Deauville sidecar tour: Vintage ride with a local guide

Glide through Deauville’s narrow lanes with a local sharing untold secrets

A private sidecar tour of Deauville pairs you with a Norman pilot who drives you through the town's architecture, hidden streets and landmarks: one passenger behind the pilot, one in the basket. The tour runs 45 minutes to 3.5 hours depending on the option you choose, and includes helmets, goggles, gloves and rain gear. Your guide speaks English or French and shares anecdotes only locals know.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each6 stops

1. Saint-Augustin Church5m
2. Deauville-La Touques Racecourse5m
3. Villa Strassburger10m
4. Casino Barrière Deauvillepassing by
5. Honfleur10m
6. St. Catherine’s Church10m

Explore Deauville by sidecar

• Start tour at Hotel Barrière Le Normandy
• Visit Saint-Augustin Church
• See Deauville-La Touques Racecourse
• Tour Villa Strassburger
• Visit Saint-Laurent Church viewpoint
• Explore Tourgéville military cemetery
• Pass by Clairefontaine racecourse
• Pass by Casino Barrière Deauville
• Return to hotel or tourist office

The experience

You ride in an authentic sidecar, one person seated behind the pilot and one in the basket, both wearing vintage goggles and helmets. The pilot is a Norman who knows the town's layout and its stories: the architecture of the Belle Époque villas, the way the neighborhoods connect, the details that don't make it into guidebooks. You stop multiple times to photograph the Casino Barrière, built in 1912 and restored in baroque style; Saint-Augustin Church, blessed in 1865; and Villa Strassburger, the mansion built for a racing enthusiast near the Deauville-La Touques Racecourse. The sidecar moves slowly enough to notice the city's character without the distance a car creates.

The three options let you shape the day. The 45-minute ride covers the core of Deauville. The 2-hour tour adds more ground and deeper stops. The 3.5-hour option extends into the surrounding region: some departures include a detour to Honfleur, where you see the wooden Church of Sainte-Catherine (built in the late 15th century by shipbuilders using naval construction techniques) and the old harbor basin, or a visit to Manoir d'Apreval, a family estate between Deauville and Honfleur where they produce organic cider and calvados across five generations of orchards. Rain gear is provided, so weather doesn't cancel the ride.

Groups stay under six people per booking, and the sidecar itself holds two passengers at a time. Children as young as four can ride. The pilot returns you to your hotel or the tourist office when the tour ends.

What’s included

• Vintage goggles, helmets, gloves and rain gear.
• a live guide in English or French.
• multiple photo stops at landmarks including the Casino Barrière, Saint-Augustin Church and Villa Strassburger.
• return transport to your hotel or the tourist office.

Options for this experience

3 options

45 Minutes OptionGuide in English or French · 7 departure times: the first at 10:00, the last at 16:00Lasting 45 minutes, this ride takes you through the streets of Deauville aboard our vintage sidecars, with our pilots sharing the story of this legendary seaside resort.

2 Hour OptionGuide in English or French · 7 departure times: the first at 10:00, the last at 16:00Lasting 2 hours, this option lets you explore the charming town of Honfleur, setting off from Deauville.

3.5 Hour OptionGuide in English or French · 6 departure times: the first at 10:00, the last at 15:00Our most complete tour, lasting 3 hours and 30 minutes, takes in Honfleur, Villerville and the legendary seaside resort of Deauville.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 45m–2h, runs every day, 7 start times, from € 80 per person, with a live guide in English and French, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day7 departure times: the first at 10:00, the last at 16:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (4 and older) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by RETRO TOUR NORMANDY

Is this one for you?Book the 45-minute option if you want a quick taste of Deauville's architecture and layout. Choose the 2-hour tour to explore the neighborhoods and hidden streets at a slower pace. The 3.5-hour option suits travelers who want to venture beyond the town center into Honfleur's maritime heritage or the Norman orchards and cider houses. The sidecar's speed lets you notice details a faster vehicle would miss.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Church of Sainte-Catherine in Honfleur, and is it part of every sidecar tour?

The Church of Sainte-Catherine in Honfleur is an entirely wooden structure built in the late 15th century by local shipbuilders who applied naval construction techniques to its design. The main nave is shaped like an overturned ship's hull and supported by massive oak beams. It is included only in the 3.5-hour option, which extends beyond Deauville into the surrounding region.

How many people can ride in the sidecar at once?

The sidecar holds two passengers: one seated behind the pilot and one in the basket. Groups of up to six people can book together, which means three sidecars running in parallel.

Can I choose between a 45-minute, 2-hour, or 3.5-hour tour?

Yes. The 45-minute option covers central Deauville. The 2-hour tour adds more stops and neighborhoods. The 3.5-hour option extends into the region and may include Honfleur or Manoir d'Apreval, depending on the specific departure.

What landmarks does the sidecar tour pass or stop at?

The tour includes stops at the Casino Barrière Deauville (built in 1912), Saint-Augustin Church (blessed in 1865), Villa Strassburger (a mansion near the racecourse), and the Deauville-La Touques Racecourse, which hosts 42 days of flat racing annually. Longer options add Honfleur's harbor and wooden church, or the orchards and cider house at Manoir d'Apreval.

What is included in the sidecar tour?

The tour includes vintage goggles, helmets, gloves, rain gear, and a live guide in English or French who shares local anecdotes and history. Your pilot is a Norman who knows the town's hidden streets and architecture.