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With no international flights to Normandy, air travellers must fly to Paris or Lyon, and connect with an internal flight to a regional airport. Twin Jet runs a Monday-to-Friday service between Paris-Orly and Cherbourg. Air France operates regular flights from Lyon to Caen and Rouen.

Fly-drive deals tend to be better value than independent car rental. They can be booked through airlines, tour operators and travel agents, and sometimes include accommodation. The Travel e-Shop lists a number of companies.

From mid-April to the end of September, P&O have four sailings a day (five on Sat) from Portsmouth (journey time around 5 hours by day, 7 or 8 hours by night); for the rest of the year, they have two a day. During the same period, they also run the high-speed Seacat (journey time a little under 3 hours) twice a day. Brittany Ferries operates one or two sailings a day all year from Poole (around 4 hours by ferry; 2 hours by Seacat).

P&O have the monopoly on this route, with up to three sailings every 24 hours from Portsmouth (journey time 5 hours by day, 8 hours by night).

Two companies run the service between Newhaven and Dieppe: Hoverspeed (one to three 2-hour Seacat crossings per day, Mar to Oct), and Transmanche (two or three roll-on-off ferries a day all year round; 4 hours by day, about 5 hours by night).

Brittany Ferries runs the Portsmouth–Caen route, with three boats a day (journey time 6 hours by day, a little under 9 hours by night). You step off the ferry in the traditional fishing port of Ouistreham, a short drive from Caen.

The most romantic way to arrive in Normandy is from Paris by river. Two companies organize a seven-night Seine cruise from Paris to Honfleur: Viking River Cruises and CrosiEurope Alsace Croisières. Their itineraries differ, but both include stops at Vernon, Rouen and Caudebec.

The excellent national rail network, SNCF, runs a fast, direct service to Rouen, Le Havre, Caen, Bayeux, Cherbourg and Granville from Paris, which links to other European cities via Eurostar. SNCF also offers rail-drive packages.

The Autoroute de Normandie A13 toll motorway starts in Paris and runs south of the Seine to Caen, from where an extension leads to Bayeux and Cherbourg. Other motorways link Normandy with the northern Channel ports and Brittany. By French law, you must carry ID, a driving licence, and car ownership and insurance details (it’s also advisable to take out emergency breakdown cover). You must add headlight beam deflectors to a right-hand drive car, and carry a fire extinguisher, red warning triangle and first-aid kit.

SNCF operates a wide rail network linking the region’s major towns and cities. One of the most technically advanced train systems in the world, the service is fast, frequent and punctual.

Bus routes link many of the region’s major destinations, although schedules are geared to students and commuters rather than tourists, and there’s a reduced service at weekends. Coastal routes tend to be the most reliable. Different companies run the network for each département ; details are available from the departmental tourist offices.

With your own car, you can venture off the beaten track. Depending on the type of road, four speed limits apply: on autoroutes , the usual limit is 130 kph (81 mph); on N or RN roads – dual carriageways – it’s 110 kph (68 mph); on local D and minor C and V roads, it’s 90 kph (56 mph); lastly, there’s a limit of 50 kph (31 mph) in all built-up areas.

All the major rental companies operate in Normandy from airports, railway stations and city centres. Most require drivers to be over 21, with a clean licence. Before booking, look into fly-drive packages.

With the exception of central Rouen’s fiendish one-way system, most cities are car-friendly, with plenty of pay-and-display parking and car parks. Public transport is largely reliable, with bus services in all towns and cities. Rouen has a metro, and Caen, a new tram system.

Note that taxis can only be picked up from taxi ranks (stations de taxi ) or summoned by telephone – not hailed on the street. Check that your taxi has a meter before entering. Fares can vary from one département to another.

With its varied terrain and plentiful backroads, Normandy is a wonderful region for cycling. You can transport your bike by air, rail or ferry, or you can hire one in most towns and at some railway stations. If you’re after a mountain bike, look out for the sign VTT (vélos tout terrain). There are permanent cycle paths throughout the region; details are available from tourist offices and local cycling associations.

From Vernon, you can spend three hours sightseeing on the Seine, with commentary by a trained guide and lunch on a converted 1940s barge. There are similar guided river trips on the Douve and the Taute near Carentan, concentrating on the history, geography and environment of the marshlands.

Normandy is criss-crossed by hundreds of footpaths graded to suit walkers of all levels. The well-known grande randonnée (GR) trails, marked by red and white stripes, take walkers through some spectacular scenery. The departmental tourist offices provide details and mapping of GR routes in their area, and most tourist offices in larger towns and cities publish a “Circuit du Patrimoine”, a suggested city tour covering all the interesting sights.

Based in England, this exceptionally helpful team advises on travel, accommodation, places to visit, and contacts in Normandy. There is also a no-fee hotel booking service.

The French Government Tourist Office (Maison de la France) is a one-stop shop for useful information.

Normandy’s Regional Committee for Tourism is based in Evreux. Visit its office for maps, guides and information about the region, or view its website.

Each of Normandy’s five départements has its own tourist office. All are valuable sources of information on travel and accommodation, cultural, sporting and leisure activities, as well as special interests. Consult them when you are planning your trip.

All cities and most towns have a state-run tourist office. Some smaller towns and villages have a private Syndicat d’Initiative (SI). You’ll also find multi-lingual information desks at airports and main railway stations.

The regional tourist office and each of the five departmental tourist offices all have useful websites; note that only those for Normandy and Manche are currently available in English.

Found in main post offices and some hotels, this useful telescreen system gives access to a wide range of information from railway timetables to phone numbers and addresses of French companies.

The International Herald Tribune , published daily in Paris, is available on day of publication. The pick of the local French papers are Ouest-France – a daily with separate departmental editions – and Paris Normandie .

Most hotels subscribe to multilingual cable and satellite channels, which vary the diet of French-language broadcasting.

Police issue heavy fines on the spot for speeding and for other motoring offences. The blood-alcohol limit for drink-driving is low: one glass of wine or a 33 cl bottle of beer will take you close to the limit, two will exceed it. Drivers who cannot pay fines in cash on the spot have their vehicles impounded.

Many hotels charge very high rates for international phone calls. It is far cheaper to call from a post office or telephone booth using coins, a credit card or phonecard.

Like many other European destinations, Normandy is at its best in late spring and early autumn. In August, the seaside resorts are packed with French holidaymakers, and the autoroutes (motorways) become very crowded – especially during the first and last weekends of the month. Resorts are also busy at weekends from spring to autumn, packed with Parisians escaping the city.

Get to popular tourist attractions such Mont-St-Michel, Giverny (see Fondation Claude Monet, Giverny), the Bayeux Tapestry, Le Mémorial de Caen and Cité de la Mer (see Cité de la Mer, Cherbourg) before they open: 15 minutes waiting then could save you much longer queueing time later on. Late afternoon is also a good time to avoid the queues.

Normandy has always been a very popular destination for both French and English school trips, with the Bayeux Tapestry, D-Day Beaches and the Mémorial de Caen at the top of the agenda. Though the museums are adept at dealing with them, the resultant noise and high spirits can be distracting, so term-times are best avoided.

The crowds at Mont-St-Michel in July and August make it quite unbearable. If at all possible, you should try to visit this unique and wonderful site out of season (September to April).

Cherbourg’s Cité de la Mer has been such a success that, in high season, some visitors are unable to tour the submarine, which can only accommodate a few at a time. In July and August, arrive early to avoid disappointment.

When paying a bill, make sure you check if service is included – you will usually find that it is. Taking your drink or snack at the counter, if there is one, will be cheaper; prices are lower and no tip is expected – though you could leave some small change if you want to. If you sit at a table, you will be charged for the privilege.

Restaurants and cafés normally include a 10–15 per cent service charge on the bill, so you should only leave a further small gratuity if you feel the service has been particularly good. Taxi drivers should get 15–20 per cent. Porters are tipped €1.50 per bag, and chambermaids a similar amount per day at the end of your stay.

Most restaurants have several set menus (menu prix-fixe ), as well as à la carte , from which you order separate dishes. By law, menus must be displayed outside the restaurant. Set menus, which may include wine, are usually excellent value, the cheapest often costing as little as €7.00.

The real French eating experience is becoming increasingly elusive; the tinned, the frozen, the bottled and the re-heated are now far too common. However, if you look carefully and avoid tourist traps, you will find in Normandy a great deal of honest cooking using fresh local ingredients. Famous regional dishes, such as teurgoule and poulet Vallée d’Auge (see Poulet Vallée d’Auge), hold sway, and even go-ahead young chefs base their creations on classic Norman dishes. When choosing a restaurant, don’t be seduced by a picturesque building; look at the menu first.

Normandy is too fertile for the grape; any wine you drink will be from another region of France. Cider is often preferred as the best accompaniment to the rich and creamy regional cuisine. Most cider is sold in a corked bottle (cidre bouché ).

Water is always drunk with meals. Even in up-market restaurants it’s acceptable to ask for a carafe d’eau (jug of tap water) rather than a bottle of mineral water.

Cheese-makers apply the same term as wine-makers to their finest products: AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée ). The most famous Norman cheeses – Camembert, Livarot, Pont l’Evêque and Neufchâtel – are all AOC, but there are more than 30 other types made by local producers.

If you like your steak well done, order it bien cuit ; medium, à point ; rare, saignant (bleeding); very rare, bleu (blue).

Like all French people, the Normans love a picnic, so when you plan an alfresco lunch at the beach or in the country, you will be spoilt for choice. Boulangeries (bakeries) and pâtisseries (pastry shops) offer a wonderful selection of loaves, pastries, and sweet and savoury tarts. Markets are another good source, with artisan food producers selling farm-made cheeses, andouilles , terrines, tartes aux pommes , teurgoules , and locally produced cider.

Vegetarians are poorly served in Norman restaurants. Few offer anything more than salad, omelette or cheese – soups almost always contain meat stock. However, vegetarians catering for themselves will find mouth-watering fresh fruit and vegetables, delicious cheeses and a wide variety of dairy products. Fish-eaters will have no problems, especially on the coast.

There’s not much to choose in Normandy between establishments calling themselves cafés and those which call themselves bars. All serve alcoholic drinks and coffee all day, and most serve simple snacks such as ham, cheese or salami sandwiches and perhaps a slice of apple tart. Village cafés usually close around 8pm; city and resort café-bars stay open much later.

Food shops tend to open from 7 or 8am–7 or 8pm Monday–Saturday, with a lunch break from noon–2pm. Most open on Sunday morning. Non-food shops generally open 9am–6pm Monday– Saturday. Hypermarkets, supermarkets, department stores and shops in city centres and tourist towns stay open over lunch; others may take a break. Smaller shops may close one day a week, usually Monday. Most shops are closed Sunday afternoons.

If you live within the EU, there are no limits on the amount of wine, spirits, tobacco and perfume you can take home. For non-EU residents, restrictions apply. Non-EU residents can claim back the value added tax (TVA) on purchases worth more than €305 in one shop, as long as they are to be exported within six months.

The Channel ports, especially Dieppe, Le Havre and Cherbourg, are popular destinations for day-trippers from England, mostly intent on buying wine and beer in hypermarkets conveniently placed near the ferry terminals. A website, www.day-tripper.net, has all the information you could need.

The town centre – centre ville – is often pedestrianized and full of individual food stores, boutiques and gift shops, ideal for leisurely browsing. At the other end of the spectrum is the centre commercial on the outskirts of town, where you will find vast hypermarkets selling everything from food to garden furniture.

One of the great joys of visiting Normandy is shopping in the superb weekly morning markets (marchés ) that really bring country towns to life. Arrive early to be sure of the best choice; most end at noon. Look out for the specialist local producers with only one or two lines – perhaps cheese or foie gras. Their goods are often high in quality, relatively low in price. Tourist offices can supply a calendar of market days in the area.

All over Normandy, especially in the Pays d’Auge, you will see roadside signs advertising vente directe (direct selling) and dégustation (tasting) of home-made produce – commonly cheese, cider and Calvados, but also, for example, foie gras and honey. Make sure you like what you taste – and don’t expect prices to be much lower than in the shops.

Apart from cider, Calvados and cheese (see Top 10 Cheeses), look out for other local specialities: superb home-made jams, confiture de lait (a kind of milk jam), sablés d’Asnelles (a shortbread) and sucres de pomme (“apple sugars”– a type of bonbon) to mention just a few.

If you’re interested in buying local specialities, check with the tourist office to see if one of Normandy’s special food-related markets, fairs or festivals is taking place nearby. These include: black pudding (Mortagne), mussels (Le Tréport), cherries (Vernon), cheese (Livarot, Neufchâtel-en-Bray), prawns (Honfleur) and herrings (Dieppe).

Normandy has many antiques and bric-à-brac shops in picturesque towns. Arts and crafts can be found in many specialist shops and craft centres.

The price of ferry tickets and many hotels, particularly those near the sea, rises in high season. To cut costs, try to avoid visiting Normandy during the summer.

Everybody is eligible for SNCF’s value-for-money France Railpass, which allows from three to nine days’ travel on any route across France, within one month. The Senior France Railpass for over 60s is valid for groups of up to eight travelling first class. Under-26s are eligible for the France Youthpass (four days’ travel over two months), Youth Flexipass (15 days’ travel over two months) and Eurailpass (one to two months’ unlimited travel).

If you’re planning to stay for some time in a city such as Caen, Le Havre or Rouen, buy a carnet of five or ten bus (or, in Rouen, metro) tickets – cheaper than buying them individually.

Most of Normandy’s museums and attractions offer cheap admission to students, under-18s and over-60s. Always carry a student card (if you’re in full-time education), proof of your age or some other form of ID to take advantage of these discounts.

Even small towns and villages in Normandy have a weekly market. These are excellent places to find affordable food, clothing and bric-à-brac, as well as being colourful and fun.

Not only are they free to visit, some churches and cathedrals also stage free (or very inexpensive) concerts, often during one of the seasonal music festivals (see Jazz sous les Pommiers, Coutances, Cultural Events). Tourist offices will provide details.

Camping is very popular in Normandy, and there are hundreds of campsites to choose from. Most are open from April to October only (some just in high summer). Few sites are near cities, so reaching them without a car may be difficult. Information is available from tourist offices, France Camping EU and Gîtes de France, which run the Camping à la Ferme (camping on the farm) scheme.

Fermes auberges and chambres d’hôtes offer exceptionally good value (see On a Budget); alternatively, there are youth hostels, known in France as auberges de jeunesse, in Caen, Dieppe, Vernon and Cherbourg. You don’t have to be young to stay in one, but you do need a Hostelling International (HI) card, available from any official youth hostel. For more information, contact the Fédération Unie des Auberges de Jeunesse (FUAJ). For inexpensive hotels, (see Budget Hotels).

Many of the best sights in Normandy are free. A short list of suggestions: walk the ramparts at Mont-St-Michel; visit Rouen Cathedral (see Cathédrale Notre-Dame, Rouen) and the nearby Aître St-Maclou; explore the narrow cobbled streets of Honfleur; stroll along the glamorous boardwalk at Deauville; go to the bustling Tuesday market at L’Aigle; ramble in any of the region’s forests or parks.

Since January 2002, the euro has been the official currency in France. Euro banknotes have seven denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. There are also eight coin denominations: 1 and 2 euros, and 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents.

You can exchange foreign currency and travellers’ cheques for euros at banks, bureaux de change, American Express offices, and some post offices. Check exchange rates before you travel. In bureaux de change, check that the rate offered and the commission charged are reasonable. Avoid changing money in hotels.

Most towns have ATMs (automatic teller machines) – a convenient way of drawing cash from your bank or credit card account. Each one indicates which cards it accepts. Many function in several languages.

Major cards are widely accepted throughout Normandy, and you should have no difficulty paying for most things – motorway tolls included – with plastic. Smaller shops, restaurants, hotels, campsites and gîte operators prefer cash.

Travellers’ cheques can be exchanged for cash in banks, and are widely accepted in retail outlets. Choose a well-known company like American Express or Thomas Cook.

French post offices, identifiable by their yellow and blue “La Poste” sign, open 9am–noon and 2–5pm Monday to Friday, and Saturday mornings. You can buy stamps in tabacs (tobacconists), as well as post offices.

Faxes can be sent or received at all post offices. Main post offices will hold mail addressed to individuals on the move until collected in person. The envelope should carry the recipient’s name (surname first), the words “poste restante”, and the address of the post office, including the five-digit postal code. The person collecting the mail needs to take ID and pay a small fee.

English is widely spoken by people in the Channel ports, cities and main towns, but less so in rural Normandy, where you will need a grasp of French to understand and be understood. Meeting and greeting is an art form: hand-shaking is de rigeur when you are introduced to someone, and between acquaintances. It is polite to acknowledge people formally: “Bonjour, madame/monsieur”.

With cards or euro coins, you can make local and international calls from any public telephone booth. Post offices also have booths (cabines ); you make your call and pay afterwards. In some public phones you can only use télécartes – phone debit cards – which you can buy at post offices, newsagents and tabacs . The pays direct service enables you to call via an operator in your own country, and pay by debit or credit card. To call France from abroad, dial the relevant international code followed by 33, then the number (omitting the first zero).

In a medical emergency, contact the 24-hour Service d’Aide Médicale Urgence, which can send a doctor, an ambulance, or paramedics in a mobile intensive care unit, as appropriate. For all but the most serious emergencies, payment in cash is required immediately after treatment.

Health care in France is excellent but expensive, so be sure to take out adequate insurance to cover any medical emergency. Visitors from EU countries should additionally collect an E111 form (entitling you to free basic health care) from a post office before departure.

Generally speaking, Normandy is a pretty safe place to travel; violent crimes, such as assault and rape, are comparatively rare. Most crime involves theft – particularly from cars. Pickpockets and bag-snatchers tend to operate in city centres, usually in crowded places like railway stations, trains and buses, and bars and clubs. If you are unlucky enough to have anything stolen, report it to the nearest police station straight away, and ask for a copy of the police report for your insurers.

If your car breaks down, place the red warning triangle which French law requires you to carry (see By Road) 50–100 m (160–300 ft) behind it. If you have an accident, telephone the emergency services. Postes d’appel d’urgence (emergency telephones) are posted at 2 km (1 mile) intervals on autoroutes , 4 km (2.5 miles) on dual carriage-ways; they will connect you with rescue services via the traffic police.

Pharmacies (chemists) – indicated by a green cross – are usually very helpful in treating minor ailments and injuries. If necessary, they will also direct you to the nearest doctor. Normal opening hours are 8 or 9am–7pm Monday to Saturday, but one duty pharmacy in every town stays open at night and over weekends; others will post the address on their doors.

If you have an accident or become ill in the night, go to any public hospital’s service des urgencies (accident-and-emergency department). Be warned: you will have to pay for your treatment straight away.

If you are staying in a hotel, staff should be able to recommend an English-speaking doctor, or put you in touch with the 24-hour médécin de garde (doctor service) that operates in every major town. If not, consult your local pharmacist or the telephone operator.

Dentists are listed in local Pages Jaunes (Yellow Pages). In an emergency, they will see you at major hospitals.

Always carry some form of identification with you, and have your driving licence, insurance and car registration documents to hand when driving. If you are stopped by the police, failure to produce them may result in an on-the-spot fine.

If you plan on visiting Normandy in high season, whether you want to stay in a grand hotel or on a campsite, it would be wise to book well ahead. Normandy is a popular destination from spring to autumn, but from early July to late August the resorts in particular are at their busiest. This is especially true of Deauville during its August season, and weekends throughout the year are always very busy there. Some smaller hotels in rural areas close from November to March.

You can book accommodation direct by phone, fax or, increasingly, by e-mail and via the web; www.franceguide.com provides useful links. Sometimes a deposit may be required; in large hotels and campsites, you can usually pay by credit card or by money order.

Normandy is particularly well geared to family tourism, both on the coast and inland. Many hotels will provide an extra bed for smaller children, or a cot for babies, at a nominal cost. Gîtes (see Self-catering Holidays) and Campsites also offer excellent value for families travelling on a budget. Most campsites have facilities and activities for children.

Hotels in France can be surprisingly good value (see Budget Hotels). Fermes auberges and chambres d’hôtes are also sources of inexpensive accommodation. The best way to save money is to travel off-season.

Accommodation in private homes (chambres d’hôtes ), from simple to stately, is available across Normandy. Owners who belong to the Fédération Nationale des Gîtes Ruraux de France are regularly inspected; their accommodation is graded on a scale of one to four using ears of corn as symbols. Ferme auberges – working farms with simple restaurants and a few bedrooms – are indicated on the roadside by a yellow sunflower. For details, contact the relevant Local Tourist Offices.

Norman campsites vary from small, low-key establishments in unspoilt countryside to large, well-equipped sites close to towns, with pools, playgrounds, café-bars and, often, a mini-market and morning bread delivery. They become crowded in July and August, and most close their gates by 10pm. Independent camping is discouraged, as is sleeping on beaches.

France pioneered the “limited service hotel” offering clean, comfortable rooms at budget prices – and not much else. Chains such as Etap, Formule 1, Campanile and others cluster at motorway junctions and airports, and on the outskirts of cities. Although lacking in character, they can be ideal for the first and last nights of your stay.

The hotels in the Relais et Châteaux group are independently owned, but they are all expected to measure up to high standards of food, service and accommodation. The buildings in which they are located are of historic importance. There are several in Normandy.

Accommodation in gîtes is plentiful. Often they are pretty cottages or farmhouses – most of them privately owned. Crockery and kitchen utensils are supplied, but you have to bring your own bed linen and do your own cleaning (see Self-catering Holidays).