The Caen Rétro FestivalA weekend of fine machines, forty minutes from the campsite
In late August, the La Prairie racecourse, right in the heart of Caen, welcomes hundreds of classic cars and motorbikes: a concours d’élégance, parades through the city, an autojumble and a re-creation of the historic circuit.
The Rétro Festival is Normandy's big event for lovers of fine machines: for two days, the Prairie in Caen fills with vintage cars, motorbikes, tractors and period lorries, with parades through the town and track demonstrations. People come as families, as clubs or just to look. Camping Portland, in Port-en-Bessin, is forty minutes away by road: enough to spend the day in Caen and come back to sleep by the sea.
The dates
Every year- Late Augustthe last weekend
- 2 daysSaturday and Sunday
- RacecourseLa Prairie, in Caen
The festival is held at the La Prairie racecourse, a few minutes’ walk from the centre of Caen. The dates and programme are published by the organisers during the summer.
Getting there
From the campsite- 40 kmto Caen
- 40 minby car
- Bus and tramfrom the city centre
You reach Caen via the N13 from Port-en-Bessin, by way of Bayeux. The racecourse is close to the centre: at busy times, it's easier to park in a park-and-ride and finish by tram.
Useful to know
Before you go- Ticketedentry to the site
- Paradesthrough the streets of Caen
- All agesa family day out
The parades through the city can be watched from the pavement, without a ticket. The racecourse site, however, has an admission charge; the conditions and prices are announced each year by the organisers.
The festival, seen from the campsite
Hundreds of vehicles on the Prairie
Tractions, DS, 2CVs, American cars of the fifties, British motorbikes, farm tractors and classic lorries: the line-up gathered in Caen each summer covers nearly a century of motoring. Clubs come from all over Normandy and well beyond, and visitors move freely between the vehicles.
Depending on the year, the programme includes a concours d’élégance, track demonstrations, an autojumble, auctions and parades through the centre of Caen, beneath the castle of William the Conqueror.
Caen on one side, the sea on the other
The Rétro Festival falls at the end of the holidays, when the Bessin calms down a little. From the campsite, the day is easy to organise: the festival in the morning, Caen's historic centre, abbeys and castle in the afternoon, and back to Port-en-Bessin for the end of the day.
Above the harbour, the campsite keeps its heated water park open until the end of the season: the right way to end a weekend spent on your feet, between two rows of bodywork.
Late August, the last fine week
Late August is still in high demand in the Bessin: the sea is at its warmest and end-of-season prices start to apply. For a specific weekend, it's best to plan several weeks ahead.
The campsite stays open until early November: coming for the Rétro Festival is also a chance to stay on a few more days, between the landing beaches, Bayeux and the Pays d’Auge.
Frequently asked questions about the Rétro Festival
When does the Rétro Festival in Caen take place?+
How far is the Rétro Festival from the campsite?+
Is there an admission charge?+
Can you come with a classic vehicle?+
The other events
The D-Day Festival Normandy
The Bayeux Medieval Festival
The Normandy Beach Race
The Équidays
The Beauregard Festival
Halloween at the campsite
Your base camp in Normandy
5-star cottages and a 2,020 m² heated water park, in Port-en-Bessin facing the Channel.
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