Help Tweak my Normandy Itinerary PLEASE

Definitely spend 3 nights in Bayeux. We did something similar though in reverse. We spent 3 nights in Bayeux then spent the day; we drove to Beauvron-En Auge and explored a bit. it's quite small; then drove to Honfluer for lunch and a bit of exploring; then stopped at one of the abbey's on the way to Rouen for two nights. It stays light until 10pm; there's so much time to explore.

I would rent the car in Rouen, but make sure your accommodations have a parking or know where the closest 24 parking structure is. There's no street parking; it's very limited or by permit only.

Welcome to the forum!

I just have a thought about the Peace Museum in Caen. It is a Peace Museum, not a WWII museum. They do have a WWII section and you can go down into a German bunker which the museum is built over.

BUT....to me for this area, especially, the DDay history is written outside, not inside. You can go to many WWII museums in different countries but there is only one area where you can see the landing beaches, the location where the gliders landed at Pegasus Bridge, the German batteries at Longue-sur-Mer (think of the scene in The Longest Day when Major Pluskat was staring out of the bunker at the sea and the invasion force suddenly appeared out of the mist!), the layout of the town square where the paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne inadvertently landed and took heavy casualties in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the church at Angoville-au-Plain where American Medics from the 101st Airborne took care of wounded from both sides as the battle raged over them. All very powerful and poignant locations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_Bridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Mère-Église
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steele_(paratrooper)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angoville-au-Plain

It's your trip and you can make the choices for your trip that matter to you! You may enjoy a different style of trip from me!

Do try to watch The Longest Day before you go. One of the DDay guides I've had thru the years said he felt this was the best illustration of what actually happened.

"time in this area depends on whether we go to the memorial in Caen or not thoughts?"

I'll weigh in - I visited last fall. I am quite interested in WWII and have visited museums and WWII sites world-wide. I thought I would be blown away by the Caen Memorial and planned a full day, but I was done in 3 hours despite how extensive it is.

I had trouble with the audio that should have worked on my phone. There is a help desk, but I still failed in my attempts to access and gave up because: I decided that I was familiar with most of the info. It was interesting to see the historical underpinnings and actual course of the war through French eyes, but it didn't add to my background. There are some post-war exhibits as well, meant to be thought provoking, but these also failed to interest me. Perhaps this is my failing, but despite attempts to engage, I was underwhelmed.

On the other hand, I chatted with a US couple who were back for a second day - they couldn't get enough. So, my read is that a successful visit may come down to personal interests and background. Personally and closer to home, I thought the National WWII Museum in New Orleans is much better. I could name several other museums in Asia, Australia, and Europe (including the Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Église) that I personally found more engaging and enlightening. My only suggestion is to read some reviews, study the website, and see if anyone else has opinions that they share in this space on the Mémorial de Caen.

I had taken a taxi to the war museum from the train station in Caen - my driver had kindly given me a "tour" in English en route. He pointed out William the Conqueror's Castle and several interesting churches as well as the city center medieval Vaugueux neighborhood. After leaving the Memorial de Caen earlier that anticipated, I had a great time exploring these areas. Wonderful smaller art museum in the castle precinct and another interesting museum on Normandy - Musee de Normandie. So, despite my unexpected disappointment with the Memorial de Caen, I had a great day and am quite glad I made a visit to Caen.

edit - cross posted with Pam, above. I concur with all she said - she gave me an explanation for my dissatisfaction!

If you are not an expert on the Normandy invasion, I really think it's helpful to take a one-day tour of the area and then--since you'll have a car--supplement it with stops the tour didn't cover or where you want more time (which might include the American cemetery). The tour drivers/guides are very good at navigating from one stop to the next and providing background information. Without that input, I would have gotten far, far less out of that day. The Normandy invasion area is not like a single-location historic site with a museum that explains everything, all in one place.

Okay...re non-WWII sights. Spend the night in Rouen. If you get there in mid afternoon you have time to visit the beautiful cathedral so prominent in Monet's artwork. It is a short walk from there to the beautiful clock in the medieval quarter with its half-timbered buildings. Just walking around there is a treat. Check out the markets, the Joan of Arc sites, and enjoy a delicious dinner. Next day get your rental car and drive to Bayeux by way of the Route des Abbayes. Take D338 toward the coast. The Route Des Abbayes is along this scenic road which follows the Seine River. Several Abbey ruins are along this route. The best, IMO is Jumieges...magnificent! The town of Villequier on this route has a Victor Huigo Museum (limited hours, small). From this road you can turn a bit north to see Le Havre, Sainte-Addresse, Honfleur, Entretat.....
Sleep in Bayeux 4 nights. This gives you two full days to drive around the DDay beaches area one day, and to see the cathedral and tapestry in Bayeux, and the museum there, on another day. Try to be at the American Cemetery for the flag-lowering at the end of your DDay driving day. It is very touching. You could spend the third full day going to other nearby towns and/or follow a cider and cheese tasting route. (So far we have used 5 nights.) Head off to MSM leisurely and stay there night 6, touring the Abbey the next morning. Or stay another day in this area before MSM. From here go to Brittany and see the sights you have chosen there. If you have time, fit in a day at Carnac while in Brittany.
Have fun!

OOps, I meant 3 full days in Bayeux, not 2.

We stayed in a BandB Villa Aggarthi only a block from the tapestry in September of 23 and are staying there again this April. Took a tour with HQCompany tours and using them again next months.. It was a wonderful experience. You need to book both of these right now or anything else you might want. Be sure to watch The Longest Day before you go. Good luck.

• Day One: arrive Paris, go straight to Rouen, spend night here

You mean going with the train to Rouen.....and renting the car the next day there to avoid driving with jetlag?

I agree with Judy following the Route des Abbeyes and as already said it's worth visiting the ruins of Jumièges. Fun doing and relaxing is taking one of the little free ferries crossing the Seine river. There is one a few km west of Jumièges and from the other side of the river you can drive north to very charming Saint-Wandrille-Rançon. The abbey there has still (I think) a living community.

From there you can go to Étretat. Scenic is the drive along the coast north to Fécamp with cute villages like Vaucottes, Bénouville and Yport. With the little time you have I would skip Fécamp unless you have interest in the museum about the localy distilled Bénédictine liqueur.

The coastal road between Honfleur and Trouville-sur-Mer / Deauville is very scenic, as long as you do this driving west, otherwise you have to face the industrial complex of Le Havre at the background. The streets around the casino of Deauville is to my opinion the best part of the place together with Les Planches at the beach for it's Walk of Fame. Beuvron-en-Auge is not that far from the A13 toll road, so easy to visit on the way to Bayeux.

In Normandy you can follow a cheese and a cider route. Pont-l'Évêque is nice but not outstanding, nevertheless charming with a pleasant vibe, having time worth a stop to my opinion.
https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/the-normandy-cheese-route/
https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/the-cider-route/

As for your first question, I would not drive to Rouen after arriving on an overnight flight. But if you do, it is a joint effort. The navigator should be making sure the driver stays awake, not nodding off themself. But because Rouen is so walk-able, I would do the following:

1. Take an official taxi from CDG to Gare Saint-Lazare train station.
2. Then take the train to Rouen and pick up your car when leaving the city.

As for other sights to see in Normandy, consider visiting the Abbaye de Jumièges on your way out of Rouen. It is a fantastic ruin of a castle built in 654 that was visited by William the Conqueror on his return to Normandy from England, it is a very cool place. On leaving there, you may take a ferry across the Seine river which I found a fun way to travel.

I'm in the camp that doesn't think the Peace Museum in Caen is worth the visit or the time. If you do want to visit any museums about D-day the Battle of Normandy, there are several better ones. A couple of my favorites are the Bayeux Museum on the periphery road for an great overview of the battle, and the Utah Beach Landing Museum, which concentrates more on U.S. operations, and the lives of the occupied French living in the area.

Do take the time to visit the little village of Sainte-Mère-Église. It is the epicenter of the American paratroopers involved in the D-day operation, and there is a great Airborne Museum right on the town square. Little sites nearby that may not be included in a formal tour include the La Fiere Bridge over the Merderet River—which the allies captured at great loss of life and ensured the ability to cut off the peninsula and keep German reinforcements form town. Plus the church in Angoville-au-Plain, where two heroic airborne medics created an aid station patching up soldiers on both sides of the battle line that shifted back and forth across the church courtyard, as well as aiding some injured civilians. One of my favorite restaurants in the area is in Sainte-Mère. It is named Auberge John Steele after the paratrooper who had his parachute caught on the church spire in town and made famous in the book an movie The Longest Day. There are also a couple of nice places to eat in nearby Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. And several places in Bayeux (search this forum for recommendations).

Thank you very much for all of your thoughtful suggestions.

I'm not hearing much enthusiasm for Dinard or Dinan.
Should we scrap that part of the trip to allow for extra time in Normandy?

Also, if we rent the car in Rouen can we return it near Bayeux or MSM?

Thanks again; very grateful for your advice.
Janet

Thank you very much for all of your thoughtful suggestions.

Any preference for Dinard or Dinan? Or should we skip that and do a day trip to St. Malo from MSM?

I may have an extra two days than previously thought (so ten full days in Normandy, plus the 1/2 day when we arrive in Rouen by train) so could add another day in Bayeux or Rouen or take an extra day to see the lovely gardens & abbeys mentioned by several of you.

Also, if we rent the car in Rouen can we return it near Bayeux or MSM?

Thanks again; very grateful for all of your advice.
Janet

I stayed in Dinan and enjoyed it very much. As for Saint-Malo, I stayed there last June and really enjoyed it too. It is a very different vibe than most of Normandy being a walled city right on the coast. From there, you can (and I did) take a ferry to Dinard. Of the three, I think I appreciated Saint-Malo most of all.

As for renting a car, yes, you can pick up and drop off at different location as long as that what you reserved. But beware of two things:

1. Some rental car agencies charge an additional fee for a different drop-off.
2. Many rental car office close for a long lunch—often right around the time the trains arrive. Very frustrating if you don't plan ahead for pick up. For drop-off, there is usually a key drop. Just take lots of photos so you can verify you left it without damage.

"edit - cross posted with Pam, above. I concur with all she said - she gave me an explanation for my dissatisfaction!"

Thank you for your kind comment! It took me a while to understand the why on this. I am normally such a museum person and this just left a gaping hole of disappointment. It was my 2nd visit to the area and on the 1st visit I was on a Rick Steves guided tour and had Dale Booth as a step on guide on the bus. He was so excellent that on the 2nd visit it took me a while to analyze what was "off" for this day. I wanted to be outside instead of inside.

Sorry you didn't hear much about Dinan or Dinard. Dinan is a charming town well worth visiting. I lost track of how many days you have left after MSM, but if you have three days, definitely see some of Brittany. I am partial to Quimper, but you may not be able to fit it in. I also like to get to Finistere (land's end) to confront the Atlantic face to face, but that is just me. Brittany has a special character, so I hope you can see some of it. Dinard is more upscale and posh (in a way), so I prefer Dinan. Check them out, as well as St. Malo.
If you do see some of Brittany, you could return the car in Rennes and get your train to Paris from there.
Bonne chance!

I also have found Dinan charming.

Your days seem pretty well thought out. But at the end of your text on "Days Four-Six," I'm not sure what you mean by "the invasion museum." Just a note: people here (in Normandie) don't call it the invasion. They call it the liberation. But there are many museums related to that topic, so I'm unsure which one you mean.

Regarding Dinan vs. Dinard. They're quite different. Dinard is a fairly tony western suburb of Saint Malo, across the estuary of La Rance, with some good restaurants and shops and parks, but not a huge amount of character other than that provided by the above. It's a great place to spend several hours and I'm sure you would enjoy yourself there.

Dinan, on the other hand, is a slightly larger inland town than Dinard but its main attraction is the medieval center within the ramparts.

So it all depends on what you're seeking: more modern and trendier Dinard or more medieval and preserved Dinan.

Pro tip: the French word for north is nord. The word nord is not far from nard; and that should tell you that Dinard is north of, and on La Manche (the English Channel) compared to Dinan, which is to the south and inland.

Also, perhaps it's because I spent most of my early life growing up on U.S. military bases as the son of a WWII veteran who served in Europe, but I'm mystified about the focus on the flag lowering ceremony at the Colleville-sur-Mer cemetery. I grew up hearing taps played every day at 5 PM. We were instructed to stop what we were doing, stand still and quiet, and wait until the flag-lowering event was over. I've noticed that some tourists visiting the Colleville-sur-Mer cemetery don't observe that custom, but some do. Is that what the appeal is? It's a bit mysterious to me. At any rate, unless you've never heard taps being played while a flag is being lowered on a military installation at the end of the day, I'm not sure I would go out of my way to experience it there if it would interfere with other plans you may have.

Just a note: people here (in Normandie) don't call it the invasion.
They call it the liberation.

This. And everything else Bob said.

Thank you again for all the helpful advice. I"m feeling much better about the itinerary and our activities. Grateful for all of your wonderful suggestions!