In France, among Normandia e Brittany, with a rental camper: sixteen days for a stage itinerary through two fascinating French regions. And not only.

For some time, my wife Antonella and I had been toying with the idea of ​​discovering northern France, which attracted us for its combination of history and ancient traditions, combining the project with the pleasure of visiting new places on an itinerant basis. A two-week itinerary starting with a few introductory stages Alsace and in the lands of Champagne; and then take a real traveling journey from the Alabaster coast to the famous landing beaches in Normandy and Brittany. Finally closing the ring with stages a Nantes, Angers e Bourges to return home via the Moncenisio hill.

The day of departure has arrived: leaving Meda on the evening of April 22nd we head towards Switzerland, we stop for the night just before Basel atAutobahn Raststatte Windrose Pratteln rest area, a little noisy but effective.

Road map of Normandy and Brittany by camper

1st DAY: Evening departure from Meda (MB), journey through Switzerland with a stop in Basel (309 km).

2nd DAY: We set off again towards Riquewihr, the first French stop in Alsace; then off to Reims and Saint-Imoges (520 km).

3rd DAY: We leave the Saint-Imoges rest area towards Reims. Day dedicated to visiting the city (20 km).

4th DAY: We leave for Veules-les-Roses, first stop in Normandy (323 km).

5th DAY: From the Alabaster Coast to the white cliffs of Étretat (60 km).

6th DAY: Marching towards the Normandy Bridge to arrive at the day's stage: Honfleur (47 km).

7th DAY: Day dedicated to the Normandy landings: from the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, to the Memorial Museum in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer (137 km).

8th-9th DAY: After leaving Omaha Beach, the large D-Day beach, we arrive at Le Mont-Saint-Michel where we also stay the following day (147 km).

10th DAY: We enter Brittany with a visit to the pirate city of Saint-Malo and stop for the night in Dinard (66 km).

11th DAY: A couple of stops today too. The first in Dinan, a characteristic village; the next to Pampoil for the night (132 km).

12th DAY: Morning in Plougrescant to see the House among the rocks. Then the Pink Granite Coast to Ploumanac'h, Roscoff and night in Saint-Pol-de-Léon (149 km).

13th DAY: Stop in Meneham and then descend towards Camaret-sur-mer (127 km).

14th DAY: Today we visit Locronan, a very characteristic Breton village, then stop in Carnac to see the megaliths and spend the night near Vannes, near the island of Conleau (183 km).

15th DAY: The return journey begins. We visit Nantes and then head towards Angers, where we stay overnight (206 km).

DAY 16: Travel day today. After leaving Anger, the first stop is to visit the city of Bourges, and then stop for the night in Royat (467 km).

17th DAY: We return to Italy passing through the Mont Cenis Pass. Stop on the shore of the magnificent lake and last journey home (638 km).

Passage to Alsace

23th April

We set off again for the first stage of our journey: the magnificent village of Riquewihr, located along the Route du Vin de l'Alsace (the Alsace Wine Route). We feel like we are in a fairy tale walking in the historic center where many historic cellars sell their nectar, from the classic Chardonnay to Pinot Gris and Noir and Gewürztraminer. The car park for campers is located one hundred meters from the entrance to the walls; there is a fee and there are only a few places reserved for campers. Having finished our tour and made some small purchases, we leave this enchanted world towards Reims, the capital of Champagne. 

The road is a continuous up and down between hills, vines and wooded areas, and then descends towards the plain in the direction Nancy and – continuing on the N4 – crossing large plots of land. The spring season with the flowering of rapeseed which colors the meadows with an intense yellow color gives us postcard images. We arrive in Reims in the late afternoon and, not finding a place for the camper, we head towards Saint-Imoges, about twenty minutes from the city, where we stay overnight in a beautiful and quiet equipped rest area.

In the heart of Champagne

24th April

The following morning we leave for Reims and contact the tourist office to obtain the access code to the CIS area where, finally, we settle in shortly afterwards. Today we plan to visit the city and one of the most famous and historic cellars in Champagne, which impresses us with the maze of underground tunnels and the presence of some rooms dug into the chalk. We end the visit with a well-deserved tasting before setting off towards the center and the nearby area Notre Dame Cathedral, known for being the place where all the kings of France were crowned.

We continue towards Place de la Republique, famous for its large Arch of Triumph from the Roman era. From here the large and well-kept gardens extend down to the river along which a beautiful pedestrian path starts, surrounded by greenery, where old commercial boats have now docked and now become floating homes.

Welcome to Normandy!

25th April

We set off again towards Veules-les-Roses, a small town overlooking the Alabaster Coast. The road is full of colours, immense plots of land, small characteristic villages with houses that all look the same, in the continuous ups and downs of the hills. We stay overnight at camping Les Mouettes, with large grass pitches bordered by small hedges.

Near the campsite, from the top of the cliff, a path leads directly to the pebble beach in about ten minutes. Early spring is not the busiest period for tourists in these areas and, as a result, many shops and restaurants are closed. All we have to do is take a tour of the still "hibernating" town along the beautiful streets that flank the small Veules river, the shortest in France, and after a couple of purchases for dinner we return to the campsite.

26th April

Today we head towards Étretat. The day is beautiful, but windy. For parking and overnight stay we choose the Municipal Campsite, located about eight hundred meters from the town center; so we set off to discover this location famous for its spectacular cliffs, that of Almont to the east and that of Aval to the west.

We dedicate the morning to the Almont cliff, with the fishermen's church, the gardens and a spectacular view towards the coast. After lunch it's time for the Aval Crag, which offers just as many emotions and breathtaking views.

27th April

Quiet departure towards Honfleur, passing through the famous one Normandy Bridge whose structure overlooks the Seine delta. We park at the rest area in the marina area, about a ten minute walk from the center and convenient for visiting the city with its fascinating medieval historic center and half-timbered houses.

Do not miss a visit to the church of Santa Caterina, in the square of the same name, where in the morning a small market teems with street vendors and artisans with the inevitable stand of oysters opened and served on the spot. Not far away, the colorful houses of Vieux-Bassin, the old marina, give the neighborhood a decidedly Nordic feel.

28th April

Today's program includes a visit to the beaches that became sadly famous for the Normandy landings which took place on 6 June 1944. We take the motorway to optimize the travel time towards the beach of Omaha Beach, on which there was the impressive landing and perhaps the greatest number of victims on both sides.

So we come to Colleville sur Mer, home to the largest American military cemetery in Europe equipped with a large car park for cars, campers and buses. The cemetery hosts an impressive number of fallen soldiers, an expanse of white crosses and Jewish stars.

The afternoon is dedicated to Overlord Museum, which collects objects, uniforms and some tanks used during the war. We then move towards Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer to admire the Les Braves monument, a sculptural work that praises hope, freedom and brotherhood in memory of the many fallen and against every form of barbarism.

Not far away is the Memorial Omaha Beach, where films of the landing, objects belonging to the soldiers, tools used, photos, letters, insignia and many other documents bring to life what happened. We end the day at Camping Omaha Beach, where we will spend the night.

29-30 April

Here we go again: today we will visit the lighthouse of Gatteville, the second in France in terms of height. We park on the side of the road, buy the tickets and start climbing the three hundred and sixty-five steps that will take us to the top: as expected, a fantastic and evocative panorama is offered from the top. In the afternoon we arrive at The Mont Saint Michel (see the box on page 192). 

In the land of Brittany

1 ° May

The first and unmissable stop in Brittany is Saint Malo, a fascinating city once inhabited by Corsairs. We park the camper in a small car park near the church of Notre Dame des Greves, about twenty minutes walk from the historic center which boasts majestic and austere buildings as well as many shops, especially fishmongers; crabs, lobsters, couchillage and oysters sold at incredibly low prices. After lunch we visit the cathedral and the nerve center of the town's nightlife. A must-see tour of the walls for a walk with a view of the marina and the beach. 

After leaving Saint-Malo we move towards the opposite shore, a Dinard, a slightly more modern and touristy town. We find accommodation for the night at Camping Port Blanc, about two kilometers from the centre.

2st May

We continue the march towards Dinan, a small village and exceptional tourist destination. We park in the paid parking area under the viaduct, near the small port and the access roads to the historic village. We start the tour from the Basilica of San Salvatore and continue towards Clock tower, from whose top you can admire the entire city. We then reach the castle, near which we find the tourist office useful for finding information, materials and maps. After the visit to the castle we continue our tour of the streets and visit the church of Saint-Malo, which remained incomplete in construction.

Enthusiastic about the visit, we set off for Paimpol, a seaside town where we arrive in the late afternoon. Oysters of the Paimpolaise variety are bred here, as well as other species of mussels and molluscs. We stop at Camping Kruckin, about three kilometers from the city center.

Not having bicycles or scooters with us, we opt for a taxi that takes us directly to the port, near the historic center of the town. Unfortunately, however, the shops are already closed or about to close. 

In these parts, as in Normandy, businesses close early with the exception of some restaurants and bars. After dinner we take a walk looking for a taxi for the return, but unfortunately the service ends very early and we just have to... walk back!

3st May

The next morning we set off again Plougrecant to see the iconic image of Brittany: the house among the rocks. We park in an area surrounded by greenery. A few dozen meters away, fantastic and strange, is the house built in 1861 between two large granite rocks. After a few souvenir photos of amazement and wonder, we continue towards the Pink granite coast in Ploumanac'h where we stop in the large, grassy car park that connects to the Customs Officers' Path.

We walk among lunar landscapes with large granite boulders that seem to rest on top of each other; after about an hour's walk and some photos, we return to the camper to set off again towards Roscoff, a fishing town and a small, characteristic and austere village. We stop in the large car park of the old station not far from the centre; time for an aperitif on the shore of the marina and we move to Camping AR Kleguer in Saint-Pol-de-Léon, about six kilometers away, for the night. Windy but quiet area also ideal for breaks of a few days given the proximity of the beaches.

4st May

Ready to go straight to the site Ménez Ham, reconstruction of a Breton village with houses with thatched and reed roofs: a fantastic place just a few meters from the splendid coast shaped by the wind and the sea. The beautiful day emphasizes the colors and makes them even more fascinating. After a break we set off again to descend towards the South-West with a stop for the night at Camping Municipal du Lannuc of Camaret-sur-Mer. In the port area we visit the chapelle de Notre-Dame de Rocamadour, a small cemetery of fishing boats and the Tour Vauban, a beautiful fortress complete with a moat and drawbridge.

5st May

Let's resume our itinerant journey towards Locronan, cobbles and historic backdrops; upon arrival we discover that the village is the starting point of an important sporting event, the Tour of Brittany for women's cycling. The visit is therefore a bit hasty: just enough time to visit the center and the small Chapelle Notre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle and here we are again on the move. 

In the afternoon we arrive at Carnac to visit the alignments of megaliths – there are around one thousand one hundred of them on this site alone – dating back to four thousand years before Christ: their origins are still shrouded in mystery.

We move towards Valves, one of the last towns to visit in Brittany; the destination is the Flower Camping Le Conleau campsite, near the small Conleau peninsula connected by a bridge with also pedestrian access. A few hundred meters and here we are in the beautiful Conleau pine forest and the small dock, in the vicinity of which there is no shortage of restaurants and hotels.

6st May

We give up the visit to Vannes because we cannot find a car park that can accommodate our vehicle. We then head towards Nantes, one of the largest cities in France. We park near the station at Parking Baco-Lu 2, for a fee and right in front – along the pedestrian underpass – of the beautiful castle of the Dukes of BrittanyNot far away is the imposing and free-of-charge cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, which has the same dimensions as that of Notre-Dame in Paris.

And like the capital's church, this religious building is also inaccessible due to an arson attack that occurred in 2020. Let's fall back towards Bouffay, one of the liveliest neighborhoods in the city: bars, restaurants and creperies, numerous tourists and lots of colors liven up the streets. Lunch break and we return to the car park: we go to Angers, one of the first steps towards home.

On the way back

It is not easy to find equipped areas to stay overnight in the central area and so we head straight to Camping du Lac de Maine, a little far from the center but quiet and overlooking the lake. We reach the city by taxi and begin our usual tour to discover the beauties of Angers. The tourist office tells us about some itineraries designed on the asphalt that make the visit easier. After a lot of walking we return to the campsite for dinner en plein air.

7st May

Today involves a long transfer, mostly on the motorway, arriving in Bourges, in the region of Centre-Loire Valley. We begin the short tour of the city with a visit to the cathedral, of extraordinary size compared to the houses that surround it; the facade is a set of statues and decorations that leave you amazed by its beauty. The nearby gardens and characteristic streets with half-timbered houses complete the picture of a truly noteworthy city.

However, we must once again resume the journey and we stop at Royat at Camping Huttopia, excellent campsite nestled in a wooded area near Clermont-Ferrand.

8st May

The last day includes the return to Italy through Mont Cenis Hill: many kilometers, but also many different scenarios. It's a drizzly day but we manage to capture the beauty of these places by admiring the small villages along the way; passed the locality of villarodin we are surprised by the defensive construction of Fort Vittorio Emanuele, a grandiose building built between 1819 and 1834 to protect Italian Piedmont from possible French invasions.

We continue along the hairpin bends and finally arrive at the top of the hill (2.083 m). The clouds lower and a cold grayness envelops the beautiful lake. We stop and decide to have lunch on board our vehicle, but we are not alone: ​​after a while some curious marmots approach our camper with a friendly and cunning manner.

The lake, although a little below the threshold due to the lack of rainfall, still appears fascinating and majestic in a still somewhat barren Alpine context. We stop to rest among the tranquility of the mountains.

In a few hours we will be home after a fantastic and satisfying two-week trip, which enriched us both in knowledge and in spirit. A journey in complete freedom that we will always carry in our hearts.

Campers? See you!

To be a camper you don't necessarily have to own a camper. This is the case of Stefano and Anna coming from Buoy, in the province of Monza and Brianza, who have been passionate about traveling for about three years: to carry out the experience described in these pages they used a rented semi-integrated Elnagh T-Loft 529.

To date they have traveled mainly in Southern Italy and in particular along the Apulian coast, but many foreign destinations already stand out among their secret dreams. From the Netherlands via Alsace to the Scandinavian countries to see the Northern Lights, from western France to northern Spain… 

And this is only the beginning.

The island of tides

A vast area in front of the island is closed to tourist traffic: you need to park in the large car parks provided and use the shuttle which leaves every ten minutes. Having booked at the Camping Du Mont Saint-Michel, managed by the Hotel Vert, we benefit from a code that allows access to the part reserved for customers of the campsites and hotels. 

We arrange the vehicle and immediately head to the island for a first visit, eager to see up close a monument that has always only been seen in photographs. We arrive in the large clearing in front of the walls and, after a few ritual photos on the beach which will be covered by waves in a few hours due to the tides, we walk towards the entrance of the abbey.

The following day is entirely dedicated to this extraordinary site included in the World Heritage Site. In the morning we enter the abbey, an imposing building composed not only of the church, but also of a series of rooms used for different functions within the monastery, and of a beautiful cloister. The afternoon is reserved for a final walk through the streets of the village to take in the views towards the sea and let ourselves be tempted by buying some souvenirs.

Stefano Codarini

Where to stop in Normandy and Brittany with your camper

• Pratteln Autobahn Raststatte Windrose Pratteln. Rest area along the motorway, a little noisy but in a strategic position about fifteen kilometers before Basel.

• Riquewihr The car park for campers is located a hundred meters from the entrance to the walls; it is paid and offers only a few places reserved for campers.

• Saint Imoges Rest area in Rue de la Briqueterie, quiet and equipped with water and drain well.

• Reims Rest area on Allée Polonceau, near the Center Internacional de Séjour de Champagne.

• Veules-les-Roses Camping Les Mouettes, Av. Jean Moulin. In a pleasant setting, with large grass pitches bordered by small hedges.

• Etretat Camping Municipal of Étretat, Rue Guy de Maupassant 69.

• Honfleur Camper rest area in Quai de la Cale, near the Central Basin, in the marina area. About ten minutes walk from the center, very convenient for visiting the city.

• Vierville-sur-Mer Camping Omaha Beach, La Hérode, Le Mont-Sant-Michel Camping Du Mont-Saint-Michel, Route du Mont St Michel.

• Dinard Camping Port Blanc, Rue du Sergent Boulanger, about two kilometers from the centre.

• Paimpol Camping Cruckin, Rue de Cruckin, about three kilometers from the city centre.

• Roscoff Rest point in the large car park of the old station, not far from the centre.

• Saint-Pol-de-Leon Camping Ar Kleguer, Av. de la Mer. About six kilometers from Roscoff.

• Camaret sur Mer Camping Municipal du Lannic, Rue du Grouanoc'h.

• Vannes Flower Camping Le Conleau, Av. Maréchal Juin Maréchal de France. Close to the small Conleau peninsula.

• Nantes Parking near the station at Parking Baco-Lu 2, Annex Baco. For a fee, in front of the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany.

• Angers Camping du Lac de Maine, Av. du Lac de Maine.

• Royat Camping Huttopia, Route de Gravenoire. Excellent camping nestled in a wooded area not far from Clermont-Ferrand.

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