Caen

I lived in Caen for one year as part of my French and German BA Honours degree course. I studied at the Université de Caen and lived in a student residence there called Lébisey.
I would describe Caen as a town rather than a city and it has a lovely close-knit and welcoming feel.The town of Caen boasts an excellent tram system called Twisto which operates within the town and its environs affording residents and visitors an inexpensive way to get around.
Every Sunday there is a fantastic market which takes place at the Porte de Plaisance quayside area. The market offers amazing produce from all over the region of Normandy. Try the Tarte aux Fraises for a real treat! The market is a great way to see French life in action as people haggle over the price of a roast chicken and sit by the water eating chunks of fresh baguette.
The Chateau Ducal is another must to visit whilst in Caen, and there are two great museums inside the Chateau walls; the Musée de Normandie which explores life in Normandy through the ages and the Musée des Beaux Arts which houses diverse works of art.
The river side is a perfect place for a picnic on a sunny day and there are many Boulangeries nearby to pick up a baguette to munch on. I have so many fond memories of Caen as there is so much to see and do. I cannot recommend it enough. My tip for cheap travel to Caen from the UK is to fly with a budget airline such as Easyjet to Paris Charles de Gaulle, catch the Roissy Bus to central Paris then catch a train from the Gare St Lazare to Caen .The train ride takes about 2-2.5 hours.
Alternatively, ferries run direct from Portsmouth UK to Ouistreham which is a short taxi ride from Caen centre.

I lived here for a year on exchange to France. I wouldn’t recommend the Memorial but it’s a nice little town. I’ll definitely visit again for the people, but I doubt I’ll ever want to live there. The Memorial is boring, but if you do go along the cost the cemetaries and the leftovers of WWII are worth seeing.

Only the strong of heart can handle this experience! For me, it is challenging to have a sense of the true impact of war. Visiting here makes life’s everyday issues no longer matter. The rows and rows of white crosses covering hill after hill after hill is simply overwhelming and fear-inducing. What an immense responsibility we owe to the men and women in those graves…

The WWII Memorial Museum is in Caen. Do not miss it, it’s very well done. The beaches are all nearby and so there is good seafood everywhere.

I once visited for New Year’s Eve, it was an organised home hospitality thing. Very pretty town centre with some sort of a castle or fortress. Of course the local production of cidre was another main reason for checking out the area!