Normandy Beach Towns

Fecamp, Yport, Etreat, are all close to Rouen. Vulettes-sur-Mer is just up the Alabaster Coast. They all have the things you're looking for. We really enjoyed this slice of Normandy. Brad

I would suggest stopping at a little town/village or two (such as Beuvron-en-Auge) along the Normandy cider route on your drive from Rouen to the DDay beaches. As for the coast, at one point we stopped in Honfluer for lunch and a stroll, but perhaps too touristy for what you are seeking for accommodations, but definitely a town worth stopping in for a visit. We enjoyed our first visit to Normandy this past April. I had no idea how much charm we would encounter. Enjoy!

Deauville and Trouville may be what you're looking for. Right on the coast, they have been beach resort towns for over a century and were a popular destination for Impressionist painters.

None of the beaches listed so far are "D-day Beaches." They may be nice, but weren't involved in the battle. Keep in mind that the Battle of Normandy involved much more than the beaches alone. Although if that is the type of area you want to visit, I recommend Arromanches. It was "Gold Beach" during the battle, and was one of the British beaches. But today the town is very festive, with restaurants, shops, etc. You may look into Juno (Canadian) and Sword (British) beaches further east for those amenities. The American Beaches (Utah and Omaha), while wonderful, peaceful and historic, don't have much in the way of hotels or restaurants—but those things usually go hand in hand with more tourists. Pick your poison.

Thanks for the replies.

For beaches, I'd head south, toward Mt. St. Michelle and St. Malo. If you have time, you can pick up some other sites, Dinan and Ft. la Latte are my favorites and eat oysters in Cancale. St. Malo and MSM are crammed with tourists, Cancale isn't (and has nice ocean views); It might be a good place to find a nice hotel overlooking a small bay with a beach? Dinan doesn't have ocean views. Ft. La Latte isn't touristy, it's an old castle on cliffs overlooking the sea.

I like Etretat and Fecamp for views from the cliffs and interesting WWII defenses along the tops of the cliffs. The beaches are just large pebbles. Not awful, but not really what most people think of as a beach. Le Havre has beaches but it's not the most charming city.