Getting to Normandy from the UK: Ferry, Eurotunnel & Calais Drive

Which crossing to take usually comes down to where you're travelling from, how much time you want to spend on the ferry and your budget for the crossing.

Two routes that used to appear in guides like this one have now closed. Brittany Ferries ended its Poole to Cherbourg service and its Portsmouth to Le Havre service in October 2026, so for Cherbourg you now sail from Portsmouth. Brittany Ferries also sails from Portsmouth to St Malo and from Plymouth to Roscoff, but both land in Brittany, a long drive from the beaches, so they only make sense if you're combining Normandy with a wider trip.

Whichever you choose, you'll almost certainly arrive from the east. Caen, Dieppe and Calais are all at the eastern end of the D-Day coast, so most trips naturally start at Pegasus Bridge and Sword Beach and work west towards Omaha and Utah. My 3-day D-Day itinerary and the guide to visiting the D-Day beaches both cover the beaches in more detail.

Portsmouth to Caen (Ouistreham)

This is the most popular crossing for the D-Day beaches. The ferry arrives at Ouistreham, at the mouth of the River Orne rather than in Caen itself, which puts you right at the eastern end of Sword Beach the moment you drive off the ship. Pegasus Bridge is only a few minutes inland, Bayeux is around 40 minutes west, Omaha Beach is about 50 minutes away and Utah Beach about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Day sailings get you to Normandy in the afternoon or evening, but for an early start on the beaches my preference is the night crossing with a cabin. It takes longer, but you get some rest on the way over and drive off the ship early in the morning without losing a day.

See the latest Brittany Ferries offers

Portsmouth to Cherbourg

Cherbourg is the only ferry port at the western end of the D-Day coast, at the top of the Cotentin peninsula, and the closest to Utah Beach and Sainte-Mère-Église. Sailings from Portsmouth are much less frequent than on the Caen route and only run for part of the year. The day crossing takes around four and a half hours, and there's a slower night sailing too. For most people, though, it's only worth it if the dates happen to suit.

Newhaven to Dieppe

DFDS runs the only crossing from Newhaven to Dieppe, taking around four hours, and it's often among the cheapest ways across. Dieppe is at the eastern edge of Normandy, so you still have a drive of around two and a half hours to Caen, but it suits anyone coming from Sussex or London.

Dieppe has its own WW2 history, too. It was the target of the Dieppe Raid on 19th August 1942, when a largely Canadian force landed on the beaches below the town, and the memorials along the seafront are worth an hour before you head west.

Calais isn't in Normandy, but for many people it's the quickest way into France. The crossing is short and frequent, and if you miss one, there's usually another not long after.

Eurotunnel (LeShuttle) or the Dover ferry?

LeShuttle takes you and your car through the Channel Tunnel from Folkestone to Calais in about 35 minutes. You stay with the car the whole way, which makes it popular with anyone travelling with a dog or simply wanting to avoid a sea crossing. The Dover ferries take longer, at around an hour and a half, but they're usually cheaper, and the break on deck can be welcome before the drive.

LeShuttle

The drive from Calais to the D-Day beaches

From Calais, the route to the beaches follows the A16 south past Boulogne-sur-Mer to Abbeville, then the A28 to Rouen and the A13 west to Caen. It's around 345 kilometres to Caen, which takes about three and a half to four hours without stops. The motorways are tolled, so allow around €30 in tolls each way for a car.

Add roughly another 30 minutes to reach Bayeux or Arromanches, 50 minutes for Omaha Beach, and around 1 hour 10 minutes to Sainte-Mère-Église and Utah Beach.

Calais to Omaha Beach

For Omaha Beach, follow the same route to Caen, then continue west on the N13 past Bayeux and turn off for the coast at Vierville-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer or Colleville-sur-Mer. In all, allow around four and a half hours from Calais.

You can reach Normandy without driving. Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris, then cross the city to Gare Saint-Lazare for a direct train to Caen (around 2 hours) or Bayeux (around 2 hours 15 minutes). All the ferries also take foot passengers, and Ouistreham has a bus into Caen.

The catch is that the D-Day sites are spread along the coast and in the countryside behind it, and public transport between them is limited. Once you arrive, you'll want a hire car, a guided tour, or a base in Bayeux with a bike. The planning guide covers getting around in more detail.

A few things are worth sorting out before you drive to France:

• European breakdown cover: UK policies don't always cover you abroad, so check yours or add European cover for the trip.
• Travel insurance: including medical cover, alongside your GHIC.
• A UK sticker: required on your car in France unless your number plate already shows "UK".
• Headlamp beam adjusters: so your lights don't dazzle drivers on the right-hand side of the road.

Allow extra time at the border, too. The EU's new Entry/Exit System registers UK travellers' fingerprints and photos on their first crossing, and at Dover, Folkestone and Portsmouth that can add to the queues, especially in the school holidays. The EU's separate ETIAS travel authorisation, which UK visitors will eventually need to apply for online, has no launch date yet, so you don't need one for now. Be wary of any site offering to sell you one.

For speed limits, tolls, fuel and the rest of the rules of the road, see driving in France in the planning guide.

FAQs

What is the best way to get to Normandy from the UK?

It depends where you're starting from. From the south of England, the Brittany Ferries crossing from Portsmouth to Caen is usually the easiest, because it lands you at Ouistreham on Sword Beach, within easy reach of Bayeux and the other beaches. From the north, or if you live nearer Dover, a ferry from Dover to Calais or Dunkirk is usually cheaper and quicker, and the longer drive through France is balanced by a shorter one in England.

How long is the drive from Calais to Normandy?

Calais to Caen is around 345 kilometres, which takes about three and a half to four hours on the A16, A28 and A13 motorways without stops. Allow roughly another 30 minutes for Bayeux and 50 minutes for Omaha Beach, plus around €30 in tolls each way.

Which ferry port is closest to the D-Day beaches?

Caen (Ouistreham) is closest. The ferry terminal sits at the eastern end of Sword Beach, a few minutes from Pegasus Bridge, with Omaha Beach about 50 minutes' drive away and Utah Beach about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cherbourg is the only port at the western end, near Utah Beach and Sainte-Mère-Église, but sailings from Portsmouth are less frequent and only run for part of the year.

Can you get to Normandy from the UK without a car?

Yes. Take the Eurostar to Paris and a direct train from Gare Saint-Lazare to Caen or Bayeux, or travel as a foot passenger on the ferry to Caen. Public transport between the D-Day sites is limited, though, so plan on a hire car or a guided tour once you arrive.

Is there still a ferry from Poole to Cherbourg?

No. Brittany Ferries ended the Poole to Cherbourg route in October 2026. Cherbourg is still served from Portsmouth, although sailings are less frequent than on the Caen route and only run for part of the year.

Phil – creator of Normandy War Guide
I started the site more than a decade ago after my first trip to Normandy and have been hooked ever since. I visit a few times each year to explore new sites and update the guide. Over the years I've also transcribed thousands of WWII war diaries and scanned original maps to keep this history accessible for everyone.