If you are coming from Calais and have some time, here is a list of places close to the route to stop on your way down;
Le Touquet - Great architecture and seaside chic
Abbeville - beautiful city
Rouen - regional hub of Upper Normandy
Honfleur - Pretty harbour town
Deauville - Parisian elegance - see and be seen.
Pont L'eveque - Beautiful old town, gourmet paradise
Caen - the regional hub of Lower-Normandie
Bayeaux - Tapestery, cathedral and archietecture
From South;
Saint-Malo - coastal town with the old fortified town, worth stopping for.
Rennes - Regional Centre of Brittany
Fougères - Superb castle and old town on a hill
So, why should you come to stay with us? what is there to do and see when I get there? Why should I spend my free time with you?
La Bicyclette Bleue is nestled in the countryside close to the village of Montpinchon with it's beautiful panoramic views. We are situated 15 minutes from the historic town of Coutances, 20 minutes from the coast, half an hour from the city of St. Lo, 55 minutes from Le Mont St. Michel, one of the biggest tourist attractions in France, and an hour from the city of Caen, the D day beaches on the north coast, and the city of Bayeax with it's taspestry
So although we are close to the coast and the town of Coutances, we are also in the centre of all the major attractions and sites of interest in this amazing part of France - a good base to explore and discover all there is to see but in the peace and quiet of the Normandy countryside.
On this page you will find lots of information about places to go. Most things in bold and underlined are links to other pages. Click on any picture to make it bigger
Here are two more links that you might find useful
Normandy Tourist information
Manche Tourist information
We also have a comprehensive selection of leaflets and maps in the entrance hall
Local markets
Cerisy La Salle: Saturday
Roncey: Friday
Carentan: Monday
Marigny: Wednesday (10km)
Coutances: Thursday & Saturday (10km)
Gavray: Friday & Saturday (13km)
Saint-Lo: Saturday & Friday (19km)
Periers: Saturday (19km)
Brehal: Tuesday & Sunday (20km)
Agon-Coutainville: Tuesday & Saturday (21km)
Gouville-sur-Mer: Monday - seasonal market only (21km)
Gouville-sur-Mer: Friday (21km)
Villedieu-les-Poeles: Tuesday (21km)
10 hidden gems close by
(no more than 20 minutes away)
- Stone cross Le Hameau Durand – You can walk to it, but as you drive around locally you will see many ancient crosses.
- Information boards, Roncey – Information boards about the liberation of Roncey, the modern church is also worth a visit.
- Durand stained glass window in Montpinchon church – if you search for it, you will find a stained glass window commemorating the Durands.
- St. Aignan’s well – a local well with health giving properties, there is a nearby church that is worth visiting too.
- Voie verte, Cambernon – Voie Verte’s are green corridors for walking and cycling.
- Murals in Savigny Church - Savigny is a neighbouring village. It's church has ancient wall murals and opposite is a shelter showing local building techniques.
- Memorials to crashed plane – On the lower road between Montpinchon and Cerisy-la-Salle, You will find a memorial and small display to the hurricane bomber that crashed in the war
- Memorial to resistance fighters – Just outside Villebaudon you will find a poignant memorial to Post Office resistance fighters.
- Ponte de roc – the remains of a bridge destroyed during the war, there is also a picnic area or a very good nearby restaurant if you prefer.
- Chateau Cerisy la Salle – The château is open on selected days during the year, Cerisy-la-Salle is also worth a visit.
10 things to do within half an hour
- Coutances with it’s public garden, art gallery and cathedral
- Go to the beach – Montmartin-sur-mer is 20 mins away, Regneville-sur-mer with it’s church and castle is just along the road
- Go to a market or a depot vend – Coutances has good examples of each
- Visit a church – we have a rich mix of modern and ancient churches, Savigny, Montpinchon, Cerisy la salle, the list is endless
- Visit Saussey manor, which has beautiful collections of glass, ceramics and furniture as well as stunning gardens
- Go to St. Lo – the departmental city for Manche with it’s cathedral, city wall, national stud and views
- Hambye Abbey is a beautiful ruined abbey in a stunning location
- Villedieu-les-Poelles with it’s museums and copper foundry
- Visit Marigny with it’s D day museum and German military cemetery
- Champrepus Zoo – wonderful zoo.
Our nearest town is Coutances. It has a shopping centre, cathedral, beautiful public gardens, bowling alley and cinema and an excellent tourist information centre.
The ruined Chateau de Gratot is just outside of Coutances and it is well worth a visit for it's stunning views and temporary exhibitions.
Coutances / Chateau de Gratot
St. Lo is the county town of Manche which was almost entirely destroyed during WW2. None the less, it is still very much worth a visit for some stunning post war architecture, the ruined cathedral, city walls with wonderful far reaching views from the top, memorials to the war and museums.
Granville / Isle de Chaussey
Granville is amazing, with it's seafood restaurant lines harbour, old town, resistance memorials and lighthouse, museums and the fantastic Musee Christian Dior.
From Granville you can catch a boat to the idyllic Isles de Chaussey, it takes an hour but it is a world away.
8 things to do within 30-45 minutes
- Granville – with it’s old town, harbour and Musee Christian Dior
- Les Marais du Contentin et du Bessin. national park centre – exhibition with walks, bird hides and Coypus
- Carentan – with it’s weekly market and marina
- Lessay Abbey – stunning abbey restored after the war
- Avranches - with it’s winding streets, castle walls, museums and wonderful views of Le Mont St. Michel
- Cerisy la foret – abbey and sculpture park
- Saint-Sever-Calvados – with it’s abbey and gardens
- Villedieu-les-Poelles with it’s museums and copper foundry
Villedieu-les-Poelles is a small town but well worth a visit for it's beautiful church, winding alleys, museums and copper foundry. Stop over at Gavray on the way for it's ruined castle, riverside park, shops and cafes.
Around 40 minutes from La Bicyclette Bleue. This covers a vast area of Manche. It is worth going to the visitor centre for a good idea of the area. You could also visit the lovely town of Carenten with it's beautiful church, marina and on a Monday there is also an excellent market.
Things to do 45 mins to an hour
- Bayeux with it’s cathedral, beautiful town centre, museums and tapestry
- Caen – the regional hub with it’s castle, cathedrals and museums
- D-day beaches and museums
- Le Mont St. Michel – Stunning at all times of the year and from all angles.
- Suisse Normande – Nature’s playground
- Viaduc de Soleuvre – Hold onto your hats, this looks great fun.
- Vire – Nice town with a wonderful gateway.
- Saint mere Eglise – The first place in France to be liberated, can get very busy.
- Portbail – An art gallery in a church and a bridge with a view.
- Barneville-carteret – Ferries to the Channel Islands and wonderful coastal scenery with a hint of chic.
Bayeux
The city of Bayeux is a very pleasant place to go and it has two major attractions - the cathedral and the tapestry. The city in itself is very much worth a visit, and if you are clever with the way you spend the day, you can also see some of the D-day beaches too as the coast is a 10-15 minute drive from the city.
Le Mont St. Michel
Just under an hour from La Bicyclette Bleue. It is well worth dropping off at Avranches on the way or the way back. It is a very attractive city with wonderful views of Le Mont St. Michel from Le Jardin du Plantes. Le Mont St. Michel is one of the most popular tourist attractions in France and in high season it can get very busy. It is worth taking the time to walkto the island rather than take the bus - which is a far more pleasurable experience. It is also worth walking around the island if the tide is out for some more unusual views - or to take a guided walk to be-able to walk safely in the treachorous mud. We would suggest either taking a picnic with you or to eat before or afterwards as food prices can be very expensive on the island. In low season, there are far fewer people which makes for a far more satisfying experience.
Caen
Our nearest large city and it is often overlooked on the way to and from the ferry at Ouistreham which is a great pity. If your idea of Caen is that it is a characterless modern city destroyed in the war, think again. This is the city of William the Conqueror, it is a city of abbeys and churches, it boasts a castle, an old town and a marina together with beautiful parks, historic buildings and regional museums and yet it is still small enough to get round by foot. It is our regional hub and should not be missed.
Plages du débarquement / D-day beaches
The D-day beaches are an hour to the north of us. Apart from the beaches are a whole plethero of musuems, cemeteries and other sites of interest. There are many other sites of interest stretched across Manche, Normandy and indeed the whole of Northern France, it would be impossible to see everything. However you can get a good idea of the sacrifices made and the effect on this area of France in a day, and you can even include a trip to Bayeaux as well - BUT you will not be-able to see everything in a day or even a week.
Cherbourg and the coast of the Contentin peninsula.
Cherbourg is a little further afield, it takes about an hour and 10 minutes to get there, but it is well worth the trip if you have the time to visit. with it’s harbour and cite de la mer maritime museum, where the last passengers boarded the Titanic and it's proximity to the wild and beautiful Contentin peninsula coastline.
