Alabaster cliffs, D-Day beaches and bocage, departing from Rouen, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Dieppe and Évreux
Hiring a motorhome in Normandy means following a region that changes face every fifty kilometres: chalk cliffs around Étretat, the Seine valley and its abbeys, the orchards of the Pays d'Auge, the great sandy beaches of Calvados, then the wild tip of the Cotentin. Six pick-up cities are available: Rouen, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Dieppe and Évreux, with two rental companies, Anywhere Campers and McRent.
The region is flat on its plateaux, hilly in the Pays d'Auge and the bocage, and almost always close to the sea. Distances stay modest, which suits a long weekend as well as two weeks of travel. Above all you have to cope with changeable weather, the tides and the packed car parks at the best-known sites.
Choose your departure city: the map shows where rental companies hand over their vehicles.
Departing from Dieppe, the road follows the clifftops: the Varengeville floral park, the pebbles of Veules-les-Roses, Saint-Valery-en-Caux, then Fécamp and its quays. It reaches Étretat and its arches, before arriving in Le Havre, a city rebuilt by Auguste Perret and listed by UNESCO.
Every village requires you to park on the outskirts or at a motorhome area. Cliff edges crumble: stay on the marked paths. This one-way hire between Dieppe and Le Havre depends on the rental company and the dates; otherwise, plan a return to Dieppe.
Rouen deserves half a day: cathedral, Gros-Horloge, half-timbered old quarter. The Seine road then runs through loops lined with cliffs and forests, past the ruins of Jumièges Abbey, Saint-Wandrille Abbey and the village of Caudebec-en-Caux, before the estuary.
This loop can be extended to Honfleur via one of the estuary bridges, several of which are toll bridges. The trip runs almost entirely along the river, on wide roads, with no difficulty for a large vehicle.
Starting from Caen and its Memorial, the road follows the coast through Arromanches and its artificial harbour, Omaha Beach and the American cemetery at Colleville, then the Pointe du Hoc. You then reach Sainte-Mère-Église and Utah Beach, before the harbour of Cherbourg.
The sites are spread over about a hundred kilometres: allow at least four days for the museums and beaches without rushing. Site car parks are designed first for cars: look for the spaces reserved for motorhomes. A one-way Caen-Cherbourg hire depends on the rental company and the dates.
This loop heads east: Cabourg and the beaches of the Côte Fleurie, then the Pays d'Auge hinterland, with its orchards, cider farms and the village of Beuvron-en-Auge. You then reach Pont-l'Évêque, Honfleur and its old harbour, then Trouville and Deauville.
The hinterland roads are narrow and lined with banks: a campervan squeezes through better. In Honfleur and Deauville, parking is limited in summer; arrive early or use the area at the entrance to town.
From Cherbourg, the north coast leads to Barfleur and Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, then south through the dunes of Barneville-Carteret, the cliffs of Carolles and Granville. Mont-Saint-Michel Bay closes the loop, with the rock in view from afar.
The Mont has remote car parks with a shuttle: follow the signs and do not try to drive up to the foot of the rampart. The one-way hire to Caen by motorway or the bocage road depends on the rental company and the dates.
Spring is mild but variable: in Rouen, highs climb from 14.9 °C in April to 22 °C in June, and sunshine exceeds ten hours a day from April. The apple trees of the Pays d'Auge flower in April and May. The sea stays cool: 16.7 °C in June in Caen.
This is peak season on the coast, with lively beaches from Dieppe to Cabourg and full campsites. In Rouen, highs reach 23.4 °C and rainfall stays limited to 57 mm a month. In Le Havre, the sea rises to 20.4 °C in July then 21 °C in August: swimming becomes pleasant.
The days get shorter, but the late season remains pleasant: September keeps highs of 20.5 °C in Rouen and a sea at 19.1 °C in Le Havre. October turns wetter, with 116 mm of rain in Le Havre and 115 mm in Cherbourg. Beaches empty and parking eases.
Winter is mild and rainy: in Cherbourg, December sees 117 mm of rain over more than sixteen days, and sunshine does not exceed four hours a day in Rouen in January. Normandy's beaches can then be walked in a storm or in a flat calm, with no crowds. Some campsites close from autumn to Easter; keep municipal service areas open all year for your nights.
Dieppe or Le Havre for the Alabaster Coast, Rouen for the Seine valley, Caen for the D-Day beaches and the Pays d'Auge, Cherbourg for the Cotentin. Évreux suits those arriving from Paris from the west.
Enter your dates and pick-up city: the search shows the vehicles available from Anywhere Campers and McRent, with included mileage and equipment. In Rouen and Caen, both rental companies have a depot.
Book coastal campsites first for July and August, then service areas. If your trip includes a crossing to England or Ireland from Cherbourg, Caen, Le Havre or Dieppe, check the vehicle's length and height with the ferry operator.
Confirm the depot's address: several are at dealerships or motorhome retailers on the outskirts, notably in Rouen, Caen and Évreux. Plan the journey from the station or from Paris, and empty the waste water before returning the vehicle.
On the Channel, the sea withdraws over great distances at low tide and comes back fast. Never park on the foreshore or at the edge of a beach without permission, as vehicles are banned there almost everywhere. Check the tide times before driving along a bay.
The Mont's car parks, set back at a distance, are paid and organised around a shuttle. During spring tides, the water rises very high around the islet: the signs and instructions of the site managers take priority over any personal calculation. Do not leave the vehicle parked on flood-prone areas.
All three resorts are packed from mid-morning in July and August, and the centres are narrow. Étretat and Honfleur both offer motorhome areas or car parks away from the centre. Arrive before ten o'clock or in the evening, and check the height limit of covered car parks.
The Seine is crossed by several bridges, some of them toll bridges, such as those at Tancarville and Normandy. The A13, A29 and A84 motorways also have toll sections depending on your route. Allow extra time on Sunday evenings on the A13, very busy on the return to Paris.
The Pays d'Auge and the Cotentin invite you to visit cider farms and distilleries, with tastings on offer. The driver must stay within the legal alcohol limit: appoint one before the visit. Country roads are lined with banks and meet tractors, especially at harvest time.
Anywhere Campers is in Rouen, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre and Dieppe. McRent is in Rouen, Caen and Évreux. Rouen and Caen therefore host both rental companies, with pick-ups at dealerships. Your confirmation gives the exact meeting address.
A week lets you pick one part of the region: the Alabaster Coast, the D-Day beaches or the Pays d'Auge. In ten days, you can link two of these. Two weeks is enough to go from Dieppe to Mont-Saint-Michel without hurrying.
The cliffs between Dieppe and Étretat offer the most spectacular scenery, especially at sunset. The Cotentin coast, wilder and little visited, appeals to those who prefer calm. The D-Day beaches attract for their history more than for the driving.
Choose according to what you want to see first. Dieppe and Le Havre open up the Alabaster Coast, Caen the D-Day beaches, Cherbourg the Cotentin, Rouen the Seine valley. A one-way hire from one to another saves the kilometres back, depending on the rental companies and the dates.
Yes, with a good margin for the weather. Winter here is mild but very rainy: Cherbourg gets 117 mm in December. Towns can be visited without crowds, but many campsites close. Plan for service areas that are open all year and a sheltered fallback for stormy days.
The two service providers made me pay for the insurance for the car. And when I request a refund for one of them, I no longer get a response. I will travel by motorhome again, but certainly not with CoolDrive, nor with my friends.
The two service providers charged me for insurance for the car. And when I request a refund for one, I no longer receive a response. I will travel again in a camper van but certainly not with CoolDrive, nor with my friends.
First rental of this type of vehicle in a professional context where the rental must take place from France to Canada. Many questions and Cooldrive (Marlène) has been a valuable support in guiding my choices. Efficiency and responsiveness beforehand, and on-site a vehicle and service that met our expectations. No complaints. Great!
On Normandy's roads as everywhere in France, category B allows ordinary rental models, whose total weight stays under the 3.5 tonne limit. A driver holding a non-European licence must ask the rental company whether it accepts that document. Minimum age and how long you have held your licence depend on each offer.
Municipal service areas and campsites are the simplest solutions, and very numerous near the coast. Spending the night outside a service area is up to the town hall: many towns ban it along the seafront, in beach car parks and in the dunes. Ask the tourist office before settling in.
Ferries run from Cherbourg, Caen-Ouistreham, Le Havre and Dieppe to England and Ireland. Check that the rental company allows the crossing before booking, as insurance and conditions vary. Tell the ferry operator the vehicle's height, and remember that in the United Kingdom you drive on the left.
Some urban areas, such as Rouen, have introduced traffic restrictions based on the Crit'Air sticker. The rules change and depend on the vehicle: check the metropolitan area's website before entering the centre. Depots on the outskirts mostly avoid the issue.
Yes. Paris is about two hours' drive from Rouen on the A13. Mont-Saint-Michel is on the edge of Brittany, which can be reached in a few minutes. Plan a return to your pick-up city, unless a drop-off at another depot is offered.
Yes, from June to September, but the water stays cool. In Le Havre, the sea reaches 18.5 °C in June, 20.4 °C in July and 21 °C in August. In Cherbourg, it rises to 18.4 °C in August. Respect the flags and tide times: some beaches end up far from the sea at low tide.
In just a few kilometres, Normandy offers very different landscapes: cliffs, estuary, valleys, historic beaches and hedgerow countryside. In a motorhome, you can sleep near the harbour at Honfleur, at the foot of an abbey or facing the D-Day beaches, without repacking your bags or depending on hotel hours.
The six pick-up cities are spread from the north-east to the Cotentin: Dieppe, Le Havre, Rouen and Évreux in the east, Caen in the centre, Cherbourg in the west. You can start a short four-day circuit or string the region together from one coast to the other, with Paris and Brittany within reach.
