Côte de Nacre tour in a 1976 Citroën Dyane: Vintage convertible

Cruise the Mother-of-Pearl coast in a 1976 convertible with your local guide.

A guided tour of Normandy's Côte de Nacre coast between Ouistreham and Saint-Aubin-sur-mer in a 1976 Citroën Dyane convertible, with a maximum of 3 passengers and a live guide in English or French. The route covers Art Nouveau and Anglo-Norman architecture, D-Day memorial sites including Pegasus bridge and the Gondrée café, and the region's coastal heritage. Children from age 5 are welcome. The tour runs 3 hours and includes private transportation in the vintage car.

Step-by-step itinerary

Guided vintage car tour on Côte de Nacre

• Start with car presentation and instructions
• Visit remarkable villas and the dike
• Explore Art Nouveau, Baroque, Anglo-Norman architecture
• Walk through small picturesque streets and dike
• Pass Tournebu castle and seaside dike
• Pass town hall and castle
• See houses by the sea
• Discover fine architecture and barony stories
• Cross Pegasus bridge and see Gondrée café
• Return via Orne, lighthouse, vehicle locks, old Ouistreham district

The experience

The 1976 Citroën Dyane convertible is the whole point. You ride in an open-air car built for the 1970s, which means you see the Côte de Nacre the way the coast was meant to be seen: wind, light, the actual scale of the villas and the sea. The car holds a maximum of 3 passengers, so there's no queue to get in and no strangers' elbows in your space. Your guide meets you at the starting point in Ouistreham, walks you through the car itself, and then drives the circuit that runs from Ouistreham to Saint-Aubin-sur-mer, stopping where the architecture or the history warrants it.

The stops themselves are the reason people book this. You pass through remarkable villas and along the dike, then move into the small picturesque streets where Art Nouveau, Baroque and Anglo-Norman styles sit side by side. The guide points out the barony, Tournebu castle, and the town halls and castles that anchor each village. Then comes the D-Day layer: you cross Pegasus bridge and pass the Gondrée café, the first house to be liberated on D-Day, and you visit the Pegasus Memorial Museum itself. The route ends by walking the old district of Ouistreham: the fishermen's houses, Saint Samson church, the lighthouse, the vehicle locks on the Orne. It's a 3-hour loop, and the guide speaks English or French.

Children from age 5 can ride along. Infants and small children can travel in a pram or stroller if needed. The car itself is the transport, so there's no separate bus ride or meeting point shuffle. You're in the vehicle from the moment the tour begins. Service animals are welcome.

What’s included

• Private transportation in the 1976 Citroën Dyane convertible.
• live guide in English or French.
• stops at Pegasus bridge, the Pegasus Memorial Museum, and D-Day sites on Sword beach.
• passage through Art Nouveau and Anglo-Norman architecture in coastal villages.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDeparts at 14:00

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Youth (16 to 17 years) · Child (12 to 14 years) · Infant (5 to 11 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “Parking in the town hall square, along the Saint Samson church”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Normandy Classic Tour

Is this one for you?The car picks you up in Ouistreham, so if you don't have a rental car or you're staying elsewhere on the coast, you skip the logistics of driving yourself and still see the small streets and villas a coach can't fit into. The convertible also means you're not glassed off from the coast. You feel the air and the scale of the heritage as you move through it.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (16 to 17 years); Child (12 to 14 years); Infant (5 to 11 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

What is the Pegasus bridge and why does it matter on this tour?

Pegasus bridge was the first bridge to be crossed during the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944. The tour crosses it and stops at the Gondrée café, the first house liberated that day, and visits the Pegasus Memorial Museum to explain the site's role in the invasion.

How many people fit in the 1976 Citroën Dyane?

The car holds a maximum of 3 passengers, so the group stays small and you have room to move and see.

What kind of architecture will I see on the Côte de Nacre?

The coast shows Medieval, Composite, Art Nouveau, Rococo and Anglo-Norman styles. The guide points out architectural gems in each village, from remarkable villas to town halls and castles, and explains the regional heritage behind them.

How long does the tour take?

The tour runs 3 hours, starting in Ouistreham and ending in the old district there after visiting Saint-Aubin-sur-mer and the D-Day sites in between.