Easy to reach by train and boasting several cycling itineraries, Normandy is the ideal destination for an eco-responsible weekend with family, friends or a couple.
Credits : V. Rustuel
The Paris-Cherbourg train line serves several stations in Normandy close to major tourist attractions, such as the D-Day landing beaches, Caen with its ducal castle and Bayeux in the heart of the Bessin region.
In a slow tourism approach, let’s leave the car behind and opt for public transport and cycling to discover Normandy.
Let’s stop in Bayeux. A medieval city of character, Bayeux is home to the UNESCO-listed Queen Mathilde Tapestry and the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral, a blend of Romanesque and Gothic art, as well as the Baron Gérard Museum of Art and History.
Credits : V. Rustuel
From the city center, it’s easy to join several cycling itineraries, such as the Vélomaritime, to visit the region while enjoying an incredible array of landscapes, activities and leisure activities.
Just a five-minute walk from Bayeux station, visit our partner Loc Vélo to rent an electric-assist bike or a muscle bike.
Let’s set off for a 20-kilometer drive to Courseulles-sur-Mer. Located on the Côte de Nacre, this charming, dynamic seaside resort lives to the rhythm of its fishing port.
Credits : G. Wait
Courseulles-sur-Mer…
The commune is located on the Canadian Juno Beach sector of the D-Day landing beaches. It was here, on June 6, 1944, that thousands of soldiers landed for our freedom.
The Juno Beach Centre presents the civil and military war effort of the entire population of Canada and the various fronts during the Second World War.
Discover 5 themed rooms, 2 moving films, numerous objects belonging to Canadian soldiers and civilians, poignant testimonials and several multimedia tools.
All this in Juno Park, a veritable open-air museum facing the beach, with its remnants of the Atlantic Wall.
Credits : Ph. Delval, G. Wait
Promoting eco-mobility around the museum and welcoming cyclists are priorities at the Juno Beach Centre.
The Juno Beach Centre has been awarded the “Accueil Vélo” label. This label is a national mark guaranteeing a high-quality welcome and services along cycle routes for touring cyclists.
Cyclists will find on-site: electric bike recharging stations, spaces for cargo bikes, a bike shelter, closed lockers, etc.
Visitors who travel to the Juno Beach Centre by bike and train* benefit from a preferential low-carbon rate.
on presentation of an SNCF transport ticket for a journey to a Normandy station made in the month preceding the visit.
credit : les Valises de Sarah
Then extend your cycling holiday by taking the Vélomaritime…
From Roscoff in Brittany to Dunkirk on the Belgian border, the cycle route passes through such mythical sites as the D-Day landing beaches, Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay, the cliffs of Etretat, the Baie de Somme and the Côte d’Opale.
With a high proportion of shared lanes, it’s an ideal cycling route for cyclists looking for escapism, challenges, cultural and gastronomic discoveries…
The new D-DAY shuttle to (re)discover the D-Day landing beaches
Take the shuttle bus to the D-Day landing beaches!
Between Grandcamp-Maisy and Courseulles-sur-Mer, the new D-DAY shuttle service has been available since May 13, allowing you to travel to Omaha Beach, Gold Beach and Juno Beach.
The aim is to discover the many sites linked to the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy without a car.
Easy to use, this shuttle service will transport you every day until September 30.
At regular intervals between 9.30am and 6pm, you’ll be transported in comfortable new vehicles equipped with WiFi, air conditioning and USB charging points.
Connections from Bayeux are possible via routes 120 and 121, whose timetables have been specially adapted.
From the Pointe du Hoc to the Juno Beach Centre, via the Colleville-sur-Mer American cemetery, Arromanches and its artificial harbour, the Longues-sur-Mer battery immortalized in the film “The Longest Day”, and many other sites, come and discover the history that has marked the beaches of Normandy.
D-Day line timetable
- Every day – 7 days a week (except June 6), from 9.30am to 7pm, at regular intervals. 2 and 3-day packages are also available.
The cost?
From just 5 euros a day for under-26s and 10 euros for over-26s, visitors can enjoy unlimited travel on the Shuttle.
Where can I buy a ticket?
Tickets can be collected from partner tourist offices and the Caen bus station, or from the M-Ticket app. You can also buy your ticket with the driver as you board the Shuttle.
