La Ferme des Épis

So much to do on site; so much to do in the local area. Animal-loving kids can take walks with husky teams at Will To Go Park (20 minutes’ drive), or cuddle baby llamas at Cria de Timra (15 minutes). If you’ve got younger children who are nervous of animals, take them to Chez Seraphin (25 minutes) to be reassured by the gentle donkeys and ponies. The hilly landscapes of Norman Switzerland have much to appeal to active families; locally you can go canoeing or kayaking on the River Orne, try out the Clécy Via Ferrata rock-climbing course (25 minutes) and go whizzing down hills at Clécy Tubing (20 minutes). That all a bit too adventurous? Hike way-marked paths through the Forêt de Grimbosq (15 minutes), keeping an eye out for fallow deer as you walk. Further afield, you can check out a very famous tapestry in Bayeux (40 minutes), take family picnics to Deauville Beach and enjoy delicious seafood in the harbourside bistros of Honfleur (both about an hour).