Hello!
From the US and our Spring Break is very early starting March 7, 2026. We will be traveling with children ranging from 7 to 14 y.o. I have read the weather is unpredictable, and some things will be closed for winter. Would any experts recommend we still make the trip to the Normandy beaches and villages or wait for a future trip during fall break in Sept/October? Smaller crowds are appealing, but also not worth renting a car if everything is closed / more complicated, especially when traveling with kids! Thoughts or recommendations??
Posted by
USA
264 posts
I would suggest you contact specific places and see when they are open. I believe Overlord Tours, for example, does tours year-around.
Posted by
London, UK
558 posts
Also, where do you live? Are you and your children used to cold wind, rain or snow?
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
2582 posts
How long do you have on the ground?
Posted by
Alsenborn, Germany
2341 posts
It will be cold, wet, and windy in Normandy in March. Many of the tourist destinations will be closed or on limited hours. You need to contact anyplace you want to see for specifics, and even then they may not know more than 90 days out. A lot is going to have to do with politics and the budget. You also want to check the French holiday calendar and adjust for that.
Posted by
Paris
7654 posts
It can also be cold, wet and windy in late September (like, now is pretty cold, wet and windy!) or October, so if you really want to go to Normandy, I wouldn't bet on a hypothetical future trip.
But if it is not hypothetical and you can realistically do it in fall break, then it does sound a bit better. The countryside will be much prettier.
Posted by
290 posts
It may well be rainy, but that is kin of the price you pay for going in the off season. But it would probably be rainy in other parts of France (and Europe), so if you want the France experience you probably cannot escape the rain completely. And you will have the benefit of having smaller crowds, lower prices on accomodations, etc. we went to Normandy in March some years ago and stayed in Bayeux. we took a tour to the Normandy beaches and the American cemetery, and it was well worth it, even though it was somewhat cold (but that is why they invented parkas). We tried to time the Normandy beach trip to a day when it was unlikely to rain, and on rainy days we wandered around Bayeux, which is a charming little city with a very nice cathedral and a good street market. public transportation is not good in Normandy, so if you want to see some other sites which are not served by a guide service, you would be well served to rent a car. You can do this in Caen, and the drive to Bayeux is easy. Good luck.