France in 9 Days

Posted by etu002 on 03/05/19 04:05 AM

Hello!

We (a couple in our early 30s) are traveling to Paris at the end of March/beginning of April and will have 8 full days in the country. I've never been to Paris but my partner has so she would only like to revisit the main highlights briefly and then explore more of the city.

Ideally, we'd love to get in Normandy, Paris, and one other area. South of France? We love to eat, drink, and explore. History (aside from D-Day) is not our #1 priority but still interesting to us. Where should we go? How much time to spend in each area?

Thanks!

Posted by Jazz+Travels

Chicago

03/05/19 04:15 AM

8166 posts

Go to Bayeux in Normandy for two days.
It is nice town you can use to go visit Arromanches the site of the Mulberry WW2 harbor.
Also from there you can go to Omaha Beach. The American Cemetery overlooks that.

You can either go to those places on public transport or buy a tour of the DDay sites from Bayeux.

You really don't have much time to do the South of France if you do Normandy though. Maybe the Loire Valley if you like to see Renaissance era castles.
Look at the map of France.

Posted by CJean

Ontario, Canada

03/05/19 04:25 AM

5440 posts

With only 8 days on the ground, and assuming your flights are into AND out of Paris, I don't think you've got time to do Paris, Normandy, AND the South of France. Leave the south for another visit. If you get a good guidebook you can find lots of places worth a visit that are closer to Paris.

To use your time more efficiently, consider continuing all the way to Normandy on your arrival day. Take the train to Bayeux and explore the town with what's left of your first day. Then either rent a car or take a tour of the D Day sites the next day. Consider a side trip to Mont St Michel on day 3 or explore the D Day villages more thoroughly. On day 4 return to Paris for the remainder of your stay. You can always do a day trip out of Paris to somewhere like Versailles or Chartres, or one of the other nearby towns, but IMO, there is plenty to see and do in Paris, no matter how many times you've been before.

Posted by awrzesinski

03/05/19 02:29 PM

1038 posts

I agree with previous posts. You don’t really have time to explore three areas. I’d be sure to give yourself at least four nights in Paris. There’s so much to see and do there, and you could also consider Versailles one of those days. That still leaves plenty of time for Normandy. I’d also recommend trying to go straight to Bayeux when you arrive. Pretty sure there are trains to Bayeux from CDG.

Posted by Adam

Boston

03/05/19 11:01 PM

4132 posts

If Normandy and Paris are a must, the logical (logistically anyway) third destination is the Loire.

Or you could push on into Brittany. The cuisine is not that different from Normandy though, compared to other parts of France.

Alternatively, spend an extra day exploring Normandy, and plan some day trips from Paris.

Posted by Susan

San Francisco/Marin County

03/05/19 11:51 PM

9436 posts

CJean’s advice is exactly what i would say. Normandy (staying in Bayeux), then Paris, is perfect. You don’t have time for more if you want to do any place justice.
Paris is wonderful and even a month isn’t long enough. In Paris, just walking and exploring is fun and rewarding.

How many full days do you have? 7 or 8?
(2 nights = 1 full day)