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Normandy Attractions  For family holidays Normandy is an excellent choice with attractions to keep everyone happy, from outdoor activity centres to zoos, museums, a small theme park and miles of sandy beaches. For those interested in history the region is full of museums dedicated to Roman History, the Norman Conquest and the Second World War - especially D Day.  And in the heart of Normandy you will find wonderful rolling countryside, gardens and châteaux. Worthy of a trip are Le Mont St-Michel just over the departmental border in Brittany, the Palace de Versailles west of Paris and even Paris itself.

La Musée du Chemin de FerAccessibleMusée du Chemin de Fer 

Location:
35km south of Caen (D562 in the direction Flers/Laval) on the outskirts of Clécy.
General Information:  Open Sunday afternoons in March and first 3 Sundays of Oct. From April-Sept and Toussaint open every day, but closed Sundays in June and Saturdays in Sept. Prices adults €5.50 and 4-12’s €3.50. Telephone for further information: (0)2 31 69 07 13. Website.
Description: This model railway is the result of a father and son passion for trains and model-making. It occupies an area of 310m²  and has 430m of track. The whole scene stretches around nearly 4 sides of the room housing the model and is a detailed miniature landscape with lots of moving parts, including a fun fair, rack railway and ringing phone-box. The tour (with written English commentary) encompasses a ‘son et lumière’ display.
Our recommendations: Go early in the day as at the time of our visit (October Half Term) we had a bit of a wait before we had our tour. As the exhibition is indoors this is also ideal for poor weather days!
For the children: Children should enjoy this display, the little train that goes around the site in the summer months and perhaps even a crêpe in the crêperie.  Train ride is €1.20 for all.

Our favourite attractions in Normandy:

   - Bayeux Tapestry
   - Cité de la Mer
   - Festyland
   - Le Mont St-Michel
   - Le Val des Cîmes
   - Little Switzerland
   - Musée du Chemin de Fer
   - Souterroscope des Ardoisières
   - Viaduc de la Souleuvre
   - Vieux-la-Romaine
   - Village Enchanté
   - Zoo de Champrépus

External websites offering information on Normandy:

    
- Normandy Tourist Board site
     - Discover Normandy
     - Normandy France.Net
     - Château de Versailles - well worth a day trip!
Chosen by our children:

     - Top Attractions in Normandy
     - Top Ten Holiday destinations in France