with large vehicles, stay on the D940. At Étretat traffic backs up at the edge of town on summer weekends; arrive before 10 am.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Cap Fagnet above Fécamp with the sailors’ chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Salut, bunker remains and a view over the harbour.
- Falaise d’Aval in Étretat with its natural arch and rock needle (Aiguille), then on along the coastal path to the Manneporte.
- Falaise d’Amont with the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde and the memorial to the aviators Nungesser and Coli.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Aire de camping-cars Étretat on the Rue Guy de Maupassant at the edge of town, next to the campsite grounds: about 35 pitches with electricity, fresh water, grey and black water disposal and rubbish bins, roughly €10 to €13 depending on season according to the tourist office, card payment only. It is about a 15-minute walk to the centre and the beach. In summer arrive early – the aire is often full by midday.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Étretat is the most difficult place on the route for motorhomes: the car parks in the centre and on the cliffs are small, some have height limits or are closed to motorhomes, and checks are carried out. Plan your visit around the aire alone. Away from it, your only options are the next aire or a campsite inland.
- Insider tip for campers
- Read the tide table: the path along the pebble beach beneath the Falaise d’Aval is passable only at low tide, and if you misjudge it you will be stranded. Up on the cliffs, do not go to the edge – the chalk breaks off regularly, and the barriers are there for a reason. If you want peace, set off before 9 am or in the evening, when the day visitors have gone.
3Stage 3: Étretat to Honfleur (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- Take the D940 across the plateau to Le Havre (just under 30 km), pass through Sainte-Adresse into the centre, then take the A131 and the toll-charging Pont de Normandie across the Seine estuary to Honfleur. The bridge is long, high and exposed to wind; in storms restrictions may apply to tall vehicles and vehicles with trailers. A little over 1 hour of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Le Havre: the city centre rebuilt in concrete by Auguste Perret (UNESCO World Heritage), with the church of Saint-Joseph and its 107-metre tower.
- MuMa, the art museum at the harbour entrance with a large collection of Impressionist painting.
- Honfleur: the Vieux Bassin with its narrow slate-clad houses, and the wooden church of Sainte-Catherine with its detached bell tower.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Honfleur’s large municipal Aire de camping-cars on the Bassin de l’Est, a few minutes’ walk from the Vieux Bassin: well over a hundred pitches, paid, with service points and electric posts. Alternatively Camping du Phare on the western edge of town towards the beach, or the Camping-Car-Park aire in La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur east of the town.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): There is no room for motorhomes in Honfleur’s old town; the commune refers you to the aire and to a designated motorhome car park without services. Le Havre has a small municipal aire; the car parks in the city centre have height limits. Overnighting is not provided for on the Seine bank or in the car parks of the Côte de Grâce.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Pont de Normandie has conventional toll booths; the class depends on height, weight and axles – motorhomes over 2 metres high pay more than cars. For cars the crossing costs a little over €6; the tariff was last raised in May 2026. On Saturdays there is a market around the church of Sainte-Catherine in Honfleur – the aire fills up early then.
4Stage 4: Honfleur to Beuvron-en-Auge (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- Take the D513 along the Côte Fleurie via Villerville to Trouville and Deauville, which are separated only by the Touques. Then head inland via Pont-l’Évêque and along small, winding departmental roads through the Pays d’Auge to the signposted Route du Cidre around Cambremer, Bonnebosq and Beuvron-en-Auge. Farm driveways get narrow; about 2 hours without breaks.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Trouville: the fish market on the quay, where shrimps, mussels and flatfish are sold straight from the boat.
- Deauville: the wooden boards of the Planches on the beach, with the beach cabins.
- Route du Cidre: farms with the “Cru de Cambremer” sign sell cider, pommeau and Calvados direct from the farm; Beuvron-en-Auge itself is a closed half-timbered village around a market square.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Municipal aire on the edge of Beuvron-en-Auge with about 25 pitches, a few minutes’ walk from the village; facilities are basic – do your servicing in Honfleur beforehand. Another small municipal aire is in Cambremer. If you need a campsite, there is Camping du Lac Terre d’Auge near Pont-l’Évêque.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Many cider farms in the Pays d’Auge take motorhomes for one night – through networks such as France Passion or directly on request. This is hospitality, not an entitlement: ask beforehand, do not drive onto meadows without permission, and buy a product. In Deauville and Trouville motorhome parking in the centre is hardly tolerated; for a daytime visit look for one of the designated car parks on the edge of town.
- Insider tip for campers
- The meadows in the Pays d’Auge are soft after rain – do not park on grass, or you will need a tractor. If you head from here towards Caen on the A13: on the A13 (and the A14 near Paris) tolls are charged without barriers in “Flux libre”; you pay within 72 hours online by licence plate, at sales points or automatically with a toll tag.
5Stage 5: Beuvron-en-Auge to Bayeux via Caen and Arromanches (approx. 80 km)
- The drive
- Take departmental roads, or from Dozulé briefly the A13, to Caen (just over 30 km), go to the Mémorial on the northern edge of the city, then northwest to the coast at Courseulles-sur-Mer (Juno Beach) and on the D514 via Ver-sur-Mer to Arromanches. From there it is just over 10 km inland to Bayeux. The ring road around Caen is slow at rush hour. About 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Mémorial de Caen: museum on the Second World War and the Battle of Normandy; allow at least half a day.
- Arromanches: remains of the artificial Mulberry B harbour in the water, best seen from the viewpoint on the cliff east of the town.
- Longues-sur-Mer battery between Arromanches and Port-en-Bessin, with the guns still preserved in the casemates.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Camping municipal des Bords de l’Aure on the northeastern edge of Bayeux, with electricity and sanitary facilities, within walking distance of the cathedral. The town also designates its own motorhome places: on the Chemin du Hameau de la Rivière with a service point, and at the car park of the Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de Normandie and the Parking Pierre Trébucien – check current conditions on the town’s website.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Arromanches has a paid municipal aire on the western edge of the town; there is no room for motorhomes overnight in the clifftop car park or on the promenade. In Caen the Mémorial offers a motorhome car park, and there is also a Camping-Car-Park aire on the edge of the city.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Musée de la Tapisserie in Bayeux is closed for conversion and extension; the Bayeux Tapestry is on loan at the British Museum in London from 10 September 2026 to 11 July 2027 and is due to be back on show in the renewed museum in Bayeux sometime during 2027 – check the current status before you travel. The cathedral, the old town on the River Aure and the British war cemetery are still worth an evening.
6Stage 6: Bayeux to Sainte-Mère-Église (approx. 90 km)
- The drive
- From Bayeux go to Colleville-sur-Mer and follow the D514 via Saint-Laurent and Vierville along Omaha Beach to the Pointe du Hoc and Grandcamp-Maisy. Via Isigny-sur-Mer and Carentan join the N13, then take the D913 through the marshes to Utah Beach and back inland to Sainte-Mère-Église. Flat, good roads; only the access roads to the beach exits are narrow. A good 2 hours of pure driving time; with sightseeing it is a long day.
- Highlights & must-sees
- American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer above Omaha Beach, with about 9,400 graves and the visitor centre; note the opening hours, it closes in the evening.
- Pointe du Hoc: the headland furrowed by bomb craters, which US Rangers climbed up the cliffs in 1944.
- Utah Beach with the museum in the dunes, and Sainte-Mère-Église with the paratrooper dummy on the church tower and the Airborne Museum.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Camping communal de Sainte-Mère-Église on the edge of the village with electricity, service points and sanitary facilities, a few minutes’ walk from the church. On the way are the aire at Grandcamp-Maisy by the harbour and the Camping-Car-Park aire at Utah Beach (about 50 pitches, electricity, service point, access by card) – handy if you want to experience the beach in the morning.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At Omaha and Utah Beach the communes largely prohibit overnight motorhome parking in the beach and memorial car parks; the car parks of the cemetery and the Pointe du Hoc can be used only during opening hours. Several farms and private providers between Colleville and Saint-Laurent have set up small motorhome places – look for current reports on park4night or Campercontact.
- Insider tip for campers
- Around 6 June and on commemoration weekends the beaches, access roads and pitches are overcrowded and roads are closed at times – either come then deliberately and book pitches weeks in advance, or avoid the date. Isigny-sur-Mer is a good stop for buying butter and crème fraîche, which have their own AOP.
7Stage 7: Sainte-Mère-Église to Barfleur (optional) (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- Optional detour into the northeast of the Cotentin: via Montebourg and Quettehou to Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, then along the coast to Barfleur and on to the Gatteville lighthouse. Rural, quiet roads, tight in the harbours. A good 1 hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue: the Vauban tower of La Hougue and the fort on the island of Tatihou (together a UNESCO World Heritage site), oyster beds on the tidal flats.
- Barfleur: granite harbour with fishing boats, the church of Saint-Nicolas right at the water.
- Phare de Gatteville: one of the tallest lighthouses in France, with over 365 steps to climb.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Camping La Blanche Nef in Barfleur directly on the beach north of the harbour, with electricity, service points and sanitary facilities. There are more small campsites around Saint-Vaast and Gatteville.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The east coast of the Cotentin is quieter, but the rules still apply: in harbours and beach car parks there are often signs prohibiting overnighting for motorhomes. If you want to carry on without the detour, skip this stage and drive from Sainte-Mère-Église straight south.
- Insider tip for campers
- The ferry to Tatihou runs as an amphibious boat and depends on the tide; at low tide you can also walk across the tidal flats, but only with an eye on the tide table. Buy oysters straight from the producer’s stand in Saint-Vaast, and bring a knife.
8Stage 8: Barfleur to Mont-Saint-Michel (approx. 175 km)
- The drive
- Go via Valognes to the N13 to Carentan, then take the D971 via Périers to Coutances and the D971/D973 via Granville to Avranches. The last kilometres run along the edge of the bay to Beauvoir and the visitor car park at La Caserne. Mostly good main roads without tolls; about 2.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Notre-Dame Cathedral in Coutances with its crossing tower, visible from afar above the bocage.
- Avranches: the Jardin des Plantes with a view across the bay to the Mont, and the Scriptorial with manuscripts from the abbey.
- Mont-Saint-Michel: abbey and cloister garden, most impressive in the evening after the day visitors have left and at high tide.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
-
Official campsite or RV park: Camping-Car Park Mont Saint-Michel in Beauvoir, about 180 pitches with electricity and service points, access with the network’s card; you reach the Mont on foot or by bike along the Couesnon to the shuttle stop. Right at La Caserne are Camping du Mont-Saint-Michel and an aire belonging to it. More campsites in Beauvoir and Pontorson.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Private vehicles may not drive up to the Mont: everyone parks in the official visitor car park at La Caserne, with motorhomes in a separate area. The fee covers the shuttle bus “Le Passeur” from the Place des Navettes; rates are tiered by season and vehicle type, and booking your arrival window online saves €1 to €2. Outside July and August, parking and the shuttle were most recently free every day from 6.30 pm to 3 am according to the operator. Whether and for how long motorhomes may stay there overnight is set by the current parking regulations at montsaintmichel.gouv.fr – for sleeping, aires and campsites are the reliable choice.
- Insider tip for campers
- The bay has one of the largest tidal ranges in Europe; walks across the flats are only permitted with an approved guide, for example from Genêts or the Bec d’Andaine – quicksand and rising water are to be taken seriously. From the car park it is about 2.5 km on foot to the Mont; the shuttle takes a few minutes. In the shoulder and high season the operator recommends arriving before 10 am or after 3 pm – by motorhome on peak days, better early in the morning.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- France distinguishes between “stationnement” (parking) and “camping”: under the Code de la route a motorhome counts as a vehicle and may park wherever parking is allowed, including sleeping on board. Camping behaviour – chairs, table, awning, extended stabilisers or levelling wedges, grey water on the ground – turns it into camping, and that is not allowed outside approved sites.
- Mayors can restrict motorhome parking by municipal order (arrêté municipal), for example at night or in certain car parks; on the Normandy coast this is the rule, not the exception. Height barriers of 2 metres, signs with a crossed-out motorhome and checks are common, and fines and towing are possible.
- Wild camping is prohibited on the coast (rivages de la mer), in protected landscapes, on Conservatoire du littoral land and in dunes. On private land only with the owner’s consent.
- You can stay overnight legally on campsites, on municipal aires de camping-car (often with service points, sometimes with electricity) and on private network sites such as Camping-Car Park. Networks such as France Passion arrange overnight stays with producers, for example cider farms – for an annual membership fee and with their own house rules. Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact, Caramaps.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Servicing is called “aire de services” or “borne”; the common posts are Euro-Relais, Flot Bleu, AireServices or Urbaflux. You pay by card, coins or tokens (jetons), which are available at the town hall, the tourist office or local shops; some bornes are free.
- Many supermarkets (such as Super U, Intermarché, E.Leclerc) have disposal stations in the car park, often with a launderette next to them – handy on days without a campsite.
- Empty grey water and the toilet cassette only at the station, never into rain drains or gullies. Tap water is drinkable; at taps, look for “eau potable” or “eau non potable”.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders are not swapped in France; French cylinders (Butagaz, Primagaz, Antargaz) are available against a deposit and need their own connection. Many filling stations, especially at supermarkets, offer LPG (GPL) for refilling tank cylinders; a different adapter fits depending on the pump – an adapter set belongs on board.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 130 km/h on motorways (110 in rain), 110 (100) on dual carriageways, 80 (70) on country roads – some départements have reintroduced 90 km/h on selected stretches, so watch the signs. Motorhomes over 3.5 t (up to 12 t): motorway 110 km/h, dual carriageways 100, country roads 80. Combinations with a permissible gross train weight over 3.5 t: motorway 90 km/h, country roads 80.
- Vehicles over 3.5 t must display the “Angles morts” (blind-spot warning) stickers on the sides and rear, even with foreign plates; without them a fine of €135 is possible.
- Tolls: class 1 up to 2 metres in height, class 2 for two-axle vehicles between 2 and 3 metres up to 3.5 t – that is most motorhomes –, class 3 for taller or heavier two-axle vehicles, class 4 from three axles. On the A13 and A14 between Paris and Normandy, tolls have been charged since 2024 (A14 since June, A13 since December) in “Flux libre” without barriers: pay within 72 hours online by licence plate, at sales points or automatically with a toll tag, otherwise you receive a payment demand with a flat-rate surcharge of €90 and, if you still do not pay, a fine. The Pont de Normandie has its own toll booths.
- Low-emission zones: foreign vehicles also need a Crit’Air sticker when they enter a ZFE; order only on the official site certificat-air.gouv.fr. Rouen has a ZFE with driving bans for vehicles in the worst Crit’Air classes; the abolition of the ZFEs passed by parliament was struck down by the Conseil constitutionnel on 21 May 2026, so the ZFEs remain in force. If you arrive via Paris, stricter levels apply in the greater Paris area. Check the rules before you travel.
- Blood alcohol limit 0.5, for novice drivers 0.2. Holding a phone to your ear and wearing headphones while driving are prohibited. A high-visibility vest within reach in the vehicle and a warning triangle are mandatory. A bike rack must not cover the number plate or lights – otherwise fit a light bar with a repeater plate.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Tide table (app or booklet from the harbour authorities) – for Étretat, the landing beaches, Tatihou and the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, the tide decides when paths are passable.
- A toll tag for France or a toll tag valid across Europe – saves you paying afterwards in Flux libre on the A13/A14.
- Crit’Air sticker from certificat-air.gouv.fr if your journey there or back passes through Rouen or Paris.
- “Angles morts” stickers for vehicles over 3.5 t, correctly fitted on both sides and at the rear.
- Sturdy shoes with a grippy sole for the pebble beaches of Étretat and Fécamp and the coastal paths above the cliffs.
- A windproof rain jacket and a warm layer – on the Channel, sun, showers and strong wind often alternate within an hour.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
