Caen, France

Historic Caen is home to wide boulevards, excellent shopping, glorious gardens, busy street markets, a medieval castle, two abbeys and an inspiring Peace Museum.

Ferries dock at the port of Ouistreham, a pretty resort perched on the wide golden sands of Sword Beach, with a 12th century Romanesque church, and fascinating D-Day museums and memorials all around. Nearby Bayeux is home to the breath-taking 220-ft tapestry and inspiring cathedral.

Caen offers direct access to France’s excellent autoroute network, with fast roads leading west to Brittany and the Atlantic Coast, south to central and southern France and the Mediterranean, and east to Paris and Burgundy.