As someone who has taken both the épreuve théorique général (regulations test) and the épreuve pratique (driving test) in France to get my Permis B (auto driver's license -- passed both on first try) and as someone who has lived and driven in Normandie for several years (as well as most other parts of France prior to buying our house in Normandie), I might have a useful perspective on these questions.
- How well does the GPS on your phone work in that area?
It works pretty well in more densely populated areas, not so well in more remote areas (zones blanches) where cell coverage can be spotty. And it often works not at all (of course) in underground parking garages, so if parked in one you generally have to exit, drive for a bit, pull over, and plot out your course (or do it before you enter the garage to get in your car). Also, see my comment in another post:
Taking a different perspective on this topic: beware Google Maps (and
probably most automotive-based GPS systems) when plotting routes and
estimating driving times in rural France. I don't know how such tools
are programmed, but they seem to consider distance, some information
on typical traffic delays, and speed limits to recommend routes and
estimate travel times. In a place like rural France, where the
principle of "priorité à droit" (yielding to drivers entering the
roadway from the right) this can lead to very poor recommended routes
and inaccurate driving time estimates. Many times I've requested a
route between point A and B and the GPS recommends a shorter route,
where indeed the posted speed limit is 80 or 90 km/h, but completely
ignores the presence of blind curves caused by hedgerows, single lane
roads or roads 1.5 lanes in width, with muddy shoulders most of the
year, and priorité à droit on many roads, which requires a careful
driver to slow at almost every oncoming crossroads to ensure no one is
approaching from the right, which would risk a collision without
slowing. In other words, it's usually better on time, and far less
stressful, to favor major roads that have priority over entering
roads, that are wider, and lack the blind curves found on smaller,
perhaps shorter routes.
- Is signage difficult to interpret? Do car rentals provide a "cheat sheet" for informational, directional signs?
I'm not aware of car rental companies providing cheat sheets. I can imagine them not doing so because of liability reasons (i.e. omissions). Signs are pretty straightforward as others have commented. In addition to their advice, make sure you understand the signs related to priorité à droit: when you have the right of way, when your right of way ends, and so forth. This is very important in rural areas and small- to medium-sized towns in Normandie.
- Is parking plentiful and nearby most key sites? I imagine the availability won't be such an issue in November but you never know.
I'm not sure what you would consider "nearby" but yes, parking generally is plentiful in November except in central towns and cities, and even there if you can find underground parking or large surface lots (rare except for Mont-Saint-Michel and certain major D-Day sites) you're generally in good shape.
Lastly, it's great that some drivers have found driving in Normandie easy. It can be easy if you stick to major roads. It can be quite the opposite in rural areas where you find lots of blind curves on narrow roads with little to no shoulder and may encounter farm equipment that either makes you back up to a wide spot if encountering them head on, or will delay you if traveling in the same direction.
Hope that helps. Feel free to contact me if you any specific questions.
