Three Weeks in Normandy and Brittany, September 2025

Last month we took our motorhome over to France for our first trip in it onto the continent. As well as being an area we wanted to explore it was also a good first try out of motorhoming in a ‘foreign’ country and all the different things that entails. In the end it proved that we’d done our homework properly from ‘Critair’ stickers to lpg adapters. Even our limited French vocabulary from school came flooding back! 

France is so much better equipped for motorhomers than the UK is with excellent facilities, ample park-ups and of course the fabled aires which were excellent. Many UK councils should take note. 

Our trip began with a day and a half walking in East Sussex before we caught an afternoon ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe. The walking up on the downs was lovely with the Long Man of Wilmington and the Littlington White Horse taken in. The highlight though was the clifftop walking at Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters which was stunning. 

Once in France we meandered our way through Normandy to start with visiting the wonderful historic city of Rouen (twinned with Norwich) and learning all about Joan of Arc who met her grisly end in the city. The woods of the Forêt de Roumaine outside the city were fabulous too, as were the coastal chalk cliffs and arches of Etretat. It was coastal for a bit after that with a visit to Honfleur followed by 2 rather moving days exploring the Normandy D-day beaches, memorials and cemeteries with a fantastic overnight on a clifftop aire at Arromanches-les-Bains overlooking what would have been a scene from hell on that fateful 6 June day. 

Cutting across country southwest Le Mont St Michael was our next stop. We found the place very picturesque but were so glad we got up early and walked out there before the hordes of tourists arrived! Staying overnight on the carpark there was very expensive at 25 euros but definitely the best option to get an early start. Inland from there we had an extended day walking in the Forest de Villecartier en-route to the medieval town of Fougères with its impressive castle before heading back to the coast to Cancale and St Malo. 

We then cut across to the south coast stopping on a lovely forest aire at Paimpont before visiting the 2 amazing medieval towns/villages of Josselin and Rochefort-en-Terre. The latter was one of our favourite places of the whole trip - and with a beautiful aire right in the village. Hitting the coast near Vannes we then explored the peninsular to the south before a great day walking and seeing the thousands of menhirs (standing stones) and dolmens at Carnac. Some coastal walking on the nearby Quiberon peninsular followed before a quick visit and overnight at Bénodet near Quimper. Then it was to the far west of Brittany and the wonderful Crozon Peninsular where we spent 2 full days exploring the spectacular coastline and numerous wartime relics that line the coast. The coast at Ile Vierge as absolutely stunning, especially in the sun with turquoise seas. 

Dragging ourselves away from Crozon we made the drive northeast to our last main stop - Le Cote du Granite Rose (The Pink Granite Coast) stopping for lovely day and night at the Foret du Huelgoat on the way. After that it was drive ‘around the corner’ to Roscoff and the 7 hour ferry ride back to Plymouth with 40+ Common Dolphins entertaining us as we neared the Devon cost. 

Once back in Blighty we lingered for a couple of days in Devon to explore some of Dartmoor including Lydford Gorge, St Michael de Rupe Church perched on its rock and a full day walking taking in several tors and rocks. A last day and 2 nights were in Wiltshire to break the homeward journey up. Here we walked and enjoyed the Uffington White Horse, Wayland’s Smithy, Avebury, Silbury Hill and the West Kennet Long Barrow with 2 nights on a small downland carpark with idyllic views. 

Many photos and more details of our trip are on Facebook click Here but here are a few anyway!