Hip Apartments in Normandy You'll Want to Call Home

In the département of Calvados (you’ll recognise the name from the regional apple brandy), the little seaside resort of Bernières-sur-Mer is big on history. L’Érable is French for Maple, and honours the Canadian soldiers who landed on Juno Beach in 1944. Here you’re in the heart of the village, in a two-bedroom traditional Normandy home. The living space is very comfy and there’s a shared garden in which to graze on the local cheese and cider you bought earlier.

With 2km (1mi) of broad, yellow-sand beach, the town of Blonville-sur-Mer is family-holiday heaven – although in this apartment for two you have the perfect base for a romantic break, too. The sea-facing balcony alone is worth the cost, but there’s a comfortable bedroom, a kitchen with all requisite appliances, a smart bathroom and wifi. If you’re nature-lovers, head for the nearby wetlands to spot storks and swans. And if it’s warm, take your towels and picnic down to the sea.

Also in Calvados, the maritime city of Honfleur doubly repays a visit: you’ll be busy the whole time, visiting its museums and strolling its public gardens as well as eating and drinking your way around the bars and restaurants that line the picturesque harbour. In the middle of old Honfleur is this sought-after, quirky little fisherman’s cabin, decorated in shades of blue, with outbreaks of hip bare-brick wall, funky pendant lamps and nautical objects on shelves. This close to some excellent beaches you’ll be glad you brought your cossies.

The bright lights, half-timbered buildings and chic boutiques of Deauville town are just a ferry ride away from this cute little apartment, across the Touques river. But if you don’t feel like living it up, don’t fret: this two-person hideaway is a real cocoon, with its sink-into sofa, flatscreen TV, smart power-shower bathroom and neat kitchenette. You’ll be near gorgeous Trouville beach with its wide sands, swimming and water sports – kayaking and sailing are favourites.

With its corsair-themed, skull-and-crossbone elements, this sweet one-bedroom holiday cottage with terrace feels a bit like a pirate ship. But it’s not remotely intimidating – au contraire, it’s utterly embracing, with a games room, sauna, jacuzzi and pool in the garden. (Even dogs are welcome.) You’re deep in Normandy countryside, miles from the coast (nearest civilisation: the cathedral city of Sées). But the apartment couldn’t be better placed for exploring the Normandie-Maine regional park, and seeking out historic castles nearby.

People visit this port city for the Château de Caen, built circa 1060 by William the Conqueror; one of Europe’s largest medieval complexes. Wander the half-timbered district of Vaugueux, and sample wines and camembert along foodie rue Froide to take back home to this neat apartment. In the central business district, it has a tram stop right outside the door. We love its well-equipped kitchen, bathroom with tub and shower and living area with funky modernist dining chairs.

In the heart of Caen, an easy hop from the main railway station, this aparthotel rents cool studio/apartment spaces with pop-art-bright, snappy interiors guaranteed to lift your mood. Everything you need is supplied, from breakfast service to co-working space with free internet, a gym, a communal kitchen and a sitting area with a convenience store. There’s indoor private parking, too. Not driving? This place is an easy walk from the main railway station.

No French trip – business or pleasure – is complete without buttery, flaky croissants for breakfast. And this clutch of apartments is conveniently just round the corner from a time-honoured bakery in the charming little seaside village of Bernières-sur-Mer, an eight-minutes walk from Juno beach. The apartments, of various dimensions, are contained in a long building, all comfortably furnished, with bathrooms, neat kitchens and, of course, wifi on tap. For sunny days there’s a shared garden; when it rains, you’ve access to a video room.

Here’s another cracking little place in the history-laced port of Honfleur. A weekend here permits idle strolls along the Old Harbour, where the tall masts of yachts tinkle; past tall, skinny houses cheek by jowl, and wonderful seafood restaurants spilling onto the pavement. Browse for goodies to bring back to your apartment at the Maison d’Eugène; you can cook dinner in the well-equipped kitchen, eat your fill in the dining space and relax afterwards in the comfy sitting room.

Rising, fairytale-like, on its rocky tidal islet, the Gothic-style Benedictine Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel is high on the ticklist of tourists to Normandy. So it makes sense to stay nearby – perhaps at the Fleurdumont, close to the shuttle bus that serves the Mont, with parking onsite, too. Apartments do the trick, with kitchenettes, living rooms and balconies, the whole affair surrounded by gardens with a large swimming pool and a children’s play area. Organise a breakfast basket for simplicity.