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City guide

Caen, France

3 mi) inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados.

Type CityPopulation 105,512

Why go

  • Prefecture and commune in Normandy, France.
  • Served by Caen Carpiquet airport (CFR).

History

Caen is a city and commune 15 km (9.3 mi) inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants, while its functional urban area has 470,000, making Caen the second largest urban area in Normandy and the 19th largest in France. It is also the third largest commune in all of Normandy after Le Havre and Rouen.

Restaurants & places to go

Korean, Restaurant · Restaurant coréen Opening hours: Tu-Sa 12:00-14:00, 18:30-21:30 Features: vegan options, step-free access · ohnki.fr
Indoor
Restaurant · Horaires : midi et soir, du mardi au samedi Opening hours: Tu-Sa; Mo-Su off · la-casiniere.fr
Indoor
Cafe · Café céramique. Privatisation du lieu possible. Opening hours: We,Th 12:00-19:00; Fr-Su 10:00-12:30,13:30-19:00 · namicafeceramique.com
Indoor
Burger, Restaurant · Horaires : Midi et soir, du mardi au samedi Features: outdoor seating · lesburgersdelea.fr
Indoor
Restaurant · Horaires de service du restaurant : 12:00-14:30 Opening hours: Mo-Fr 08:30-16:00 · brasserieletoucan.fr
Indoor
Restaurant · Caviste qui fait également table d'hôte (18 places, deux formules entrée/plat/fromage/dessert) le midi, du lundi au samedi. Sur réservation le… · lesdomainesquimontent.com
Indoor
Coffee Shop, Tea, Ice Cream · Opening hours: Tu-Fr 14:00-19:00; Sa 12:30-19:30; Su 14:00-19:00 Features: takeaway, delivery, step-free access · glaces-moustache.fr
Indoor
Poke, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Su 11:00-22:00 Features: takeaway, vegan options, step-free access · restaurants.pokawa.com
Indoor

292 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

Caen Carpiquet airport (CFR) 6.7 km to the centre
Caen, NOR, FR — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 2 airlines (Airlinair, VOLOTEA Airways) · direct flights to 4 destinations incl. Ajaccio, Lyon, Nice, Paris (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 2 airlines, 4 direct destinations
  • Airlinair A5 (CRJ-700, BEH) · 3 routes: Lyon, Nice, Paris
  • VOLOTEA Airways V7 (717) · 1 route: Ajaccio

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Falaise-Mont d'Eraines Airfield 32 km to the centre
Damblainville, Calvados, NOR, FR
Outdoor
Aérodrome de Flers Saint-Paul 51 km to the centre
Flers, NOR, FR
Outdoor
Argentan Airfield 59 km to the centre
Argentan, Orne, NOR, FR
Outdoor
Courseulles-sur-Mer Ultralight Airfield 16 km to the centre
Courseulles-sur-Mer, Calvados, NOR, FR
Outdoor
Rouvres Airfield 22 km to the centre
NOR, FR
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Ferry Terminal of Ouistreham
Ferry terminal · 14 km from the centre · Port de Caen
Outdoor
Gare maritime de Ouistreham
Ferry terminal · 15 km from the centre
Outdoor
Traversée de la baie de l'Orne
Ferry route · Les vedettes de Caen
Outdoor
Portsmouth (UK) - Ouistreham (F)
Ferry route · Brittany Ferries
Outdoor
Portsmouth - Ouistreham
Ferry route · Brittany Ferries
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Caen Carpiquet airport (CFR); 6 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: CFR has direct flights to 4 destinations on 2 airlines (incl. Ajaccio, Lyon, Nice, Paris). By water: 2 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: Ferry Terminal of Ouistreham, 14 km); routes include Traversée de la baie de l'Orne, Portsmouth (UK) - Ouistreham (F), Portsmouth - Ouistreham.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Caen, France. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach

Tours & experiences

Sightseeing
Sightseeing