France – Ouistreham (En)
Ouistreham is a small town that serves as a port for Caen, where the ferry to England departs. It has several museums, a large beach, a seafood market, and charming bars and restaurants in the town centre.
Where to stay
We stayed at the Riva-Bella camping-car in the village (49.287399, -0.249754 lat, long), which is right outside the ferry. The site costs €13.50 per day, paid by credit card at the entrance, where you receive an RQ (RQ) that you use for water and electricity. The pitches are spacious and have tables and benches. There is a wastewater disposal area for grey and black water, electricity and drinking water. Next door is a playground and a skate park, and the beach is a five-minute walk away. There are restrooms next to the site that you can use. A 10-minute walk to the right of the site takes you to the museums, the promenade, and the shops and bars. To the left, you’ll find the seafood market, the church, the cinema, and the town hall. We arrived at 10 p.m. from the ferry, and it was full. You can sleep outside in a parking lot where you don’t pay until 8 a.m. The next morning, there was room, and we went within the area. Recommended for when you’re going to or from the ferry and for visiting this charming town.
What to see
We started our visit by going right toward the museums, and less than 5 minutes away, you’ll find the Great Bunker Museum, a free museum worth seeing with its tanks and its replica of the boat used in Spielberg’s film Saving Private Ryan.
We continue until we reach the seafront, where the tourist office is located. On the beach, there’s a huge Ferris wheel and an exhibition by the great sculptor Michel Bassompierre.
We passed by the Commando Museum No. 4 and arrived at the Flame Monument in tribute to the commandos who landed on June 6, 1944.
We continued our journey until we reached the area of shops and bars, where we came across a flea market.
The next day, we headed to the left of the area, where in 5 minutes we arrived at the Lighthouse and the seafood market, where we bought a kilo of mussels for 4 euros!
The street in front of the market takes you to the Church of Saint Samson, which we were able to see inside, the adorable Le Cabieu cinema, the Town Hall, and the cutest police station we’ve ever seen.
The next day, we went to Rouen, the capital of Normandy, famous for its Gothic churches, its cathedral, and its old town with its medieval half-timbered houses. We also took advantage of the visit to see our friends Armelle and Laurent.
