It's always tricky if you have a long drive to get to the port. You don't want to cut it too fine and risk missing the ferry but that often means having time to kill.

If you are an art lover and have a choice of port, there are good reasons to opt for Le Havre. Most of Le Havre was destroyed by bombing in World War II and has been rather unattractively rebuilt but all this can be forgiven when you discover the ultra-modern Le Musée des Beaux-Arts André Malraux. Constructed of glass and steel and situated close to the harbour this is one of the best museums in Normandy with its collection of Impressionist works by Monet, Sisley, Renoir and Boudin. Fauvist Raoul Dufy, who, like Boudin was born in Le Havre, is also well represented.

If you are less ardent about art, you may prefer a walk around Honfleur, one of Normandy's most attractive seaside towns, situated only half an hour from Le Havre. Both the harbours (the old port, Le Vieux Bassin, and the fishing port, the Avant Port) are very attractive and provide a good backdrop for sitting at a café with a coffee or an ice-cream.

If you are sailing from Ouistreham you will find that the nearest city, Caen, suffered badly like Le Havre in World War II. The city planners, like those of Le Havre, appear to have had a penchant for concrete. Its saving grace, architecturally, is the Le Château de Caen with its ramparts and medieval herb garden and its two Romanesque abbeys, one built by William the Conqueror and the other by his wife, Matilda of Flanders. It also has the excellent Memorial – Un Musée Pour La Paix (a museum for peace), generally regarded as the best World War II museum in France. This museum is one of the few places outside America with remnants of the 9/11 attacks. Artwise, you may enjoy a visit to the Musée des Beaux Arts which is situated within the château's walls and contains works by Titian, Rubens, Van Dyck, Poussin and Rembrandt.

If you have children they will love the Cite de la Mer in Cherbourg, the largest aquarium in France. However, if you only have an hour or so to spare, you may think it too expensive. The Summer 2007 price for adults is 14.50 Euros and 9.50 Euros for children between 6 and 17. Alternatively the Musée Thomas Henry is worth a visit and has a collection of two hundred paintings from the 15th to the 19th centuries including works by Van Dyck, Fra Angelico and Millet.