The Saire Valley P&O shore excusion from Cherbourg

In October 2022 we stopped in Cherbourg for the first time on a cruise, sailing on P&O Ventura.

Prior to the cruise we booked a P&O shore excursion - The Saire Valley (duration 4 hours).

On the day of our trip we found our way off the ship to where the shore excursion coaches were waiting and made our way to the coach designated for our excursion (sign displayed in the coach window). We have got better at tackling P&O shore excursions, having previously experienced a much more seamless process with Royal Caribbean.

Once on the coach we embarked on our tour through the French countyside heading towards La Pernelle, a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. From here there is a panoramic view from the hill top, along the south eastern coast of the Manche.

The coach dropped us in the car park and found the walk to the viewpoint accessible for pushing manual wheelchairs.

From here we boarded the coach again, travelling a little further towards the coast to Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue. Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue is a picturesque fishing and sailing village located in the Val de Saire at the north-eastern tip of the Cotentin peninsula. Here we had free time to explore this pretty little village famed for its oysters. We had a wander through a few of the surrounding streets and around the Port de Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue area with its many fishing boats with fishing gear lining the quayside.

We found walking around the port area accessible for pushing manual wheelchairs and the surrounding streets were accessible, with some level crossing areas.

We boarded the coach again and enjoyed a pretty drive back along the coast to our next stop at Barfleur. Barfleur overlooks the English Channel on the north-eastern corner of the Cotentin peninsula and is a picturesque port. We had some free time to explore the port area, with its colourful fishing boats and pretty views.

In addition to oysters, Barfleur is known for its mussels. We didn't sample any this time but there are local cafes just opposite the quay which provide the perfect place to enjoy a moules frites.

We found the port area in Barfleur accessible for pushing manual wheelchairs.

From here we boarded the coach for a scenic drive back to the ship in Cherbourg.

We thoroughly enjoyed this P&O shore excursion giving us the opportunity to explore further afield from Cherbourg and experience some traditional French fishing villages.