With its mellow meadows, acres of knotted apple trees, time-forgotten villages and half-timbered manor houses, our closest neighbour Normandy is famed for its culture, history, food and, of course, cider.

To whet your appetite for a hop across the channel, Sawday's have created two unique itineraries exploring the apple orchards, cider houses and calvados distilleries of Normandy. Sip, sample and savour your way around France's cider country, staying at a selection of Sawday's charming handpicked hotels and B&Bs along the way.

Un Petit Voyage - 4 days, 3 welcoming hosts and plenty of cider and calvados tasting

This four day tour starts with the first sips of cider at Christian Drouin, a half-timbered distillery renowned for its traditional methods, and kip overnight at On Rue Tatin in Eure, an ancient timber town house owned by a vivacious cookery writer. Continue your calvados adventure at Pierre Huet estate followed by a night spent at Le Fresnay, a majestic manor house deep in rural Normandy. On day three, stock up at the final calvados tasting at Famille Dupont and stay at the inspiring and beautiful haven of Le Manoir des Impressionnistes. Spend the day exploring Honfleur, a port immortalised by Monet, before hopping on the ferry back to Portsmouth.

Une Aventure Norman – 7 days, 6 welcoming hosts and even more cider and calvados

A seven day apple-filled adventure taking in six of Sawday's finest Norman boltholes including Château de Canisy, the oldest B&B in France, 16th-century Manoir de la Fieffe with four acres of botanical gardens, former ciderie, La Cour Ste Catherine, in Honfleur and the elegant townhouse of Clos de Bellefontaine a stone's throw from Bayeux. Each day you'll visit orchards, see how cider and calvados are made and find local producers waiting to top up your glass. See traditional techniques at work at Père Mahieu, an organic cider farm, take a masterclass in the subtleties of calvados tasting at Distillerie La Monnerie and tuck in to hamper filled with Normandy produce in the orchards of Manoir d'Apreval.

To help you fully prepare for the trip, Sawday's has created two illustrated guides to cider  and calvados; become an overnight expert in pairing Normandy tipples with your crêpes or ragout, identify apples as you stroll through orchards and make chit chat while you sip with some handy cider phrases.

For more information on Sawday's Tours Normands and to view the illustrated guides visit sawdays.co.uk/discovernormandy