Coast · France
English Channel, white cliffs, landing beaches and the biggest tides in Europe.
The French coast of the English Channel, from the cliffs of Normandy to the north of Brittany.
Places
2 places in English Channel
When to go
When to go to English Channel
Tips
Worth knowing first
What is the English Channel coast?
The English Channel is the arm of sea that separates France from Great Britain: about 560 km long, from the island of Ouessant, at the tip of Brittany, to the Strait of Dover, where the two shores are barely 33 km apart. On the French side it is bordered by eight départements, from Pas-de-Calais to Finistère. This guide concentrates on the most visited stretch: the coast of Normandy, from the white cliffs of the Pays de Caux to the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, and the north coast of Brittany, from Saint-Malo to the Pink Granite Coast.
It is an Atlantic coast, not a Mediterranean one. The water is cold even in August, the sky changes several times a day and the tide rules: in the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel the difference between low and high tide exceeds 14 metres on spring tides, and on many beaches the sea retreats hundreds of metres. What you come to see is the landscape, the history and the villages: cliffs, fishing ports, walled cities and the beaches of 1944.
How do you get there and get around?
By car from Spain, Saint-Malo is about 720 km from Irún and Mont-Saint-Michel about 750, by toll motorway to Nantes and then free expressways via Rennes. For Normandy the journey is longer: from Bilbao to Caen it is about 935 km, about ten hours.
Without a car, the most practical way for Normandy is to fly to Paris and continue by train from Saint-Lazare station towards Rouen, Le Havre, Caen or Bayeux. For Brittany, the most useful airport is Nantes, with flights from Spain; from Rennes regional trains leave for Saint-Malo, an hour away. The train reaches the cities, but the coastal villages, the capes and the beaches are better covered by car or bicycle.
Some distances within the area: from Paris to Étretat it is about 205 km, a little over two and a half hours; from Étretat to Mont-Saint-Michel, about 245 km and over three hours; from Honfleur to Bayeux, about 95 km and an hour and a quarter; from Bayeux to Cherbourg, much the same; and from Saint-Malo to Perros-Guirec, about 165 km and a little over two hours.
On foot, the whole coast has a trail. The GR 223 links Honfleur with Mont-Saint-Michel along the Calvados and Manche coast, and in Brittany the customs officers' path, the GR 34, takes over.
What to see on the coast?
The Alabaster Coast is some 130 km of chalk cliffs between Le Havre and Le Tréport, 30 to over 100 m high, cut by valleys where ports such as Fécamp and Dieppe open. Its best-known image is Étretat, with its arches and its 51 m needle.
On the other side of the Seine estuary are Honfleur and its old harbour, and the Côte Fleurie, with Trouville and Deauville. Further west begin the D-Day beaches: five beaches, cemeteries, batteries and museums that can be toured in two days from Bayeux. The Cotentin peninsula continues with the port of Cherbourg and the cliffs of Cap de la Hague, and the west coast runs down through Granville to the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, with its abbey on a granite islet.
Already in Brittany, Cancale and its oysters look onto the same bay. Then come Saint-Malo, the walled corsair city, Dinard across the estuary, the medieval town of Dinan upriver, Cap Fréhel and, further west, the Pink Granite Coast, between Perros-Guirec and Trégastel. Inland, Rouen and Giverny complete a trip through Normandy.
When to go and what changes with the season?
May, June and September are the best months: long days, highs of about 17 to 22 °C and fewer people. July and August are the high season of the French holidays: the coastal villages, Mont-Saint-Michel and the D-Day beaches fill up, and accommodation goes up in price. In April and October it rains more, but there are good days and the equinox spring tides are the most spectacular. From November to March it is cold, windy and very wet; many coastal hotels and restaurants close, although storms over the cliffs have their appeal.
How many days and how to split them?
With a long weekend one stretch fits: the Alabaster Coast and Honfleur, or Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel. With a week you can go from Étretat to Mont-Saint-Michel sleeping in three places, for example Étretat or Honfleur, Bayeux and the bay. With ten days or two weeks you join Normandy with the north coast of Brittany as far as the Pink Granite Coast.
What do you need to know before going?
Check the tide table every day: it decides when you can walk on the sand, cross to an island or watch the water rise, and in the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel the tide comes in fast and there is quicksand, so you only walk on it with a guide. At the foot of the chalk cliffs there are frequent rockfalls; in Étretat it is forbidden to walk beneath them. The motorways of Normandy are toll roads; the expressways of Brittany are free. Always bring a waterproof and a warm layer, even in summer.
Mont-Saint-Michel, Étretat and Saint-Malo receive day groups. At dusk and first thing you have them almost to yourself, and in the low light the cliffs and ramparts look better.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time for the coast of Normandy and Brittany?
May, June and September, with long days, mild temperatures and fewer people than in July and August.
Can you swim in the English Channel?
Yes, in summer, but the water is cold and the tide changes the beach a lot through the day.
Do you need a car?
To tour the coast, yes. The train reaches cities such as Rouen, Caen, Bayeux or Saint-Malo, but not the capes or many beaches.
How many days do you need?
A long weekend for one stretch, a week for Normandy and ten days or more to join it with the north of Brittany.