bayeux to mont saint michel

When you leave Bayeux heading west on the E46/N13, if you want to drive along the D-Day beaches, take the secondary road to Colleville-sur-Mer (where the Normandy American Cemetery & Visitor Center is located; entry is free but you must go through security to enter the building). Continue along the beach road to Vierville-sur-Mer. There are a few casual eateries along the beach, and Hotel Logis du Casino at Vierville-sur-Mer has a nice restaurant overlooking the beach and D-Day monument. From there the road back to the E46/N13 is well signposted.

NOTE if you park in one of the beach parking lots, be aware that some areas are for buses and others for cars only. The buses will block you in if you park in a bus space.

Personally I would not consider Cherbourg scenic. Can't comment on points further west as I haven't been.

With all due respect to the previous post re: the American Cemetery and beaches, none of those things are even close to being en route to Mont-Saint-Michel from Bayeux. You would likely just ending up back-tracking and getting back on the direct route. Don't get me wrong, these are great sights that should definitely be seen, but not as part of this drive. I've only done this drive once, and I went direct. If you veer slightly West, I've enjoyed the town of Le-Molay-Littry but I wouldn't think it would be called a more "scenic route." One thing I didn't stop at that I wish I had, was the other Normandy American cemetery at St. James. The cemetery at Colleville is a very moving and humbling one. But there are many cemeteries in Normandy that get overlooked for the "big ones." For what it's worth, I'll be doing this same drive in September, and I am considering swinging wide on my way back through Avranches and Granville. Enjoy your trip!

We will be driving from Bayeux to see Mt St Michel in May, leaving in late afternoon. Per Via Michelin, there are 2 routes, each of which takes just over 2 hours. Both seem as if they could be scenic. However, we are spending the night at a town en route, called Villedieu-les-Poeles. We haven't been there before, but hope to visit and enjoy seeing the places where the many artisans have worked through the years. Villedieu has a heritage of pots and pans-making, bell-making, furniture-making and lace-making. We hope to learn something about the craftspeople and artisans of the area by visiting the copper foundry, the lace museum (demonstrations still held), and perhaps finding a souvenir to take home and actually use. Next day, after seeing a little of Villedieu, we will go to Mt St Michel, about one hour away. Yes, we know we will get to MSM when all the tourists do (early afternoon), but Villedieu offers a change of pace from monuments, churches and museums (although we love those too!) I hope you find a lovely route from Bayeux to MSM, and enjoy both places, as well as the journey between the two!

Thanks. I guess I should have said that I will already have had a tour of the D Day beaches. It doesn't sound as if I will miss anything much by taking the most direct quickest route. sue

You can buy a map about the region like the Departements France of Michelin and look for a touristic route. Green ligned roads are scenic and the map includes a little overview map with places of interest and suggestions for scenic itineraries. It has a yellow cover (in this case region Calvados, Manche No.303) scale 1:150,000 and easy to get in gaz stations and supermarkets for about €6.

I have driven a few times to Le Mont-Saint-Michel and have seen that Avranches is on top of a hill, did not taken the time to do it but guess it is a good place for a view over the bay with MSM at the horizon. If you take the first exit on the road to Pontorson (N175 / D43) you will see it appearing step by step and I have to say it has something magic.

Maybe halfway Roches de Ham and the ruins of abbey de Hambye can be worth the detour as well as the coastal routes north of the bay of Le Mont-Saint-Michel.

thanks wil. I'll do that approach you recommended (N175/D43). sue