Even the most perfect baby and toddler-friendly holiday accommodation loses its appeal when faced with a difficult journey to get there. Lower Normandy is incredibly easy to reach and once there very easy to get around.
We know from personal experience that travelling with young children can be challenging and we are happy to share our experience of many years travelling to and from the region: planes, trains, cars and boats we’ve done it all, with babies, toddlers and excitable children in tow. Once booked, along with your reservation confirmation, we will send you our list of Travel Tips to help you plan the smoothest possible journey and get your holiday off to the most relaxing start.
Crossing the Channel:
Brittany Ferries – start your holiday with a mini-cruise. These huge ships offer a fantastic level of comfort and are definitely the most relaxing option when travelling with young children. We can offer a 20% discount on all crossings once your reservation has been confirmed and there are two arrival points:
- Caen (Ouistreham) – less than 35-50 mins drive to the gîtes makes this the most practical port when travelling from the UK.
- Cherbourg – good option when travelling from Western England 90-150 mins drive to the gîtes.
LD Lines into Le Havre – the Easyjet of ferries competing on price. 80-100 minutes to drive to the gîtes.
P&O to Calais – frequent, short crossings, 3.5 hrs drive to the gîtes.
Condor Ferries – from the Channel Islands into Cherbourg 90-150 mins drive to the gîtes.
Eurotunnel – flexible short crossings, 3.5 hrs drive to the gîtes.
Flying:
Nearest airport is Caen but most flights come into here are routed via Lyon or Paris Orly so not the most direct journey (all important with young children in tow).
Paris – several airports with flights from a broad selection of carriers from all over the world. Around 3 hrs drive to the gîtes.
Dinard – flights with Ryan Air from Stansted and East Midlands. A very small airport to negotiate on landing (which speeds up getting out) and a very easy drive of less than 2 hrs to the gîtes.
Rennes – flights with Flybe from Manchester, Southampton, Edinburgh and Belfast. 2hrs to 2.5hrs drive to the gîtes.
Driving:
An excellent, well-maintained road network and less congested roads than in many other parts of Europe make driving in France very appealing. Use Via Michelin to calculate specific driving times, tolls and petrol costs from all over Europe.
