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Campervan route · Normandy · France

The Normandy Road

Monet’s gardens, the cliffs, the D-Day beaches and the abbey on the rock

From Giverny to Mont-Saint-Michel · ~450 km · 6–7 days

From Giverny to Mont-Saint-Michel, down the Seine and then along the Channel coast: seven stops, each with a place to sleep.

Normandy is usually visited in pieces: a day at the D-Day beaches, a day at Mont-Saint-Michel, an evening at Étretat. This road links them into one line, down the Seine and then along the coast: from Monet’s gardens at Giverny, through Rouen, the cliffs of Étretat and the harbour of Honfleur, to the remains of the artificial harbour at Arromanches, the Tapestry in Bayeux and Mont-Saint-Michel. Seven stops, ~450 km, each with a place to sleep. You sleep next to the sight only at Giverny; at the others the area is 10–30 minutes on foot away, and at Mont-Saint-Michel a few kilometres away, on a cycle path.

The route in brief

Distance
~450 km, from Giverny to Mont-Saint-Michel
Driving time
~8 h in all, without stops
Recommended length
6–7 days
Stops
7
Countries
FR
Terrain
plain and coast, no mountain passes
Direction
east to west, down the Seine and then along the coast
Best months
May–Jun · Sep

Documentary check: October 2026.

Good to know before you leave

Download the route PDF · A4 · 5 pages · map and practical guide Stops for your navigation app GPX · the stops in order; your app works out the road

The seven stops

East to west, down the Seine and then along the coast

1

GIVERNY

Eure — Monet’s house and gardens

What you see

Claude Monet lived here from 1883 until his death in 1926. His house and gardens, with the water-lily pond, are why people come. The camper parking is in front of the area of museums dedicated to Monet.

By campervan

Camper parking at 41 Chemin du Roy, by the Monet museums, with no water or emptying. One listing gives up to 16 places, vehicles of up to 11 m and a stay of at most 24 hours; reviews say many people sleep there. The main car park has a height barrier: enter on the coach side.

From documentary sources · October 2026

Getting there

The gardens are a few hundred metres away: one listing says 200 m, another 12 minutes on foot to Monet’s house. A safe cycle path leads from here to Vernon.

OnwardGiverny → Rouen, 67 km down the Seine · ~1 h by camper.

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2

ROUEN

Seine-Maritime — the cathedral city

What you see

Notre-Dame Cathedral, which Monet painted in a series of canvases, dominates the old town. Joan of Arc was tried and burned here, in 1431.

By campervan

Camper parking on the Seine quay, at Rue Sainte-Amélie: about 10 places, no services, a little noisy at night (reviews). Alternative: the marina area, in Darse Barillon, with ~20 places, water, emptying and electricity; water and emptying can be used only during the harbour office’s opening hours.

From documentary sources · October 2026

Getting there

From the Seine quay you reach the centre in ~20 minutes on foot or 8 minutes by bike; bus 11 goes to the centre. From the marina it is 15 minutes by bike.

OnwardRouen → Étretat, 89 km west, then north through the Pays de Caux · ~1½ h by camper.

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3

ÉTRETAT

Seine-Maritime — the chalk cliffs

What you see

Chalk cliffs that drop steeply into the Channel, with natural rock arches. They inspired painters and writers, Monet among them. The cliffs are part of the Grand Site Falaises d’Étretat – Côte d’Albâtre.

By campervan

The Espace Maupassant area, 73 rue Guy de Maupassant: about 30 places, water and emptying, maximum 72 hours, next to the municipal campsite. Bivouacking on the cliffs is forbidden. If it is full, the Villainville area, 7 km away, has 18 places at opening, to be extended to 39, and a bus to Étretat (line 21).

From documentary sources · October 2026

Getting there

From the area the cliffs are ~1.5 km away: 15–20 minutes on foot; a bus stops in front of the area. The Grand Site recommends public transport, bicycle or the GR21 for walks, and on the cliffs you keep to the marked paths, away from the edge.

OnwardÉtretat → Honfleur, 44 km, across the Seine estuary · ~1 h by camper. You probably cross on the Pont de Normandie, which has a toll: check the rate beforehand.

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4

HONFLEUR

Calvados — the old harbour

What you see

An old harbour on the Seine estuary, facing Le Havre; the composer Erik Satie and the humorist Alphonse Allais were born here. A trail of fourteen stops follows fourteen painters, and the church of Sainte-Catherine has two naves roofed with a vault shaped like a ship’s hull.

By campervan

The municipal area at the Bassin de l’Est (Quai de la Cale): ~230 unmarked places, open all year, with water and emptying. Reviews say the equipment is worn (sockets that do not work, broken water points), and every exit from the car park is final and requires paying the package. Alternative: Camping-Car Park La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur, 3–4 km from Honfleur; the official data are below.

From documentary sources · October 2026Official data: Camping-Car Park La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur · read on 6 October 2026

Getting there

From the Bassin de l’Est area the old harbour is ~800 m away, 10 minutes on foot. From La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur you reach Honfleur only by bike.

OnwardHonfleur → Arromanches, 112 km west, past Caen · ~2 h by camper.

Camping-Car Park La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur · official dataread on 6 October 2026details
Place

54 Route du Banc, 14600 La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur.

GPS 49.40876, 0.2681 · Open on the map →

From the coordinates: ~2.8 km in a straight line to the old harbour of Honfleur.

Payment

Paid per 24 hours, plus tourist tax; there is also a 5-hour option with services. The current rate is on the area's page, below.

Pitches

16 pitches.

Good to know

With water, emptying, wifi, video surveillance and 6 A electricity; sandy, delimited pitches; a picnic table on the area.

The town centre, with a bakery, a butcher and a restaurant, is 300 m away.

The electrical regulator cuts the power at high load: unplug high-consumption appliances and wait 15 minutes.

The area is subject to a flood-risk prevention plan (PPRI). Market in La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur: Thursdays, 4–8 p.m.; in Honfleur, Saturday mornings (Place Sainte-Catherine) and an organic market on Wednesday mornings.

Source

campingcarpark.com — the area’s page →

Report an error →

5

ARROMANCHES-LES-BAINS

Calvados — the artificial harbour

What you see

In the bay of Arromanches you can still see the remains of the artificial harbour the Allies built after the landings of June 1944. The circular cinema Arromanches 360 shows films about the Battle of Normandy.

By campervan

Area with water and emptying, no electricity, next to the Arromanches 360 cinema: 60 places (Bayeux–Bessin tourist office).

From documentary sources · October 2026

Getting there

The cinema is next to the area. From here, Omaha Beach and the American cemetery are ~20 km away; for the rule on sleeping in the area, see Bayeux.

OnwardArromanches → Bayeux, 11 km.

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6

BAYEUX

Calvados — the Tapestry

What you see

The Bayeux Tapestry, embroidered in the 11th century, tells of the conquest of England by William the Conqueror. Notre-Dame Cathedral, from the 11th–12th centuries, dominates the old town, preserved almost whole. Bayeux is also the natural base for the D-Day beaches of June 1944.

By campervan

Two camper car parks, 10 minutes on foot from the centre (tourist office): by the Battle of Normandy Museum (Boulevard Fabian Ware) and Parking Trébucien (Rue Pierre Trébucien: 28 places, vehicles under 8 m). Reviews mention the noise of the ring road. The municipal campsite Bords de l’Aure has 56 places for campers, between 5 April and 2 November.

From documentary sources · October 2026

Getting there

The Tapestry, the cathedral and the military cemetery are reached on foot from the car park by the museum. Omaha Beach and the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer are 23 km away: a day trip, not a place to sleep. On the classified Omaha site camping and caravan parking are forbidden; for campers the rule is checked on the spot.

OnwardBayeux → Mont-Saint-Michel, 127 km south-west: the longest leg of the route · ~2½ h by camper.

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7

MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

Manche — the abbey in the bay

What you see

The Benedictine abbey stands on a rock, 80 m high, in a bay with some of the largest tides in Europe; the Mont has been a UNESCO site since 1979. The village has four museums, among them the Maritime Museum, which explains the tides.

By campervan

Camping-Car Park Beauvoir, Route du Mont Saint-Michel, 50170 Beauvoir: 180 large, paved and delimited places. In your navigation, search for Beauvoir (Manche), not Beauvoir-sur-Mer in the Vendée. The official data are below. Alternatives: the Servon area, with 32 places and a view of the Mont, and the official car park P8, reserved for campers and without services; sources do not agree on whether you can sleep there.

From documentary sources · October 2026Official data: Camping-Car Park Beauvoir (Mont-Saint-Michel) · read on 6 October 2026

Getting there

From the area, the operator puts the Mont at 3 km: ~25 minutes by bike on the cycle path along the Couesnon, on foot or by shuttle.

OnwardEnd of the route. The bay has more areas along its shore, at Avranches, Carolles, Granville and Saint-Pair-sur-Mer.

Camping-Car Park Beauvoir (Mont-Saint-Michel) · official dataread on 6 October 2026details
Place

Route du Mont Saint-Michel, 50170 Beauvoir.

GPS 48.59424, -1.5124 · Open on the map →

From the coordinates: ~4.7 km in a straight line to Mont-Saint-Michel.

Payment

Paid per 24 hours, plus tourist tax; there is also a 5-hour option with services. The current rate is on the area's page, below.

Pitches

180 pitches.

Good to know

The area is subject to a flood-risk prevention plan (PPRI).

Market at Saint-James on Monday mornings and at Pontorson (5 km) on Wednesday mornings.

In July–August, night visits of the abbey; in July, the Grandes Marées festival.

Source

campingcarpark.com — the area’s page →

Report an error →

Practical guide

The Camping-Car Park network, cycling, and when to go

A week on the route

  • Day 1: Giverny in the morning, then 67 km to Rouen.
  • Day 2: Rouen.
  • Day 3: Étretat.
  • Day 4: Honfleur.
  • Day 5: 112 km to Arromanches, then Bayeux.
  • Day 6: A trip to Omaha Beach, then 127 km to Mont-Saint-Michel.
  • Day 7: Mont-Saint-Michel.
  • In 6 days: Étretat and Honfleur in a single day (44 km).

When to go

  • Ideal: May, June and September.
  • Possible: March, April, July, August and October. In summer, Étretat, Honfleur and Mont-Saint-Michel are the most crowded.
  • To avoid: November to February. The campsite in Honfleur is open only from 1 April to 1 October, the one in Bayeux from 5 April to 2 November, and the marina area in Rouen has reduced hours in winter; the area in Honfleur and the car parks in Bayeux run all year.

France

  • Motorways: the A13 and the Pont de Normandie are tolled; between stops you can use the departmental roads.
  • Emission zones: several French cities have low-emission zones and require the Crit'Air sticker, even with a foreign plate; you order it only from the French state’s official site, certificat-air.gouv.fr. Check each city’s website before you leave to see whether you enter a zone.
  • The Camping-Car Park network: at Mont-Saint-Michel (Beauvoir) the area is Camping-Car Park, and at Honfleur La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur is the alternative. You enter with an access card or from the app. For stays of up to 5 hours, their official page gives a package with all services; the current rate is there. The other places are municipal, private or car parks.

By bike

  • Giverny – Vernon: a safe cycle path.
  • Beauvoir – Mont-Saint-Michel: a path along the Couesnon, ~25 minutes.
  • Rouen: from the Seine quay to the centre: ~8 minutes.

“A story every few dozen kilometres.
The camper leaves you close to it —
the last kilometre is on foot or by bike.”

The rule of the road
Take the map with you PDF · A4 · 5 pages · map and practical guide

Frequently asked questions

What people ask before they leave

Can I do the route in the opposite direction?
Yes. The places to sleep do not depend on direction. If you start from Mont-Saint-Michel, the first leg is the longest: ~127 km to Bayeux.
What if the area is full?
At almost every stop there is an alternative: Rouen (the marina area or the quay car park), Étretat (Villainville, 7 km away), Honfleur (La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur, 3–4 km away), Bayeux (the Bords de l’Aure campsite) and Mont-Saint-Michel (Servon or car park P8).
Can I sleep near Omaha Beach?
Not on the classified Omaha site: camping and caravan parking are forbidden there, and for campers the rule is checked. You visit it from Bayeux or Arromanches, 20–23 km away.
Is cycling worth it?
Yes, in three places: from Giverny to Vernon, from Beauvoir to Mont-Saint-Michel and on the Seine quay in Rouen. At Honfleur, the Camping-Car Park area La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur is linked to town only by bike.
Is it a good route with children?
Largely yes: the Butin beach at Honfleur, the beaches and cliff walks at Étretat, the cycle paths at Giverny and Mont-Saint-Michel. On the cliffs you keep to the marked paths, away from the edge.
How current are the details?
The addresses, GPS, pitches and rates of Camping-Car Park (Beauvoir and La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur) were read on their official site on 6 October 2026, dated beside them. The rest comes from documentary sources: tourist offices, municipalities, guides. The rates are dynamic, and pitches, hours and conditions change: check them before you leave.

Documentary check: October 2026. Next review: April 2027, before the season. Camper areas, hours and conditions change — check them before you leave. How we build a route →