Stylish villas, cottages and gites in Normandy...

Normandy is the gateway to France for countless British visitors every year. Our gites, holiday villas and holiday cottages in Normandy deliver more than 600 miles of gorgeous coastline, much of which is fringed by stunning white chalk cliffs. There are countless delightful sheltered golden beaches and beautiful picture postcard fishing harbours. This is also a historic area and a holiday gite in Normandy comes complete with a fantastic range of Roman relics and ruins and fascinating museums. Normandy is home to the amazing Bayeux tapestry and all around you'll discover poignant reminders of the Second World War. Not to mention the region's timbered cathedrals in Rouen and the Pays d'Auge, and several grand Norman cathedrals.

Take a holiday villa in Normandy and enjoy the province's lush patchwork of rolling farmland and apple orchards. Further south the landscapes become more dramatic. Caen, where the River Orne winds through the craggy gorges of Little Switzerland, is the ideal spot for kayaking and canoeing. As well as a genuine, down to earth charm, a holiday cottage in Normandy comes with an artistic side. Resorts like Honfleur, Deauville and Trouville have long attracted painters and writers. And the dreamy beauty of the citadel at Mont St Michel, a stunning World Heritage Site, is legendary. Why not explore our Normandy gites, holiday villas and holiday cottages? Dream Normandy self catering holidays start here!

View and book properties in Normandy

When in Normandy...

Gastronomy

Apples are used liberally, whether for cider, calvados or tarte tatin. Cheese boards will feature Pont-L'Evêque, strong Livarot and creamy Camembert. Local specialities include tripe (Caen), duck (Rouen) and moutons de pré salé, a tender salt marsh lamb. Not surprisingly, oysters, lobsters and shrimps appear on many menus, alongside poached sole in a cream and mussel sauce.

Places of Interest

Caen's Abbaye aux Hommes, built by William the Conqueror, and the 225-feet long tapestry at Bayeux. Coutances, Rouen and Lisieux cathedrals. The famed white cliffs, Falaises d'…tretat. The D-Day landing beaches, World War II museum at Avranches and the memorial at Caen. Monetís house at Giverny, whose gardens inspired some of his best-known works. The abbey of Mont St Michel.

Sports and Leisure

Tennis courts and horse riding stables are found in most towns and villages. Golfers can choose from a number of courses; sailing and windsurfing are popular all along the coast, and boat trips are available from Granville. Annual festivals include a celebration of Joan of Arc in Rouen (Sunday closest to 30 May), a medieval July festival in Bayeux and the international Jazz festival in Coutances (April-May).

Weather

Normandy's temperate climate and rich pastureland are perfect for the production of the fine cheeses for which the area is famous, whilst its abundant apple orchards produce wonderful cider and Calvados liqueur. Its gently rolling countryside is punctuated with wooded river valleys and occasional rocky gorges, whilst its towns and villages burst with flowers in the summer.

Average Temperatures °C:
Apr 13°
May 14°
Jun 20°
Jul 22°
Aug 22°
Sep 18°

Getting there

Normandy cottages and gites are easy and quick to get to, just 1-2 hours drive from either Caen or Cherbourg following a Brittany Ferries crossing from Portsmouth or Poole.

If you prefer a shorter crossing and a longer drive, take P&O ferries from Dover to Calais or Eurotunnel from Folkestone to Calais and you will be at your Normandy cottage in less than 5 hours.