A fun-filled family-friendly itinerary – this is how we planned the perfect port day in Cherbourg, France when visiting by cruise.
The moment you disembark your ship, you will be reminded that Cherbourg is an industrial ferry port at heart, with the added novelty of being a place where cruise ship passengers visit for the day. By that, I mean that the so-called ‘main attraction’ is retro-fit in to an old passenger terminal, meaning its practically hiding in plain sight!
‘Cité de la Mer’ Submarine, Titanic Museum & Aquarium
In my opinion, the ‘Cité de la Mer’ attraction definitely feels like the result of a desperate bid to create something for tourists, using whatever the local area had at its disposal, with an “if goes in the sea, it can go in the museum” vibe! If you are looking for something convenient, or any of the subjects featured are of interest to you, I’m sure it is worth a visit. For us, at around €20 per person, this is not a great value day out. I’m also not convinced they should be selling themselves as a ‘theme park’, as currently worded on their own website!
So, what should we do in Cherbourg?
Instead of purchasing tickets to the first thing you see, I suggest walking in to the town and catching a local public bus to visit a real authentic French chateau. Best of all? You only need to pay for the bus fare as entrance to the gardens are free! Yes, FREE!
Chateau Des Ravalet
In my opinion, this is Cherbourg’s best kept secret! You can ‘Escape To the Chateau’ really easily by public bus, just remember to take your own refreshments and enough cash for your return journey. From the cruise terminal, head towards the town, then once you reach the foot bridge on the right, cross the water. Follow the quayside around to the right and the bus stop is on the quayside, called ‘Caligny’. From here, take bus line 2 towards Eglantine Chateau. Here you will alight at the final stop, Eglantine Chateau. From the bus stop, it is a 12 minute walk to the entrance to the Chateau, as per the map below. [Note, there is bus stop directly outside of Chateau des Ravalet. Bus line 2 towards Cherbourg does not stop here. You will need to walk back to Eglantine Chateau bus stop for your return journey]. The bus runs approximately every 20 minutes, takes around 30 minutes & costs €1.50 per person per journey currently. For more information, including seasonal timetables, visit capcotentin.fr.
Once you reach Chateau Des Ravalet, you can simply wander around the gardens at leisure. There are two play areas to explore, open grass lawns, woodland and manicured gardens. My top tip would be to take a picture of the map of the gardens on the way in so you can be sure not to miss anything. There is not a marked route as such, so its easy to miss something if you don’t know where to find it. The toilets are located by the main entrance, so be sure to make use of them when you are passing. Whilst there isn’t a cafe or shop here, it is very much like a National Trust site, encouraging everyone to get out into nature and enjoy their time in the well maintained surroundings. Although the chateau itself isn’t open to the public most of the year, the gardens are always open during daylight hours. We had the most magical few hours here one sunny day in May, and our son enjoyed playing with local children who understood that language was no barrier to play!
After a few hours exploring Chateau Des Ravalet, walk back to Chateau Eglantine and hop on bus line 2 (in the direction of Amfreville) back in to Cherbourg. Stay on the bus 2-stops past Caligny (where you go on the bus) to alight at Chantereyne. From here you are just a few hundred meters from another free attraction!
Cherbourg Botanical Gardens
Though the gardens are much smaller than those at the chateau, the Parc Emmanuel Liais botanical gardens are in the heart of the city and offer visitors with children another opportunity to play and explore. In the spring and summer seasons, the flowers breathe life in to the park, and there are benches around for you to take a rest if you need one. There are a few different small play areas tucked in to the corners of these gardens, so you will need to hunt for them! There is also a small museum here, but we didn’t feel the need to purchase a ticket, if it was even open when we visited!
Carousel and Crepes
When in France! From the botanical gardens, it is a completely flat and paved leisurely stroll through shop-filled streets and cafes back towards the main quayside. Head through the old town in the direction of ‘Place Général de Gaulle’, and you will find a traditional carousel ride in the main square, with accompanying crepes made to order. If you fancy a more traditional meal or cafe, there are plenty of options in the area. There are also locals offering horse and carriage rides from here too. No need to pre-book, just form an orderly queue and wait your turn. We couldn’t see the prices displayed anywhere when we visited, and by this point we were ready to walk back to the ship, but many families were enjoying a ride.
Shopping in Cherbourg
Before you begin the final walk back to the cruise ship terminal, remember to purchase your snacks, drinks and those all-important souvenirs! The old town has everything you could imagine – fridge magnets, tea towels, postcards… whatever you need. Just don’t rely on the cruise terminal for souvenirs here – it’s slim pickings compared to other port shops, and you’ll only be disappointed! There are also some small high street shops in town, so if you do want to indulge in a little retail therapy, it can be done. Just don’t expect to find high-end designer gear here.
In Summary
Though Cherbourg itself is not necessarily on everyone’s ‘bucket list’, if it appears on your cruise itinerary, you can rest assured that there is enough to do without buying a pricy excursion. Hopping on the public bus to visit Chateau Des Ravalet is a real highlight on a sunny day, just remember to take your own refreshments!
Useful Links
Cap Contentin Website: capcotentin.fr
Cap Contentin Bus Route PDF Timetable (2026): storage.googleapis.com
Cherbourg Contentin: cherbourg.fr
Contentin Tourism:cotentin-tourisme-normandie.fr
Normandy Tourism: normandie-tourisme.fr
TripAdvisor: tripadvisor.co.uk
If you found this article useful, check out our other European ‘Tourist Guides’ here!
Have you been to Cherbourg? Would you recommend it to your friends and family, or do you feel it’s nothing to write home about? Let us know in the comments – we love to hear from you!
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