Holidaying in England was all the rage this summer. However when looking out the window at that encroaching dark cloud lurking just around the corner, the prospect of digging out your tent and travel cooker that’s been gathering dust for the past 10 years just doesn’t seem to cut it!

Visit Northern France

Well there is a solution to this holiday dilemma. Simply pack up the car, hop in and head down to the channel ports where you can get a short trip over the Channel to some delightful destinations in Northern France.

We’ve already featured the northen french destinations St Malo and Cherbourg, now its Caen’s turn.

Spend a Few days in Caen

Birthday party, hen weekend, graduation, or just looking for an excuse to let your hair down, Caen in northern France is the perfect place for you! If you’re a group of girls looking for a weekend of fun and keen to head to somewhere new, hop on a ferry crossing for the perfect getaway for you and your friends. Caen is a bustling and vivacious university town, famous for its historical feel, it also has a nightlife culture that will make you want to put on your best dancing shoes and join in the action!

Catching a ferry crossing from Portsmouth Port on a Friday morning can get you across the Channel in just under six hours arriving at Caen after midday. You can return on Monday lunch time, giving you three days to shop, explore and party!

Caen is the capital of lower Normandy and with over 300 diverse brands to choose from, it has everything you need to shop the day away. You could spend hours floating around the many shops from well-known department stores such as Carrefour, to small traditional and tranquil French boutiques like Elodivine, where you might stumble across the next big thing in fashion and not forgetting the wonderful fragrances from the leading French perfume houses! Even pop in to sexy lingerie store Tentation to add a fun twist to your trip!

Caen is filled with bustling markets everyday. From traditional, at Place Courtonne, to modern and from a quiet atmosphere to having to jostle for a position at the famous Fosse St-Julien market! All sorts of products are sold there, from food, to jingle jangle jewellery, so there will definitely be something that will catch your eye.

After all that shopping, you’ll need to chill out, and Sword and Omaha beaches are only 10 minutes away, providing a relaxing escape from city life as well as a chance to top up your tan!

With an abundance of restaurants and bars in the centre of Caen there is plenty to be getting up to in the evenings. The city centre boasts a nightlife that is equipped for people ready to party and it will not let you down. Vibrant nightclubs such as Bar Pink on rue de Bernières, Le Carré New Club or Le Chic on Place de Courtonne are waiting, so if you feel like getting out you’re dancing shoes you can get down to the city where you can boogie the night away.

Whatever you desire there will be accommodation to satisfy your needs from renting apartments for a group of you, to cheaper hostels such as Holiday Inn Caen in the City Centre so you are right in the midst of the party scene. Find more information about which hotel would be best for you at the Caen Tourist Office.

Wind down from your weekend of partying on a hassle free trip by ferry back to Portsmouth. The journey couldn’t be simpler, the recovery is down to you.

Had you forgotten all about the dismal British weather for a second? Yes, thought so.  Northern France offers such an array of activities from adventure to tranquillity, its difficult to imagine a summer without it!