Chez Marie Roulotte

You’ve likely heard of the Bayeux Tapestry, showing the 1066 Norman invasion of England in spectacular form, but that’s not the only thing that makes Bayeux (45 minutes’ drive) worthy of your precious time. On the Aure river, the destination has half-timbered houses, a Norman-Gothic cathedral and plenty of other historic spots. There are lots of historic sites within driving distance of Chez Marie Roulotte, in fact, from Caen’s castle and memorial museum (45 minutes) to Saint-Lô, with its long tradition of horse racing (25 minutes). Prefer to stay active rather than tour the sights? Take charge of a canoe or kayak at Les Gorges de la Vire (15 minutes) or brave the bungee jump, mountain-biking trails and giant zipwire at AJ Hackett Normandie (20 minutes). From Granville (45 minutes), you could take a boat to the Chausey Islands after pottering around the medieval Upper Town and Christian Dior museum. A little wildlife can be introduced to your trip too with a visit to Zoo de Champrépus (35 minutes); it has animals such as tigers and lemurs.