Cherbourg - something to do to kill a few hours?

BenEadir

Hi all,

Heading home from holiday via Cherbourg with the car and two kids aged 8 and 13 on Friday. Are there any interesting family things to do around Cherbourg to kill a few hours? I was thinking about trying to find a large scale WWI/II war cemetery or something like that. Any suggestions?

Also, as our ferry isn't until 10:30pm recommendations for somewhere to eat would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Ben

P. Breathnach

My time in Cherbourg tends to get used up shopping for wine!

Here is a possibility for family entertainment: http://www.citedelamer.com/en/

orchidsrpretty

http://www.citedelamer.com/. This is a great place to waste 4or5 hours, especially if your kids like marine life. Its quite expensive though. Afaik there is also a cimena in cherbourg.

zagmund

Utah beach is within spitting distance of Cherbourg.

I've stopped off a couple of times on the way back. I can't remember exactly, but it's something like 40 or 50 minutes drive, including getting lost in the countryside. There's a museum - http://www.utah-beach.com - that is well worth a visit, but you don't even need to go there as you can just enter the beach. It's a pretty awesome experience, especially if the tide is out when you can see the vast unprotected expanse that had to be taken. There are a couple of monuments around - the one marked as something like milepost 0 on the road back to European liberation may bring a tear to the eye if you are so minded. Parking is free & is essentially just on the side of the road.

There are more burger & fast food joints than you can shake a stick at on the approach to Cherbourg - in the shopping centre at the top of the hill as you approach.

I have stopped at a small bar/supermarket in Saint Joseph on (actually just off) the main N13 road, about half way between Utah beach & Cherbourg. My experience has been mixed - one day it was just closing up but I still got some supplies for the ferry, the other day I got a rather tasty coffee & danish but I think they had more substantial fare. If planning on feeding a family you might be better heading for the lights of Cherbourg to be sure, to be sure.

There's a motorway service station in the general area (I *think* it's in St Jean, south of Carentan) which has flyers for all the military museums in the region. I can recommend the Utah Beach one as I've been there, but I'm sure the others are good too.

z

BenEadir

Thanks Guys, that looks like a good option.

Has anyone visited the Liberation Museum (Musee de la Liberation) which is also near the port of Cherbourg? See http://www.normandiememoire.com/fiche-visit.php?flag=en&lang=en&visit=319 and http://www.ville-cherbourg.fr/index.php?id=279&L=1

Also, any suggestions for a good family restaurant in the area?

Cheers,

Ben

zagmund

Check the opening times - you don't (necessarily) want to end up in Cherbourg at 1800 with all attractions closed and nothing to do for the next 4 hours other than sit in your car in the marshalling yard for the ferry. If it was me, I would aim to arrive in cherbourg (fed, watered & entertained) at 2030 for a 2200 sailing. This gives plenty of time for checking in, etc . . . without being overkill.

z

P. Breathnach

I haven't been to the Liberation Museum. When you have been to Normandy a number of times, you can have a sense of being overdosed with war museums: every town and village seems to have one. Some are good, others less so.

I'd wonder about their appeal to children aged 8 (particularly) and 13. I think you would need to prepare them by explaining an amount about the war and the D-Day landings. In principle, worth doing, but you might have left it a bit late.

I can't recommend a place to eat. My impression of dining in or near Cherbourg is that there is nothing memorably good or disastrously bad. Parking in the heart of the town can be difficult if you don't know your way around, so I would support zagmund's suggestion of trying the shopping centre on the way in to the town. Look for "Auchan" signs, and be prepared for an easy-to miss access road at a roundabout.

ollaetta

If you feel you want to visit a war cemetery there is a German one just south of Valognes at Orglandes. You will more than likely pass near there on your way to Cherbourg.

There are almost twice as many buried there as in the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach but the approach is very different. A very sobering place, here's what Trip Advisor has on it: Orglandes German Cemetery

munchkin_utd

its also worth bearing in mind that the ferry can board fairly early.
I cant remember the exact timings the last time I was in Cherbourg, but for Irish Ferries we were on the boat maybe an hour before last boarding so 1 1/2 hours before departure IIRC.

gandalf

You don't say which direction your arriving to Cherbourg from. I travelled from the Caen direction last week and saw a new museum/attraction around the Carentan area. I didn't get a chance to stop as we didn't have any spare time before the ferry like you do. It might be worth a visit then again it may not, it only opened in June this year.

http://www.normandy-tank-museum.fr/?lang=EN

Warning the website like the majority of french sites has a media file that plays upon loading.

munchkin_utd

gandalf wrote: »

You don't say which direction your arriving to Cherbourg from. I travelled from the Caen direction last week and saw a new museum/attraction around the Carentan area. I didn't get a chance to stop as we didn't have any spare time before the ferry like you do. It might be worth a visit then again it may not, it only opened in June this year.

http://www.normandy-tank-museum.fr/?lang=EN

Warning the website like the majority of french sites has a media file that plays upon loading.

good point.
That entire Normandy coast is unbelievably interesting with no lack of Museums and stuff to look at.

And lots of places to sample the local Cidre fresh from the farmer! I cannot stick Irish/ British cider but that stuff is a different world of lovelyness.

gandalf

munchkin_utd wrote: »

And lots of places to sample the local Cidre fresh from the farmer! I cannot stick Irish/ British cider but that stuff is a different world of lovelyness.

Oh without a doubt, we brought 18 bottles back with us and it is disappearing fast!

Pretzill

Agree about the cidre delicious - theres a good carpark in cherbourg centre it's sort of hidden behind the strip of hotels and restaurants that block its view from the river. Parked there many a time and it's cheap also from there you can walk around the town itself and choose a place to eat. the big aquarium museum is interesting but a little pricey if you include the submarine in the tour. I think cherbourg is quite pleasant to walk around at the marina but I cant think of much that would entertain the kids.

BenEadir

Hi all,

Thanks for the various suggestions. In the end we decided against getting to Cherbourg too early and opted instead for a final morning spending time with the kids before hitting the road (from St Jean de Monts) around 13:30. We stopped a couple of times along the way for coffee etc and got to Cherbourg around 19:15.

We headed into Centre Ville and crossed the bridge to the area with restaurants etc. We actually found the car park you mentioned Pretzill and parked there. There was no charge as it was after 19:00

We exited the car park and chose a small cafe/bistro about 6 or 7 premises to the right of the car park. Small pokey little place but full of people and a lot of French people who seemed to be regulars (warmly greeted by the staff etc) and ate there. Given the city centre location and proximity to the port etc it was very good value and good food.

Boarded around 20:45 and had an uneventful sailing back, just as I like it to be!!

I wouldn't mind spending a day visiting some of the war graves and museums etc in the area but might wait a few years until the kids are a bit older and can appreciate it a bit more. I visited the war cemetery in Kanchanaburi, Thailand (Bridge over the river Kwai) a few years ago and found the experience quite moving. What it must have been like to be a POW being worked as a slave in the SE Asia jungle in the 1940's is mind blowing. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanchanaburi_War_Cemetery, http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2017100/KANCHANABURI%20WAR%20CEMETERY and http://www.kanchanaburi-info.com/en/muang.html. I'd highly recommend it for anyone visiting Thailand and only a 3 hour drive from Bangkok.

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions.

Cheers,

Ben