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Before you go
Your trip to Caen.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Caen – Normandy Destination Normandy and Mont-Saint-Michel about 130 km from Rouen
How to get there
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Aéroport de Caen-Carpiquet (CFR) Carpiquet · 7 km
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Gare de Caen 2 km
Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.
Caen–Carpiquet Airport is about 7 km from the city center. Trains departing Paris Saint-Lazare reach Caen in about 2 hours. By car, Caen is roughly 240 km from Paris via the A13 and about 30 km from Bayeux. From the station to the center there are trams and buses.
How many days
One day for the castle, the two abbeys and the Church of Saint Peter. With two days you can devote a whole morning or afternoon to the Memorial of Caen. The city also serves as a base for Bayeux and the D-Day landing beaches.
When to go
From May to September, with long days and mild temperatures. Winter, December to February, is cold and wet. In June, the commemorations of the June 6, 1944 landing draw many visitors to the region.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Do you need a car?
Not for the city center: it is walkable and there are trams and buses to the Memorial. For the D-Day beaches and the inland areas of Calvados, a car is helpful.
Suggested itinerary
An order that works
Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.
One day in Caen
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Morning
Caen Castle
Start at the castle, on the high point of the center. Walk the walls, view the foundations of the ducal palace, and choose between the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Normandy, both inside the grounds. From the walls you can see the Church of Saint Peter just below.
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Afternoon
Church of Saint Peter and Abbey of Men
Descend to the Church of Saint Peter and note the Renaissance apse. Walk west on foot to the Abbey of Men, where William the Conqueror’s tomb is located. The abbey church is open for independent visits; the monastery buildings, which house the town hall, are visited only with a guided tour.
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Late afternoon
Abbey of Ladies
Cross the center to the Abbey of Ladies, east of the castle, where Queen Matilda is buried. The park beside the abbey offers a wide view over the city.
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Evening
Dinner in the Vaugueux neighborhood
Dine in Vaugueux, the narrow streets below the castle with old houses and restaurants. It’s a good opportunity to try tripes à la mode de Caen or other Norman dishes.
2 days in Caen
Day 1
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Morning
Castle and Church of Saint Peter
Devote the morning to the castle, the walls and one of the museums inside the grounds. On the way down, enter the Church of Saint Peter.
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Afternoon
The two abbeys
Visit the Abbey of Men, with William’s tomb, then cross the city to the Abbey of Ladies, with Matilda’s tomb.
Day 2
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Morning
Memorial of Caen
Take the bus to the Memorial of Caen, in the north of the city, and allow at least three hours for the exhibition on World War II, the D-Day landings and the Cold War.
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Afternoon
Memorial gardens and return to the center
Finish the visit in the Memorial gardens and return to the center to walk the shopping streets between the Church of Saint Peter and Place de la République.
Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.
Before you go
Frequently asked questions
What to see in Caen in one day?
Caen Castle, with its walls and museums, the Church of Saint Peter, the Abbey of Men where William the Conqueror’s tomb is located, and the Abbey of Ladies where Queen Matilda’s tomb is located.
How much time to allow for the Memorial of Caen?
At least three hours. The museum is extensive and covers World War II, the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy, and the Cold War. Many visitors spend half a day there.
Is Caen a good base to visit the D-Day beaches?
Yes. The city has train service, an airport and many accommodation options, and the D-Day beaches are less than an hour by car. Bayeux is about 30 km away.
What is Caen’s connection to William the Conqueror?
William had the castle built around 1060 and, with his wife Matilda of Flanders, founded the city’s two abbeys. He is buried in the Abbey of Men; she in the Abbey of Ladies.
What are tripes à la mode de Caen?
It is the city’s signature dish: parts of the ox’s stomach and the ox’s foot cooked for many hours with vegetables in a clay pot. The dish has its own page in the Flavors of France section.