Normandy rewards slow travel. In one week, you can move from the chalk cliffs of Le Tréport to the inland market-town atmosphere of Doudeville, then on to Annebault near the Pays d’Auge, where cider orchards, stud farms, and Belle Époque seaside resorts shape the landscape.

This part of France is layered with history. Le Tréport grew as a fishing port and cliffside resort, Doudeville is known as the flax capital of Normandy, and the Annebault area sits within one of the region’s most atmospheric corners, close to Honfleur, Deauville, Trouville, and the rolling countryside that inspired painters, chefs, and horse breeders alike.

Practically, a car is the great advantage here. Roads are generally straightforward, parking is easier than in major French cities, and your route is ideal for mixing coastal walks, village markets, seafood lunches, cider tastings, and a final cross-country drive toward Champagne. Book museum entries and major meals ahead where possible, and keep an eye on Monday opening hours in smaller towns.

Getting around: Since you are already driving, this itinerary is built as a Normandy road trip with short regional drives. For route planning and rail alternatives in France, you can compare options on Omio trains and Omio buses.

Le Tréport

Le Tréport is one of the most dramatic small seaside towns in northern France. Its white cliffs, fishing harbor, funicular, and old waterfront give it a cinematic quality that feels quite different from the grander beach resorts farther west.

Come here for sea air, cliff views, and a first taste of Normandy seafood. The town is compact, walkable, and especially good for a gentle arrival day.

Stay ideas for future trips: VRBO in Le Tréport | Hotels.com in Le Tréport

Day 1 - Saturday, May 2: Arrival in Le Tréport

Morning: If you arrive early enough in the region, keep the morning flexible for your drive and check-in rhythm. Once settled, start with a coffee and pastry near the harbor; look for a local boulangerie for a simple Normandy breakfast of croissant, tartine, and strong coffee before walking the quays.

Afternoon: Ride or walk up toward the cliffs and the funicular terraces for the signature view over Le Tréport, Mers-les-Bains, and the Channel. Then stroll the seafront into Mers-les-Bains, just across the border in Hauts-de-France, to admire its colorful Belle Époque villas; it is a short walk, but it feels like entering a different postcard.

Evening: For dinner, choose a seafood-focused table on or near the port and order what the coast does best: mussels, sole, turbot, or a plateau de fruits de mer if available. If you want a quieter finish, take a short post-dinner harbor walk as the fishing boats and cliff lights come into view.

Food notes: In Le Tréport, prioritize fish restaurants and traditional brasseries over elaborate tasting menus. This is a town for freshness and setting: oysters, shrimp, local fish soup, and Norman desserts such as tarte aux pommes are the right mood.

Doudeville

Doudeville sits in the Pays de Caux, inland from the Alabaster Coast. It is a practical and appealing base for village life, market culture, manor-country scenery, and day trips to some of Normandy’s most handsome coastal towns.

This stop works best when you alternate countryside and coast. Doudeville itself is modest, but its location gives you access to Veules-les-Roses, Saint-Valery-en-Caux, and the broader flax-and-farm landscape that defines this corner of Seine-Maritime.

Stay ideas for future trips: VRBO in Doudeville | Hotels.com in Doudeville

Day 2 - Sunday, May 3: Le Tréport to Doudeville via the Alabaster Coast

Morning: Depart Le Tréport after breakfast and drive to Doudeville, allowing roughly 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes depending on your route and stops. Rather than going straight in, make a scenic pause at Saint-Valery-en-Caux, a handsome little port with a marina, pebble beach, and easy promenade.

Afternoon: Continue to Veules-les-Roses, one of Normandy’s prettiest villages, famous for the tiny Veules River, watermills, thatched houses, and flower-lined lanes. Have lunch here if possible; this is an excellent place for a relaxed meal built around local fish, cream sauces, and Norman cider.

Evening: Check in at Doudeville and enjoy a low-key evening in town. For dinner, seek out a traditional Norman restaurant or auberge serving duck, cream-based seafood dishes, local cheeses, and apple desserts; after a scenic transfer day, simple regional cooking will likely be more satisfying than a long detour.

Drive note: This transfer is best treated as a touring day rather than a point-to-point journey. Small coast-road deviations are worth it here.

Day 3 - Monday, May 4: Doudeville, Flax Country & Veules-les-Roses / Saint-Valery-en-Caux

Morning: Begin with breakfast in Doudeville: coffee, fresh baguette, butter, jam, and perhaps a slice of teurgoule if you find it nearby, Normandy’s gently spiced rice pudding. Then explore the town and its local identity as the flax capital of Normandy; the broader countryside is especially photogenic in late spring, when the agricultural landscape starts to glow.

Afternoon: Choose between two very good half-day outings. If you want beauty and slow strolling, return to Veules-les-Roses to walk the river route more fully and browse artisan shops. If you prefer a livelier harbor atmosphere, spend the afternoon in Saint-Valery-en-Caux, where you can walk the beach, marina, and town center and enjoy a seafood lunch or late crepe stop.

Evening: Back in Doudeville, keep the evening restful. A glass of Normandy cider, poiré, or Calvados as an aperitif is the right local ritual, followed by dinner centered on Camembert, Pont-l’Évêque, or Neufchâtel cheese and a seasonal main course from the day’s market.

Optional local gem: If the weather is fine, simply drive the rural lanes around Doudeville near sunset. The payoff is not a monument but atmosphere: church spires, manor gates, hedgerows, and long agricultural views.

Annebault

Annebault is a small village, but it places you in one of Normandy’s richest touring zones. From here, the Pays d’Auge, cider route, Deauville, Trouville-sur-Mer, Honfleur, and inland villages are all within comfortable reach.

This is where your itinerary shifts from the northern cliffs to classic Normandy imagery: half-timbered houses, orchards, market halls, elegant seaside architecture, and serious food. It is a fine base for mixing coast, countryside, and longer scenic drives.

Stay ideas for future trips: VRBO in Annebault | Hotels.com in Annebault

Day 4 - Tuesday, May 5: Doudeville to Annebault via Honfleur

Morning: Drive from Doudeville to Annebault, allowing about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, but make Honfleur your principal stop en route. Honfleur’s old basin, slate-front houses, and maritime history have drawn everyone from merchants to Impressionists, and it remains one of the most visually satisfying towns in Normandy.

Afternoon: Spend several hours in Honfleur wandering the Vieux Bassin, Sainte-Catherine Church, and the old lanes of galleries and specialty food shops. For lunch, this is a strong place for moules marinières, sole meunière, or a seafood platter; afterward, continue to Annebault for check-in and a quiet countryside reset.

Evening: Stay local around Annebault and enjoy a slower dinner in the Pays d’Auge style. Look for dishes featuring cream, mushrooms, local cheeses, cider sauces, or poultry from the region; this is also an excellent night to sample Calvados after dinner.

Dining strategy: Honfleur can be busy, so reserve if you want a well-known restaurant with harbor views. If you prefer value and less bustle, eat your main evening meal nearer Annebault or in a nearby village.

Day 5 - Wednesday, May 6: Deauville, Trouville-sur-Mer & the Côte Fleurie

Morning: Start for Deauville, roughly 25-35 minutes away depending on where you park. Walk the famous Les Planches boardwalk, see the beach umbrellas and grand hotels, and enjoy breakfast or coffee in town; Deauville has long been associated with horse racing, cinema, and polished seaside leisure, but in the morning it still feels pleasantly human-scaled.

Afternoon: Cross over to Trouville-sur-Mer, Deauville’s more everyday, more food-loving counterpart. This is an excellent lunch stop for oysters, langoustines, or market-fresh fish; afterward, browse the fish market area, the beach promenade, or independent shops before taking a short scenic drive through the Côte Fleurie villages if time allows.

Evening: Return to Annebault for a countryside evening, or if you still have energy, stay on the coast for sunset and dinner. Trouville is especially good for a lively but not overly formal seafood dinner, while Deauville suits a more polished brasserie mood.

Local favorites to seek out: In Deauville and Trouville, look for classic brasseries, oyster bars, and pâtisseries rather than generic tourist menus. A good benchmark is whether the day’s fish is clearly listed and the dessert section includes apple tart, millefeuille, or Normandy cream specialties.

Day 6 - Thursday, May 7: Pays d’Auge Villages, Cider Route & Beuvron-en-Auge

Morning: Dedicate today to inland Normandy. Drive through the Pays d’Auge toward villages such as Beuvron-en-Auge, one of the prettiest spots in the region, where half-timbered facades, timber market buildings, and carefully kept village squares create the Normandy most travelers hope to find.

Afternoon: Continue with a leisurely countryside loop including cider and Calvados country. If you see a producer open for tastings, stop for a bottle of cider, pommeau, or Calvados; this area’s apple culture is not decorative folklore but a living culinary tradition, and tasting locally gives real context to so many Norman menus.

Evening: For your last full Normandy night, choose a memorable dinner either in a village inn or back toward the coast. Order a meal that feels regionally complete: Camembert or Pont-l’Évêque to start, fish or poultry in cider-cream sauce for the main, then tarte normande or an apple-based dessert.

Why this day matters: It balances the week. After cliffs, ports, and resort towns, you get the orchard-and-village heart of Normandy, which is arguably the region’s deepest identity.

Day 7 - Friday, May 8: Annebault to Rilly-la-Montagne via Rouen or Reims-side Stops

Morning: Begin the drive back from Annebault to Rilly-la-Montagne, which will generally take around 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes without major stops. To break the journey, consider a stop in Rouen for coffee and a walk near the cathedral and old center; it adds cultural depth without forcing a major detour.

Afternoon: Continue east toward Champagne. If timing works better closer to your destination, save your main pause for the Reims area, where you can stretch your legs before arriving in Rilly-la-Montagne; this helps turn a long transfer into a pleasant final touring day rather than a pure motorway push.

Evening: Arrive, settle in, and toast the end of the trip with Champagne now that you are in the right landscape for it. After a Normandy week of cider, cream, seafood, and village roads, the shift into vine-covered hills is a satisfying final note.

Road-trip tip: Keep this final day lighter than it looks on paper. A single well-chosen stop, good coffee, and an unrushed lunch are better than trying to add two or three rushed visits.

Practical planning notes

• Car travel: Best option for this itinerary. Many of the most rewarding stops are easier by car than by train.
• Regional transport search: Compare alternatives on Omio trains and Omio buses.
• Driving rhythm: Aim to leave after breakfast and arrive at each next base by late afternoon. That gives you time for scenic detours without turning the day into a slog.
• Food to prioritize: seafood in Le Tréport and the coast; cider, Calvados, cream sauces, Norman cheeses, and apple desserts inland and in the Pays d’Auge.
• Best market-and-stroll mood: Honfleur, Trouville-sur-Mer, Veules-les-Roses, and Beuvron-en-Auge.

This 7-day Normandy itinerary is built to suit your fixed hotel stays while still feeling elegant and spacious. You will see three very different faces of northern France: cliff coast, rural Seine-Maritime, and the orchard-and-seaside world of the Pays d’Auge, before finishing with a long but rewarding drive back to Rilly-la-Montagne.

It is a trip of landscapes as much as landmarks. Go slowly, book a few key meals, leave room for village discoveries, and let Normandy reveal itself through harbors, back roads, apple orchards, and the dinner table.