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If you find yourself on the afternoon ferry from Cherbourg at 5pm then here are 10 Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg while waiting for the Ferry.
Last year we found ourself needing to head back to the ferry at Cherbourg for 5pm to get the last ferry back home to Portsmouth. We wanted to make sure we drove North first thing, but that would leave us with around 4 hours to spend on Things to do near Cherbourg whilst waiting for the Ferry.
I asked on the Mini Travellers Facebook page for any tips of what to do whilst we were there and got some great suggestions that I’m going to share with you.
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Mont St Michel – Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg while waiting for the Ferry
I had proposed Mont St Michel but wondered if we realistically had long enough as we probably wouldn’t get there til 11 and have to leave by 2. Lots of replies confirmed my suspicion and advised that “MSM is too much for a quick trip. It can take forever just to get inside the city walls”.
2. Parc du Château des Ravalet – Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg while waiting for the Ferry
Parc du Château des Ravalet is a Chateau literally 10 minutes from the Cherbourg ferry terminal, so a perfect thing to do with kids near Cherbourg whilst waiting for the Ferry. One reader advised that “it was so was good not to feel under too much pressure time wise. Only a small art exhibition in the Chateau but the grounds were lovely and we didn’t have enough time to explore it all. All absolutely free! Couldn’t believe it!”
3. Utah Beach D-Day Museum – Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg while waiting for the Ferry
Having posed the question about ‘Things to do near Cherbourg whilst waiting for the Ferry’ we chose Utah Beach mainly because it was so very close to Cherbourg, but also because I’d read this post by Kara at Are we Nearly There Yet and it looked like we would all get something out of the experience.
I was thankfully right the Utah Beach D-Day Museum is very well done. It is light and bright and contains enough interesting things to keep the kids interested and start to understand the scale, if not the horror, of the landing. You can read our full review here.
4. Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha Beach – Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg while waiting for the Ferry
Next time we will visit another of the Normandy beaches because of this post by Kara at Are we Nearly There Yet. Kara writes that she “came away with a new-found respect for all those who fought in the war all those years ago, including my [her] relatives. The younger ones were full of questions and really enjoyed the visit, although I am sure that being able to run around on a huge sandy beach probably helped too.
If you are thinking about taking the kids to visit Normandy with a young family, don’t be worried they will be bored – simply allow time for them to explore too and you will have a happy medium.”
5. La Cite de la Mer – Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg whilst waiting for the Ferry
A reader recommended La Cite de la Mer as she had been the week before with her 3 and 5 year old boys who both loved it. It’s perfect if the weather isn’t so great. It’s right opposite the port and you can actually see the ferry port from the entrance! Take a look in a tourist office as they usually have buy one get one free on tickets. La Cite de la Mer has a touch pool with a shark, starfish and other aquatic beauties! It also has a nice little cafe.
6.Chateau Guillaume le Conquerant, Falaise – Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg while waiting for the Ferry
Place Guillaume Le Conquérant 14700 FALAISE
William the Conqueror’s Castle yet despite the name, the vast castle you can visit today was developed for the Anglo-French kings of England in the 12th century, then further extended in the 13th for French royals. It has been magnificently restored in recent years and the tour makes the most of modern technology to recreate the castle’s illustrious past and bring courtly life back to life.
7. Bayeux – Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg while waiting for the Ferry
Bayeux perhaps? Helena from Babyfoote recommended Bayeux as they had visited with a 5 and 14 year old. Her 5 year old was much more interested, although her 14 year old listened to the audio guide. They had a very good children’s guide in English which was worth investing in Helena told me that they still use it 3 years later. You can read Helena’s review of Bayeux here.
8. Granville – Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg while waiting for the Ferry
Granville “Monaco of the North” “The pirate city” reconverted as seaside resort. It’s about 1.5 hours from Cherbourg but has a lovely beach, chocolate shops, beachfront restaurants and museums to keep everyone entertained.
9. Parc Emmanuel Liais — Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg while waiting for the Ferry
If the weather is good this is a free garden which is no more than 10 minutes on foot from the Pont Tournable. There are loads of strange species like the African Encephalartos, which has an edible trunk and can live for 1,000 years, but mainly it’s just a great place for the kids to burn off some energy before the ferry!
10. Batterie du Roule – Things to do with Kids near Cherbourg while waiting for the Ferry
5 Montée des Résistants, 50100 Cherbourg-Octeville, France
A system of tunnels dug by the Germans under the fort which are open to the public on a guided tour arranged by Cherbourg’s tourist office. You can put on a hard hat with a headlamp and go into a network of chambers. The reinforced concrete openings still look impenetrable more than 70 years after they were built. Bats have taken up residency in the ceilings.
Clare from Suitcases and Sandcastles also has a great post on 5 Fantastic Places to Visit in Normandy with Kids!
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