Cherbourg, France

Seafaring Cherbourg is home to the largest man-made harbour in the world, and as of 2022, France’s favourite monument. In September, the city’s Submarine Museum and Transatlantic liner terminal were voted the French people’s favourite attraction. The town itself offers excellent shopping, many superb restaurants, and a renowned theatre.

Nearby Granville is a busy seaport on the west of the Cotentin Peninsula, with the walled high town offering splendid views of the lighthouse and beaches nearby.

Cherbourg’s strategic peninsular location means it offers the shortest and fastest ferry crossings on the western Channel. Fast road connections to link it to Normandy, Brittany, the Loire Valley, Poitou Charentes and the Dordogne.