Cherbourg & La Havre: which for Normandy & St Mont Michel

[Wayfairers]

Our ship has a 8a - 6p stop at Cherbourg and a 7a-7p stop at La Havre.  I would like to see both Normandy and St Mont Michel.  Does anyone have advice on which  place to visit at these stops?

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Wayfairers said:

Our ship has a 8a - 6p stop at Cherbourg and a 7a-7p stop at La Havre.  I would like to see both Normandy and St Mont Michel.  Does anyone have advice on which  place to visit at these stops?

There are quite a few issues that factor into a decision.  Mt St Michel is closer to Cherbourg (nearly an hour each way) which would make that port the obvious choice if you want to visit Mt St Michel.  Cherbourg is also more convenient to the D-Day beaches.  Since you are asking the question here, we assume you are thinking about cruise line excursions or perhaps private tours.  In that case you will likely do better going to Mt St Michel from Cherbourg and saving the D-Day stuff for Le Havre.  

 

But there are different factors for those of us who do our own thing and would normally rent cars.  Personally we would not bother driving to Mt St Michel from either port....but then we do have the advantage of having visited that place when we were on one of our many land trips with rental car.   Driving round trip to Mt St Michel from Le Havre would probably take me over 6 hours round trip (not counting any stopping time).  While that kind of long drive might make sense for some places we do not think that Mt St Michele is worth that much grief.   From Cherbourg it would be about 4 1/2 hours round trip which is more reasonable, but only if this is a place you absolutely must see on this trip :).

 

Why would I not bother driving there from either port?  Because it was an OK (but very touristy) place to visit during the day, but spectacular to view (from a few miles away) at night!  When we visited Mt St Michele we stayed at a motel along the approach road about 4-5 miles distant.  We spent a few hours, in the afternoon, walking up the windy road and checking out all the touristy shops (everything in that small town is for the tourist).  We then went back to our motel to shower and relax.  That evening, after dark, we came out to our car to drive back to the town for dinner.   At our distance the town was lit up like a fairy tale and had this really neat eerie look.  In the evening, with all the day trippers long gone, the streets were empty and we enjoyed taking a quiet walk, having dinner at a local restaurant, and finding another café for after dinner drinks and café.  Cruisers do not get the opportunity to see the town at night.

 

Hank

[Wayfairers]

Hank - thanks for the great information!  I was looking at doing private tours or renting a car.  Sounds like we would enjoy it more if we saved Mont St Michel for a land trip.  We typically avoid the really long driving days from the ship - that just gets old.  We were going to go on our last land trip in France but decided to skip it.....we will go on a future land trip.

[BarbinMich]

We've done a small group tour to Normandy from Le Havre.  It was an all day tour arranged by someone on our roll call (Overlord was the vendor).  It was nearly 2 hrs each way and we did stop at a few other spots.  Have not been to Mont St. Michel, but Google Maps says it's 2.5 hrs from Le Havre, so further.  OTOH, the Normandy Beaches are about an hr from Cherbourg and Mont St. Michel is 2 hr away from Cherbourg.  We did stop at Cherbourg on our Apr 2017 cruise and it's a charming place--would have been better without all the rain we had there ;-).  Hope this helps.

[Wayfairers]

On 4/25/2019 at 1:02 PM, BarbinMich said:

We've done a small group tour to Normandy from Le Havre.  It was an all day tour arranged by someone on our roll call (Overlord was the vendor).  It was nearly 2 hrs each way and we did stop at a few other spots.  Have not been to Mont St. Michel, but Google Maps says it's 2.5 hrs from Le Havre, so further.  OTOH, the Normandy Beaches are about an hr from Cherbourg and Mont St. Michel is 2 hr away from Cherbourg.  We did stop at Cherbourg on our Apr 2017 cruise and it's a charming place--would have been better without all the rain we had there ;-).  Hope this helps.

It does help. Thanks!  I think we will see Normandy from Cherbourg and see Mont St Michel on another trip. 

[John Bull]

On 4/25/2019 at 7:02 PM, BarbinMich said:

, the Normandy Beaches are about an hr from Cherbourg and Mont St. Michel is 2 hr away from Cherbourg.

 

 

Nearest D-Day sight to Cherbourg is actually only half-an-hour (Airborne assault on Ste Mere-Eglise) 

And Utah Beach only 20 minutes further.

But the main focus of American interest is Omaha and the American Cemetery, an hour from Cherbourg by the fast N13 then country lanes.

 

Most tour operators head for the furthest sight first, and that's also the wisest thing to do if you rent a car.

I suggest you first head to Arromanches. This is just into the British sector, and where the remaining great hulks of the Mulberry Harbour still lie in the bay. Good little museum on the seafront too. Mebbe head just a mile or two further east for a great overlook from the cliff beyond the town. Spend about an hour in Arromanches.

Then turn back westwards & head along the coast half an hour to the American cemetery,  with a two-minute diversion en-route to see the gun batteries at Longues sur mer (worth 15 minutes)

(if you are concerned that you're trying to pack in too much, skip Arromanches & Longues sur mer, and head direct to the cemetery).

The American Cemetery, overlooking Omaha, is worth a bare minimum of an hour, at least 90 minute would be better. 

Then motor down to the beach & continue east for 15 minutes to Pointe du Hoc. Worth 15 minutes plus.

Consider dropping into the German Cemetery at La Cambe. Well worth the 10 minutes it'll cost - the comparison with the American Cemetery is stark. 

Then a quick blast along the  N13 and through St Marie du Mont to Utah Beach. Good museum, worth an hour.

Drive along the beach & back inland to the N13 at Ste Mere Eglise, Excellent little Airborne museum here worth at least 30 minutes, and on the roof of the church in the same square an effigy of the paratrooper who got caught-up (he survived).

30 minutes back to Cherbourg.

https://goo.gl/maps/D4UBDiajYEAHdzfk6

 

If you tally-up those stops, they come to about 5 hours. 

Add 3.5 hrs driving and that's really pushing your time available.

So research those places, trim to suit your preferences, and be prepared to trim further if you don't manage to keep up with the clock.

 

A moving and worthwhile day.

 

JB 

 

 

 

[Wayfairers]

Thanks for the detailed info!   Very helpful. 

[D C]

On 5/2/2019 at 7:24 AM, John Bull said:

 

 

Nearest D-Day sight to Cherbourg is actually only half-an-hour (Airborne assault on Ste Mere-Eglise) 

And Utah Beach only 20 minutes further.

But the main focus of American interest is Omaha and the American Cemetery, an hour from Cherbourg by the fast N13 then country lanes.

 

Most tour operators head for the furthest sight first, and that's also the wisest thing to do if you rent a car.

I suggest you first head to Arromanches. This is just into the British sector, and where the remaining great hulks of the Mulberry Harbour still lie in the bay. Good little museum on the seafront too. Mebbe head just a mile or two further east for a great overlook from the cliff beyond the town. Spend about an hour in Arromanches.

Then turn back westwards & head along the coast half an hour to the American cemetery,  with a two-minute diversion en-route to see the gun batteries at Longues sur mer (worth 15 minutes)

(if you are concerned that you're trying to pack in too much, skip Arromanches & Longues sur mer, and head direct to the cemetery).

The American Cemetery, overlooking Omaha, is worth a bare minimum of an hour, at least 90 minute would be better. 

Then motor down to the beach & continue east for 15 minutes to Pointe du Hoc. Worth 15 minutes plus.

Consider dropping into the German Cemetery at La Cambe. Well worth the 10 minutes it'll cost - the comparison with the American Cemetery is stark. 

Then a quick blast along the  N13 and through St Marie du Mont to Utah Beach. Good museum, worth an hour.

Drive along the beach & back inland to the N13 at Ste Mere Eglise, Excellent little Airborne museum here worth at least 30 minutes, and on the roof of the church in the same square an effigy of the paratrooper who got caught-up (he survived).

30 minutes back to Cherbourg.

https://goo.gl/maps/D4UBDiajYEAHdzfk6

 

If you tally-up those stops, they come to about 5 hours. 

Add 3.5 hrs driving and that's really pushing your time available.

So research those places, trim to suit your preferences, and be prepared to trim further if you don't manage to keep up with the clock.

 

A moving and worthwhile day.

 

JB 

 

 

 

 

Excellent advice, John!

Planning for the trip and time can be very different depending on whether one has preferences for sights, museums, or both.  

 

Arromanches, for example, has the visual remnants of the mulberry harbour that the British built just after D-Day.  At low tide, you can walk out among the caissons.  The museum at Arromanches is very well done, with further explanation of the harbour, what it took to build it, the war effort, and more, including a video presentation.  One could easily spend an hour or more in the museum, if that was their focus.

 

In contrast, the Longues sur mer gun battery is without a museum, but is a stark reminder of the war.   Four casemates, guns still in place, sit amid a farmer's field, back from the lookout post that is atop the cliff.  You can walk in and around the structures. 

 

The non-museum type person might spend as much (or more) time at longues sur mer as in Arromanches.  

 

Pointe du hoc is, perhaps, the most prominent location along the coast where it still looks like war happened.  Bomb craters abound, concrete bunkers and gun emplacements sitting as destroyed remnants.  The US Army Ranger's D-Day assault on Pointe du hoc (they climbed the 100ft cliff with rope ladders) was depicted in the movie "The Longest Day".  No museum here, but plenty to see.

 

The American Cemetery at Omaha beach has an undergound museum which includes a couple of short films.  One could easily get lost for an hour or more in the museum.   Many people bypass the museum and head to the cemetery.   Note that you used to be able to walk down to the beach from the cemetery, but they closed that off a few years ago.  You need to drive down now, or walk from the parking lot.  

 

It's easy to spend a lot of time in these places.  On our first trip, we set off from Bayeux to Arromanches around 8 or 9 am.  We pulled into our hotel in St Malo (2.5 hour drive from Pointe du Hoc) after 10pm.  No stop for lunch.  We stopped at Arromanches 360 (a 360 degree film atop the cliff to the east of town), the mulberry harbour, Arromanches museum, longues sur mer battery, american cemetery, walked down to omaha beach, pointe du hoc.  

 

 

 

[Turtles06]

2 hours ago, D C said:

Pointe du hoc is, perhaps, the most prominent location along the coast where it still looks like war happened.  Bomb craters abound, concrete bunkers and gun emplacements sitting as destroyed remnants.  The US Army Ranger's D-Day assault on Pointe du hoc (they climbed the 100ft cliff with rope ladders) was depicted in the movie "The Longest Day".  No museum here, but plenty to see.

 

I agree.  And I found it almost incomprehensible to stand on the nearly vertical cliff top here and imagine the Rangers' assault, a near suicide-mission.

 

Another thumbs up for "The Longest Day."  For anyone planning a visit to the D-Day sites, I highly recommend watching (or re-watching) this movie.  It's a '60s film that's a bit cheesy by today's standards, but the history is spot on and I think you'll appreciate your visit even more. 

Edited May 13, 2019 by Turtles06

[D C]

3 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

 

I agree.  And I found it almost incomprehensible to stand on the nearly vertical cliff top here and imagine the Rangers' assault, a near suicide-mission.

 

Another thumbs up for "The Longest Day."  For anyone planning a visit to the D-Day sites, I highly recommend watching (or re-watching) this movie.  It's a '60s film that's a bit cheesy by today's standards, but the history is spot on and I think you'll appreciate your visit even more. 

I read somewhere that the first Ranger made it to the top of the cliff in 90 seconds.  Insane.  Granted, the circumstances of war going on would be very motivating to NOT be on a rope ladder on a 100ft cliff, but still.  Amazing.