Cherbourg

Here you arrive in an impressive terminal building, pretty much intact the way it was in the beginning of the 20th century. You still will feel the atmosphere of a bygone area. The signs for Ellis Island are still there!

Located near the town center of Cherbourg, the cruise terminal provides services such as tourist information and souvenir shop.

Cruise ships will dock at the Quay de France or at Quai de Normandie, which is next to it.

In the terminal, cruise passengers are invited to a free tasting of delicacies from the Normandy region.

If the weather is fine it is only a 10 to 15-minute pleasant walk to the center of Cherbourg, so a shuttle bus is not really needed.

Tourist office in the cruise terminal has free city maps and sells the shuttle tickets when it is provided by the city. €4 for use all day, 3 stops, the shopping centre ( Carrefour), the train station and the city centre near the tourist office then back to the terminal in a circular route, takes about 25 mins total. No bus at lunchtime 1230 - 1330 hrs.

On Sundays calls, the shuttle bus drop the passengers in front of the tourist office.

Located at the tip of the Cotentin Peninsula, the busy town of Cherbourg has been an important naval base since Napoleonic times, and is a popular gateway to the magnificent region of Normandy. It is a military, fishing and commercial port, with a yachting marina, and boasts the largest artificial harbor in the world. Normandy has a spectacular coastline and plenty of sandy beaches, with dramatic cliffs rising up near Cherbourg.

Let yourself be overtaken by the exuberant daily activity of the fishing port and marina, right in the heart of town; let yourself be guided along the made-up piers with their flood-lighting following the rhythm of tides, and appreciate the very special atmosphere of a town open to the sea.

The old town of Cherbourg is on the other side of the Bassin du Commerce crossing the bridge 'le Pont Tournant'.

You might want to visit La Cite de la Mer, a very large nautical museum including submarines and aquarium. It is located right next to the cruise terminal. At the hospitality desk of the cruise terminal, passengers can buy their tickets for La Cité de La Mer museum and save 1,50 euro reduction per adult. Price is normally around 21 euro.

Railway station 2km from the Cruise Terminal. Two hours 45 minutes Cherbourg to Paris. Cruise shuttle makes a stop here.

A little tourist train makes an hourly tour through Cherbourg. 5 Euro p.p. It normally is waiting right in front of the cruise terminal when the ship has arrived. In town, it leaves roughly 15 minutes after the hour.

It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.

The Bayeux Tapestry: Bayeux is a charming old town with well preserved Renaissance and medieval buildings and cobbled streets lined with typical timber-framed houses. In these beautiful surroundings you will find the famous Bayeux Tapestry.

The shuttle will drop you off at the railway station. It takes 7 minutes from terminal to station. Journey takes around an hour, with direct trains roughly two-hourly. One-way fare 15 euro.

Cap de la Hague: set in rugged countryside, with a backdrop of granite rocks and moorlands, the Cap de la Hague offers breathtaking views and some splendid photo opportunities. On your way there you will follow a scenic coastal route and pass by manor houses and typical Norman villages. Continue via some of the highest cliffs in Europe to admire the stunning panorama.

The nearby Normandy beaches are a must-see. Due to the time involved we recommend a ship organized excursion.

The D-Day Landings: the Invasion of Normandy was the invasion and establishment of Allied forces in Normandy, France during Operation Overlord in World War II. It covers from the initial landings on June 6, 1944 until the Allied breakout in mid-July. The invasion was the largest seaborne invasion at the time, involving over 156,000 troops crossing the English Channel from the United Kingdom to Normandy.

The main shopping area lies just behind the waterfront, in the Old Town, where a maze of narrow cobbled streets, many pedestrianized only, are packed with specialist food and wine shops, café bars, restaurants, fashion boutiques and gift shops.

On Thursday mornings there is a big open-air market in the center of Cherbourg.

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Local emergency number:

Passengers can find free WIFI in the cruise terminal and also in Cherbourg tourist office.

Police: 17 Fire brigade: 18 Ambulance: 15

Most shops, businesses, information services, museums and banks in Cherbourg stay open all day. Basic hours of business are from 8 or 9am to 6.30 or 7.30pm Monday to Saturday for the big shops and Tuesday to Saturday for smaller shops (some of the smaller shops may open on Monday afternoon). You can always find boulangeries and food shops that do stay open, however, on days when others close – on Sunday normally until noon.